LotsOfMuzik: Ray how are you, man? I’m excited to talk to you, man, I’ve been listening to the new solo album, and you crushed it there.
Ray: Thank you!
LotsOfMuzik: Can you tell me how you got your inspiration for this new album?
Ray: Well, I mean, I always like to keep busy. I mean, since the pandemic, we always do an album, and then we go on tour, but since the pandemic, we haven’t been able to tour. So I’ve been writing a lot. We did the Fates Warning album, then we made the A – Z album. I did an album with Figure of Speechless, with Derek Sherinian and Bumblefoot and those guys. And then I thought after a while, you know, it’s time to do another solo album. Let’s do another solo album. And the funny story was, I just thought of it the other day and I said, “I’m going to get a hold of the record company and see if they want to do another solo album.” And then the next day I got an email from the record company and they said, “Hey do you wanna do another solo album?” (Laughs) I was like, that’s just, it was the weirdest thing, the weirdest thing. I said, “yeah, I’d love to, I haven’t thought about it.” (Laughs) So that was it. I mean, I just want to keep busy, I don’t like just to be sitting around doing nothing, and if I can’t tour, I might as well make some music.
LotsOfMuzik: Can you describe the creative process behind working with Mike Abdow, Tony Hernando and Craig Anderson?
Ray: Great guys, great musicians. With Mike, we would discuss things like, what I would tell him, I played him a song, sort of a detuned kind of an old school, dark music, and, you know, I would just play him different things and he would go, “okay, yeah, yeah, I totally get it. I get it.” And he was great. He really listened to everything, and he came up with some really, really great songs. And he ended up giving me like, nine songs, I think. And I kind of picked and chose which ones I thought would sound best for the album. And then we worked together on those, and Tony was the same. There was actually one song of Tony’s, the Hands of Time that was gonna be on the first album, but I ran out of time because I had to start writing the new Fates Warning album. So that one was almost like 70% finished, I just ran out of time. So we ended up finishing that one and putting it on the new album. And Tony’s the same. He gave me a bunch of demos, and then we were going through the songs and we picked these, and we would change the parts, Tony was very adamant. He’s like, let’s do some more. Let’s do some more songs. Let’s do some, you know, like two more songs. And I said we can’t, the CD’s already almost full. The album was very long. We were already almost outta time on the cd, and those were only nine songs, (laughs) and as far as the album was, well there was just “no more room.” I said, well, we have this music, we will do another solo album later, then maybe we can use some of this stuff later on. So that was it. And then Craig, of course, he is just an amazing drummer. He’s been my friend forever for, I don’t know 20 or 30 years. And I knew I wanted to use him. He’s just a great, great guy, great drummer. They all did an amazing job.
LotsOfMuzik: Definitely. They did a great job for sure. What motivated the shift in sound from your solo debut to your second album?
Ray: Well, I think the first one, I more or less wanted to distance myself from Fates Warning and not make music that sounded like the band. I wanted to show people that I was capable of doing something different. And I think we accomplished that with the first album. It wasn’t as heavy as things I would normally do. As, I mean, especially a long time ago, I did the Band Engine with Bernie and Joey and, and Pete Peratta, and that was really heavy. This was a lot different. But after that, coming to the new album, the new solo album II, I wanted to kind of go back to my roots, have longer songs with a lot of different parts to the songs, and just to keep it interesting. I think of a song that has all these different parts and different melodies going on. It keeps you interested other than just the same thing repeating over and over again. So that was great. And then Mike has this great ability that he creates this crazy great atmosphere with his effects and things he does in the songs. So, and that adds to everything, you know? So you don’t even need keyboards. It’s, you have Mike already doing these crazy things. I knew I wanted it to be heavier and darker, and I think we did a good job of that.
LotsOfMuzik: Yeah, of course you did. I was about to ask you about that, because your solo work is described as more emotionally potent than your work with Fates Warning and in this second solo album it truly shows, I really believe that, and I think you really did well on this new release.
Ray: Thank you, Jorge.
LotsOfMuzik: How did the collaboration with Simone Mularoni come to be? What was it like working with him mixing the album?
