Glorybots - Invisible
INTERVIEW | TALKING WITH JALAL ANDRE OF GLORYBOTS
Glorybots is the project of Jalal Andre, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Glorybots will drop a new full-length album, Invisible, on July 31. I am looking forward to reviewing the album.
Glorybots
With the previous offering, a five-track EP, entitled Dark Alien Pop, Glorybots amalgamated surreal-flavored alien textures with smooth pop/post-punk coloration traveling on surfaces brimming with delicious leitmotifs.
On one level, Glorybots’ sound is raw, almost primeval, while on another level it’s elusively reminiscent of The Cure merged with dollops of Radiohead, God is an Astronaut, as well as the industrial splash of Nine Inch Nails thrown in for sonic clout.
A while back, pre-COVID-19, I was scheduled to attend one of Glorybots’ live performances, but due to extreme weather conditions, the show was canceled, much to my regret.
I caught up with Jalal, who was kind enough to take time for an interview, covering a variety of subjects such as how he got started in music, the most trouble he’s been in, and how Invisible differs from Dark Alien Pop.
What’s the worst decision you ever made as a band?
I don’t approach life with the potential for making a “bad decision.” It might sound corny, but I view all decisions as opportunities that take you further down the road of discovery. Some decisions get you further down that road, but I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever made a decision that I outright regretted ... or maybe I haven’t lived enough!
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
I was flying back from Brasil, at the age of 19, with my 12-string acoustic guitar in its very “acoustic-looking” case. A TSA officer asked me what was in the case, and because it was such a seemingly stupid question, and I gave the only flippant answer I could think of ... “A bomb!?” Needless to say, that answer didn’t go over well, and it all went downhill from there ... (but I don’t regret it!).
What’s your favorite song to belt out in the car or the shower?
Well, I actually bike almost everywhere I go, and whenever I belt anything out I get pretty strange looks ... so I don’t really belt anything out while I’m riding. When I do drive (to band rehearsal, for example), I’m pretty fickle about what I listen to, so it could be anything from the local radio station to a song I’m currently writing and working on.
How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?
I have always been deeply moved by music, even as a young kid. When I was young, my parents would play The Beatles, The Bee Gees, and a variety of pop and rock music, and I loved it all! I would sing at the top of my voice and did so for most of my youth. In fact, for most of my life, I have been writing musical odds and ends, but those early ideas never evolved into complete songs or compositions, until more recently. I also spent 5 formative years living in Brasil as a kid, and that cultural immersion probably had a very transformative effect on my concept of music (although I don’t know how often that effect comes through in the Glorybots project).
I first began writing music on my recorder (woodwind instrument) in the 4th grade, and my first official instrument was the trumpet. As a young teen, I was gifted a bass guitar and 12-string acoustic guitar by my father, and I still own the latter. My first band was Onyxial Spirit, co-founded with my brother, Jad, who played the drums.
If given the chance, I’ll try to play any musical instrument I can get my hands on, but the most interesting instrument I’ve ever played at a live show is the berimbau, a single-string percussion instrument (like a reverse musical bow), that I bought in Brasil. I think that this willingness to try any instrument has added to my musical palate and how I approach music, in general. Ironically, I am deathly afraid of egg shakers!
What music are you listening to right now?
You might not believe it, but today I’ve been listening to Depeche Mode, Sia, and the Pitch Perfect 3 soundtrack. As I said before, I find joy in almost all music and I try not to be too judgmental.
"I’m very proud of the 'Dark Alien Pop' album, but it never really rocked-out like it could have. With the upcoming sophomore album 'Invisible,' I wanted to include rockier rhythmic uproar while still including some musical abandon."
Glorybots has a distinctive tone. Has your tone changed over time or pretty much remained the same?
I’m thrilled and a little surprised that our tone has reached the status of “distinct”. I would like to think that our tone has continued to evolve, only because I continue to experiment with new effects, sonic textures, and approaches to writing music, and I twist a lot of knobs!
Where did the name Glorybots come from?
