Interview with Mike Spreitzer of Devildriver – Metaldays 2016

Interview with guitarist Mike Spreitzer of Devildriver

Mike: I haven’t been over here in so long. I used to come here twice a year, but then the band went on hiatus, so I haven’t been to Europe for 2 years now.

Olga: It’s nice to be back, right?

Mike: Yeah, I was excited about coming back over at this time.

Olga: Where do you prefer touring – in the US or in Europe?

Mike: I can’t say. They’re different. If I had to tour the States all the time, it would get boring. I like to come to different places. This is only our second time in Slovenia and the last time we were here the crowd was great, it was actually surprising. I’m excited to be in Europe again.

Olga: What’s the difference between touring around the US vs touring in Europe?

Mike: It’s got a different vibe here.

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Olga: What was your inspiration for Trust No One?

Mike: Ok, that song I wrote by myself, and it’s probably my most favorite song on the record, musically, anyway.

Olga: I was wondering about the lyrics – what did you mean by them?

Mike: I know what it means, but I’m not going to say it.

Olga: It seemed like maybe it’s about religion or God…

Mike: No, I think it’s about a certain someone. But I’m not gonna say who it is. To tell you the truth, I’m not even 100% sure who it is about, I just guessed. It does make it pretty obvious, but I’m not gonna say it. Dez was very specific with it. People are like, “So what does ‘Trust No One’ mean?” It means exactly what it is. It’s very straightforward, there’s no hidden depth behind it.

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Olga: I spent a little bit of time in Australia this year, and got a chance to see the music scene down there. How was Soundwave?

Mike: Soundwave was awesome. Unfortunately, it’s done now. It was definitely one of my most favorite festivals to play. I love Australia in general. It’s kind of my home away from home. I was dating a girl til recently for 2 years so I was there a lot and I had a bunch of surfing friends there. If I ever go there and they’re not there, they’re like, “Ok, here’s the keys, use the house.” I try to spend as much time in Australia as possible. If I could move there, I probably would. But I’m a little bit too, uh, grounded in California right now. My family’s there, most of my friends are there. I like California. But I also live in Southern California, too, so it’s the best place on earth as far as the weather goes, it’s not too hot, it’s not too cold.

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Olga: What is the biggest key to your success?

Mike: Longevity and Dez. It’s very very rare for the music industry to give you a second chance. We’re not Disturbed or Avenged Sevenfold or anything like that. We’re like upper middle class.

We’re kind of caught in the middle somewhere, which is nice because. I think it gives the band more longevity in many ways. A lot of bands will pop up and fall down. And we are kinda keeping our egos level in general, and being where we are, there’s not a lot of fighting with the band. The band’s running for 15 years now, we kept it going. We release a new record every 2-3 years. And in the metal community, it’s a lot of word of mouth. It’s like every time the new Gojira album came out, I would call my friends, “Did you hear it? What’s your favorite song?”

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Olga: What festivals did you play at in the US?

We’ve been at Ozzfest, but it’s not the same people. People go and they leave, they don’t camp out.

We did have some fests like Rocklahoma… it’s the frist time we did a festival outside of the Ozzfest. Disturbed played, a lot of bands that would normally not be playing. And you go, “Oh! They do have some stuff in the States!” We’re actually doing a couple more.

Olga: What’s the best festival you played at?

Well, I’ve only been to a couple of them in the US. But In Europe, I think Roskilde is probably one of the coolest ones. They have every band play 75 minutes. You get two dressing rooms. All the food you can eat. No drink tickets, no food tickets! Go have at it!

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Olga: Did you have a good time in Atlanta?

Mike: Yes. Well, actually, I can never live in Atlanta. Every time I’m there, my eyes are just watering. Like someone took a cat and rubbed it in someone’s face.

Olga: Maybe you’re allergic to the Clermont [the strip club that allows women of all women to dance, as well as permits indoor smoking]?

Mike: I’m allergic to the Clermont.