College News recently had a chance to speak with Upon a Burning Body singer, Danny Leal. The band has toured relentlessly in support of their new album The World is My Enemy. Speaking with Danny, we learned some interesting facts about the band and about Texas as well.
CN: For your new album The World Is My Enemy Now, you went into the studio after a very busy touring schedule. Did you go into the studio with a game plan or was it more of an organic process?
DL: It was pretty organic, I mean we had some songs that we went into the studio with, but you know we definitely pieced together some songs from others that just weren’t finished yet. We made new songs out of them, but yeah, we definitely didn’t go in with all of the songs that ended up on the record.
CN: How has the album been received by long-time fans of Upon A Burning Body?
DL: So far, so good. It’s been chill. The reception has been a lot better with The World Is My Enemy, than the previous two.
CN: Is there a song on the new record that you are especially proud of?
DL: Not really, I mean all of the songs are really good, I can’t just choose one.
CN: Where have you toured the last few years that really stands out? Is there somewhere you like the most?
DL: Oh man, so many places. You know, we went to Australia, we went Thailand, just a lot of great places, and every one of them were fun.
CN: The founder of Sumerian records has said that your voice is very distinguishable and I have to agree. What is the secret to the clarity of your voice in the songs?
DL: Just practice man, you know? A lot of practice, a desire to achieve it, and you focus on a certain style or certain way that you want to do it. And I’ve worked hard to be the best that I can be. That’s about it.
CN: When Upon a Burning Body hits the road, what are three essentials that we’ll find in the band’s possession?
DL: Baby wipes would definitely be one, deodorant, and alcohol for us. *chuckles*
CN: What is the concept on the new album’s cover, such as your bound wrists?
DL: It’s what the songs are really about, you know, my childhood stuff, the way we were brought up, really poor, and kind of living like that, things going wrong in people’s lives to include my own. It’s like the whole world is against you, it’s your enemy, like you’re trapped. That what we were going for, like we were trapped, we wanted to portray that, and being tied is something that gets the point across really easy. It just shows that something is wrong, you can’t move, and that is what we wanted to get across through the artwork of the album.
CN: Musically, what is the band’s major influences?
DL: Oh man, we have such a wide range that I can’t just point out one. We’re all really just music lovers. Whether we are in the van or on tour, we listen to everything, such a wide range, I mean obviously metal, there’s older metal, country, hip-hop, old hip-hop. You never know what we’ll be in the mood for. I never get to fully answer that question.
CN: OK, these are just some general questions that can be answered however you want. Just random questions that fans might want to know. What is your favorite Whiskey?
DL: Sure. We drink Coldcock Whiskey, our favorite, it’s out of California.
CN: Best restaurant in San Antonio?
DL: Ah, there is too many! If you’re talking all of them, way too many. Now if you’re talking Mexican food, one of the ones we like as a band, when we’re home, is this little place called Gilbert’s, and it’s really, really, good!
CN: First metal band that you played in?
DL: I was like 14 or 15 and I played guitar in this band called Silenced.
CN: Any regrets?
DL: All the time, you know? But if you didn’t have any regrets, you wouldn’t learn from it them, and you only get better from it.
CN: First Tattoo?
DL: My last name, in Old English, across my stomach.
CN: Ever been to the Alamo?
DL: Oh many times. *laughs*
CN: Is there really a basement in the Alamo?
DL: Yeah actually, there is, but I don’t think they let anyone go down there, or anything.
CN: I know that the band and you always boast about everything in Texas being bigger. So what’s the deal with Texans and everything in the state being bigger?
DL: I mean there is a lot of things, they live by that, you can almost go anywhere in the state and find something that is going to be organically bigger because of where you are at and because of the saying. I mean you can go anywhere in the state and find 72 ounce steaks, so that is gonna be unheard of in most places. They want to prove a point. The shots are even bigger than the average shot, there’s limits on how many you can drink. The lifted trucks, 4×4’s, big tires, monster sh** like that.
CN: Is there anything else you want to say
DL: Just check out our stuff. Hit up the social media. People who want to check us out, just go to the site, it’s pretty easy to find.
You can find more information about Upon A Burning Body by going to www.Sumerianrecords.com, Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uponaburningbody and follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/uabb
