Keep Telling Myself It's Alright

Ashes Divide | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B0015D3YZY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,092 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Billy Howerdel works from intuition, a modus operandi which has defined his career, guiding the move from his days in theatrical lighting around New York and New Jersey to his work as a guitar technician. Billy worked with a number of high profile rock bands, ultimately leading to his creative breakthrough as the songwriter/guitarist/producer for alt-rock giants, A Perfect Circle.

Going a step further, Billy's uses his intuition to guide his own music. He does so without the aid of formal musical training. In fact, in a recent interview about his new project "ASHES dIVIDE, Billy stated, "To this day, I still don't remember certain notes on the guitar neck." He started playing guitar in high school, and picked up the technical aspects quickly, roughly in six months. He recalls getting to the point that he didn't want to learn much more. That was the moment when he realized, "I had to stop thinking about patterns and scales, and work from emotion". He states, "The best way I can describe it is that it was like opening your eyes and then blurring them out of focus, that's how I approach music."

The intuitive, unpredictable and yet immediately identifiable sound of Howerdel's guitar work is at play in ASHES dIVIDE. This is his project - he's the primary songwriter, musician, producer, and vocalist. It's an album featuring a wide range of styles, moods, and thoughts, with echoes of early 80's modern rock/Dark Wave mixed with shimmering guitars and heavy rock overtones. It's both anthemic and subtle, an album that fans of The Cure to A Perfect Circle will certainly appreciate.

Howerdel never intended to be a rock star. It's more like music discovered him. Growing up in West Milford, New Jersey, Howerdel would spend hours in his parent's bedroom, listening to the one radio in his house that could receive the modern rock radio stations emanating out of Long Island, New York. Lying in bed, he would scribble down playlists and then scout out the records he loved in stores, among them The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Dead Kennedy's, and Elvis Costello.

Despite his indifference to classic rock, it was the experience of seeing Pink Floyd at Giants Stadium that triggered his lust for finding a way to work in the music industry. "It was such a massive show, and it touched me on so many levels - both visually and sonically," he remembers. "Before that, I had no burning desire to be a musician. But being around all that energy, where everyone feels so good...I had to get involved, in some capacity."

Still unsure of exactly what his newfound passion would entail, Howerdel began with stage lighting, working for almost any band or theater production that would ask, while at the same time devoting the rest of his free time to practicing guitar. A few years of work led to a chance meeting with Fishbone and his next abrupt decision - to migrate from lighting to guitar technician, a job he had never held before.

Thanks to his work with Fishbone, Howerdel soon became a sought-after road tech, and he soon found himself running in the same circles as many important bands of the 90's, but most importantly, Tool. During a Fishbone/Tool tour of France, Tool frontman Maynard Keenan and Howerdel became friends, which led to the guitarist's next unexpected career choice.

" I had just come off the road with David Bowie, and I decided I needed to give the music I had written more time to evolve than was possible on the road," remembers Howerdel. While working for Guns N' Roses as a Pro Tools Engineer, a position that afforded Howerdel the luxury of staying in Los Angeles, he bumped into Maynard at a bar in Hollywood. Howerdel mentioned that he was looking for a room to rent, and Maynard offered to have him move into his house in North Hollywood. While living together, Maynard heard some of Howerdel's music, and after a search for a suitable female vocalist, Maynard casually mentioned an interest in singing on his instrumentals. Howerdel recalls, "It was very organic how that collaboration came about."

This initial collaboration led to A Perfect Circle, whose credits include two platinum and one gold record. Unlike Tool, APC featured a moodier, more melodic sound that was built off of Howerdel's guitar work. Although the band eventually went on hiatus, it was during some of the final recording work on the (mostly) covers album eMotive where Howerdel took his next creative step, performing lead vocals on several tracks.

ASHES dIVIDE continues Howerdel's growth as an artist in his own right. "It was important for Billy to go and do his own thing and really explore his own sound and let people hear what he has to say and how he would do it on his own," said Keenan earlier this year in an interview. Listening to ASHES dIVIDE, that point is more than driven home. Howerdel recorded all the music in his home studio, and he laughs, recalling how he would hit the "record" button from his control room, and run to the microphone in the vocal booth.

