Pendulum embarks on first U.S. tour

Pendulum, known in the music world as a drum-and-bass band from Australia, is embarking on its first United States tour in a few weeks.

The band — vocalist/synthesizerist Rob Swire, bassist Gareth McGrillen, guitarist Peredure ap Gwynedd, DJ Paul "El Hornet" Harding and drummer Paul Kodish — were arriving on a plane in Brazil from the United Kingdom when the Deseret News caught up with McGrillen via e-mail.

Here is the e-mail interview:

Deseret News: What were your musical influences that steered you into the direction of making music?

McGrillen: I think early electronica, bands like Technotronic, Altern8 and The Prodigy, as well as punk metal and grunge, too many bands to mention really but I don't think any particular one was instrumental in inspiring us into music, they all were.

DN: When it became obvious that the group was going to become more than a hobby, did you set any goals for the music?

McGrillen: Not really. We've only set goals of doing better than the last thing we did. With our first singles and then with our first CD "Hold Your Colour," and later with our latest album, "In Silico," doing better for us is anything from producing something bigger and more intense as well as reaching a wider audience and selling more copies etc.

DN: To date, what has been the most challenging aspect of being in the band?

McGrillen: Writing our second album proved to be more difficult then we first anticipated. I think the pressure was self-inflicted largely but it was a difficult period, nonetheless. Even though the process seems to have paid off, I don't think we'll be letting the writing recording and production process do our heads in so much next time!

The live shows development was also a yearlong struggle in which we had to develop a means to bring the sonic fullness we get in the studio into a live environment. All the tracks we brought into the live arena needed to almost be re-engineered from the ground up so as to recreate them live.

DN: On the flip side, what have been the rewards, both artistic and personal?

McGrillen: Well, there's no better reward then doing something you love and being accepted and loved for it, and being able to earn a living from music isn't as common as it used to be, so we thank our lucky stars we're in a position to do so.

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