John Tardy: We got some friends of ours mostly that have been doing it. We've got an HD Rig in a studio that is set up real good. I think Terry Butler from Six Feet (Under) is coming over. He's got some demo he's been messing with or something. I'm gonna record some H tracks for him and even the Six Feet guys are gonna be working on a new record and they kind of asked if it would be possible if they come and do some of the tracking here at our place. That hasn't been confirmed yet, but we said, "Hey, You guys are welcome to come and do whatever you want to do". They all live real close by. It should be convenient and low pressure. You don't have to book time. You can just come over and hang out like you would and just start jamming.

It is something we hope to get more into. We've got a lot invested in it and we've learned a lot. We've been in studio's for 20 years, but it's not like we ever sat down and did the engineering ourselves. Pro Tools makes it really easy on ya and Mark Prader, who is our longtime producer and engineer has just bent over backwards to come over here and show us how to do things and help us get the stuff we need. Anytime you've got questions, if we get some strange error that and you can't get something to do (what you want), you'll call him and he'll walk you through it and stuff like that. That's key to have somebody who is willing to do that.

You know, he's got a studio also and the last thing he wants is for people to go and record some place else. It cost him money he doesn't show up there (at his studio) to do something, but he also knows more and more people that are starting up these studio's. (And) he just gets involved. We don't expect nothing for free from him so if he gets involved or he comes over here or something, we certainly take care of him.

It just makes things all the better. We like doing our tracking here. We still go down to the Mark's place to do all the mixing anyway. So we still wind up spending a few days or so, a week or so, down at there at his place doing the mixing. But at that time we have spent so much time here at our studio writing and recording it all, (that) it's kind of nice to get into another studio and get a fresh set of ears from Mark's head and what he's listening to. We really trust and value his opinion. So it's been working out really well for us with having that transition from our place to another studio to finish things up.

SplatterTribe: Being around music, as you said, for 20 years, is there any of the newer era music that appeals to you?

John Tardy: Ahh, Well, first of all, we have been doing so much writing here lately that when we get into the studio and do all of this writing, the last thing I want to do is leave the studio, after setting back there all day, and go put music on (laughs), you know? If I get in my car and have to go some place it's usually like sports radio or something (laughs).

But after we are done, I start listening to more and more stuff, but I just find myself putting in the old Possessed and Venom and Celtic Frost stuff (laughs) back in my CD player time and time again, for some reason. I tend to be stuck on all the old Metal from the past. So I can't really think of anybody off hand, that I have been listening to, that is that new Metal-wise.

SplatterTribe: What about other styles of music?

John Tardy: Ah man, I like all kinds of music, I do. I listen to a lot of Blues a lot of Country. I love stuff like the Reverend Horton Heat. That kind of stuff is just awesome to go and watch. (I like) Hank III, that kind of stuff. There's lots of stuff that I enjoy listening to.

SplatterTribe: Ok, everybody I interview I ask for a question to ask a future person I interview. So you're question comes from Richard Young of the Kentucky Headhunters and his question was.....How do you feel about how the industry has changed in the past 25 years?

John Tardy: Wow, alright. Yeah, I know the Kentucky Headhunters. Is he an original member?

SplatterTribe: Yeah, he's as original as it gets. Richard is the guitar player and his brother is the drummer with the sideburns.

John Tardy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are those guys still out and about and doin stuff?

SplatterTribe: Yeah, they definitely are. They're still playing shows. They had just played a bike rally in Florida when I talked to him.

John Tardy: Yeah, I've got a couple of their CD's. That's awesome. I love that kind of shit.

SplatterTribe: Richard is actually the father of John Fred, the drummer for Black Stone Cherry. I don't know if you've heard of them or not?

John Tardy: Yeah, I've certainly heard of them.

SplatterTribe: Well, his question was....How do you feel about how the industry has changed in the past 25 years?

John Tardy: Well, I mean it has certainly with the internet. That's changed absolutely lots of things and it's been huge in the music industry. With as much music as you can download for free, fans are making out, but record companies are taking an absolute beating. And for the most part, I think a lot of them deserve it. I mean they have taken advantage of people way to long. They just take to many things for granted. Back when we first started out there was no way we would be able to do it, without a record company. We would spend a 100 grand just trying to record a record. There was no way we could have had that kind of money laying around to record. So you had to have a record company that would have that money to front you upfront to get that stuff done.

Nowadays, you can just about release records yourself with the internet. But also, if you think about what you are doing to get yourself a better deal, you can find record (deals) where you keep a lot of the music yourself, as far as the rights and things. So you can kind of stream line out things a lot where there's contracts that kind of favor yourself a lot more and gives the record companies a lot less. You say, "We're not going to need any money upfront from you. We just need you guys to do marketing for the thing."

I think record companies have changed their ways quite a bit and there's lots of them out there now also.  It used to just be that you had a handful of record companies that you knew. Now there's so many of them out there. Obviously (there's) some good, some bad, small, big and whatever. It just seems each band gets there unique way of wanting to do something. I could set here and say I absolutely hate Roadrunner (Records), but then there may be bands like Linkin Park that are on Roadrunner that probably have a good relationship and work well with them. I don't know that to be fact. I'm just saying it is possible. A we hate them and they love them type thing. Everything has just changed quite a bit and obviously EVERYBODY sells A LOT less physical CD than they used to. You know, because people also do downloads right to their IPODS. So just trying to sell CD's is hard nowadays because so many people just download it. At least if  they're paying for it when they download it there is some money coming back in to the writers and recorders and record companies.

SplatterTribe: Do you think the era of the major label is over?

John Tardy: You know, like I said, everyday it becomes tougher and tougher for some of them. And like I said, it doesn't cost us anything to records hardly nowadays, so we don't need any money from a record company par say, to do that. As far as needing that initial budget from them to even get the product out, that was the biggest thing in the beginning. Now, you pretty much just need them to market your stuff, which you can find publicists to do, with the internet. You can place ads just as well as anybody else if you want to invest your money and just take the time to do it. So I think record companies have changed quite a bit and they are going to continue to learn they are going to have to bend over and give musicians fair contracts. They can't just keep music for themselves forever.

SplatterTribe: Do you have a good random question to ask a future interviewee?

John Tardy: Uhhh............Yeah. I mean, what would be interesting to me to ask a lot of these bands is the simple fact of have they thought about releasing records themselves? It's kind of what we were talking about. Do you feel it necessary to have a record label or do you think that you can record things and put them out yourself even if it required getting a publicist to try and go a different route using the internet and your own website to sell the stuff? You can certainly get distributers to release the stuff. It's an interesting question. Do bands feel like they have to have a record company behind them in order to do what they want to do.

You get people like Britney Spears and bands like that, they sell so many records. They really have to have a record company like that, that is big and has so many fingers out there to make that all run. It requires a lot. But, you know, for most of us, we go on tour a couple of months out of the year in the States and a couple of months out of the year in Europe and a little bit here and there. And just put records out. It would just be interesting to hear how many bands feel like they have to have a record company.

SplatterTribe: So what can we expect from Obituary in the near future?

John Tardy: Well, we got the new album coming out. That's the biggest thing this summer. It's Classic Obituary. It's got a lot of good stuff. We'll be doing a handful of festivals in Europe. We'll be in the States in December and goin from there and doing what we do.

SplatterTribe: Any closing comments?

John Tardy: I think I'm ready to go dump the boat in the river myself, and just go out and enjoy some sunshine (laughs).

(end)