Interview with Prism Theory guitarist Barry Davis

Straight out of the rock and roll capital of the United States comes the alternative rock four piece known as Prism Theory. The band has only been around for about four years now, but they are already starting to make a name for themselves with the release of their second full length album titled Unity For Insanity. Prism Theory has been compared to bands such as Sevendust and Korn and the band is currently starting to receive a lot of attention not just in Ohio, but all across the United States. Fortunately, P.G.A. was able to catch up with this up and coming band’s lead guitarist Barry Davis to ask him a few questions about what is currently going on with Prism Theory.

The band Prism Theory has been together now since 2001. How and when did the members of the band meet?
Barry: Drew and I met in 1996 through friends and starting writing together. Chris and I met in 2000 working together in a music store. Chris joined the band in 2001. Dirk and Drew were in a band in the early 90’s together. Dirk joined Prism Theory in 2003.

The new album Unity For Insanity has been out just a very short time. How do you think it has faired so far in terms of fan reaction?
Barry: I think this is our best music to date as far as development of writing as well as the quality of the recording. Fans and friends have seen the progression of the band grow and mature. This new album really showcases what the band is all about and the reactions from people who have heard it has been very positive.

Unity For Insanity is of course the follow up to your debut 2003 disc In the Wake of a Dream. How do you think the new album differs at all from In the Wake of a Dream in terms of sound?
Barry: Hands down, the new album is “In the Wake of a Dream” on crack. Elements of the first album are on the new album because of musical influences. “Unity For Insanity” was concepted to be darker, heavier and more refined then In the Wake and that mission was accomplished.

What was the recording process like for the new album? How long did it take and do you feel that it was easier now doing it a second time?
Barry: Recording was much nicer this time around because we weren’t so rushed to get it done. At the same time we had double the amount of songs to do. We started in January of 2005 and didn’t leave until late September. Although there were a lot of long days of fast food, no sleep, lightning storms, computer crashes, head aches and arguments, it was well worth it in the end.

Unity For Insanity was produced by Bill Korecky, known primarily for his work with Mushroomhead. How did the band come to find and work with Korecky and what do you think he brought to the table in the making of this record?
Barry: Latticesphere (our label) had worked with him in the past and had mentioned meeting with him. We were looking around to see our options for studios but decided to give him try. We had heard mixed reviews about what he’s like in the studio. Once we met him and found out how much of a fundamentalist he is toward performance we knew we would get along great with him. His attention to detail and refinement is unmatched. He was very dedicated to this project and he brought the smoothness out in our sound. He understood where we were coming from but never let a moment of experimentation slip by. It was some of those experimenting times that made for some very memorable moments on the CD. Much respect for Bill and his work, a true artist of his craft. Can’t say enough good about him. We left the studio with a great sounding CD as well as a new friend.

A lot of alternative rock albums tend to have 11 or 12 tracks, yet Unity For Insanity contains 15 songs. Why did you decide to go with so many songs on the new LP?
Barry: Originally we wanted to just record two or three songs for promotional purposes but once we started the process we figured we would document as much material as possible. Once we had a full length we decided to release them all. More songs to listen to. With our first album running a little on the short side, we wanted to make it up this time around.

For the new record, you recorded 9 new songs and reworked 6 older songs to make up the 15 tracks in total. Why did you decide to rework these 6 demos and was it difficult trying to get them to fit in, in terms of sound with the 9 new songs?
Barry: When we committed to doing a full length we had only had 9 songs ready to record. So while in the studio we recorded all 15 drum tracks at the same time. We knew by reworking 6 unreleased songs we would have enough material. We decided to use the old songs because not to many people had ever heard them anyway. We knew some of them still had great potential. After the first 9 songs were done with rhythm tracks, we moved on to vocals. At the same time I took the drum tracks for the other 6 songs and reworked them into our newer sound. When they were ready, I went back into the studio and tracked out the remaining rhythms to those songs. Then we moved on from there. A few of the songs were hard to rework because the old version was still alive in our minds. Some of the songs changed so much that the melodies had to be altered. Making more of a challenge for us come vocal tracking. It was all fun though and quite an accomplishment. Broke the mold for us at looking at songs a different way and making them work out even better.

Coincidentally, you included a cover of the Genesis tune “Land of Confusion” on the new album only a short time after metal band Disturbed included a version on their latest album 10000 Fists. Did the fact that Disturbed covered the same song affect your decision at all to include the song on Unity For Insanity?
Barry: We had been performing that song for over a year before we took it to the studio, so we knew we wanted to record it. About halfway through tracking we got the news. Our first thought was to pull it off the album but we really wanted to continue with it because we knew a lot of people were hoping for it to be on our new album and we knew our version was going to be different then Disturbed. We did feel like our idea was taken from us because we had been performing it for so long. At the end of the day, you have two different versions of one great song!

You have performed tons of shows all over your home state of Ohio for almost two years now. Are there any plans in the future to hit other parts of the United States and maybe even Canada?
Barry: We’re gearing up for whatever opportunities come our way. There is quite a bit of planning for promoting the new album and the chances of people seeing us all over the place is looking good. We hope to be out there and meeting new faces in the near future.

Speaking of Ohio, what is the current alternative rock scene like in the state? What other up and coming Ohio bands should we be on the lookout for?
Barry: It being the rock and roll capital, you would think it would be happening. For us and bands alike, its a hit and miss type of state. We don’t feel like live music is as much as an outlet as it used to be in the past. Its kind of a bummer because there are a lot of good bands in Ohio. As far as up and coming bands, we can’t really predict that, but some of the bands that we’ve shared stages with or that we enjoy are: American Rockstar, 2nd Half, Sindust, Gone Until Tomorrow, Disengage and Audiblethread.

Now that you’ve just released a new album and a new year is upon us, what does the year 2006 hold for Prism Theory as a band?
Barry: A lot of shows, in-store appearances and hopefully some great opportunities to help make our mark in the industry. See you in 06!  [ END ]