Sorry, but I don't know a lot
of things about your band, so at first some "standard
questions"! Please tell me something about the history of the
band, something about the members!
Leger de Main formed in 1989
before the Rodler brothers put this studio project on hold to form
the progressive rock band DRAMA. DRAMA has since disbanded and the
Rodlers are once again devoting their full attention to Leger de
Main. People who enjoy King Crimson, Dream Theater, Rush, and Yes
should dig Leger de Main. The band released their first CD, "The
Concept of Our Reality" in 1995 to critical praise and
immediately gained respect within the prog scene. Positive reviews
in national publications like Guitar Shop have sustained a demand
for Leger's debut CD, now in its third pressing. Last October, Leger
de Main released their sophmore album titled, "Second First
Impression" . Musically similar yet compositionally quite
different from "Concept", this CD features a darker,
heavier and more dissonant side of Leger de Main. This stylistic
evolution is most apparent in songs like "Silent Monster",
"Some Shall Search", and "The Story". Punctuated
with guest appearances from Mike Ohm, George Jordan and Kevin
Hultberg, "Second" features top notch musicianship that
many prog fans have come to expect from Leger de Main. Currently the
members of Leger de Main are branching out a bit with Brett taking
on several jobs as a studio drummer while Chris is busy recording
with Anakin Tumnus, another local prog band as well as with the
bands RH Factor and Klang.
Contact : Progressive Music
Management / 6802 Helena Drive / Erie / PA / 16510
Leger de Main means "Sleight
of Hand" in French. We figured it to be a cool name for a
progressive rock band. It may be a bit strange at first but with my
last band DRAMA being a bit too common, it was often confused with
several other bands with the same name. We didn't want that to ever
happen again so we finally found something that is different and
represents the kind of music we play, and sounds good as well.
Melissa and Brett actually discovered the name.
Are there earlier releases?
What about the label, the success?
Leger de Main has one other CD
available called " The Concept of Our Reality ". It was
released in 1995 and received mostly positive reviews worldwide.
Right now we are exploring the possibility of doing licensing deals
with labels worldwide for our first CD. It was available only as an
import in Europe the first time around. In preparation for this we
are planning on re-mixing and re-mastering the first CD plus adding
a few unreleased tracks to the original track listing. Details are
unclear right now however.
PMM, the label, is a small label
dedicated to releasing progressive music. So far our roster of
artists include, Leger de Main, RH Factor, Quest, & Ambitious
Noise. Releases for 1998 - 99 include a new heavy instrumental
project called Klang and a terrific new prog band called Anikan
Tumnus. PMM is doing well for me so far and with more releases due
this year I am hoping PMM's reputation for releasing quality music
will expand further still.
How would you describe your
music?
The music of Leger de Main is
considered progressive rock by most I suppose. I don't mind that
label really. All of our favorite bands can be also considered
Progressive Rock as well so that is a good reference point I guess.
Leger de Main tends to stress the more complex or technical aspects
of prog rock with many odd times, poly-rhythms, tempo changes,etc.
We often call what we do ensemble playing as opposed to
soloing,...meaning that the parts are all very interdependent on
each other and need each other to form the whole.
What about the influence of
other artists to you?
Leger de Main's primary
objective is to strive for an original sound, but of course we have
been deeply influenced by a number of bands. I guess Rush, Yes, King
Crimson, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, U.K., are a few of the more
obvious influences on our sound.
Is there a mastermind inside
of the band or are you more a "democratic" band?
Well, the decisions in regards
to the mixing, mastering, artwork and packaging, etc. are all very
democratic but the musical direction of the band is primarily my
responsibility. I write all of the music and serve as the band's
multi-instrumentalist often writing for Guitar, Bass Guitar,
Keyboards and Guitar Synthesizer. However, I depend on the other
members, especially Brett for input regarding the arrangements and
rhythmic structures.
How are the reactions of the
people in your neighbourhood to your music?
Locally we don't have a large
following. We don't perform at clubs and the only exposure we get is
on local radio shows so we are not too well known here in Erie, PA.
We rely on the European and Asian community for our fan base so far.
Overseas sales of both Leger de Main CDs have been very strong and I
can only assume that people in those areas tend to embrace the arts
and music much more than in the USA. Music seems to be much more a
part of the European lifestyle and I am very grateful for their
support.
Tell me something about the
lyrics!
The lyrics are all written by
Melissa Blair, our vocalist, and tend to be mystical, melancholy and
thought provoking. They are also very interpretive. They can seem to
have several meanings depending on how the listener decides they
relate to them.
Will you present the new
material during a tour?
Unfortunately Leger de Main have
never had the opportunity to perform a concert. I have been
searching for players to help write and perfom for several years now
but I simply can not find the players here in Erie, PA to fill the
vacant spots. It is very difficult to find players that are
interested in writing progressive music and that are proficient
enough to pull it off well. Since I write on a few instruments I can
not play the parts all at once. We have looked into sequencing but
it is doubtful at this point that we will tour for Second First
Impression.
How would you like to develop
in the future? Do you think about changing your style?
The change in style seems to
have already occured for the most part. I always intend to move
forward as a composer and as I gain more knowledge and acquire more
influences I suppose a natural progression is to be expected. On our
first CD our style is a bit more accessible perhaps. There are
probably more obviously melodic influences at work and the results
are pleasant. On our new CD we tried to expand the concept of
ensemble playing to the maximum as well as move our music into a
more original direction. On our second CD we also made an effort to
explore a darker musical sound and leave more time for the songs to
develop. The arrangements are generally longer that those found on
our first CD. The next CD will probably support yet another similar
evolution.