Those are the insightful and profound words of singer Matt Moseman about EDGEWATER, whose aptly titled fourth album, WE'RE NOT ROBOTS�, is due out August 22 on Forevergreen Records (licensed to Rock Ridge Music with distribution by ADA).
From the innovative first single "Caught In The Moment" with its cheerleader refrain to the anthemic "Get It Right" and in-your-face "Rock Is Dead," WE'RE NOT ROBOTS� is a powerful statement of defiance for a band that refuses to compromise. "Caught In the Moment" is being serviced to radio on June 27 although some stations are already spinning it.
As it often happens in the music business, record labels try to convince musicians to change their sound to match the ever-changing tastes of the record buying public, even if it's against the artists' vision. Sometimes it works to the artist's advantage, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and part ways if the same vision isn't shared by all.
Such is the case with the Dallas, TX band. When an executive at its previous record company told EDGEWATER that they needed to change because "rock is dead," the band walked away.
"We will be what we want to be," says a steadfast Matt Moseman. "We're a rock band! We're not circus monkeys on a chain. Fame and glory isn't what we're after. This is our life. We have to be able to say 'yes' to 'Is this going to make me feel proud of what I do?' Wind-Up Records gave us an opportunity, fueled the fire and taught us a lot. We just ended up on different pages. Now I can't wait to see what our future holds. We're going to keep creating, changing and hopefully gaining fans. We're going to make a difference with our music, but also have fun with what we do. When it's not fun, it's just another job. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you can sell 20 million albums and still not be happy."
While change is always for the best, EDGEWATER feels that creating new music and getting it out to the fans on their own terms was therapeutic and they harbor no hard feelings against their former label. "If we had stayed," says Moseman, "they would've told us to calm down and we didn't want to. It's not a 'f**k you' record--there's a lot that's positive--but that anger is there. It feels good to get our emotions out. You have to do this for the right reasons."
EDGEWATER--Matt Moseman (vocals), Micah Creel (guitar/backing vocals), Justin Middleton (guitar), Ricky Wolking (bass), Jeremy "Worm" Rees (drums)--gained national recognition with 2004's SOUTH OF SIDEWAYS (Wind-Up Records) whose "Eyes Wired Shut" was also a lead single from the Gold-certified soundtrack album to "The Punisher." They've toured with Gold/Platinum-selling artists Seether, Three Days Grace, Finger Eleven, and Default.
SOUTH OF SIDEWAYS represented a musical scrapbook of the band's experiences over the years. WE'RE NOT ROBOTS� marks the first album the members wrote as an album and the first with all five members from start to finish. Perhaps surprising for a truly indie album, WE'RE NOT ROBOTS� was constructed with patience. Along with extensive pre-production, the album was eight months in the recording. "We spent time with each song," says Moseman, "did two or three at a time and mixed them before moving on to the next songs. There was no manager telling us what to do, no outside influences. We had complete freedom, no holds barred. The album is less diverse than SOUTH OF SIDEWAYS, but it's also tighter. You can feel where this band is today."
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