Transformers Soundtrack Is Pumped With Music From “Dropbox”

by Louis Bedigian

 

Guitarist Lee Richards chats to GameZone about the band, video games, their new music, and more.

 

 

 

 

Video games have become so popular that record companies now consider them a primary source for promotion.  Many big record labels, including Universal, go to EA with new music that they want featured in the latest Madden games.  Likewise, game publishers know how much we love to hear new music.  When necessary they’ll go after record labels, hoping to compile the best soundtrack possible for their games.

 

While searching for music for the latest Transformers game, Atari came upon Dropbox, a new rock band with a powerful sound.  Their first self-titled record was released on April 13, but they’ve been rockin’ radio shows and radio airwaves for months.

 

When asked about the new record, Lee Richards, Dropbox’s lead guitarist, told GameZone that the band is really excited.  “We got to do it with Dave Jerden out in Berbank, CA, and things are really going well with it so far.”

 

Dave Jerden should be a name that sounds familiar to any fan of Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Offspring, or MXPX.  He’s produced records for each of those artists, some of which are considered to be among the greatest rock albums of all time.

 

If credentials weren’t enough, what would it take to convince Atari that Dropbox was the band to use for Transformers?  How does Dropbox – a growing band – secure a place in video game history before releasing their first record?  Lee reveals how it all happened.

 

 

For any of our fans who aren't necessarily familiar with your type of music, how do you define yourself?

 

Lee Richards: If you took Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Mountain and put it in a blender, then you have Dropbox.

 

How did you end up putting your music in a video game?

 

LR: Actually Atari came to us.  They went to Universal looking for music for the game.  Universal gave 'em a stack of CDs and they first one they grabbed happen to be ours.  They heard the first track, "Wishbone," and they decided that that was the song and we were the band.  So it pretty much fell into our lap.  They've been great.

 

Is Wishbone the only song of yours that's in the game?

 

LR: Wishbone is the only song from our record that's in the game, but we also did an instrumental version of the actual Transformers theme.  That's in the game as well that you can unlock.

 

Have you guys gotten any other opportunities to be in video games?

 

LR: We haven't yet actually.  We're so new as a band and having our record come out.  This is actually the first.  But we look forward to it.  We're all big game fans.

 

When did you start working on this record?

 

LR: We worked about 18 months..   We spent about in New Jersey in pre-production at our bass player's Jimmy's house.  We all just moved in there, kind of like a rock-n-roll commune.  We recorded and wrote and did all the pre-production there.  So it was probably right around 18 or 19 months.

 

Who does most of the writing?

 

LR: John (lead singer) and I.  And Joey, our other guitar player, actually wrote some music for a couple of the songs as well.

 

Do you guys write your lyrics first or your music?

 

LR: The way I write it usually starts with music, and I pretty much write everything on acoustic guitar, whether it's gonna be a heavy rock song or an acoustic song, it all kinda starts there.  Then John and I come up with melody ideas.  Usually the lyrics follow.

 

What is the song "Wishbone" about?

 

LR: You have to ask John that question.  He wrote the lyrics for that particular song.

 

Do you guys have any idea what your next single is going to be?

 

LR: We're not sure.  There's a few tracks from the record that we're throwing around.  "End of Days" is a possibility, and "Forgotten Song."  Those are probably the strong two for the next single.

 

What was it like working with Dave Jerden?

 

LR: Absolutely a dream come true.  He's on so many records that I love and still listen to.  It was amazing that as our first choice of a producer that he...we sent him our pre-production that we had recorded ourselves, and he was so into it that he called me in Hawaii and he said come here, let's make a record.  So it literally happened just like that, over a phone call.  But it was amazing.  He's a great guy.  He's one of the best producers out there right now.  He's definitely like the Phil Spector of our generation.

 

How was it making your first music video?

 

LR: It was great.  Absolutely great.  Again it was like getting Dave Jerden, the same kind of thing.  We actually had Nigel Dick, [he] directed it.  It was great working with him.  Great fun.

 

Was it weird having to lip-synch to your own music?

 

LR: Yeah it was totally weird.  But it wasn't so bad.  As opposed to not having anything, they had like a little PA system there.  So we heard the song over and over and they cranked it, so at least you could kinda get into it a little bit.  But it was definitely a little strange.

 

Were there any really difficult parts to making the video?

 

LR: No, not really.  It's just doing it over and over and over, ya know?

 

Who in the band plays video games?

 

LR: John (my singer) and Bobby (our drummer) and I are the three bigger gamers in the band.  We definitely play a lot.

 

What kinds of games do you play?

 

LR: I play everything from Transformers to Halo (that's one of our favorites).  I like EA sports games, you know, football and hockey.  I like Tiger Woods an awful lot.

 

Are you looking forward to Halo 2?

 

LR: Oh my God, I cannot wait till that game comes out!

 

What else is on your wish list for the year?

 

LR: Halo 2 definitely, I would say the biggest.  That's what I'm looking most forward to.

 

What kind of music do you listen to?

 

LR: I listen to everything.  From the bands that I listed, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Beatles, to like Beach Boys and A Perfect Circle, everything.  I don't just listen to one type of thing, it depends on what kind of mood I'm in, with old Elton John, everything.

 

Do you think your next record will be more of what you're doing now, or something different or...?

 

LR: I don't think we'll do anything completely drastically different.  It'll be different in the sense that we'll have evolved from the place or the place that we were at writing this record.  But I think we'll be true to our sound and what comes out of us.

 

We didn't really write this record trying to hone any specific sound.  We just kind of went with our gut and what came out of us, and it seemed to work.  So we'll probably take the same approach with the next record.

 

What is your favorite song from your current record?

 

LR: "Take Away The Sun."  That's my personal favorite.

 

Have you guys been getting a lot of radio airplay?

 

LR: Yes, it's [the song, "Wishbone"] doing really well on the radio.  I think it's in the 20s right now.  We've done a bunch of radio shows.  We're actually going to Kansas City for the 19th to do a show there.  And then we go out with Flaw and Drowning Pool for the summer.  But radio's been great for Dropbox so far.

 

How many tour dates is that show (the one with Flaw and Drowning Pool) going to have?

 

LR: I think it's going to be about six week's worth.

 

Awesome.

 

Thanks for your time Lee.  We look forward to hearing more of your music, both on the radio and in video games!

 

For more information on Dropbox, visit: www.dropboxmusic.com

Dropbox / Transformers Videos:
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/universalmotown/universal/dropbox/video/transformers.asx

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/universalmotown/universal/dropbox/video/transformers2.asx