The Music We Are Inspired By Is All Over The Place
Dean Roland of Collective Soul
Cris Cohen: I've seen other interviews you’ve done. You come across as very mellow, affable people. And yet, you have songs like the opening track, “Cut the Cord,” which have this raw, edgy feel. And particularly your rhythm guitar has this fabulous, buzzsaw kind of effect. I'm wondering, what aspect of you are you digging into to bring forth that raw, visceral response?
Dean Roland of Collective Soul: You know, that's a great question. I think, as a musician or artist or songwriter, all of those things, it's multifaceted, right? The music that we are inspired by is all over the place too. I could be just as enthralled listening to some classical music or “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” by Elton John. Or I can listen to Metallica or AC/DC, who is a huge influence on us. You just kind of tap into it and see where it goes.