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Interview with Douglas Ott - Enchant
Inside Out recording artists Enchant are one of progressive rock's most enduring bands, having a career that has outlasted many, and will last for many more years to come. With several albums in their catalog, each offering something different, but yet keeping the signature Enchant sound present.
Over the past several years, Enchant fans have enjoyed records such as Blink of an Eye, Break, and Blueprint of the World among others where the band had set out on creative endeavors to produce such efforts, but the question was always asked, when would there be a live album and/or DVD from these guys? Well, they have finally come forth with the appropriately titled Live at Last, which has been a long time coming for the band to create and for fans to enjoy. Guitarist Douglas Ott took the time to speak with the Hashman about the new live record and where the California quintet stands at this moment in time.
"We have been around for a long time," elaborates Ott on the idea of a live record and overcoming simple obstacles to get Live at Last recorded, "I was a Kiss fan as a kid and it seemed like they made a live album for every three to four records and I thought, man we've got to do a live record. But we were never able to get the situation together do one, considering that we were a supporting band most of the time and never really had a headlining tour, so we really never had any opportunities to record ourselves in a live situation and for years I kept getting people saying, "hey, we want to hear a live record of Enchant material, do you have any live stuff, is there anything live," there were so many e-mails about and conversations with the fans saying that they had wanted to hear something live. After the 2003 tour with Spock's Beard, I felt that the band was really sounding great (live). I thought, man, now is the time to do it, we just got to get it done and do it. I talked to the record company and they agreed, so that was kind if the catalyst for it all."
With their own headlining date ready to record, the process of choosing what songs that were to be performed became an issue and finding common ground amongst the members was understandably difficult at times, so the band asked the fans what they would like to hear performed, "it was very, very hard," says Ott, "it took us months to whittle down what we wanted to do and I don't think anybody (in the band) was 100% happy with the choices. We ended up putting a poll on our website and had our fans write in what songs they would like to hear and we took that into major consideration. We looked at these things and thought, what are the songs that we really play well and enjoy playing, so we ended up narrowing it down a little more that way."
Although studio savvy in the sound recording aspect, editing the DVD was something different for Ott, who explains that it was a big transition to going from the audio to the visual aspect, but regardless, he did it well. "It was entirely different," elaborates Ott, "I have to say that the experience was interesting but I also felt so out of my element trying to edit this (DVD). You have this two-and-a-half hour show with over a thousand shots with different cameras trying to put them together; it was really, really hard. I hope that if we do something like this again, somebody else does it, not me (laughing)."
Now speaking about Enchant's history of making records, Ott explains how the band has been through their evolution, especially with the quick change they underwent in regards to the transition between their first and second records, "We started out like any group of guys that make music together," says Ott, "you kind of dream about making a record, going out and playing live, and the whole rock and roll thing that your idols do. When we had the opportunity to make our first record (Blueprint of the World) it was kind of trail and error. I really got involved with the recording process, working with Steve Rothery (Marillion) and watching some of the techniques he was doing and really becoming more interested, So when we did Wounded, I ended up (producing) that record myself instead of having an outside producer or going out into an expensive studio. I ended up building a studio in my home and started doing things there, so that was a big change from out first and second record. As time went on, I just kept experimenting with different techniques, finding different ways for the guys to perform, especially with vocalist Ted Leonard because he's got just an amazing voice and I really tried to get him to bring out aspects of his voice that he didn't feel comfortable with, now if you listen to how he sand on Blueprint versus how he sang on Wounded, there is just a huge difference in his technique, tone, and delivery."
In regards to his studio, Ott has always been digital, beginning with ADATs and eventually moving on to the PC based Nuendo program which like for many musicians has made life easier, "The fact that you can see the waveforms and bounce things the way you want is less challenging."
Unlike some of the prog bands, Enchant really puts emphasis on the song (the most important element of music), while leaving plenty of headroom for the musicianship aspect, which has been a major part of their musical evolution. Having originally put their priorities on the musical factor, they eventually shifted into the heart and soul of the songwriting elements as the priority, "I always try to do something different as far as writing wise," explains Ott, "I have really tried to change our emphasis on the song, by really trying to create a good song, but of course keeping the musicianship."
Ott emphasizes now that some of the biggest highlights in Enchant's career has been building relationships and making friends which includes being able to work with Steve Rothery, which is his milestone, as he explains, "I was a huge Marillion fan, and Rothery was a sort of a mentor to me as a guitar player, to actually meet him and become friends was a really fantastic thing. It's one of the fringe benefits of being In that genre and being in a working band, I do get to meet a lot of people and become friends with them, Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, and Spock's Beard, those are the things I really cherish."
Ott now also speaks of some of the players that have influenced and shaped him as a guitarist as well as some of the songwriters, some are apparent, while others might surprise, but seeing how he has developed himself as a songwriter, there should be no surprise at all, "Alex Lifeson, Steve Morse, and Neal Schon," as he refers to some of the guitarists that have shaped him as a player, "I have always been a fan of Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson for years, Todd Rundgren was a huge influence on me as a writer but again I listen to bands like Jellyfish and Tears for Fears."
Well if the live discs weren't enough, fans in Europe will be able to see these guys at the end of March starting in Istanbul, Turkey. Although there is nothing really happening in the US at this point, there is talk with their record company about getting them some shows across America later on this Spring as Ott says, "hopefully Enchant will be coming to a town near you."
Wrapping things up, there are currently some ideas on the table for the next Enchant record, and knowing how different each record is from one to the other, the anticipation for the next record is quite high, "at this point, I can't say what direction the next album will go," elaborates Ott, "I have never really set out to go in a certain way, wherever the inspiration falls is where it goes, I never feel like I can write just a certain type of song and actually make it sound like it was inspired. For me I just pick up an instrument and make things happen, whether its on guitar, piano, or some type of keyboard thing, that's just the way it happens. I do think (the next record) will be a little different though, it will still have a lot of the signature things that make us Enchant but at the same time, I fell musically, I am definitely branching out as a writer so I like to go into different areas and try some different moods and things that I don't think we have really have experimented in the past."
So what will the future bring for Enchant? Well with that last statement, we will (try to) wait patiently for the next release. Without a doubt, their music will endure with even more technical splendor leaving us waiting for more hard-edged progressive rock for the masses, and with every album making its own mark within the bands musical spectrum, who knows what the next platter will be like. Until next time...
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Written by Hashman - 3/14/2005 |
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