10 Q's with MARK MANGOLD (DRIVE SHE,SAID)

Mark Mangold is of course the driving force behind the excellent pomp/melodic rockers the Sign. He also manages to continue working with Drive She, Said, solo work and producing new artists like the excellent Lyza Wilson.
Find out more at -

http://www.indigorecords.com/

1. What are you currently up to? (E.g. touring/studio, etc.)

Presently working on getting the Lyza Wilson CD out there. Gigging, radio interviews and all that stuff. It seems to be going very well and hopefully we will attract a "major" soon...as that's the ultimate goal.

2. Could you take us through some personal highlights of the new Sign album
please?

Well, I assume you are talking about the second Sign CD..."The Second Coming".  That's a difficult question, as the recent events with Frontiers have so marred that project, with their cutting out so many songs, remixing the record so...terribly, and treating us so disrespectfully. Â
But I thank you for the question because it helps me remember the great time we had writing the songs, and putting it together...how we were trying to push the envelope and not be limited by old "melodic metal" rules...eg. 4 minute songs, verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/solo/chorus/fade.  It was actually more difficult departing from those confines, which also offer a certain security, and come up with "moments" and changes that were decided upon more from an artistic or subjective point of view...eg. WHEN am I sick of that riff, or tempo, or vibe and when do I want to seque into something else and WHAT will that something else be.
Maybe it's more of a symphonic mentality, if you have to give it a name, but it just comes down to really being creative and fashioning a flowing, interesting (hopefully), sometimes surprising or even shocking hour or so of music.  With our MTV and soundbite oriented "tastes" we are used to a 10 second commercial that gets a point across, or a soundbite or visual (eg. a video or "The Matrix") that flashes stuff in front of our unbelievably fast brain...and we get it.  So why does a song have to be 3 or 4 minutes...if you can get the point across in a minute...or it just acts as a connecting seque between two other longer pieces...the brain just takes it in.  It is harder to write this way, but I really think it is more entertaining and may possibly be the wave of the future. It's alot of fun doing and alot of fun listening...and way more risky, in my opinion. You really just have to follow your unlimited imagination...and open up to ANYTHING.

3. How come Boby Rondinelli and Billy Greer aren't involved this time
around?

Both those wonderful people were busy with their bands, Kansas and Blue Oyster.

4. The Sign played some live dates recently with amongst other Danny Vaughn
guesting. How did these go and any more live shows possible in the future?

The show in Belguim was great, Danny is a great performer and his combination with Terry was amazing...as it's a challenging vocal performance, they were like a wrestling tag team...switching off, harmonizing, trading off lines....it was very cool..alot of energy. And of course the band is really good with Bivona, Hermann, Bigan and Lyza Wilson on some background parts.

5. Drive, She Said - what next for the band after last year's excellent
'Real Life' album? Were you pelased at how the album was received by fans
and reviewers?

Not much on the table at the moment with D,SS. As you know it always comes down to a record company wanting to do something. I'm actually not sure how it was received by the people...though I think it was our best record...of course it is 2005 and it is an 80's record.

6. You've done solo work as well - could you bring us up to date on this and
any future plans for more solo work?

Well, my two solo CD's are more piano oriented and by no means metal.  I don't know how to describe them, and either does any one else (ha).  But it's definitely got a new agey vibe going on, positive and spiritual lyrics...and seems to get a wonderful response from who ever hears it because it is...quite original if I do say so myself...not easily categorized...though isn't that what being a solo is about...carving out your own niche.

7. Is the Internet helping your music or allowing too much to be heard for
free?

I think the internet is definitely helping, and making what would otherwise not be available at all, available to some extent. There aren't too many places people can actually download stuff, but we have it on Indigorecords.com...to listen to bits...and if someone digs it they can order it...and we usually throw in a solo CD or two with anything that anyone buys...really it's just to spread the music...AND, in the case of The Second Coming, to make the band's version available to TRY to save face after the humiliation of the Frontiers version. Every opinion I've heard, and there have been quite a few, has been that our version is far superior.

8. What have been the most memorable live shows for you and why?

I really love playing, of course visually in my mind...the larger venues leave an impression...all those wonderful people. But I must say I have great thoughts about every gig I've ever played. It's all been a blast.

9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Writing songs...ha...

10. Message to your fans...

Hello out there and thanks for listening...if you wanna do me a personal favor...please check out Lyzawilson.com. If we can get this one across here in the States, I'll continue to have a career...ha ha. (and Lyza is a great singer...though it's NOT metal...actually I take that back on one song..Anonymous...one reviewer said it reminded her of "Heart"...I didn't get it...but whatever). Â
So....thanks for listening and wishing you peace and love.