Marianas Trench
It isn't every day that a pop rock band creates an album as if they were writing a Broadway musical. As author John Kenrick states in his book, Broadway 101, "All successful musicals involve characters that have something or someone they are willing to put everything on the line for." That sentence could also describe the members of Marianas Trench. Lead singer Josh Ramsay, lead guitarist Matt Webb, bassist Mike Ayley and drummer Ian Casselman have triumphed in the Canadian market, with their latest album approaching platinum sales, sold out tours and over 3 million views on YouTube for their single "Cross My Heart." Not ready to rest on their laurels, the band is about to stake their claim in America with the aptly named MASTERPIECE THEATRE.
Singer/songwriter Josh Ramsay was pre-destined for this line of work. His mom toured with Leonard Cohen, hanging out with the likes of Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. His dad opened a studio in Vancouver, which hosted many notable artists including Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Van Halen and more. So when Josh, already a multi-instrumentalist and budding engineer said he was going to be a musician, it wasn't with a sense of bravado. "Until I was 12 years old, I thought every one WAS a musician. I didn't realize there were other types of work. So it was really a natural choice for me. I understand why so many people think a career in music is a pipe dream, but for me, it was a realistic goal, as I'd always grown up with it."
So focused was Josh that, not only did he begin writing songs at a young age, he truly can't remember not being in a band. According to Josh, he had a revolving door of band mates until 2001 when high school friend Matt joined as guitarist. 2003 welcomed Ian and Mike, and Marianas Trench were launched. The band signed to Chad Kroeger founded 604 Records - their first album, FIX ME, meeting with near instant success in Canada.
The group was very specific when it came to their follow up. As Josh explains, "There is something special about your first record because you've been waiting your whole life to make it. When we went back in to the Studio to do MASTERPIECE THEATRE, I'd been on the road supporting FIX ME, so I knew what worked and what didn't work. I wanted this record to be really diverse, and not allow one song to be confused with another."
To aid that quest, the band worked with several different producers to achieve many different types of sounds. According to Matt, "We recorded MASTERPIECE THEATRE in a fairly unusual way, working with a handful of different producers and recording the album in 2 or 3 song chunks. We brought producers on board who we'd grown up admiring so it was pretty surreal to have an opportunity to work with these guys. Dave Genn of Matthew Good Band fame produced FIX ME and it was awesome to have him come back. Guys like Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida, Rave and Greg Nori each added there own flair. Josh produced a bunch of songs as well, and really came into his own throughout the creation of this album."
Much like the structure of a musical, the band decided to put three songs titled "Masterpiece Theatre" on the album. The title track, "Masterpiece Theatre I," sets the tone of the entire album. The sixth track, "Masterpiece Theatre II," is an extension of "MPI," and the final track on the album, "Masterpiece Theatre III," namechecks every track on the album, and closes with the first line of the first song off the first album (a nod to fans that had been with the band from the beginning). The idea of the "Masterpiece Theatre" tracks came to Josh after spending a lot of time appreciating the structure of Broadway show tunes (so much time, in fact, he asked Broadway wordsmith Alan Menkin to work on the album; though interested, time constraints made it impossible). "My vision was there would be a big opening number where characters are established. Then, in the "second act," a symphonic reprise, and at the end there would be the climax, where all the characters come together. I was feeling inspired to try a lot of different things. We wanted the whole album to feel like an experience for the listener."
The band, and their fans, were thrilled with the results. First single "Cross My Heart" reached #9 on the Canadian Top 40 radio chart and #14 on the Hot AC chart, with the video going to #1 on MuchMusic. The album debuted at #4 on the Canadian Album Chart, #3 on the Top Canadian Album Digital Chart and the Digital album sales reached #1 on iTunes Canada. Much has been made of the triptych of "Masterpiece Theatre," with the band member agreeing that "MT3" showcased the best the band has to offer. Says Mike, "My favorite song is "Masterpiece Theatre III." It's unlike anything we've done before and uses so many of the tools we have at our disposal in this band. The way it all comes together really creates a powerful climax to the album."
With remarkable melodies, can't-get-'em-out-of-your-head hooks and memorable harmonies in songs such as "Cross My Heart," "All to Myself," "Beside You" and "Celebrity Status," Marianas Trench's MASTERPIECE THEATRE is everything an amazing pop rock record should be. And though they've won awards, sold out shows across Canada and had their songs featured in TV shows such as "Vampire Diaries" and "Kyle XY," Josh, Mike, Matt and Ian don't take a thing for granted. Eager to tour the States later this year, they understand they may have their work cut out for them. Not resting on the laurels of their achievements, the band are thrilled this is the job they get to do each day. "Being able to support yourself on music these days is a miracle considering the state of the industry," says Ian, "We know that we are all extremely fortunate to be in Marianas Trench, making music, performing live and doing what we love."
MASTERPIECE THEATRE will be released Sept 28, 2010 in the U.S. on 604 Records, with distribution for this release through RED, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The band's first album FIX ME will also be made available as a catalog title.
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