photo by Erin Abbott Kirkpatrick

TheBlueIndian.com’s Sean Pritchard (Booking) recently had the opportunity to catch up with Jesse Coppenbarger, of Oxford, Mississippi (via Nashville, Little Rock, Tulsa, and Atlanta) band Colour Revolt. In this brief TBI Q&A, Sean and Jesse talk about the band’s second full length, The Cradle, which came out August 10th on Dualtone Records, as well as the changes the band has experienced the past few years and how they have impacted Jesse, the band, their newest record, and the future of Colour Revolt.

Sean (TBI): Jesse, first off, thanks for getting in touch with us. Colour Revolt has been a lasting name in Macon since you all played here nearly two years ago with local favorites Nomenclature at The Hummingbird, and since then I know there has been a large group of people keeping up with the band. In talking with friends around town after listening to The Cradle, the general consensus was that through the changes the band had undergone, the overall dynamic of this record was different than anything else you all have released. I assumed that the unique sound of the record was due to the steps that went into writing it and the people you all ended up working with. Can you tell me a bit about the “new” Colour Revolt?

Jesse (Colour Revolt): Since the last time most people saw us live we’ve gone through an immense amount of change; Losing 3 members, relocating, and most of all realizing that we we’re not in the same place as a band that we were with Plunder, Beg, and Curse. Over the past two years, Sean (Kirkpatrick…The only other remaining founding member of the band) and I wrote and recorded demos of 40+ songs, most of which were in an entirely different manner than our earlier records. We slowly began to make a selection process of the songs we felt happiest with and started reaching out to friends with the ideas. One thing lead to another and we wound up sending the 11 songs to friends from Norma Jean, Unwed Sailor, Bear Colony, and Chase Pagan, and things just started coming together. We rehearsed the songs for a few weeks prior to recording, making changes as it was our first time actually running through them with a full band, and then went into the studio and did 10 of those songs in 7 days. The whole process was very quick, but we’re immensely happy with the CD.

Sean: The opening track to the record “8 Years” sounds heavily influenced by the band WHY?. You’ve covered their song “These Few Presidents” for Daytrotter.com. How has the band influenced you all and your writing style?

Jesse: WHY? Has been a big influence on me over the past few years. They have the ability to vividly describe moments that most would feel were unimportant or mundane without coming off as wordy or pretentious. I’d say the band or song that influenced “8 Years” the most would be from a Los Angeles act BARR called “The Song is the Single”. Both songs are simply stories of the past and how all of those moments eventually lead up to one truth about you and your life and the choices you’ve made. “8 Years” is directed to a friend who experienced all of these moments with me and the value that they have to me, going from loving something, to hating how its made you feel, and then being reacquainted with that first feeling of admiration.

Sean: With a new record out and a great group of people working with you all, what can be expected for the next few months?

Jesse: We’re going out the next few months, touring for the first time in over a year and we’re all very excited to be back on the road. We’re being joined by some amazing bands, playing towns we haven’t been to before and returning to some of our favorites. Most of all, playing these songs live and continually revising them each night. I think that on this tour, every night is going to be something different. We’ve been rehearsing a few set lists and just excited about all these loose parts being arranged.

Sean: The Cradle features songs like ” Our Names” and “Heartbeat” that carry the familiar dark, distorted sound of the previous records, but also sweeter, almost sullen songs like “Everything Is The Same” and “Each Works.” What would you feel is the overall message this record is conveying?

Jesse: Leading up to this record, we were faced with a great deal of change, nearly to the point of reconsidering what Sean and I were doing and just moving onto something else. When things finally came together, we had this finished product that really embodied the past years for the both of us. I moved to Nashville, Sean got married, we were sending material back and forth, and just taking a huge break from the monotony that we had began to face from barely breaking even as a band after doing the same thing for so long. The rest left us rejuvenated and able to focus on molding this record into something we loved. The title track on the record has to be my favorite song that I’ve written, and it certainly is a summation of the somewhat difficult process of having a…”mid-band crisis,” you might say. We stripped things to their bare essentials and reevaluated where we were at and were able to find tons of good in our friendships, personal lives, and careers through this. I’d say overall, its a message finding a place in your life that you can really be comfortable with and running with it.

Sean: Before I let you go, what are three words that would best sum up everything that went into this record and recording process, as well as the next few months for you all?

Jesse:….Really F*cking Fast. Haha. Two adjectives and a verb. That’s what I’ve got for you.

Sean: Thanks again, Jesse. Look forward to talking with you all soon.

Jesse: Always, thanks.

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Be sure to check out Colour Revolt’s newest full-length, The Cradle, out everywhere on Dualtone Records. The CD is a change from their last, but certainly in the right direction, that of a progressively maturing band. Favorite Tracks include “8 Years,” “Our Names,” “Everything is the Same,” and “Each Works”. The band has announced and posted a string of dates throughout the East Coast and Mid West throughout August and September and will be announcing more dates soon. Check them out at the links listed below:

www.myspace.com/colourrevolt

www.colourrevolt.net