That's not to say Ashes is a one-man project. Longtime collaborator Danny Lohner (APC, Nine Inch Nails) helped out with the recording process, while Josh Freese (APC), and Keenan's son Devo make appearances on the album. Other contributors include Johnette Napolitano(Concrete Blonde), Matt Skiba(Alkaline Trio) and Paz Lenchantin, while Alan Moulder mixed the album. However, the music is decidedly the work of Howerdel, and features his emotional insights and musical vision.

"It's funny, I didn't want to tinker too much," he says. "Sometimes I'd get something in three takes and keep it. Other times, in the spirit of moving forward, I'd try to record something that I wouldn't normally do. It was a good exercise, making me break away from patterns, and do something uncomfortable."

Lyrically, Howerdel wanted to explore a wide range of emotions. Although many of the topics on the record deal with real emotions and experiences in his life, Howerdel often cloaked the stories into a fictitious narrative. "I started taking acting lessons recently, and they talk a lot about displacement--using someone powerful from your past or present to bring forward emotion," he says. "So a song like `Stripped Away', the opening track, has phrases and sentiments that are very personal to me...but I have someone else in mind as the catalyst for revealing these charged emotions while protecting myself."

`The Stone', the album's first single, centers on the concept of self-worth and denial, while serving as a musical guide to the rest of the record. Howerdel says, "There are several songs on the record that deal with the idea of not being worthy or pushing people away. This song is interesting, because at times it was getting musically heavy for the wrong reasons. I think heaviness, in music, is a delicate matter. Songs can't be heavy for the wrong reasons."

This spring, Howerdel plans to bring ASHES dIVIDE out on the road (line-up TBD), where he can bring the songs into a new context, and where he himself can re-discover their meaning. "I don't want these to be verbatim copies from the record," he says. "I want to find out where these songs are going. It's funny, for this project, I was everything from the writer to the janitor, and whatever comes in-between. It's a weird concept, for a control freak like me, to finally be able to let these songs go and let them live."

Product Description

"The Stone" debut single by ASHES dIVIDE achieves rock radio's rarest double play, as it is named Most-Added at the Active Rock and Modern Rock formats for the second week in a row - and debuts inside the Top 40 at both formats: #24-bullet on the Active Rock side and #25-bullet at Modern Rock.

"The Stone" is the first single from Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, the first album from ASHES dIVIDE, which arrives in stores April 8th on Island Records, a division of Island Def Jam Music Group. ASHES dIVIDE is the new band formed by lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Billy Howerdel - founder/producer of multi-platinum group A Perfect Circle, the band he led with Tool frontman Maynard Keenan through two platinum and one gold record.

Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, Howerdel's long-awaited first solo project, has been the subject of countless blogs and chatter at his website for a year and a half. In last week's Entertainment Weekly, "Your Next Obsession" polled film and television music supervisors on upcoming album picks, and Dana Sand (of Steve Carell's Dan In Real Life) commended ASHES dIVIDE: "So very dreamy rock with a '90s feel."

Howerdel produced and engineered the new album sessions in Los Angeles, playing guitar, bass, and keyboard parts. Longtime collaborator Danny Lohner (APC, Nine Inch Nails) helped out with the recording process, while drummer Josh Freese (APC), and Keenan's son Devo appear on the album. Other contributors include Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), and Paz Lenchantin. Mixing took place in London by innovative Brit producer Alan Moulder, remotely monitored by Howerdel back in L.A. Moulder is known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine, and fellow Island band the Killers' two albums.

New Jersey-born Billy Howerdel is a self taught musician who started out doing theatrical stage lighting. He took to the road as a guitar technician for many bands, among them David Bowie, Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and Tool. Howerdel and Keenan became friends years earlier while crossing paths on tour. But it was not until the recording sessions for Tool's 1996 album Ænima that the two planted the seeds which would become A Perfect Circle circa 1999.

