Interview with Analog Digital Disorder (A.D.D.)

Chris Gonda recently sat down with the members of Analog Digital Disorder (A.D.D.) to discuss the origin of the band, their latest release and how having a female vocalist works for, and against them. Here’s how the meet-and-greet went down.

Analog Digital Disorder (more commonly known as A.D.D.) originally formed in April of 2002. What was it exactly that brought you together and how did the band form?
Dave: Ron (drummer) and I (Dave-guitarist) were in a band called VIS@40 and when we disbanded in Fall 2001, we decided to put together a new band, and Margie was the first person we thought of to be the singer, so we called her and got the ball rolling. Randy (bass) & Jeremy (guitars) joined on about a year later replacing the initial members of the lineup. We all had been friends or acquaintances in the local music scene with our previous bands.

Ron: I was pretty bummed out at first when VIS@40 broke up because we were really doing good and getting a lot of recognition, but I knew Dave had something up his sleeve. He had made some comments about doing a “side project” with Margie months before the initial split with VIS@40, but neither of us took any “serious” action until VIS@40 was no more.

Out of curiosity, how did A.D.D. come to have a female lead vocalist? Was it merely a coincidence or was it an explicit desire for a female lead singer? For that matter, how did you team up with Margaret specifically?
Dave: Well, Margie and I became friends when she sang for a local band called Ballistic. They had broken up around the same time that my band did, so I kind of had her in the back of my mind all along. I was the lead singer in VIS@40 and was looking to get back to playing guitar and writing songs with more diversity. VIS@40 was a good heavy band, but the music was kind of limited, as to where it could go. I knew with Margie, we would be totally unique, and have the diversity I was looking for in a rock band. I also thought she was a great singer who wasn’t being utilized correctly in her former band.

So it’s April 2002, and you guys have just compiled a solid group consisting of five equally talented musicians. You have to name your band and as a result A.D.D. is born. Where did you get your name and other than Analog Digital Disorder, what (if anything) does A.D.D. stand for?
Dave: Initially, it stood for Attention Deficit Disorder, but once we started playing out regionally, we realized there were a lot of bands with the name, so it evolved into Analog Digital Disorder. Analog representing our old school influences in music, Digital representing our more modern influences. We’re definitely a mix of both, so I think the name is definitely fitting.

In the relatively short time since your conception, you have managed to record and release a debut EP entitled “19 Minute Attention Span.” In terms of feedback, radio play, and maybe even sales, how has your debut EP been thus far received?
Dave: Very well for an independent release. I mean……in terms of airplay, we had spins on commercial rock stations, as well as college, and internet stations across the U.S. The CD has sold almost 2000 copies, so I’d say that’s respectable in today’s market. If you’re a new band nowadays, you have to give the music away to build your fan base, as well as tour. Bands are now doing the development work before they are signed. Labels want the finished product when they get you, there’s no time for development in today’s music industry. That’s why a lot of new bands don’t stick around. Getting back to the question though, we seem to appeal to a lot of different types of music fans, so that’s good I guess….

In the past, you have spent a tremendous amount of time playing shows and have even opened for some big name bands such as: Dope, Unloco, and 40 Below Summer. What is it like being on stage before huge bands like these and can you recall any one particularly awesome show or event?
Dave: When we opened up for DOPE at House of Blues in Chicago, it was a great feeling to play at such a great venue with a great audience as well. We’re friends with the DOPE guys, so Edsel treated us great as always. That makes for a great night all around. It gives you a taste of what it could be like!

Randy: This was my first show with the band. I joined the band then a week later I was playing HOB. Not all shows have that much hype and appeal, but another great show for me was at Summerfest with Alter Bridge. Great bunch of guys at a great place to play, what else do you need?

Ron: I think that playing on any stage in front of an audience is the ultimate, all time, greatest high that one can experience. Having the opportunity to open for bands that have clout such as DOPE and 40 BELOW….intensifies that even more! I remember at the 40 BELOW show, towards the end of our set, Margie was talking to the crowd and getting them “pumped up” for 40 BELOW……Well, it seemed appropriate for me to tease the audience even more and I kicked into the drum riff at the beginning of “We The People”. The crowd went hysterical. I was hoping that nobody from the 40 BELOW crew would be upset or feel insulted by me doing that. Funny thing was at the end of it all, singer Max Illedge and drummer Carlos Aguirre, came up to me and were like…..Dude, that was totally kick ass how you kicked into the drum fill from “We The People.”

Let’s focus for a little while on the fact that A.D.D. is headed by a female vocalist. Have you guys encountered any problems in having a female lead singer, due to the blatant sexism which unfortunately exists in the hard music scene?
Dave: Not blatantly, but yeah it’s there. On the local level, some bands don’t always give us the respect because of the female thing, but I don’t think anyone in this band is paying too much attention to that type of ignorance. And as far as the fans go, once they see us play live, I think Margie being a female singer goes out the window. Margie can hold her own with the best of ‘em, male or female.

