Exclusive Interview: Confide's Joel Piper reveals details about his solo album

In the 2011 AP Readers Poll, screamagers Confide rated high on the list of bands fans wanted to see reunited. At the moment, however, that band’s clean vocalist/drummer, Joel Piper, is focused on only one thing: launching a solo career under his own name. Last year’s The Only One EP served as an introduction to his smooth electro-pop—something he’s also been known to explore under the moniker Avery Pkwy—while Piper’s forthcoming full-length, One Life, is even more polished. Due later this year (“We're looking at a summer release though haven't locked in the exact date,” he clarifies), it’s a credible stab at Top 40 crossover success—and a summation of his current headspace. “The title of the album came from a song I wrote called ‘One Life,’” Piper says. “I felt like that notion summed up how I feel in this new period of life. I only have one life, so I'm going to live it to the fullest, fearlessly and dreaming big.”

In the following interview, Piper revealed more details about One Life—including collaborating with the production company Red Decibel, who’s worked with Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers—and moving away from heavier music. While you’re reading, check out this exclusive stream of “My Little Earthquake.” Although this song is on The Only One EP, this particular version will appear on One Life.


Many fans who only know you from Confide might find the music you’re making now quite different, although it’s well-known you’ve always had a soft spot for pop music and electronic beats. What was the songwriting process like for the forthcoming solo album, then? What was inspiring you?
One thing fans don’t know is that I actually turned down Confide's offer the first time they asked me [to join], because I was going to join a pop band called Bidwell, playing guitar and singing. I’ve always had an obsession with writing dance music and songs with memorable hooks. I ended up sticking true to my love for drumming and singing with Confide after they told me they wanted me to join because of the poppy/catchy-ness of Avery Pkwy.

Working with Red Decibel brought me to a new level of precise, minimalistic and focused songwriting I had never known existed. It was a challenge to have to try to raise my bar to their level. They've worked on huge multi-platinum records, so it was a real learning experience. As far as inspiration goes, we are basically workaholics using the mentality of painter Chuck Close: “Inspiration is for amateurs. Just get to work.” I love that quote. Inspiration is essential, but if you wait for it, you could be wasting a lot of time. We like to go out and find it.

How is this solo project different from—or building upon—Avery Pkwy?
I decided to use my own name for this adventure because I wanted there to be a separation from the 200-plus released and unreleased Avery Pkwy rock and “emo” electronic songs. I feel like “Joel Piper” and “Avery Pkwy” are two separate sounds, so I wanted to keep them apart.



What’s the biggest challenge writing pop music, as opposed to writing heavier music?
Writing songs with hooks or parts that move and connect to me is my only drug. I just can’t get enough. Pop music seems to come out of me naturally, but the biggest challenge is to make a song sound simple when in fact there is a lot going on.

It’s rather brave to embark on a solo career under your own name and go full-on pop. Why did you decide to go the route of a solo career instead of trying to get together another band?
Well, years ago Avery Pkwy was the result of not being able to find band members who could keep up with my pace of work or my drive. I've been in so many bands, and I've noticed bands will come and go, which is sad but true. So I was getting tired of investing my all into something that would end shortly because the members would get tired and quit. I felt it was time and I needed to put my investment into something that will not stop or give up when it gets tough. That's another reason I'm going out as Joel Piper; I'll always be me.

Tell us about collaborating with Red Decibel (Adam Watts, Andy Dodd and Gannin Arnold). How did you hear about them? Why did you want to collaborate with them?
A month after Confide ended, for a little while I was pursuing Avery Pkwy full time.  Then I ran into mutual friend of mine, videographer/ photographer Daniel Chesnut. Daniel shot the Confide “Such Great Heights” music video and did a lot of video for Hurley. He was telling me about his new collaborator friend Adam Watts, who happened to work with this production company called RED DECIBEL. Daniel was saying how he thought they would love to work with me, since they were wanting to start working with new artists they could develop. I didn't think anything would come of it, but we ended up hitting it off and basically becoming best friends. I've been blessed to work with some great producers, like Joey Sturgis and Cameron Webb, and now since I'm doing more eclectic pop, things just totally connected with the RED DECIBEL guys.

