A Dirty Dozen with ILAN RUBIN from THE NEW REGIME – March 2020

According to a recent press release: “The New Regime, the brainchild of Ilan Rubin (Nine Inch Nails, Angels & Airwaves), releases their new full-length album Heart Mind Body & Soul today. The LP is available to stream and purchase. Heart Mind Body & Soul, has been released over the last six months, in four parts, each with four songs, grouped under each topic. Rubin made the decision to roll out the project in this manner after accepting that few music fans still take the time to sit down and hear an entire album.” We get frontman Ilan to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Everything I do has many layers to it, whether it be in the writing, production, harmonies, or lyrics. I can’t say that there was anything to be hidden intentionally, but I keep piling things on until I think the songs and album are complete.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

What got me into music was my dad’s drums being set up in the garage and two older brothers who started dabbling in music first. Once the fascination and obsession with drumming started, my wanting to be a musicianship for life quickly followed.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

No specific song or album, but Led Zeppelin paved the way for me in almost every respect. I’ve learned a ton from a lot of people, bands, and composers, though.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Summing it down to 5 is difficult. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Queen, Radiohead, and Beethoven can show the span of influences, I suppose.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

McCartney. He’s the greatest living songwriter.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would say that its very hard to put The New Regime into a category. Alternative rock works if we’re being lazy, but alternative rock with tasteful electronics and occasional piano which covers pretty much the entire dynamic spectrum and every mood in between, would be fairly accurate. I’d also call it quality, first and foremost. I’ve gotten a few cringeworthy comparisons that I’m not even gonna bother to mention, but they immediately showed me that the people who wrote them weren’t paying attention. Shocker!

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

We never hang out and cook. We all enjoy a drink. I’d probably be the one who’s gets the guitar out and tries to get everyone to learn 3 part Beatles harmonies with me.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

McCartney. I’m part of this thing called The Jaded Hearts Club, which started as a Beatles cover band with people from other bands like Muse, Jet, the Zutons, etc. and we played a Stella McCartney event. Not even a song in and the man hopped on stage to sing “I Saw Her Standing There” with us. It was incredible.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I don’t have a dream job outside of being a musician. The best part would be people appreciating what you do, whether it be on stage or recording.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’m tired of answering any questions about some “achievements” from my youth. I started playing music at a very young age and unfortunately some things that people find interesting when they research me keep coming up 20 years later. I don’t have a dream question, though. That would be kind of weird!

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Occasionally I feel that way but it depends entirely on my mood in the moment.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Houses Of The Holy. My absolute favorite album of all time.

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Category: Interviews