This interview was posted by Matt on the Anything Box forum.
Special thanks to Matt Willis from Houston,TX for posting this interview.

Make sure you visit his website at:
www.theanythingpage.bravehost.com

 
Q: what was it like working with Gareth Jones? were there any memorable things or advice that you guys learned from him that have helped you over the years?

A: He was amazing, and from him I learned the discipline it takes to really produce an album. Before that, I had fantasies I could really do it. Everything he taught me was with patience and a good work ethic. I?m forever in his debt. Hear that Gareth? Hated his cooking though?

Q: what was the most memorable show you guys have played to date and what set it apart from other shows?

A: Seattle, WA will always stand out because something very strange happened there that I have not felt ever again. I felt an electric pulse of energy which almost seemed to consume me whole, and I wanted it to. Although every show has been special or terrible or both in every place we?ve played, and I remember almost 100% of them, Seattle will always be a stand out, as well as Brazil of course, and Mexico, and the first Houston show, and all the shows in the big NJ, and of course, CBGBs, and ? See?

Q: can we ever expect a videography or a filmed live show of anythingbox? i know that you guys have made very few videos but have played many live shows over the years.........

A: I am very interested in video, coming from a visual arts background. I just havent found the time to really delve as much into it as I want, but who knows?

Q: what other bands have you enjoyed touring/playing with the most?

A: Echoing Green, by far. Joey always kept me in tears. And I?ve of course enjoyed the oddball pairings like Helmet, Cover Girls, MC Hammer, and Robin S.

Q: tell me about "Susan's Carnival" . why did this track never find its way on to an album? I felt it was very raw but beautiful and pure at the same time. has there ever been any thought to releasing the song? maybe a more polished version that fits how Abox sounds today?????? what do you think?

A: It is what it is, I guess. Songs evolve into things. My first songs were story driven and the real last of those fictional tales was Madelyne. I have tired somewhat of that approach for now. I want to tell people real feeling now. Our society has become de-sensitized and this concerns me greatly, so I want to steer towards songs which relate more on a one by one basis.

Q: what is the song writing process for you? do you write lyrics to fit beats and melodies or vise versa? do you lock your self away somewhere?

A: I seldom write the two separate. I usually have music in my head, play something, and immediately sing to it. Everything evolves from there. It is a deeply personal process, as few have actually really seen me work. I work best in isolation in the beginning of the song. That?s why synth are not always my first choice, and sometimes leave them for a while. Instruments didctate the the musings, and I go from there. On this new album, everything started with me playing real drums, and asking others to come in and make loops on the kit. Then I worked till the songs found me. I don?t write songs. I find them, sift them, and express them.

Q: you have done some great cover songs in the past...i really feel that your verson of "love will tear us apart" was in a lot of ways better than the origional. i bet ian curtis would have been proud. have the guys from new order heard it? if so, what did they think? are there any other covers that you want do next?

A: New Order would probably sue me for royalties. And would say, "Crap another one!" All I can say is Ian was an inspiration, and the cover was my token of thanks to a band which changed me. Thanks!

Q: what is in claude's cd tray right now? what are you currently listening to?

A: Muse, Ladytron, Radiohead, Air, and the Starlight Mints, among 200 other CDs. But I?m avoiding listening too much. Watching movies?

Q: and finally, it is very clear who your musical fore-fathers were. you have a lot of new bands out there that are influenced by anything box, for instance Provision and Endora to name a few. do you have any words of advice for them? do you ever take time to reflect on the impact that you have had on music? you strike me as a modest person who doesn?t have a clue about all that anything box done . it is clearly music that speeks to the human condition and has touched a lot of people. i would like to end this interview by simply saying "thank you"............

A: Well thank you for asking good questions! I have always felt that an influence is good as an inspiration, and to become your own voice is the first step you must take, and unfortunatley, this may last forever. To me, and I know many people don?t like this comment, I found my voice when I allowed ALL of the influences to finally come in and that was Elektrodelica. When Abox came out, I wanted to be "in" part of the "scene" and I hid away some of my influence for fear of being un-cool. How dumb is this? Why not?

My advice to all the bands which have been influenced by me? Find your true voice. Experiment with things you thought of as taboo. Experiment, experiment, and experiment.

I have my own voice, and it is not an easy one to copy anymore. You need more than soft synths, computers, and a drum machine to be the Abox of today. The Abox of today has no rules except for the ones I set for the album at hand, and within the rules are things waiting to be tried. And that is all sonic bullshit anyway. What really counts, is what you have to say. What are you showing the world? What are you giving to it? Why are they listening to you? How is it that you affect the people around you? This is the heavy stuff. The answer?

It has everything to do with the song that found you.