Randy: Also, some bands/people seem to think that we’re all sleeping with Margie too, just because she’s in the band. It’s much more of a brother/sister relationship that we all have.

Ron: As I’m sure that anybody that’s ever played music in front of an audience knows, you simply are NOT going to please everybody all the time. We get a “nay-say” here and there, as does every other band or artist on the face of the planet. Personally, I’ve got much more important things in life to get “stressed-out” about. We’re out there to “throw down” and we give it 150% at every show. What more can you ask for? We do what we do and we get along very well as a band.

Why do you think there is so much resistance or aversion to female vocalists in the scene?
Dave: I’m not sure….. A lot of the female bands market themselves as a gimmick, and that’s the first mistake. Nothing wrong with being good looking, but the music and playing have to be there too. You have to be authentic, not look like you’re preparing for the next stripper convention…. Obviously, not everyone does that, but that’s part of the problem. And guys don’t like it when girls can do something better than them!

Ron: I think all this goes back way farther than even the time periods of our primary influences. Rock music has always been dominated by male vocalists, with the exception of a discreet few, such as Heart and Pat Benetar. I agree with Dave on the part of gimmick and sex appeal. I think there have been a lot of female orientated bands playing rock or metal that tried too hard to push sex appeal. For some bizarre reason, that just doesn’t go over very well with heavy music. Now if it is more pop or dance orientated music, then it seems that the less clothing she’s wearing the better. It’s almost as if there is a major stereotype thing that goes on with music……You can almost make this same sort of analogy with the stereotypes that get depicted within the common household……The man works, should be the primary “money maker”, mows the lawn, and takes out the garbage. The woman, on the other hand, stays at home with the kids, washes the dishes, does the laundry, and cleans the house………Musically, it works like this: If it’s blues, rock n roll or metal, then a guy has to be the vocalist. If it’s pop, folk, or dance, then a woman has to be the vocalist. Country music seems to go down the middle. It’s accepted regardless of whether a man or woman is fronting the band.

What is your take on gender equality and loud music?
Dave: Traditionally, it’s been a white-male dominated genre. Heavy music definitely has a certain masculinity to it, but there’s room for females too. Look at Sevendust…. I’m sure Lajon goes through a lot being an african-american lead singer in a predominately white music genre. It’s all what you make of it. Hopefully, we’re contributing in some small way to opening peoples mind.

Ron: Race and gender should have absolutely nothing to do with the “goods” being produced. My take is, and has always been: If I like it, I listen to it…….If I don’t like it, I’m not listening to it. It doesn’t matter if its rock, metal, country, pop, folk……….the list goes on and on.

To the band (being male musicians): In a rock/metal world with groups predominantly headed by male vocalists, what is it like having Margaret as your lead singer?
Dave: Not too much different. She gets a lot of attention after the shows obviously! LOL

Ron: The only thing that separates us from Margie is the fact that we can’t change clothes in the same room….LOL

To Margaret: What’s the best, worst, and hardest thing about being a female singer in a heavy music band?
Margaret: Best: I don’t have to carry equipment! HA! HA! I love singing and I love heavy music. Worst: Not being taken seriously as a musician. Hardest: Being that there’s not many female vocalists, I feel I am sometimes made to feel not welcome by some.

A.D.D. hails from Illinois. What’s the hard music scene currently like in Chicago?
Dave: I’d say it’s decent at best. Chicago has never been about rock/metal, even though we’ve had bands like Disturbed and Soil break through on a national level. The kids in the suburbs have always been the life support for the metal scene in Chicago. Chicago has always focused on indie-rock and punk/emo. I think the Smashing Pumpkins are the closest thing to heavy rock that actually came out of the city itself.

Randy: There are kick ass clubs in the city closing or on the verge of closing all the time. A major Chicago rock club (Double Door) almost closed last year, but enough people got involved to help keep it going. Not every club had that luxury or attention given to it.

What do you guys enjoy most about being in a band such as A.D.D.?
Dave: The camaraderie and musicianship are top-notch. Great people, great music and a great work-ethic. We have great chemistry, and have a great time playing the music we love to play.

Ron: I’ve been in an incredible amount of bands throughout my time of playing, and I will gladly say that I have never accomplished more from a band than with A.D.D. We’ve seen more, done more, played more……you name it, then any previous band I’ve been in. I’m exceptionally thankful that despite the stress and chaos that can arise from time to time, we work through it as a unit and don’t go around pointing fingers or playing the “blame game.”

What does the near future hold for you guys as a band?
Dave: We are currently shopping our demo that Tadpole (3 Doors Down, Disturbed) produced. We have already written some new material that is our best to date. Hopefully, everyone out there will get to hear it!  [ END ]