Motionless in White are back at work creating their forthcoming album, but during a break we had the opportunity to sit down with frontman Chris Motionless to discuss the progression of the band’s new material as well as his evolution as a musician. He also shares his struggle and frustrations in dealing with the business side of music as well as his love for his fans. Check out our full interview with Chris Motionless of Motionless in White below:

How has the progression of creative process been for you with new material?

We’re about halfway through the writing now. We’re hoping to start recording in April or May. It’s very similar to our album Reincarnate considering I feel that that record is a true identity of the band. It’s very similar to that sound, I would say new songs, different experiment here and there but yeah it’s coming along really well, slowly but surely. We like to take our time. I don’t like to crank out songs as fast as I can, I like spending a lot of time on them.

I mentioned slowly but surely and I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to continue to grow the band in every way. When we started to think about how we wanted to progress musically, we put too much stress on ourselves so occasionally. What we might otherwise see as cool, it gets blocked out by over-stressing and overthinking about it. Some of it goes along well and really quickly and sometimes it’s a slow build but at the end of the day we have to be happy with all of it.

What about who you are as a musician and person has differed from the first record to now?

As a person its changed just as much as the music has. During the first record, I think that was a very young band. It was our first full length, we were very young, very naïve, we didn’t really quite know ourselves at that point. There’s hints all over the Creatures record that show where we were going to eventually go. It’s funny when I hear people so surprised where the band is now when you can clearly hear that that’s where it was going back in the early days.

As a person, I’ve definitely gone through many phases. I’ve gone through the very hateful, bitter, jaded phase in past times. Now I’m kind of coming to a point in my life where I’m trying not to spend every day being bitter and hateful, it’s not easy because there’s a lot that I want to hate but at the end of the day it’s hard to be that way when you’re life is going so well. We get to do all of this really cool s---, so it makes you feel ungrateful when you’re made about this s---. So I’ve really been trying not to be Mr. Negative. The music is kind of reflecting a lot more of the positive energy I’m feeling lately. So that’s how the music has progressed, even though it’s dark and still really heavy, there’s a lot of positive upward energy to it.

Was the negativity and bitterness caused by the bureaucratic side of things?

Oh, there are many, many aspects just as I grew into the business more and the industry and just all of the different types of reactions to our music and fans and haters and all that kind of stuff. There’s a lot of weight on your back and a lot of things that are pretty easy to be angry about so I kind of let that s--- take over me for a while. Fortunately I’m coming out of it to the point where I realize things are going well regardless of how much I hate that s---. It’s really hard to stay mad and not seem ungrateful. I’m very grateful for where we’re at and what our fans and people who have supported the band helped us get to. I really don’t want it to come across that I don’t appreciate that by being a crybaby about s---. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of showing people that s--- affects us too and that we’re human.

What do you think it is about Motionless in White’s music that creates such a passionate fanbase?

When I think about what kind of band we wanted to be at the end of it all, what we wanted to be remembered for, it was – regardless of how big or small we ever were, I just wanted to be one of those cult following bands. You think of bands like Misfits and AFI, these bands are insane cult following bands and those are the ones that have always mattered the most to me. At the end of the day those are the ones that I held onto the hardest. I think that mindset has gone into the framing and foundation of our band to the point where it’s been recognized and I feel like that’s what kind of band we are. Clearly our fans are suggesting that as well. It’s really cool to know that whether we’re playing a show to 15 people or 5,000 people that there is going to be that cult following that’s front row, there for Motionless. They’re going to represent their love for the band and I could walk away from it right now and feel accomplished because of that.

What it is, I guess it’s the way we conduct ourselves and our music and our band. I think people understand that there’s a lot of heart behind what we do and a lot of passion. We’re not there to just write the songs, go on tour, make money and bang a bunch of girls and all that s---. We care a lot about the music aside from those wonderful perks.

What does the rest of 2016 have in store for you and the rest of the band?

We’re just going to finish up the record. That’s first and foremost. We’re doing a pretty big summer tour and we’re trying to figure out the fall. It’ll be the typical, every two years we do the record and then we tour pretty much for the rest of the year-and-a-half nonstop.

Our thanks to Motionless in White’s Chris Motionless for the interview! Stay up to date with Motionless in White's touring at this location.

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