It’s the stuff of dreams, Imagine Dragon’s chart-soaring 2012 LP Night Visions. Based largely on the subconscious nonsense that comes during deep sleep, the album—and singles “It’s Time” and “Radioactive,” both of which reached the चोटी, शीर्ष 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list—struck a chord nationally and launched the Las Vegas-based band into stardom.
We wanted to chat with these skyrocketing stars, but not in the typical fashion. आप know those silly सवालों that some interviewers sneak in at the end of an interview with a band? Well, Beside the सवाल is a blog series at CityWeekly.net dedicated exclusively to those random, ridiculous wringers—because, after all, आप can’t be serious all the time.
So, in this style, guitarist Wayne Sermon took some time from the road to answer a series of nonsensical questions—also the stuff of dreams:
City Weekly: You’ve कहा that some of Night Visions’ lyrical themes have come from dreams—even nightmares. Please describe one nightmare.
Wayne Sermon: No comment.
CW: I keep having this dream—since I was, like, 12—that I’m being chased द्वारा a T-rex. Please analyze.
W.S.: The T-rex represents your fear of commitment. Maybe it’s time to settle down.
CW: No comment.
CW: Speaking of dinosaurs. Salt Lake City has this really neat Natural History Museum of Utah. I’d totally recommend going. Do आप think that the band will like the dinosaur exhibit या the तितली exhibit more? Why?
W.S.: The dinosaur exhibit, for sure. It’s crazy that those जानवर actually roamed the Earth. I read about this eccentric Australian billionaire who wants to clone dinosaurs—like in Jurassic Park, but for real. I’d be way down with that.
CW: All the kids in Provo claim Imagine ड्रॅगन्स as theirs (kind of). Can आप compare/contrast Provo with Las Vegas?
W.S.: The bands’ current lineup started in Vegas. But we have close ties to Provo, and some of our प्रिय shows early on were at the Velour संगीत Gallery. Provo feels like our सेकंड home.
CW: Except there aren’t really, really cheap buffets या really, really cheap hookers.
CW: It’s been कहा that Imagine ड्रॅगन्स is actually an anagram, which only the band members know. Will आप tell me?
W.S.: I would, but then we’d have to send a swarm of ninjas to kill you. And I really don’t want to have to do that.
CW: That wouldn’t be so bad. But the anagram had better be worth it. Well, what can I do so you’ll tell me?
W.S.: It’s funny, because we really never meant to be so taciturn about the whole thing. But then we had all these प्रशंसकों coming up to us with all these great possibilities. Stuff like “aged men’s radio” and “Romans dig Angie.” It became pretty entertaining to hear all these creative guesses. We have just kept it going over the years.
CW: You’ve probably gotten a lot of सवालों about rising up the Billboard Hot 100 सूची ... but probably not this one: How many anagrams can आप make with the word “billboard” in 60 seconds? Go. I’m timing you.
W.S.: Boardbill (laughs). That one isn’t too creative, though, is it? [Writer’s note: “Boardbill” is not a word.]
CW: OK, here’s the last (and best) question: I have an idea for a concept album. It would consist of 24 one-minute songs, each about a different घंटा of the day. If आप were to do this idea (but आप can’t, because it is now copyrighted ... sorry), please give us a विवरण of three songs, including name, घंटा of the day, genre, lyrics and so on.
W.S.: You’ve already got the ball rolling on that idea. आप don’t need much help. All I know is that a good eight hours of that would be about sleep.
We wanted to chat with these skyrocketing stars, but not in the typical fashion. आप know those silly सवालों that some interviewers sneak in at the end of an interview with a band? Well, Beside the सवाल is a blog series at CityWeekly.net dedicated exclusively to those random, ridiculous wringers—because, after all, आप can’t be serious all the time.
So, in this style, guitarist Wayne Sermon took some time from the road to answer a series of nonsensical questions—also the stuff of dreams:
City Weekly: You’ve कहा that some of Night Visions’ lyrical themes have come from dreams—even nightmares. Please describe one nightmare.
Wayne Sermon: No comment.
CW: I keep having this dream—since I was, like, 12—that I’m being chased द्वारा a T-rex. Please analyze.
W.S.: The T-rex represents your fear of commitment. Maybe it’s time to settle down.
CW: No comment.
CW: Speaking of dinosaurs. Salt Lake City has this really neat Natural History Museum of Utah. I’d totally recommend going. Do आप think that the band will like the dinosaur exhibit या the तितली exhibit more? Why?
W.S.: The dinosaur exhibit, for sure. It’s crazy that those जानवर actually roamed the Earth. I read about this eccentric Australian billionaire who wants to clone dinosaurs—like in Jurassic Park, but for real. I’d be way down with that.
CW: All the kids in Provo claim Imagine ड्रॅगन्स as theirs (kind of). Can आप compare/contrast Provo with Las Vegas?
W.S.: The bands’ current lineup started in Vegas. But we have close ties to Provo, and some of our प्रिय shows early on were at the Velour संगीत Gallery. Provo feels like our सेकंड home.
CW: Except there aren’t really, really cheap buffets या really, really cheap hookers.
CW: It’s been कहा that Imagine ड्रॅगन्स is actually an anagram, which only the band members know. Will आप tell me?
W.S.: I would, but then we’d have to send a swarm of ninjas to kill you. And I really don’t want to have to do that.
CW: That wouldn’t be so bad. But the anagram had better be worth it. Well, what can I do so you’ll tell me?
W.S.: It’s funny, because we really never meant to be so taciturn about the whole thing. But then we had all these प्रशंसकों coming up to us with all these great possibilities. Stuff like “aged men’s radio” and “Romans dig Angie.” It became pretty entertaining to hear all these creative guesses. We have just kept it going over the years.
CW: You’ve probably gotten a lot of सवालों about rising up the Billboard Hot 100 सूची ... but probably not this one: How many anagrams can आप make with the word “billboard” in 60 seconds? Go. I’m timing you.
W.S.: Boardbill (laughs). That one isn’t too creative, though, is it? [Writer’s note: “Boardbill” is not a word.]
CW: OK, here’s the last (and best) question: I have an idea for a concept album. It would consist of 24 one-minute songs, each about a different घंटा of the day. If आप were to do this idea (but आप can’t, because it is now copyrighted ... sorry), please give us a विवरण of three songs, including name, घंटा of the day, genre, lyrics and so on.
W.S.: You’ve already got the ball rolling on that idea. आप don’t need much help. All I know is that a good eight hours of that would be about sleep.
In just three months, Las Vegas rock band Imagine ड्रॅगन्स has gone from making its first appearance on a Billboard chart to reaching the चोटी, शीर्ष 10 on Alternative Songs (No. 10 this week) and Triple A (No. 8) with debut single "It's Time."
On the Billboard 200, the band's Continued Silence EP debuts at No. 165. Following the release of the single's video, the band was spotlighted as MTV's PUSH artist of the week beginning April 16.
The group plays the Firefly संगीत Festival in Dover, Del., July 21. "There is something deeply personal and yet incredibly exciting about sharing new songs with a live audience for the first time," lead vocalist Dan Reynolds says. "We can't wait to have that communal experience."
On the Billboard 200, the band's Continued Silence EP debuts at No. 165. Following the release of the single's video, the band was spotlighted as MTV's PUSH artist of the week beginning April 16.
The group plays the Firefly संगीत Festival in Dover, Del., July 21. "There is something deeply personal and yet incredibly exciting about sharing new songs with a live audience for the first time," lead vocalist Dan Reynolds says. "We can't wait to have that communal experience."
