An interview with Miles Dimitri Baker and Aaron Stechauner

of
Rings of Saturn

Interviewed By: George Archibald

GA: Rings of Saturn has a new album that is already recorded, can you tell me a bit about the album? Even a little about what the fans can anticipate?

MB: The album is going to be put out by Nuclear Blast which is going to be awesome. I think it is going to be a more dynamic album than anything that has been done by Rings of Saturn. This album is going to have more variety on it, but still has a classic Rings of Saturn vibe to it. Each album the band has progressed, and I think with this new album we are progressing even further. I think everyone is going to like it. For people that disliked the band, I think it’s going to change their mind, because there is more substance overall and well-roundedness than in the past releases.

AS: Every band when they make a new record; they want to keep their current fan base, but to be able to gain new ones without having to change to much, and sacrificing things the older fans liked. I think we did a good job of keeping it a very Rings of Saturn album, but opening the doors to new things. I think we succeeded in this from my own standpoint, and I enjoy the new material a lot.

GA: Any plans to releases any singles prior to the drop date?

AS: In or around May, we will probably be dropping a music video, launching preorders, and stuff like that. There’s going to be another single released as well before the album comes out, to get everyone excited for it.

GA: Does the album have a title, and released date yet?

AS: We cannot say the title just yet, and the release date is somewhere around summer. There is no official release date yet.

MB: You can find some song names on YouTube, if you search hard enough you may find them.

GA: Miles, the material that you played during your demo at NAMM, is any of that a teaser of what we can expect on the new album?

MB: It may or may not be.

AS: Here’s what you can do. Watch our live videos, and then watch that video, and compare.

GA: Well I got to follow up with you guys and being mysterious. I also seen that there has been some equipment upgrades with the band. Especially with Lucas Mann getting a Schecter Guitars endorsement, and Miles and Lucas switching from Fractal to Kemper.

MB: I was using Ax FX for a long time, then I got the Kemper for recording the new album. Then for live performance, we used to use a plug-in called Waves Guitar. Now we are using Bias, which I am a huge fan of. Bias is awesome, with the things you can do in your DAW as far as EQ and stuff, and with everything that is included it is comparable to the Ax FX. We are using it straight through the laptops for our live set up. It’s as raw as it can get.

GA: Any upgrades for you Aaron?

AS: As far as touring goes, my set up pretty much stays the same. One rack tom, one floor tom, etc. For this tour instead using a standard 22” kick drum, I am using an 18” kick. It’s super tiny, and gets some heads turning, on top of it being funny. The big reason for it was to have more space in the van. We don’t travel with a trailer. We don’t have any cabinets or heads, since we use Bias on the laptops. We are trying to cram everything into as small as a space as we can. I am also using a 14” floor tom, instead of a 16”. It’s fun, and I don’t mind changing things up.

GA: How are you guys dealing with the increased popularity the band has been receiving since the last time I spoke with you Miles? Aaron, you had a spread in Alternative Press, and Miles was invited to NAMM, that’s some huge exposure.

MB: It’s nice being treated really well, getting to work with all these companies is awesome. It’s nice to work with all these people that are being cool and want to make the band better.

GA: Aaron this is more of a background question, but how did you get started in Rings of Saturn?

AS: What got me into Rings of Saturn was back in 2012 I think, the band posted on their page that they were searching for a drummer since had just left. I didn’t even know the band, but my buddy Logan saw that post since he was a fan. He showed me the post, and was like, “hey you should try out.” So, I was like, sure why not. That’s how I got in touch with Lucas. I didn’t get into the band at that time, but he was really stoked with my audition and I made second cut. We stayed in touch, and I joined another band at that time and went touring. Then I joined Rings, after their drummer left that I am friends with, said “hey you should give him a try, he has gotten a lot better since last time he tried out.”

GA: I seen that you two have been rocking the Bass Pro hats, do you guys want to elaborate on that and what are your thoughts on Cabela’s?

AS: Cabela’s I have nothing negative to say about, but I have no comment at this time. Honestly, Bass Pro there is nothing to it. Miles, and I, along with a buddy Andrew; finished up the last leg of the last Winds of Plague tour, all on our own separately. We were driving in my truck, and stopped for food at La Victoria’s in San Jose (the orange sauce is really good!) Across the street was a Bass Pro shop, and Andrew said “we should go get Bass Pro hats.” So, all three of us get hats, and roll up to the show looking like idiots all wearing the hats. Everyone on the tour is like, what are you doing? Miles and I played with the hats on stage, and it was funny. Then we started taking photos with the hats on, and calling ourselves the Bass Street Boys. Just clowning around on tour. It’s cool when people bring out their own Bass Pro hats and tag us in photos with them wearing it. There’s nothing to it, it’s just a cool way to connect to people and have fun. It’s something that doesn’t make sense for a metal band to have, but that is kind of the point.

MS: There is nothing serious to it, it’s just another dynamic to interact with fans. They are coming out bringing something totally unrelated to everything.

(Andrew Bastion, Empire Extreme staff photographer chimes in): Figuratively, you planted the hook, and reeled them in.

(Everyone laughs)

GA: Any update on your other project Interloper?

MB: My plan is to get home from this tour, is to finish that album. We have a vocalist, so the album is priority number one when I get home since I will have some free time.

AS: We have more material than what is released right now. We are sitting on a couple songs, and a few riffs, and ideas. Miles, and Andrew can write quick, Andrew busts out stuff really quick. I think there isn’t a song released yet that is a collaboration between Miles, and Andrew; but we have one written, and it is my favorite so far. I really like what both are doing together. I think it is rad and when we get home, we are going to work to bust it out. Rings is our main gig but we would like to do a tour on this material. We have a bunch of friends from touring, that we could call up, and ask, “hey can we the bottom slot of your headliner.” Like in between Rings of Saturn tours when we are not too busy.

MB: The newer material is a lot different from the released material. It’s a lot more mature writing-wise, because the songs that are out were written by me three to five years ago. I wrote those songs when I was around 17. I wrote Conjuration when I was 16 years old.

AS: That was just us worshipping Obscura as 16 year olds. We would learn an Obscura song and then write song that was similar.

GA: I’ve been playing guitar for many years and I have friends that have as well, and they listened to the Interloper material. They are like, “Jesus the level of writing on these songs is some next level shit!” So, I know there are a lot of people anticipating what you guys come up with next. So, what is next after this tour for you guys?

MB: Preorders and album stuff. We have some tours in the works but nothing we can put out there yet. Once the album drops, we will be out and about more.

GA: So, anything else you guys would want to add to the interview?

MB: Tour has been going well, the bands on the package are rad, and the fans and companies we have been working with have been really awesome. We are so thankful for everyone supporting us, we really appreciate it.

I want to thank Miles Dimitri Baker, and Aaron Stechauner for speaking with me, you guys are some of the nicest people I have met while doing interviews. I wish you guys well on tour and can’t wait for the new Rings of Saturn album to come out. Be sure to check out Rings of Saturn on tour now! You can keep up to date with the band via their FaceBook page.

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George Archibald

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