Outrunning Demons

No Rest for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

originally published April 23, 2008

"It kind of felt like we were done with the record, but the record wasn't done with us," Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bassist and singer Robert Levon Been reflects with a laugh. It's been a year since the release of B.R.M.C.'s fourth record Baby 81, and 2008 was supposed to be a time to rest. No such luck for these infamous road warriors. As soon as the band settled down from an international tour, the offers started coming back in for more.

"It's a good thing," says Been of the new round of tour dates, "because I guess people still want to hear [the new material]. So, rather than being crabby or something, it seems that if people want to hear us, we'll play, and when they don't, then we won't."

While that eagerness to hit the road may be strong as ever, few things in B.R.M.C.'s career are as simple as the day the band started eight years ago. Having gone through two major labels already, this trio has an intimate knowledge of the challenges artists face trying to keep up with the ever-changing music industry.

"When we first started, the cool thing to do was to sign to an indie label and try to get respect that way," says Been. "We thought it was more brave to jump into a major label and try to fight your way from the inside out rather than the outside in. Back in the day you would sign to an indie label, and then you get a hit, and then immediately sign to a major. And then eventually... you are what you said you were against. It was important to us to jump into the belly of the beast and fight our way out."

It was more of a struggle than the band anticipated. After a messy break from Virgin, the fight turned inward as drummer Nick Jago parted from the group, followed by guitarist Peter Hayes. This was the lowest low point for B.R.M.C. - a fractured lineup and no label to support their future efforts. Luckily, not too long after the recording sessions for Howl were complete, RCA stepped in to distribute the album. A marked departure from the band's earlier heavy rock sound, Howl is steeped in rich Americana and eloquent sorrow.

When fans saw B.R.M.C. next, the boys had slicked back their disheveled hair into neat pompadours and traded in their ragged t-shirts and leather jackets for Johnny Cash's sharp wardrobe. Their once haggard and worn demeanor transformed slowly into a focused optimism. You can even hear the change in Been's amiable tone. Early B.R.M.C. interviews were notoriously difficult. Speaking with Flagpole today, Been laughs easily, eager to share fond memories playing with heroes The Rolling Stones, Joe Strummer, Neil Young and others.

Always looking forward, Been's next goal is to bring this sense of lightness to the records. Although Baby 81 marked a return to the band's hard rocking sound, it didn't quite capture this sense of "light" that Been felt with the band's debut record.

"I think it's a state of mind," says Been. "Don’t be distracted by the smoke and mirrors of production; it's underneath that. It comes from a place where I feel like I have less to prove, and I like that."

B.R.M.C. has now parted with RCA as well, and Been and the band are still deciding how to move forward. He's still ready to fight the music industry beast, but it's not as clear where to strike.

"Now the enemy has changed," he laughs. "I don't know, the enemy is more - noise, useless information, static. You are just trying to break through something that is more ambiguous and harder to attack. Everyone's just standing in the dark and asking how can you release records now that are going to reach people and impact them and not just be more noise?"

Been says the band is considering releasing the next record independently, possibly launching its own label inside a larger label. There are infinitely more choices for bands now, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be just as challenging.

"It's a lot harder to be a band now. You have to fight to keep it alive and to find a way to get your music heard - be a bit more hands on with what you create. There isn't a formula any more. You have to be more inventive - which is a good thing - but you gotta be a little smarter to survive this game right now."

For Been, it's all about moving, moving, moving. "When we're off the road, recording, it feels kind of like pretending... I get worried because the demons seem to always come out when we're at home - the vicious thoughts that run in your head - and music always kind of quiets those down. We tend to just keep moving, keep running before they catch up with you."

It sounds like a cycle of anxiety, but it's a pressure off of which Been feeds.

"Comfort and satisfaction is kind of the death of music. As soon as you've gone everywhere you want to go... it's kind of a scary place to be. I have a healthy perfectionist in me that'll never be satisfied. So, I have faith in him that he'll constantly keep me searching, even if I know I can never get there."

Michelle Gilzenrat

WHO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Duke Spirit
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
HOW MUCH: $15