Interview With Eisley

Eisley released one of the better albums last year with The Valley, and with the recent release of Deep Space they show that the last thing they want to do is lose momentum. Eisley very happily took some questions from us at MuzikDizcovery, involving topics such as the personal tragedies leading up to The Valley, the difference between home recording and fancy studios, the differences between Eisley and other bands, a new LP in the works, and much more which you can read below.

Interview conducted by Matt French.


Okay, so I’d just like to say before this interview gets underway that I greatly appreciate you finding the time to answer these questions. Eisley has been one of my favourite bands for quite some time now and I’m just thrilled that I’m able to conduct this interview. So without further ado, let’s begin! 

I’m sure you’ve been asked this time and time again, but I feel compelled to bring it up just for fun: you’re all no doubt Star Wars fans, but why choose the name “Eisley”? Does it symbolize anything specific?

No, nothing specific. It was really just easiest to go from MossEisley (which we had been called for a long time at that point) to Eisley without confusing people and without having to change our design marketing too much. Technically the Star Wars way is spelled 'MosEisley' but we figured taking out one 's' wouldn't trick Mr. George Lucas. 

I understand that there were a lot of unfortunate circumstances leading up to the creation of The Valley. Did these circumstances, terrible as they were, ultimately help bring the band closer together?

Since we're all family I would say it more so brought us closer together as a family, and I suppose that, in turn strengthened the band. It definitely gave us fuel for writing since, as a songwriter it's a very natural type of personal therapy to write about what you're going through and so that made it a very cathartic experience. It's not only about tragedy though…it is a record about hope and finding strength in yourself and finding the courage to believe in new love after you've been hurt.

What inspired the creation of Deep Space and what can fans expect to hear? Lyrically, is there a theme to this EP? 

Well it's been out for a few weeks now and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive from our fans. Lyrically, it's a bit more on the whimsical side, more romantic; But there isn't a strong theme. 

Is there a story behind the name ‘Deep Space’? 

It's the title track. It's about a couple who leaves Earth to live in outer space together. You can't get much more whimsical and romantic than that!

You lot have recorded in some very nice studios in the past. How does recording at home compare and would you do it again?

Yes! As long as you have the means to and someone who knows how to get great sounds. Tracking in a studio can be fun, but for me, personally, I don't prefer it. I've seen the best things come from our band while recording at home. I think it brings out the most natural, relaxed version of Eisley. 

Having played large and small venues, which of the two do you prefer? Is there a certain connectedness to your fans felt from playing smaller shows? 

They're both completely fun in their own different ways. I don't prefer one or the other, I love them both.

Of the many songs you’ve written, which are your favourites to play? Also, which of your records do you consider to be your best?

My new favorite song to play is "Deep Space" and I consider every album to be a favorite. I think they were all relevant to where we were as a band at the time and I'm very proud of all of them. 

Who would you cite as your greatest influences? 

Paul McCartney. His melodies are the best. 

What would you say sets Eisley apart from other contemporaries? 

Something we set out to do when we first started was to be a band that was always be as accessible as possible to our fan base. A band who never becomes arrogant or stops caring about their audience; Who isn't flaky or wish-washy with their sound but who stays focused and loves what they do and strives to make others happy by doing it. We set out to accomplish something and we want to finish it…even if it's not finished 'til we're very old!

Beyond the release of Deep Space, are there any other Eisley-related works in the pipelines for 2012? 

Our Spring tour starts March 8th (dates are on our site - eisley.com), and we'll be playing all the songs off of our Deep Space EP. There may be a few Summer dates and we're already writing for LP #4, which we plan to begin recording later this year.




I'd like to thank Eisley again for answering our questions. Both Deep Space and The Valley bring out the best in the band, and showcase a band on the rise. Deep Space is out now, and the band is starting their tour very soon. Go check the band's website for tour dates, and make sure to check the band out on tour as the winter ends!