Juliana Theory passionate about ‘Deadbeat’

By Bill Greenwood

Ever since its release in 2000, The Juliana Theory has been haunted by the spectre of its underground-embraced second full-length album, Emotion Is Dead. The record, widely considered to be the group’s finest work, has been held up as the standard against which all future Juliana Theory albums will be judged. However, according to lead singer Brett Detar, Emotion Is Dead can’t even hope to hold a candle to his band’s latest release, Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat.

“It’s like, Emotion Is Dead this and Emotion Is Dead that, but if you listen to Emotion Is Dead, it’s kind of long,” Detar said. “I think there’s some songs that could have definitely been left off the record, and this record has no songs that should be left off. There’s no filler at all.”

Such talk isn’t uncommon from the group’s members. They’re not egotistical or stuck up in any way, just confident in their new record, which Detar has proclaimed the band’s “best album.” According to him, one of the main reasons for Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat’s superiority is the way in which it was recorded. The band members, gathered in one room, recorded all of the album’s instrumentals at the same time, with only Detar’s vocals added to the mix later.

“We’ve been trying to make a record for a long time that captures what we sound like live, and we’ve kind of failed at that miserably in the past,” Detar said. “This record actually sounds a lot more like what we do when we actually play in a room together. That was something that was really important.”

Bass player Chad Alan agreed, adding that the process lent the record a more energetic feel.
“We went for takes more than precision, sitting in chairs and playing precisely,” he said. “We just wanted to go for more energy, more feeling. I think we accomplished that.”

Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, described by Detar as “a combination of all our other records that we’ve done in the past, all put together in a blender on speed,” has been raising eyebrows due to its faster, more rocking sound. According to Alan, the decision to go for this kind of style was a conscious one, fueled by the band’s desire to distance itself from its previous album, Love.

“We’ve always done that with each [record],” Alan said. “I remember when Emotion Is Dead came out, I was worried because it was so different from the first one [Understand This Is a Dream].”

Also contributing to the band’s apparent distaste for its previous album was the interference of major label Epic, which signed the band in 2001 (the group has since returned to its indie roots, releasing its new album on Detar’s Abacus Records imprint, Paper Fist). While Epic did not interfere in the band’s creative process in any way, the label did have a strong say in which tracks actually made their way onto Love, according to Alan.

“Some of the tracks that they wanted to put on the record were a couple more than we would’ve put on the album,” he said. “Personally, I think maybe three could’ve come off that album.”

However, the band’s approach to recording was the main reason for Love’s failure, said Detar.

“The biggest thing that affected our last record was that we rushed and tried to do it really quickly, “ he said. “[For] this record [Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat] we spent a really long amount of time, maybe too long, writing all the songs.”

With a new album inevitably comes a new tour, and The Juliana Theory certainly hasn’t shirked its duty in this respect. The band recently wrapped up a primarily east-coast tour with bands Lovedrug, Days Away and The Goodwill and is currently trekking through the Midwest and West with bands JamisonParker, June and The Fury. The group has been enjoying trying out its new material on a live audience, according to Alan.

“We were kind of nervous the first couple of shows, but now it’s getting a little bit easier to play [the new songs],” he said. “It’s a comfort thing, for everybody to get used to it.”

The band has also been modifying some of its older songs, updating them to fit in with its more recent work. One track that has benefited most from this treatment has been “August in Bethany,” off of Understand This Is a Dream, said Detar.

“We changed it up a good bit,” he said. “It’s a little more dreamy now and lush, with kind of a driving emotion.”

The jury is still out on whether Juliana Theory fans will embrace Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat with the same vigor as Emotion Is Dead. However, even if the fans’ standard remains fixed, the band members can take pride in producing a work that, in their eyes, far outshines anything they’ve done before.

“I think it’s our best record,” Detar said. “Hands down.”outshines anything they’ve done before.

“I think it’s our best record,” Detar said. “Hands down.”