SPR (VIMH): Hi guys, congrats on your new album “Dream With h Me”.
LE: Hey! Thanks much man. A little intro, I’m Eric Gynan, Cofounder of the Rock band
Leaving Eden from New England USA.
SPR (VIMH): What is the significance of naming an album after Dream With Me?
LE: Dream With Me is the title track for the album. The song co-written by Alyssa and myself. She had a really cool piano part and we took it from there.
SPR (VIMH): What do the lyrics talk about? Which are your major lyrics’ influences?
LE: “Dream with me
What you want your dreams to be
Come dream with me
What you wish your life could be
Just dream with me”.
Kind of inviting one to take a chance and embark upon your dreams. I really love the lyrics to some of Simon and Garfunkel’s songs, deep.
SPR (VIMH): Which are those elements that separate your new album from your previous albums and how would you characterize “Dream With Me “, what are your expectations from the new album?
LE: One hopes that each new album builds upon the last. Dream With Me is a rock album. Here’s some info about the album.
Dream With Me is Leaving Eden’s 7th Album to be released world wide and distributed by Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal. In this album we got the best of both worlds, where again like our last 2 Albums, we were able to take all the time necessary to record and produce “Dream With Me” in Leaving Eden’s Studio. But then, to have One of the best Rock Engineers in the world as far as I’m concerned, Grammy Award Winning Engineer Johnny K. (Disturbed, Staind, Finger Eleven, 3 Doors Down, Megadeath, Sevendust, Plain White T’s, POP Evil, Trapt, Drowning Pool, Alien Ant Farm, and many more) for Final Mix and Mastering is my dream scenario! I love working With Johnny, he’s a genuine connoisseur of great music with so much talent, it’s such a pleasure to call him my friend. We’ve worked together on other albums but this one, to have the freedom to dig deep and experiment with my own unique recording techniques and then to have Johnny put his final touches on it was a real treat!”
Myself and friend Dana Anderson brainstormed Album art concepts agreeing on having all the titles to the songs kind of being hidden in plain site throughout the Album Art. It's fun, some stuff is blatant, but some stuff is a little more difficult to pinpoint. It’s a very good reason to buy the CD instead of just streaming the music or downloading it. To me, having the physical Cd in hand gives the listener more of a connection to Leaving Eden and when you come to a show, you get it signed by the whole band, a cool memento so to speak.
Tracks from this album and other Leaving Eden albums will be featured in Massimiliano Cerchi’s movies: Painkiller, Mayday, Lockdown and Penthouse starring Michael Pare (The Philadelphia Experiment, Eddie and the Cruisers).
LE: Gynan also says, “We are excited about this new album also, because the entire album and lots of tunes from our previous albums will also be featured in a new fake reality comedy movie titled “The Nitwit”
Watch the teaser trailer For THE NITWIT MOVIE
Website:
LE: Originally I had written The Nitwit movie script loosely based on real life events with the intention of having Leaving Eden’s music throughout the movie and procuring other pros to make the movie. Where Leaving Eden has been involved with having our music placed in different movies and TV series this simply made sense. While in Iowa after wrapping up on a shoot I sat down with Nitwit Movie Producer, Ray Van Blarcom and Actor, Matt Moody over a scotch and threw the script down on the table. They started reading it, thought it was hilarious so we decided let’s make the movie. For me being the director of several music videos it was a very simple transition to direct The Nitwit Movie. Finally, I was intrigued by Matt Moody’s experience not only in production but as an actor. Ironically Matt fit the leading role as The Nitwit perfectly. He then brought in Jordan Smith as his costar and Nitwit Movie Producer, Fran Huges, the rest is history. We expect the movie to be released in 2020 by SGL Entertainment.
SPR (VIMH): How did the cooperation with Dark Star Records occur? How’s working with Dark Star Records and how much has he/she helped you on the whole?
LE: Love them!! It’s been really seamless in terms of getting everything together and releasing albums. Dream with me is our 6th album to be released by Dark Star. They really know exactly what to do. There’s a lot more involved with releasing an album than just recording. It’s a long process. For me, as soon as I release an album, I have to start working on the next. We release at least 1 album per year. They’ve helped with getting our music in movies which is paramount for us. Having worldwide distribution through Sony/Universal is second to none. They get it anywhere and everywhere.
SPR (VIMH): How’s the fans’ reactions been to the new songs on your live shows so far?
LE: This album has not been released yet. We haven’t played any of these tunes live. We will be though. But our last album Pinnacle has gone over well! In the same year we released our album The Agony of Affliction. Our friends love to hear our material and we are grateful!!
SPR (VIMH): Do you prefer to be on the road or in the studio writing and recording?
LE: It’s 50/50. Love both equally. We are always performing live, but when we’re not we are in the studio. The road can be difficult if you’re not used to it. As Eve says, “It ain’t glamorous.” I’ve been on the road with people that absolutely hated it. Of course they love being on stage, but the “being away from home” part, I’ve seen the struggles. Everyone in Leaving Eden currently loves all aspects of the road. The longer the better.