APC released three groundbreaking and critically acclaimed albums on Virgin Records: their RIAA platinum debut, Mer de Noms (May 2000) which entered at #4 Soundscan with 188,000 copies and placed three songs on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts ("3 Libras," "Judith," and "The Hollow"); the platinum Thirteenth Step (September 2003) which debuted at #2 Sound¬scan on 231,000 first week sales (with the #1 Rock track and video "Weak and Powerless," followed by "The Outsider" and "Blue"); and the RIAA gold eMOTIVe (November 2004), an overtly political album released on Presidential election day, primarily cover versions of political material including John Lennon's "Imagine," Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Black Flag's "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie," and more. Two weeks later, the CD + DVD package aMOTION was released, a collection of all their video clips on one disc, and nine remixes of songs on the other disc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let it grow on you. You won't regret it., April 17, 2008

By 

Ryan (Biloxi, Mississippi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keep Telling Myself It's Alright (Audio CD)

I haven't written a review in quite a long time. But I couldn't believe that this album has only 3 and a half stars to date. I had to set the record straight, at least in my opinion.

This album is really good. Genuinely, surprisingly good. However, this debut may take awhile to grow on you. At first listen, I was slightly disappointed. I felt that "The Stone" was, without a doubt, the best song on the album. And I was really hoping for something more.

Well, I found it. It took a few listens, but now I adore the album and I can never get it out of my head. And guess what? "The Stone" is definitely one of this album's highlights, but it's not the best, in my opinion. "Too Late" is just amazing. Emotional, catchy, great guitar work. Couldn't ask for more. And of course there's "Sword," one of the best album closers I've heard in a long time.

Now, to take on all those A PERFECT CIRCLE comparisons. Yes, a lot of these songs have a strong APC vibe. But what else should it have? After all, the APC vibe is really just Billy's vibe. APC was his project, not Maynard's. Maynard just sang over Billy's wonderful music.

And yes, Maynard's voice is absent. But why are so many people holding that against Billy like it's his fault? Maynard preferred to record another Tool album (the worst of their career, in my opinion) and the awful Puscifer CD. It's about time Billy got some spotlight and recognition for his hard work and amazing skill. These songs are truly great. And I would honestly say that this album blows EMOTIVE out of the water.

If you actually enjoyed A PERFECT CIRCLE for its music, not just Maynard's voice, then do yourself a favor and buy this album. Some part of you must want to since you're reading this.

5 stars. Deservingly so.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A different path instead of a circle..., May 6, 2008

By 

Paul D. Sandor (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keep Telling Myself It's Alright (Audio CD)

Billy Howerdell is a talented musician, composer and guitarist. Now you can add singer to that list. Ashes dIVIDE for all intents and purposes is Billy's solo project. Everything that made APC great is here: ethereal guitar, existential lyrics, moody yet great production and a feeling that music can be elevated into poetry/art. Still, I feel something is lacking in the final product. Of course, not having Maynard James Keenen (one of the most dynamic vocalists in rock) takes away some of this music's potential edge.

APC fans will appreciate Stripped Away and the first single The Stone. Other songs have a decidedly eighties feel to them. Billy's single note guitar runs resemble The Cure's signature sound. Ritual has a depressed mode (excuse me, Depeche Mode) vibe. This is not a bad thing. If you love The Cure and other alternative bands this is a record for you.

Still, the music doesn't stay with you like APC (or Tool) albums. I know it's not fair to compare AD to legendary bands. Howerdel is a victim of his own high standards. As a solo artist, the sum is less than its impressive parts. A classic eighties band New Order had an album entitled Substance. APC, The Cure, Tool and New Order are full course meals and their substance stays with you. AD is like a lite asian dish:leaving one hungry for something more an hour later...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great effort from a very talented muisian!, July 7, 2008

By 

J. Jaffery (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keep Telling Myself It's Alright (Audio CD)

I first heard this band just before going to an STP show that they were opening up for. When I first heard the CD prior to the show, I wasn't very impressed, dismissing them as an acceptable opening band.

After hearing them live, and listening to the CD a few more times, this album really grew on me. The songs really have some depth, both musically & lyrically, and each time I listen to them they just get better.

Anyone dismissing Billy Howerdel's first solo effort as weak follow-up to A Perfect Circle, or saying that it's not as edgy as that effort clearly hasn't listened to this album. Billy has done a great job on vocals within the context of the music, and it's unfair to dismiss his vocal abilities compared to Maynard's (VERY FEW people could compare to that in this genre of music). Take this for what it is without comparing it to anything else: a great rock album with some real substance.

I can't wait till ASHES dIVIDE starts working on their next one!