Ray: Simon’s great. He’s just a very talented individual. He’s an amazing guitar player and an amazing engineer as well. Like, I actually met Simone through Redemption when Redemption played at ProgPower in Atlanta. And I went to do one guest song with them. And I ended up hanging out with Simone a lot and I knew he was an amazing guitar player. And through the conversations he was like, “yeah, I’m an engineer.” I said, “you’re an engineer too. Wow. Okay, great” And I listened to a lot of his stuff, and he was amazing. And I said can you work on my solo album? Would you mind? He said, yeah, I’d love to. And he did an amazing job. The first solo album it’s like, with everybody else, I think, you know, you have to work together at first to, to discover, to agree on a vision. And that was what we had, you know, it was a little in the beginning, we worked together and said, okay, maybe this, maybe that, and maybe this. And then it ended up sounding great. So with this solo album, I knew I wanted him to mix the album, and he was so great at it, man. Like, the first song he sent me that he mixed was almost 98% perfect already at that point. It was just levels. I said, bring this up, bring this down. And I think we’re good. So, yeah, I would love to continue working with him, with all the guys, if possible. That’d be great.
LotsOfMuzik: Can you discuss the inspiration behind the album title?
Ray: The significance is that there is no significance. (Laughs) That’s the funny thing, none of the songs have anything to do with each other. Like, there’s no common thread, you know, there’s no recurring theme. They’re just stories of whatever, fiction and human emotion, this and that. But I didn’t see that calling the album, the title of the album, like one of the songs titles, didn’t make sense. Cuz’ I didn’t wanna focus all the energy on one song, so I really couldn’t think of a title that would encompass all of the songs. And I just said, you know what? It’s my second album, my second song, I’m just gonna call it II and, and leave it at that and not have some crazy album cover with whatever machines fighting Vikings, or, whatever, it just didn’t make sense to me, you know? So I said, I’m just gonna call it Two and keep it simple. And that’s just kind of how I am. I like simplicity and I don’t like overly complicated things, so that’s why I just said, I’m gonna call it Two. And the record company wasn’t very happy with it. They weren’t happy at all with it, to be honest with you. They thought it should be called something else. And we finally agreed and said, okay, we’ll just call it Two. And then it was funny, like a week later, they sent me an email and they said, Hey, check this out. And it was The Winery Dog’s new album, and it was called Three (laughs) I said, see, I told you (more laughs).
LotsOfMuzik: What would you say are the key differences between the songwriting process of the first album and second one?
Ray: I think it was pretty much the same. Again, with the first album, Mike and I had these long conversations, and the first album, I don’t know if I said this already, the first album was originally gonna be Tony and myself. It was gonna be Tony Hernandez and myself. And we were gonna write all the music together, and that was just gonna be it. I mean, originally my first thought was to have a lot of different guest musicians playing different songs, having different guitar players and drummers and bass players and everything. But logistically, it just didn’t work. It was too complicated. It was gonna take too long. There wasn’t enough money in the budget. So, I just said, I’m just gonna work with Tony and be only the two of us. And then Tony started getting busy with his band Lord’s Black. And Mike just happened to send me an email and saying, you know, if you or maybe it was a text message, he’s like, Hey, I know you’re doing a solo album if you want some help, you know, with songs. And I said, yeah, of course, man. And he said what are you looking for? And I explained this and that, and that. Okay, perfect. And he’d sent me some demos and they were amazing. And that’s how Mike came aboard, and that’s that. Tony was so busy that Mike ended up writing most of the music. And that’s pretty much what happened on the second album as well. So yeah, it’s kind of, they have a lot of ideas, those guys. And they have so many that I’m able to pick and choose which songs I think would work best for me. And that’s a great option to have. So, yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens on the next one, if there is one.
LotsOfMuzik: Yeah. Fingers crossed. (laughs) Yeah.
LotsOfMuzik: Ray, you already mentioned something, but tell me how has the pandemic affected your creative process and the plans for your solo work?
Ray: Well, if anything, it’s like it’s improved my work ethic because before the pandemic I would do things now and then, but it is always with Fates Warning. And we’d do an album then we tour, and then we’d do another album two or three years later. So, since the pandemic there was no ability to tour, so it just came down to writing and, you know, keeping a roof over my family’s heads, you know? So That’s pretty much it. And that’s where it came to, like, me just writing more than anything. I love, love writing, it keeps me busy. I think if I’m not doing anything, I’ll go crazy. So if anything, the pandemic improved my ability to work, I guess. Isn’t that weird? (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: Tell us what challenges did you face when transitioning from being part of a band like Fates Warning, or Redemption to becoming a solo artist?