Leaving Eden has toured the USA, UK & Canada sharing the stage with hundreds of the biggest national bands in the world including; 10 Years, 10 Years After (Woodstock Reunion), Adelitas Way, Alice Cooper, Alice In Chains, Anthrax, Apocalyptic Review (featuring members of Godsmack), Avenged Sevenfold, Big Brother and The Holding Company (Woodstock Reunion), Black Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), Blackstone Cherry, Bret Michaels, Buckcherry, Chevelle, Collective Soul, Country Joe (Woodstock Reunion), Damage Plan, (Featuring Dimebag & Vinnie Paul) Days Of The New, Disturbed, Dope, Dropkick Murphy's, Drowning Pool, Five Finger Death Punch, Fuel, Gemini Syndrome, Gin Blossoms, Godsmack, Halestorm, HELLYEAH, Herman Rarebell (The Scorpions), Hinder, Hookers & Blow (featuring members of Guns ‘N' Roses, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P.), In This Moment, Jefferson Starship (Woodstock Reunion), Killswitch Engage, Kittie, Korn, Lacuna Coil, LA Guns, Lamb Of God, Lita Ford, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marilyn Manson, Michael Schenker (UFO, MSG & The Scorpions) Motorhead, Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Napalm Death, Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Nonpoint, One Eyed Doll, Papa Roach, Pop Evil, Powerman 5000, Puddle Of Mudd, Queensryche, Ratt, Rob Zombie, Ronnie James Dio, Saliva, Saving Abel, Scott Stapp (the voice of Creed), Sebastian Bach, Seether, Sevendust, Shinedown, Slayer, Soil, Soulfly, Steven Tyler, Stone Sour, Taproot, Ted Nugent, Testament, The Butcher Babies, The Misfits, Theory Of A Deadman, Trapt, Tremonti (Creed/Alterbridge), Trixter, Uncle Kracker, Warrant, ZZ Top, Nickelback, Skillet & many more.
SPR (VIMH):How did you come up with the name Leaving Eden initially?
LE: This whole planet is like the garden of Eden so to speak but now it’s corrupt and full of deceit and wouldn’t it be nice just to get away for awhile somewhere else. I look at us like being in a fishbowl we can’t get out but we can see there’s a lot out there that we'll never be able to touch.
SPR (VIMH): How would you describe your music style to someone that hasn’t heard of you before?
LE: I consider Leaving Eden a multi Genre band branded in Rock/Metal, we also have folk, pop, alternative, progressive music that really tends to blend paired with lots of energy and a connection to the crowd. I always say Leaving Eden is best seen and heard live. Eve has a way with people that is intriguing. Lots of melody/harmony with hooks and lyrics that are based on reality to a certain extent.
SPR (VIMH):Which do you consider to be the best male & female vocalist in rock/metal history?
LE: Always loved Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) Then there’s Brent Smith (Shinedown). For females, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Amy Lee (Evanescence).
SPR (VIMH): Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
LE: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. One of the top selling albums. I love the harmony, songwriting ànd especially Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar work.
SPR (VIMH): Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
LE: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath! That sets the pace for the rest.
SPR (VIMH):If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
LE: I did travel in a dream. I remember vividly. Someone took me by the hand and we went flying through the galaxies and off in a distance, there were three rectangular shaped pieces of land almost like train cars. There was activity going on simultaneously in each. They represented the past present and future and we could easily just go to any of them. Was pretty surreal. So, the past is gone, the future is not guaranteed so all we are left with is the “here and now”. I always say if you live in the past your shortchanging yourself. I watch old movies to give me a taste of what life used to be. In watching you notice everything on the screen is now gone forever from the clothing to the furniture, cars, people, it’s all gone. So, what does that tell us? If the past is gone, then why live in the past? It makes no sense. Gotta let it go. Equally, if you are spending your life planning for the future when it’s not guaranteed, then you're wasting valuable time. I get a kick out of people that have worked their whole life and just waiting and hoping time passes quicker so they can retire. That just solidifies your opportunity to get older quicker. But, if I had to choose the past or the future, I guess the future cause it’s unknown.
Such a pleasure to chat here!! Peace.
Dream With Me
Album Info:
Recorded at Leaving Edens Studio New England USA. Produced, Engineered, Recorded, Pre-mix, Album Art Director and all songs Written by Eric Gynan. *Song “Dream With Me” Co-written by Alyssa Bailey White. Final Mix/Master by Johnny K.
Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal
*House of the Rising Sun is an American folk song, thought to be written by Georgia Turner and Bert Martin.
Cover photo & Back booklet photo by Mark Weiss. Back cd photo by Dan Johnson
Leaving Eden Logos by Mario Lopez.
Album Artwork by Veronica Cavallaro
“La Magazine Art & Design”
Special thanks to: Jennifer Mugavero (Back up vocals), Gerg Anidem (Indie Scene Radio), Bryant Jenkins (Tour Manager), Debbie Jenkins, Dana Anderson (Assist with album art concept) and Cheri Anderson.
And to all our friends, without you, who then are we? Nobody....
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