Chapter 8 #2
I wondered if that was due to the past year’s events as well—but I didn’t ask, especially because Cy was talking.
“It’s a concept we kicked around before actually recording anything. And…do you guys want to tell her where I got this idea or should I?”
“Yeah,” Zack said. “Go for it.”
Cy’s smile was sly, and for a short moment, I entirely understood why women adored him. He had a little too much of the cocky, testosterone-filled aura I knew I had to avoid, but I got it. “Have you ever seen the movie Eddie and the Cruisers?”
“No. I’ve heard of it, but—”
“It’s pretty old, but you can find it if you look for it.
There’s this one scene where the guy they call the Word Man is talking about caesuras.
You’ll have to watch it some time, but he reads a poem straight through and then he reads it again with pointed pauses, showing how a caesura can give meaning and weight to something.
It’s more because it’s not rushed—and because, in a way, it’s less. ”
When Zack spoke, it was evident that he was still excited by the concept.
“Yeah, Cy had us all watch the movie—highly recommended, by the way—and we realized we wanted to try it. So when we got into the studio, we applied that concept to every fuckin’ song.
What will the absences, the pauses, the unsung, unplayed parts say? ”
My eyes widened. “Holy shit. Is that why ‘Darkness’ feels like you’re holding back?
” Although this song wasn’t a single, it was probably my favorite one on the album—and it was because of that.
Throughout the entire song, the music and vocals felt restrained, and it wasn’t until the end where there was what felt like an explosion, an unleashing of emotion.
Zack winked. “That’s exactly it.”
The fangirl in me wanted to say brilliant!
But the reporter in me also held herself back.
Instead, picking up my notebook, I glanced at the questions I’d written down.
“I hate to ask this…but one of your critics, who shall remain unnamed, complained that there was a lot you didn’t say, a lot that you should have said.
Specifically, he said that you chose to ignore your recent history. Would you say that’s true?”
Zack looked at Dani, then Cy…and then Braden.
I got the feeling they felt like that should be up to him.
And he gave Zack a short nod. “If you need to refer to my interview with you, that’s fine, but this album was intentional.
I know fans love the first album where Zack basically bled all over the place.
It was good and raw and emotional—but we’re different people now.
We’re not kids anymore and this album showcases that, regardless of our past.”
Cy said, “Yeah, an’ if this critic wants that kind of shit, he’s listening to the wrong band.”
Zack laughed. “Couldn’t say it better myself. Like with all our albums, this one’s probably not for everybody. But for the people who get us? They’ll love it just the same.”
“Can I add something?” Cy asked.
“Like we’ve been making you shut up?” Zack responded.
Cy playfully flipped him off. “This album, more than any other before, really solidified our roles in the band. Like Zack…he’s the frontman, right? But he’s a part of the band. In the past…” Cy paused, looking at Zack for approval.
“What he’s trying to say is I used to be a controlling dickwad—and I told everybody it was my band, not theirs. I’m not like that anymore—and, when I stray that way, these guys wake me up.”
“Yeah,” Cy agreed. “And Dani’s not looked at as an anomaly anymore.
She’s important. Bray, too—nobody could play bass for Riot like he does.
When we start getting off track, Braden will a lot of times have us listen to a bassline, and it snaps us back in the moment.
I don’t know how you do it, bro, but you do. ”
“No shit,” Zack said. “Back in the day, Bray was my sidekick, kinda like Batman and Robin. But he’s the guy who helps us stay focused in the studio. He’s Batman now.” Zack looked at Braden then. “We couldn’t do it without you.”
Wow. It would have been so easy for Braden to have walked away from all this—and that would have been the end of Once Upon a Riot.
Until that moment, I hadn’t realized it.
He wasn’t just a bassist or a band member.
He was integral, one-fourth of the whole—and I felt myself thinking about him again way more than I should have.
So I had to ask another question to keep myself grounded. “So this festival is kind of a break from your tour.”
At that, Zack laughed. “If only. Festivals are fun and cool and we wouldn’t miss ‘em for anything in the world, but—”
“They’re exhausting,” Dani said.
“But,” Cy interjected, “this one is amazing, mainly because our time slot shows we’ve moved up in the world.”
He was right.
“God, I wish I could watch you guys.”
Cy leaned forward, his voice dangerous—and, had I not already fallen for Braden, I might have found Cy irresistible. Of course, Cy had the vibes of the guys I knew better than to fall for. “You could sneak out for a few minutes. Nobody’ll ever know.”
I grinned, putting my notebook back down on the stool. “I would.”
And I couldn’t miss the subtle nod that came from Braden, telling me he understood completely what I’d been thinking.