Ray: Oh, it really wasn’t by choice. That’s for sure. But I like being in a band. I love being with my friends in Fates Warning. I love touring with them. I love hanging out with them. And I loved being with the guys in Redemption. That was a lot of fun as well. But, you know, I was with Redemption in all those years where Fates wasn’t really doing very much. It was like nine years that Fates didn’t do an album. And I think at that time, I did three or four with Redemption. And then Fates started getting busy again. You know, we did Darkness in a Different Light, and we started touring again. And all this, this life was breathed back into the band, and I just, I wanted to focus just on Fate’s Warning. I just wanted to focus on the band, and that’s what I did. And now I’m just looking towards the future and if Fates Warning is no longer gonna write music, then I’ll have to figure, I need an outlet to perform, to write.
LotsOfMuzik: Tell us more about the unfinished songs from the first album that were included in the second one.
Ray: I’m sure there was one that Mike had written that I never even started to work on, but it was like okay, I like this one, but I didn’t have time to work on it. But that was included from the first demo that I ended up putting on this one. And I can’t remember which song it was, man, I really don’t remember, I can’t remember the title of it, but it’s that song. It was one of the ones that Tony wrote that was like 70% done, that I just couldn’t finish in time. The melodies were written and the lyrics were written already, but I just didn’t have time to record it and finish it, and nobody else had time to finish it, I think Craig did the drums to it. Actually, Craig recorded the drums, but I just ran outta time because Fates had to do the next album, and I had a schedule to keep. So we left that one off and put that one on this album. There’s two songs that were left over basically from the first, I made it under this one.
LotsOfMuzik: You were in the States and now you’re in Spain. How has your worldview influenced the writing for this new album?
Ray: I don’t think it has really I think more than anything, Theories of Flight, when we did the Fates albums when I was moving here, and that really affected the lyrics. I think that really had a lot to do with the lyrics and change. I think at that point, that was what really inspired me for the lyrics on Theories of Flight. But with this, well, now Spain is my home. I’ve been here long enough, I don’t think it really matters anymore that now I just write about whatever comes to my mind. (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: What was the experience like before performing as a solo artist at ProgPower in Atlanta?
Ray: Oh, it was cool. It was, it was fun to see everybody again. I saw Nick and Mike andI’ve been friends with all those guys forever. And it was exciting. But I was really nervous, man. It was funny because I’m so used to playing with Fates Warning and we’re like a well-oiled machine. We know exactly what each other’s doing and thinking. We trust each other fully, and to be on stage with a new drummer that I’ve never played with before. Nick had never played the songs before. That was a little scary. So I was pretty nervous, more nervous than ever, to be honest with you. It was really weird. I didn’t like it. I don’t like being nervous when we go on stage, with Fates there’s always that nervous energy before the show, but it’s not that you’re afraid or anything, you know, it’s just you’re ready to get out there and perform. And with this, it was like, I was just nervous, like I hope I don’t fuck up. I hope I don’t forget the words or you know, but it ended up being good, it was just a lot of fun, and it was good to see everybody again. That was nice.
LotsOfMuzik: How do you think the songs from Two will translate to a live setting? Are there any plans to tour and to get this music live?
Ray: I would love to play ’em live, man, I really do. I think the songs are perfect to be played live, but, you know, it’s really not up to me. It’s up to any promoter that wants to bring us out. I know I would love to tour. Yeah, I would love to hit the road with my solo band. But it’s just, you know, whether it’s headlining or opening for somebody or festivals or anything. But we’ll see what the future holds, I guess. I’ll definitely start looking around to see what we can do. That’s kind of the plan. Hit the road sometime.
LotsOfMuzik: Any memorable moments or experiences from your time working on Two with the guys? Were you able to gather with them, be in the same room or was this album worked only by sending stuff one way and the other back through the net?
Ray: Yeah, pretty much. That was it. We never saw each other, we never even had a Zoom or Skype session or anything. It’s like I’m used to it now. Even with Fates. That’s how we wrote our albums for the last 15 years. (laughs) It used to be cassettes. We would send cassettes back and forth. This is before email.
LotsOfMuzik: Oh, that was terrible (laughs)
Ray: That was terrible. That sucked. But that’s just what it was. And I was used to it, man. But now it’s the same thing. It’s just files. We go back and forth. And now, you know, with technology, everybody has a home studio. I have a home studio now. I actually don’t even go to a recording studio anymore. I’ve recorded all my albums here at home, so that’s nice. But you know, I do miss the camaraderie of your friends being in the studio for a month or two, you know, hanging out every day and coming down with a cup of coffee and let’s listen to what we did last night, kind of thing, you know? But it’s just what it is now, you know, with this, just sending files. I’ll get up my coffee, you know, walk out. Okay, let’s sit down in front of the computer and start working. You know? That’s how It’s (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: Looking back on your career so far, what are you most proud of? What do you hope to achieve in the near future?
Ray: Well, I’m proud that I get to do what I want to do to be able to sing, even though it was never my dream, you know, I was just a kid having fun, doing covers, having a cover band, and just things kind of moved on from there. It was never like my dream to be in a rock band and make that my life. It’s pretty funny how that turned out though, but I am living in another country. It’s pretty weird, but I’m proud that Fates was able to hire me. (laughs) That’s pretty cool. You know, I’m happy about that. And I don’t know, my plans for the future are to just go as far as I can keep going until I can’t sing anymore, or stand or whatever. I dunno. (Laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: (Laughs) Well, there’s always wheelchairs. (laughs)
Ray: Yeah, yeah. (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: What can fans expect from the new release?
Ray: I just hope they like it. It’s definitely different from the first.
LotsOfMuzik: I love it, by the way.
Ray: Thanks, yeah. I just hope they like it. It’s good old heavy metal, I think (laughs) we’ll see.
LotsOfMuzik: Ray, being that I’m from latin america, I’m from Venezuela. And my first language is Spanish, I have to ask, have you ever considered recording one song or one album in Spanish?
Ray: No. My Spanish isn’t good enough. My Spanish is horrible (he said the word in a Spanish accent). It’s terrible. It really is. I have lived here (Spain) now, seven years, and I’m just terrible at it. Most of my friends speak English here. My wife speaks English, my stepson speaks English, you know? And I work from home, so it’s really difficult for me to learn it, I should learn, but again, I’m lazy to learn it, so, (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: By the way, I had all, all of my questions and I had them translated in Spanish because I was like, oh, should I conduct the interview in Spanish or in English? (laughs) But once you started speaking in English, I said, oh, okay. We’ll do it in English, (laughs)
Ray: Thanks,Man I appreciated it. (laughs)
LotsOfMuzik: No hay problema. No problem. I have a couple of questions before we finish. Tell me what aspects of your solo work do you find most rewarding compared to your time with Fates Warning?
Ray: Rewarding. I don’t know. I think just being able to have music that’s good enough, that a record company would want to put it out, is something to be proud of, you know, that I was taking a chance on. And you know, I sent out some demos and, and Inside Out was happy to sign me. That was great. So, for me, that’s a big accomplishment to be able to do that, you know? I’m very proud of that, and I’m proud of the music. I’m proud of the music the guys wrote, and I’m proud of the songs, in the end. But yeah, that’s pretty much it.
LotsOfMuzik: Will we hear more of Fates Warning in the future, or?
Ray: Probably no. I don’t think Jim wants to write any more music for Fates Warning, any new music, so, I don’t know. I mean, I would love to, but I can’t speak for Jim, so.
LotsOfMuzik: I understand. Well, Ray, thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. Thank you. And I hope to catch up with you sometime down the road.
Ray: Yeah. Maybe next time we’ll run in, you’ll be in Venezuela. We’ll play there. We’ll see you there.
LotsOfMuzik: Yeah. That would be awesome. Any last words that you want to share with the fans and with our audience?
Ray: Yeah, I hope everyone enjoys the new album and, and you know, I’m happy the pandemic is behind us, and now we can move on and have fun again. Go to live shows and hopefully one of these days I can go there as a solo artist, or even with Fates Warning and play again live. It’d be great to be back in South America and Central America.
LotsOfMuzik: Well, thank you. If I ever go to Spain, as I said in the beginning, I will try to catch you up there.
Ray: Alright Jorge muchas gracias, chao, hasta luego
LotsOfMuzik: Muchas gracias a ti, bye bye
TRACKLIST
1. This Hollow Shell
2. My Oblivion
3. Hands Of Time
4. Waiting For Some Sun
5. Silence The Enemy
6. Keep Wandering
7. Those Words I Bled
8. Passengers
9. Changes
10. This Hollow Shell (Acoustic Version, Bonus Track)
You can pre-order the album in its various formats here:
https://rayalder.lnk.to/two
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