From the Sex & Hollywood EP to the forthcoming Re-Stitch These Wounds, Andy Biersack Details His Career with Ryan Downey
It’s surreal to listen to Andy Biersack talk about some of his first studio experiences at all of 15 years old. Even prior to introduction of Black Veil Brides with the Sex & Hollywood EP, Andy started out with his own Biersack project as a freshman in high school, setting up a rehearsal space in his parents’ kitchen and cranking out covers of Misfits’ “Some Kind of Hate” and “Wait for the Blackout” from The Damned. The conversation quickly established Andy’s pedigree and how that combined with his passion would ultimately make his trajectory would be meteoric.
Progressing into the debut era of the Brides’ We Stitch These Wounds, Biersack revisited how the handicap of limited resources and a professional learning curve gave the album character but left something to be desired. Even then, Biersack knew the debut of Black Veil Brides could be more than what it was, despite its enduring success.
The follow up in Set the World On Fire proved formative for the band. Biersack confessed that he would show put to the studio with a box of wine at all of 20 years old. By this time, Black Veil Brides had the legitimacy of a major record label and were creating songs collectively, which ultimately led to a more cohesive effort. The band’s Rebels EP would punctuate this era and featured covers of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and a version of “Unholy” from KISS that featured Zakk Wylde.
Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones was spurned by Biersack’s desire to shift the direction the band. The hair metal aesthetic was something that Andy had grown tired of wasn’t something he wanted to continue. Making tough personnel changes, Biersack again showed his unique maturity in being able to navigate the creative course of the band throughout.
Transitioning from producers John Feldman to Bob Rock, Biersack mentioned interesting tidbits like recording on the same board used on Metallica’s Black album and how the self-titled era was a better learning experience than creative product. He would pivot to discussing how the band had burned a bit and how that ultimately led to a solo effort in The Shadow Side.
The reoccurring theme throughout there conversation details how every record from Black Veil Brides and Biersack in particular, was constructive. The ongoing learning process and evolution of the band seemed to play out every time the band emerged from the studio. In the subsequent decade since the band broke, Biersack has established a relentless work ethic and a creative pace that makes anything he attaches his name to worth paying attention to.
Dive deep with Ryan Downey and Andy Biersack in the latest episode of The Disc Dive below.
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