DIVERS PRESSE

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Waiting for the Leto Bros to come out with their new record on next October, we went right straight to LA for their meeting with the fans. Not just to talk about the album, but to know more about the new goals of the 30STM and the relationship with their fans.

I’m a fan of 30STM, as all this people waiting here, outside the Avalon in LA, that have known about this special meeting via Twitter and MySpace. The doors open at 2.00 pm and the place immediately fill up of boys and girls, women and men, moms and kids. Yes, the Mars Army -as it’s called the 30STM fan’s squad- is very heterogeneous. A 52 years old lady came here from Bakersfield with her daughter. They’re both fans of the band and waited here since 6.00 am. People from all over the country and the one who couldn’t make it left their messages in a special box. This is just a simple thing that show the dedication and commitment of 30STM fans. There’s a lot of energy and excitement all around us. The event has not been promoted through the traditional media that much, but through the buzz and it really worked out.

THE WEB POWER
For 30STM one of the most significant factor that contributed to achieve the success, is the use of new technologies, started in 1998, and which is still one of the main tool used by fans. The chance to be involved in every little thing about the band increase the fan base. The Mars Army is constantly connect to the web and can always be in touch with his favourite band, sharing every kind of information via Twitter, with fresh news every 5min. It’s easy to know what the band is actually doing just getting online. You can find everything, even what Jared & co. are eating for breakfast or which cereal they prefer. I had the chance to meet Shannon at Coachella this year. He’s very funny and friendly. When we meet this time and after introducing me the rest of the band, we sit and talk about the fans, the new record and what happened in here. “The meeting really meant a lot to us -Jared’s speaking- it’s been the perfect occasion to interact with our friends and fans from all over the world, and to give to the new album something more, special. We always look for new inspiration for our music, to make her unique, different and we always encourage our fans to help us in this research. The recording could be boring so adding something new like get our fans be part of it directly could make it different. It’s all experimental and it could not work completely…but anyway I’m sure people will understand this is a collective experience and that 30STM has never been just a band of three guys making music together , but a bigger project. I believe people knows exactly how much their support means to us, every one of them is important. It’s like having a family, a grant community, and we are proud of it. It helps to characterize ourselves from everybody else.”
The band take the stage surrounding by screams and noises. As it, the band updates Twitter even with pictures of the crowd to share everything with the fans who couldn’t come. The fans here tonight will be lucky enough to have a little preview of some of the tracks of the new album ? we only know they could part of the album, singing and screaming for one song. And while 30STM won’t say anything more about it, we can gather this work will be full of energy. And making this people part of it will put the record into a new level.

A RECORD WITH THE FANS
The day after the meeting, 30STM has a videochat with their fans on Myspace. It last 60 min, because the band want to answer to every question. As someone asks Jared if he would expect such a result at the meeting, he says: “it’s been amazing, phenomenal! We knew since the very beginning it would be a special day. One of the best thing we’ve done as a band so far.” During the session, Jared thanks the fans that were at the meeting and tell them to share their emotions and experiences online to involve who wasn’t there. Everything was great and the vocals/beats/claps performed by the fans could really be used in this record. And to all who couldn’t be at the Avalon, you shouldn’t be worry, ‘cause you all could see what happened in a footage that will be release as a documentary later this year.
30STM settled just in time a new deal with EMI for This is War - this is the title- to be out next fall. During the past months on the road with the band, Jared wrote almost 140 songs, and he said the new album will be very different from the last one and this could puzzle the fans. But I’m not so sure about it since I was at the meeting and I remember how the fans reacted to the new songs snippets. The long wait is almost done, and after what could have followed the law-suite with EMI, I’m sure everyone will be happy to know that the band will celebrate this happy ending with a double CD. And for this reason I want to share with you a little bit more about This is War:

-Personal conflicts and changes: are these the main topics of the new album?
Shannon: I think when you try to change and move on you have to face some challenges
Jared: we’re talking about a record, but it’s more about a movie, This is War is very cinematic.

-From Yesterday has been shot in China, A Beautiful Lie in the Arctic. It’s clear that the visual is very important. What about the next location?
Shannon: we won’t follow this line anymore, we will sit in our room. No special effect, just our music and us. Low-fi and low-budjet.
Tomo: we will only use flip cam (mini USB cam).
Probably the fans will like it no matter what. Jared told on the MySpace Chat Kanye West will be in one song called Hurricane. And I’m really curious to hear this collaboration. But why not make something with Robert Smith? Jared would like it , even more after watching The Cure at Coachella. But NIN would be interesting too, since Jared is a big fan of them. Tomo is quite sure they will head the Coachella one day and the fans will know it via web before the media and the press, of course.

-The success could be a double-edge sword for 30STM: been a celebrity and all that involves could mine the stability and creativity of the band itself. Is it a real risk for you?
Jared: having a sense of humor could help handling this, we try to challenge ourselves with issues that could push us, help us in the creativity and help us reaching our goals, being stronger and more balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. I think it’s necessary and without any kind of effort you can’t be reward, we love hard work. We have a strong sense of duty for ourselves and for everyone is with us in this project. The adventure is more intense and fulfilling.

-How do you feel knowing you help spreading an environment awareness, affecting young people all over the world?
Jared: you must have to push through. For us is physiological, we want and need to be active and find a solution for our Planet, just not being part of the problem. The video for A Beautiful Lie really helped us and the people to get a sense about respecting the Earth, and even to launch our website [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] through which we share our ideas and projects about climate changes and ecology. We helped also a couple of times Habitat For Humanity (a Christian nonprofit association that helps poor to find a house) and people reacted impressively well. We get inspired by these actions and we are very happy for the reactions of our fans, how they are really trying to do something good with their lives.

EVOULING
All this comes back to the talk about the new technologies and how to involve the fans. Now that the third album will be out soon, the band has reached new goals. Many people even changed their ideas about who really is Jared, not just an actor who plays in a band; everyone knows 30STM is a very creative entity always in evolution, a band made by talented musicians. Our Men are fighters, ready to get on the ring. After 10 years of battles to find success, shooting a video in China before the Olympic Games, and one in the Arctic, where the weather was so far to be favorable, nothing will be surprising anymore and it’s time for 30STM to harvest what they’ve sowed. At this rate and with Internet they could even easy present themselves for the future United States Presidential Election.

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