What could have been a frightening year for THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS has turned into a life-affirming one. After being freed from their contract by Virgin Records, the band decided to take the DIY route and release a new EP independently. The Hell Or High Water EP was released on iTunes last week (listen to the new song "Casting The First Stone" below) and a full-length is planned for early next year. Now happily on their own, frontman RONNIE WINTER tells us whether or not a major label is in the band’s distant future and how things have changed for RJA.
You left Virgin in February, but how long had you been unhappy at the label?
[Virgin subsidiary] EMI have had a lot of problems during the past five or six years. With a lot bands like Radiohead and Coldplay [on the roster], we never really felt like we were appreciated. When you’re doing everything you can for somebody and they aren’t doing it back for you, you don't want to be part of it.
How has the DIY route worked out for release of the Hell Or High Water EP?
Actually, it has been going great. I know a lot of people are expecting me to say that, but it has. We just got our first week sales and we did just as well as we did our first week on a major. So what that tells me is that we have our core fanbase that believes in our music and regardless of what some people may or may not think, they’re going to support our band. If anything, I am glad to know they’re still there and that we can have a first week release that even comes close to a major. We’re kind of feeling on top of the world right now.
The video for the EP’s first single "Choke" seems like a therapy session. How did it come about?
[Laughs.] It was just fun. If you watch very carefully, you can see us smiling and laughing during the video. But like you said, it was very therapeutic and we wanted to put what happened with the major label to rest in the most over-the-top, House of 1,000 Corpses way of doing it. We’re all real big fans of horror films and special effects. It’s part of a three-part video [series], which is another thing we weren't able to do at Virgin. They would always only allow us to do one video at a time. [When we went on our own,] the first thing we wanted to do was all the things were weren’t able to do before. It’s like when you first move out of your house and go a little overboard, but you have a good time doing it. But yeah, it’s the first part of the story and is called “The Attack,” the next is called “The Chase” and the third is “The Stand-Off.” It’s just us in a fictitious world wreaking havoc on a major label. It’s not directed at Virgin directly. If you enjoy the first one, you’ll like the next two and the story will make a lot more sense.
The EP is a little bit more heavy-hitting at times than your previous releases. Is that a sign of things to come?
I don't know. I just obviously believe that we put the songs on there that we wanted to. I don't think we went that direction. We just had a good time jamming and writing and it made the most sense for this particular EP. The only thing we did was just not put any ballads on this one.
How is the full-length shaping up?
Really great. Right now, we’re trying to lock in a producer. It’s the first time we’ve done co-writing. We were never against it, we just never understood what it was. We always just went in the jam room, wrote a song and did everything ourselves. But with the third album, I’ve been writing with a bunch of people, one of whom is a personal hero of ours—John Feldmann. Two of the songs that are going on this third album were written with John and I’m blown away by them. The excitement of the writing session I had with John gives me a feeling of a whole new direction with this next album. We’ll see where it goes.
What are the release plans for it?
We’re going to just do what we’re doing right now. A lot of people say they are independent but are actually on an indie label run by a major or a true independent label. A lot of people don't realize it, but we’re on nothing. We’re going into the studio in October and we don't have a producer yet, but we’re recording and hoping we get John Feldmann. At this point, it’s just a matter of whether or not he can squeeze us in. If he can, we’ll be really happy. If not, we’ll make the album anyway and it’ll come out in March.
If you could tell unsigned bands one thing about major labels, what would it be?
With all honesty, it would’ve been extremely difficult for us to accomplish all we have without having signed to a major, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But then again, I believe that most of the power lies in the actual fans. They’re the ones who made us. What the label did was bring us to a mass level and that’s one thing we could never figure out how to do. But you have to remember, back then [in 2005], there was no TuneCore, no Last.fm or Pandora. There’s just so much stuff that has come out since we signed. I think the tools are there now. I wouldn't tell somebody 100 percent not to sign to a major label. That’s not what I’m saying. It just didn't work for our band. We gave it a try. If you’re in an unsigned band and are offered a deal, take it if that’s what you’re looking for. I don't think I’ll ever sign a major label deal ever again. But maybe I just got burned. alt
Listen to "Casting The First Stone" below: