Following recent larger acts like A Day To Remember and Attila in the quest to go independent, progressive metal band Periphery have now done the same, according to a new episode of the Jamey Jasta podcast, which featured Sumerian head honcho Ash Avildsen. The podcast, which you can stream below, also comes in a handily transcribed version thanks to Metal Insider. Of particular note is the fact that Avildsen seems to think Periphery could be much bigger – which isn’t far from the truth. Still, hats off to the band wanting to do things their way, on their terms.
The band has also released some clips from a likely new album they’re recording soon, which you can find below.
Avildsen: Periphery specifically they’re incredibly talented and I love the band to death and we’ve had great success together but they are their own worst enemy. They get in their own way.
Jasta: Are they spending too much?
Avildsen: No, it’s the too “precious” thing. That band, they have a song called “Jet Packs Was Yes” which is a hop-skip and a jump away from being a massive hit….I would talk to Misha about this and I would go “Dude your band should be so big. I know you can get the kid in the front row that is air guitaring that knows the riffs in and out. They know the drum kit from hell that you’re using they know every little spec but how do you get the guy that’s in the back of the arena that’s got the nosebleeds seat to still feel that connection from your music when you’re on stage”. Dude we went through this–they were doing the Deftones tour and I was like “Guys this is a mainstream tour. You need to play ‘Jet Packs Was Yes’ You gotta connect with these people” and they didn’t want to do it. I finally convinced them to do it and they’re like “oh man this song is going over great” and it was like yeah, and you wrote it. It’s like these bands that get too precious for their own hits.
Periphery spent pretty much all of their career with the popular record label, since 2010’s debut self-titled album, actually. We think there is still a lot of love between Ash and Periphery, despite creative differences. Of course, the potential for a band like Periphery to do things completely independent is an exciting one, as well.
