Wes Borland, legendary guitarist of LIMP BIZKIT, is currently touring Europe with his band “Black Light Burns” promoting their two new LPs “The Moment You’re Going to Fall” (released in 2012) and the just shortly released “thing” called “Lotus Island” and found the time to stop by at the Music Store Professional before performing in Cologne on the next day. So we took the chance to talk with him and his band about… well, just read for yourself.
Interview: Pete Casper / photos: Antonia Nahas
entertaim.net: Wes, you are mostly known for playing guitar – most of the time – in Limp Bizkit. Is “Black Light Burns” a solo project of yours?
Wes: This is another band. If I would do a solo project I would put my name on the record. But that will never happen.
entertaim.net: What do you like to do in a different in Black Light Burns compared to Limp Bizkit?
Wes: Well, I’m not quite sure what I would like to do that’s different. I’ve just done something different. It’s a different Idea, it’s a different group of people. There are pretty much no trace elements of Hip Hop involved in the sound of the group. Besides “Coward” which is a 50 Cent beat rip off. But that’s Danny Lohners fault, not mine. It’s just a different thing and I think that people who listen to Limp Bizkit may or may not be into Black Light Burns. And I think there is a some sort of narrow strip of people that actually ran into our trap, I guess, as fans, because a lot of Limp Bizkit fans don’t like what they hear. And a lot of people who aren’t Limp Bizkit fans won’t give it a chance
entertaim.net: First thing I thought when hearing you are working on other projects I expected you to work in a heavier direction.
Wes: Yeah, Limp Bizkit is five different people coming together and bringing what they bring to one project and I have no interest in the things that the other members of Limp Bizkit are interested in. I think Limp Bizkit is a melting pot and that’s where we get our sound from. But for my personal listening I have no interest in Hip Hop.
entertaim.net: Last week your new LP “Lotus Island” was released …
Wes (interrups): It’s a “thing”. It’s not really an album or an EP, I would like to call it… uhm… an interim piece… of… something. It’s made specifically to be an alternate soundtrack to a movie called the Holy Mountain (1973) by Alejandro Jodorowsky and it influenced me as an artist, especially as a visual artist. And that film … because it has been such a big influence on me and has given me so much in some ways it’s like giving back to the film… something.
entertaim.net: I would like to know something about the bandmembers. What other projects you are on to, how you got in the band – for example. Talk about whatever you want to talk about.
Nick Annis: I got into the band after the first record “Cruel Melody” (2007) already was done. He’d see me play a couple of shows in L.A. and called me up one day and explained the project and asked me if I want to be a part of it. I checked it out and loved it. Myself personally I do similar stuff you know, trying to keep playing and touring. I do production and engineering on the side, all stuffed in L.A. I recently finished an EP with the original live bass player of Black Light, Shawn Fetterman, called “Darkly Noon”. We released that uhm, like on everything, on Halloween last year.
Dylan Taylor: I’m the newest auditioned to the band. I’ve been playing in “Black Light” since August 2012. It all came about me playing drum covers on Youtube. I guess Wes’ wife Anna found me on Youtube out of the”Skrillex – Cinema” drum cover. And Wes, I guess, was impressed enough to contact me via Twitter and I flew out to L.A., tried out, been happy ever since!
Wes: You didn’t even try out. You were in! (laughing)
Dylan: For me it was a tryout! I mean, it’s a big difference. My mentality is different now than when it was happening. When it was happening it was nerve-wrenching as hell! Obviously Wes being the guitarist he is, there is a level of a standard musicianship there is expected for the bands. So I had to make sure that me being the youngest an newest, to kinda step up. And it has! It definitely pushed my ability as a musician.
Dennis Sanders: I play music and started working for Wes as a tech… for Nick as well. Their bass player took a vacation and there was a big festival show coming up and I just hopped in. And it was really fun. And I also love to smoke (…) and I love dogs, I also got a band called “Spirit in the Room”, which is pretty bad ass! And that’s all about it!
(everybody laughing)
entertaim.net: Thank you very much for spending some time with me and I wish you all the best.
Band: Thanks for havin’ us!
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