30 Seconds to Mars Emerge With New Sound

By: Neil K. Warner | Source: Alternative Addiction
This is War, the new 30 seconds to Mars record, is different than the band’s previous two records- stop if you’ve heard this before. Don’t most bands claim each record is different? So you decide if this is different.

Who else invites 1,000 fans to sing chorus on a song? Who else records chants, whisperings, even the sound of a Hawk outside their house to mix in with their music? This Is War even featured 2,000 different album covers featuring individual photos of fans from around the world. The band asked fans to submit pictures of themselves, and then selected the 2,000 best images. The images were then used as covers for the album itself and shipped randomly to stores around the world.

When you have four years between records, you can afford to be a little more creative, and that’s what 30 Seconds to Mars has done.

“We even recorded (the sounds of) a hawk that lives above us. That’s in the beginning of ‘Kings and Queens.’ We recorded crickets, everything. Conversations were recorded with friends,” drummer Shannon Leto told Alternative Addiction. “We wanted to show who we are. This album does that. This album is definitely letting people into our world. It’s a lot different than our last two albums.”

The time between to two records and the issues with their label helped the band tap into their creative vibe.

“We didn’t have a label for a really long time so we were making, we actually did the album at my brother’s and I house. We paid for it. It was all us and so that allotted us the time. There’s no deadlines, and we could create and express ourselves for a longer period of time,” Leto said. “Having that time allowed us to fully, fully express ourselves, and just pour everything that we had inside ourselves into the art.”

Recording the album at a house not only gave 30 Seconds to Mars a different sound, it gave them the freedom to go after the sound they were searching for no matter how long it took.

“We have a one song called ‘Night of the Hunter.’ it took 10 days to get the drum sound. I wasn’t happy. I wanted a specific sound,” Leto said. “And on another song we listened back to it and we heard dishes being washed in the background so we just kind of felt like it should remain there. There’s moments of true intimacy, moments of true rawness and there’s other songs that are more poignant and explosive and we have electronic songs.”

It’s been quite a ride since 30 Seconds to Mars released the platinum selling “A Beautiful Lie” in 2005. Since then, the band was sued by its record label for a whopping $30 million. The suit was settled in April of 2009 and 30 Seconds to Mars then released “This Is War” in early December. It sold over 67,000 units in the United States, entering the Billboard 200 at the No. 18. The album had debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart.

“It took a couple years to make the record and a lot happened during those years. We were being sued for $30 million dollars. We had a new president so that was an amazing thing that was going on, an important thing,” Leto said. “We had an economic fallout so the record that we were recording reflects that. It represented a time in our life. You can hear that in the album. Right now we’re touring, we’re doing the Christmas shows and preparing for the world tour next year.”

30 Seconds to Mars began their winter tour in Salt Lake City In November and they will continue through December before embarking on a world tour that begins in England in February.

“It’s pretty cool man. It’s definitely a live album. We wanted to bring the audience a little bit closer to us. So far to me it seems like we’re succeeding with that. We’ve always been interested in the people who listed to our music. We do things to support that. My brother came up with the idea of having 2,000 different album covers so people got the first couple 1,000 people could send in the photos and be on the album and be on the CD.”

They band opened the door to their fans, and in appreciation their fans are responding.