The name, Jalal, means “glory” and I liked the idea of the band being a bunch of nameless bots in search of fame and fortune.
Who is in the band (names) and which instrument do they play?
Jalal Andre – Lead and backup vocals, all guitars (including Fender bass VI), bass guitar on 6 songs, synth/keys, programming, and all songwriting and lyrics.
Ben Hilzinger plays all drums/percussion on the Invisible album and at some live shows.
Ian Sides plays bass on 5 of the songs on the Invisible album and at some live shows.
The band is currently on a rotating format for live shows.
What kind of guitar do you play, and why? Any modifications to it?
I’m fortunate to play an electric guitar that was custom-built to my specifications. It’s really a Franken-tele and was built heavily modded from the beginning. It has an ash body in the shape of a non-reverse firebird, telecaster-style bridge hardware, and a stratocaster-style neck, with custom-built pickups (T-style soapbar in the neck and P90 in the bridge). In my opinion, it resonates and plays a lot like a tele, given the ash body and bridge hardware, but it’s got great tone and is a dream to play.
My other favorite electric guitars include: a vintage-style Pin-Up custom tele, a non-reverse Gibson Firebird, and a Heritage hollow body electric guitar. My favorite acoustic guitar is a Gibson SJ-200. Lately, I’ve been really enjoying a Fender bass VI and p-bass as well, because they’re just so much fun to play!
You describe your sound as “dark alien pop.” Can you shed light on what you mean by that phrase?
The name and its meaning occurred completely by accident. The Glorybots debut album title was originally going to be “Analog Twin” because I knew I wanted to steer away from a more traditional “band” approach to writing, and I wanted to actively incorporate more synth/digital elements into the Glorybots project. To change the general writing process, I began writing a few of the new songs on synth/keys, and the sounds I kept choosing gravitated toward a similar sonic signature that, after a while, I realized belonged in an alien sci-fi movie soundtrack.
As you can imagine, there were a lot of failures in exploring what would become the overall Dark Alien Pop theme, both in song development and arrangements, especially as I began to nudge the songs in that overall direction. Eventually, things came together, although the blend of alien soundscapes is variable in each song throughout that first album.
On Invisible, our sophomore album, there is deliberately less of a noticeable “Dark Alien Pop” vibe, but those elements are there on a few tracks. To be honest, after touring in support of Dark Alien Pop, I wanted to put out an album where we all just really rock-out! But, I can certainly imagine that future works might incorporate more of that “Dark Alien Pop” vibe because it was fun to steer the songs in that direction and I miss those alien textures!
You have a new album releasing July 31. What can you share about it?
I’m very proud of the Dark Alien Pop album, but it never really rocked-out like it could have. With the upcoming sophomore album Invisible, I wanted to include rockier rhythmic uproar while still including some musical abandon.
Initial reviewer comments have mentioned that the album contains “Batman Beyond-tinged riffage,” “ ...swift and catchy riffs, speedy drums and heart on your sleeve lyrics,” and the sound has been compared to “Placebo, Silverchair and a post-punkier version of Green Day,” “Filter and Sparta with its mixes of 90s alt-rock and post-punk” and The Pixies and Showbiz-era Muse.
The album was produced by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, The Classic Crime, Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Minus The Bear), myself, and Christopher Newton (Chkbns), and was recorded at a variety of studios throughout Seattle, WA. I’m thrilled to share it!
How are you handling the coronavirus situation?
It has been challenging on many levels – the lack of regular socialization, the loss of freedom to go out as we please, etc. I know this has been hard on many people, for many reasons, especially those who have lost their jobs or have been furloughed. The lockdown has also caused us all to re-evaluate what we do and why we do it. As painful as that might be, I think this is a good thing, and much-needed movements such as Black Lives Matter have caused us all to re-examine what it means to be human, and any respective roles we might inadvertently play in contributing to injustices experienced by others.
On a positive note, I have used this time to work on the things that I love to do and write new music. For my family, this experience has been fairly positive and we have grown closer together by always being physically together.
