Mellowdrone
5 Questions to Jonathan Bates

1.Hi Jonathan, where are you right now and how are you doing?
Hello, I'm waking up. It's raining outside which is nice for California. It's difficult to get a good night's sleep these days.

2.Was your ep, “A Demonstration Of Intellectual Property” really recorded in a bedroom? Why did you decide to put it on your website for a free download?
Yes it was... I was staying in a friend's dining room, and she let me stay there & record those songs at the same time. I made it free because prior to having a label picking it up, I had been giving songs away on my site, and I thought it would be stupid to all of a sudden not make them available. Plus, it's the easiest way to share. No one can get mad at me because they paid money and didn't like the music.

3.How do you start composing your songs? On which machines/instruments?
Usually I'll hear a beat or a bpm. I think the beat or lack thereof, is the foundation. Then comes the melody. But I never have a set way. It just usually starts that way. I play mostly guitar, so I figure myself out on it.

4.Will the Mellowdrone live experience, which I found amazing, always be just you with machines and the occasional drummer, or are you gonna change that?
Thank you very much. I have just put a full band together, so for now, I will be joined by 3 others. When you're on tour, you never know what is going to happen. You may show up and there is no P.A., or microphones. You have to be ready to translate the songs regardless of the situation. Some of my songs just sound better with one person playing them, others sound better with 4 people together. Plus, it makes it interesting for everyone involved, keeps them on their toes. So I guess the answer is I really don't know...

5. New record and next tour in Europe?
I am finishing up a full-length, and we'll probably be returning to Europe early next year, if they'll let us back in.