Despite the controversial split of The Mars Volta earlier this year, founding member and prolific guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has revealed that all hope is not lost in regards to the possibility of further activity from the band who first brought him to musical fame, At The Drive-In.
When the two core members of the eclectic progressive rock band The Mars Volta called it quits earlier this year, it was due to seemingly uncomfortable relations between vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala and the prolific guitarist, in a series of tweets from the singer explaining the band’s demise.
Zavala also insinuated that his Mars Volta partner was less than enthusiastic about At The Drive-In’s reunion shows last year, reforming last year for a series of international festivals, including their appearance at Splendour In The Grass last July. “And for the record I’m still in love with ATDI. Proof was in MY performance. I would never get on stage if my heart was else where,” wrote Zavala on Twitter during his Mars Volta break-up filibuster.
But now his apparent lack of care during the At The Drive-In reunion has finally been commented on by the man himself, including comments that their reunion trail was likely to continue despite the damaged relationship with his Mars Volta bandmate. Rodriguez-Lopez has finally come forward revealing his side of things, talking to Rolling Stone in a recent interview in a tone in direct contrast to the arrogant and apathetic attitude that Zavala claimed him to have had.
Discussing the highly anticipated reunion shows from the Texan art-punks, and his supposed half-hearted indifference to the ATDI shows, Rodriguez-Lopez describes how his despondent frame of mind could have been mistaken for a lack of interest due to the death of his mother a “week before having to get onstage.” Rodriguez-Lopez describes how his despondent frame of mind (towards the At The Drive-In reunion) could have been mistaken for a lack of interest due to the death of his mother
Rodriguez-Lopez continued saying that the reunion was “the best thing that could have happened at that moment. For me personally, it was the most trying time in my life, the hardest obstacle to overcome in my life. In terms of being around loving people I grew up with, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”
Furthermore, he reveals that the split of The Mars Volta was due to him being more “interested in living life.” Far from the brattish and egocentric disposition that Zavala had implied him to have.
The Mars Volta vocalist implied that he had run into internal problems with his long-time friend and musical cohort over Rodriguez Lopez’ new prog rock side project Bosnian Rainbows, also featuring fellow Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks.
“Thank u 2 all VOLTA fans u deserved more especially after the way u rooted for us on this album [2012’s Noctourniquet]. I tried my hardest to keep it going,” Zavala remarked,”but Bosnian Rainbows was what we all got instead. I can’t sit here and pretend any more. I no longer am a member of Mars Volta.”
In the new interview with Rolling Stone, Rodriguez-Lopez explains that what made ATDI and The Mars Volta special was “our chemistry as people. The music is just a byproduct of the people involved. When you heard that music coming out of the speakers, the music was truthful.”
The guitarist also gets misty-eyed about the early days touring with his bandmates Zavala, guitarist Jim Ward, bassist Paul Hinojo, and drummer Tony Hajjar. “It was everything we loved about each other, that annoyed us about each other, our brotherhood. We did a five-month tour once – one of many times – and we slept on park benches and shared a bowl of beans and rice. That stuff is the very heart and soul of what you hear coming through the speakers.”
So what in terms of any further activity from At The Drive-In? Rodriguez-Lopez admits that “we don’t talk about it that way. It’s there; we have possibilities. [But] everybody’s doing something right now… Tony and Jim in Sparta are doing stuff;” concluding that “we’re just trying to feel again when the moment opens up where nothing is forced and nothing is an obligation.” “The music is just a byproduct of the people involved. When you heard that music coming out of the speakers, the music was truthful.” – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Interestingly Rodriguez-Lopez seemed to hold no hostility towards his former Mars Volta band mate; “The band ended, but there’s still lots of music. Cedric has an incredible record coming out. We can look back on all the cool stuff we did together. It’s like At the Drive-In, with that realisation that when you’re working with someone, you’re at your absolute best. With The Mars Volta, I know for a fact now that the best stuff I did was because of what Cedric wrote. That’s what made it classic and memorable.”
The lack of ill-will from Rodriquez-Lopez towards Zavala kind of means the entire situation could be like an episode of Family Ties where everything just works out in the end.
That could be the case, or Rodriguez-Lopez is doing a great job at hiding his true antagonistic feelings towards all he had to do with Zavala. Let’s hope its not just a case of diplomacy, and maybe not only further ATDI activity can be expected, but a possible Mars Volta renuion as well?
For the time being Rodriguez-Lopez many artistic pursuits are taking up his time, including Bosnian Rainbows (“Yeah, that and filmmaking”). Meanwhile, Zavala has moved on from the Mars Volta split with his debut solo album that “sounds nothing like my previous endeavours,” he previously wrote.
Two of At The Drive-In’s key releases were recently reissued as part of Record Store Day this year, namely their debut album, 1996’s Acrobatic Tenement, and their popular swansong, 2000’s Relationship Of Command – the latter album demonstrating fans’ continued fervour for the band by earning bids of up to $150 from enterprising sellers through online auction websites.