We work really hard, but we have fun; it's tough to find both. They were some of the first people I've ever worked with that I saw eye-to-eye with musically. I guess they saw something they liked in me and what I was doing, so they wanted to help develop me and help fulfill my vision as an artist/writer/producer. Their studio is like a musician’s playground.  We can record live drums, amped-up guitar, real piano, keys—literally anything—with no setup time, so it's a really creative environment. Sometimes I'll just cruise over there late and stay up all night recording ideas or vocal tracks.
 

The preview songs I’ve heard from One Life are very mainstream-sounding, like they would fit on Top 40 radio easily. What’s been the biggest adjustment for you, coming to this world after most recently being in the hardcore world?
It's been a huge adjustment for me in every way, from the musical aspect to the business side of things. It has opened me up to a whole new world that I never knew existed. I come from a world where it was like, “Hey, you want to start a band…?” You just write a few songs, hopefully sign to an indie label, get a few ads in a magazine and tour nonstop for three years straight.

Now, though, I'm not only involved in the underground hardcore world but also the mainstream pop “chess game,” which is what I like to call it sometimes. The music is not a game at all, but there are so many aspects to it, which makes it fun. I'm thankful I have been able to work so closely with the RED DECIBEL dudes, because they have helped me understand how things work, since they've been around the block a few times, yet are totally not jaded. I'm also thankful for all the experience and knowledge I'm gaining on how things work in both worlds, musically and non-musically, in the mainstream pop world. It’s all very exciting.

Lyrically, what was inspiring you while writing your first full-length? From what experiences were you drawing?
The guys and I always want the lyrics to be genuine to what I'm trying to say, but also be universal enough for someone to get whatever they need out of the songs. I love that someone can get something totally different out of a song than what I actually was writing about. I recall John Lennon talking about that aspect of songwriting, that it can be open to interpretation sometimes. He had a cool outlook on that kind of thinking, which has been influential to me on some level.

There are a few specific songs that came from when I went through some darker times and also songs about my struggles for hope and love. I tattooed those two words on my knuckles, because I feel like those are two of the most important, yet sometimes elusive, things in life. Also, there are songs that are written about the things I wish would happen between a girl and I, or the things I will do when I meet the right girl. So it's a combination of relationship stuff and also the spiritual side and the struggles of just being alive, but always through positivity. It's important to me that the music is fun and positive, for the most part, because that's who I am.



How are you going to perform these songs live? Recruit a band?
I have such an awesome group of guys for live shows. Johnny Gomez plays guitar, Jules Rodriguez is on drums and Dylan Wilson is on bass. They all have a really good feel and are such well-rounded and accomplished musicians. They also believe in my vision, which is important to me.

Pop music is definitely at kind of a crossroads now. The genres—electropop and electrorock, much less rock-influenced pop—aren’t quite as overground as they were in recent years. Where do you feel you fit in the pop continuum with your music? Where do you feel your solo music is going to take you?
The music is really important to me, but really it's a tool I use to connect to people. It's the connection I'm looking for every day of my life. I've always wanted to build a family. I really try to be there for the fans I have now. Of course, I would one day love to have hit songs on the Billboard charts. That's always been a dream of mine, because what comes along with that is a platform, and I would use that platform to strive to influence people in a positive way—to spread hope and love right along with just genuine entertainment. Maybe that sounds lofty, but it really is what my dream is and why I'm doing this.

Among AP readers, there is a huge groundswell of support for a Confide reunion—at least, a more permanent one than the one-off show you guys did in 2011—so I have to ask: Any chance of this in the future?
Unfortunately, I don't think so. The band ending was not my choice, so I'm the wrong person to ask that question. But I'm happy with how things worked out in the end. And the other guys have moved on to being married, working or running businesses, which is great. As far as I know, I'm the only one pursuing music right now. I'm happy for them and I'm just excited to be out there doing my solo music. I can't wait for this album to come out and to get out on tour and see the fans. alt