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When it comes to crafting music, Slipknot\u2018s guitarist Jim Root says that there is no definite formula. In a recent interview with Andertons Music Co, he opened up about his songwriting approach and the significance of spontaneity, pressure, and teamwork in crafting the band\u2019s unique sound.<\/p>\n
Root noted that songwriting typically arises from unanticipated situations, whether it\u2019s a casual jam session or a serious studio session. \u201cI\u2019m still trying to figure that out,\u201d he remarked. \u201cI think that\u2019s the eternal (conundrum) because, with writing, there\u2019s no rule book. You can do it however it comes to you, whether it\u2019s noodling around on the couch and then something comes to you or it\u2019s sitting in front of the Pro Tools rig, or if it\u2019s at a band rehearsal and then the drummer plays something and then you just happen to play something along with it and somebody\u2019s, like, \u2018What was that?\u2019 And then it can evolve into a song.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the creative process might often appear spontaneous, Root also knows that it\u2019s an ongoing growth. \u201cYou hear a lot of people say a song will write itself, and sometimes that happens, and when it does happen, those tend to be the really good ones,\u201d he stated. \u201cOr it could be a song that you just work on for years and it just stays in demo form and then you just keep revisiting it. And maybe a year after you started working on it, you hear it differently, and you\u2019re, like, \u2018Oh, wait a minute.\u2019 And then, all of a sudden, something unlocks and then it comes together better that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
This protracted process of trial and error can sometimes feel never-ending, but Root compares it to the obstacles faced by filmmakers. \u201cThat\u2019s why, I think, a lot of the times in the movie industry, they say they never finish a movie; they abandon it. And I think it resonates true with what we do, too, in the studio. It\u2019s, like, how deep in do you wanna go, or can you go? And you could infinitely work on things until you\u2019re\u2026 you can drive yourself crazy and end up chopping your ear off or anything, you know what I mean? It\u2019s hard\u2026 At some point, you just stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Root\u2019s views on the burden of tight deadlines offer a unique peek into how Slipknot mixes creativity with the realities of the music industry. When working on their 2019 album \u201cWe Are Not Your Kind\u201d, the band experienced tremendous issues managing time and resources. \u201cWhen we were working on \u2018We Are Not Your Kind\u2019 album, that was kind of the deepest we were able to go into a record,\u201d Root explained. \u201cI mean, I started working on that record a couple of years before we even got together to do pre-production for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the band improved their repertoire, they reached a stage when they had too many songs to select from. \u201cWe had so many songs that it got to the point where sitting with Clown and Corey and producer Greg Fidelman, we were just trying to figure out, like, \u2018Which ones are we cutting?\u2019\u201d Root continued. \u201cCause you know, the money\u2019s cutting off at this time and the studio time\u2019s cutting off at this time and there\u2019s a deadline and there\u2019s a schedule and there\u2019s a budget, and you\u2019ve got these five extra songs that we need to figure out which ones we\u2019re focusing on. And it\u2019s, like, \u2018Jesus, how can we figure this out?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
When questioned if working under pressure generates more creativity or if he enjoys the freedom of more time, Root observed that it\u2019s hard to decide which technique is ideal. \u201cThat\u2019s hard to say because we haven\u2019t had a chance to do either enough times to figure it out,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s, like, how many times are you gonna make a record in your life and in your career? You\u2019re doing shows continually \u2014 you might do hundreds or thousands of shows \u2014 but you\u2019re only gonna be in a studio six or seven times in your career, ten times maybe, depending on how long your career is. Some people twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, Root recognised that there is something to be said about the motivation that comes with a ticking clock. \u201cBut I think we work really well under pressure in some cases, in most cases. There are exceptions to that rule, of course, but I think if we know there\u2019s a clock ticking over our heads, it\u2019ll push us to really dig down deep and locate what it is we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Root also shared some insight into his working connection with fellow guitarist Mick Thomson, a major aspect of Slipknot\u2019s sound. He noted that his composition technique often takes into account the efforts of the complete band. \u201cIf I\u2019m at home, and the only reason I\u2019m talking about this is because it\u2019s what I\u2019m most familiar with, I always write thinking about what not just Mick is gonna be doing, but what Clown or Pfaff or any of the other guys are gonna be doing, and I always think about leaving space.\u201d For Root, this is a crucial component of producing a work that gives room for all members to bring their individual voices to the table.<\/p>\n
When it comes to working with Thomson, Root retains a sense of flexibility in their approach. \u201cThe only question is, what\u2019s Corey gonna do?\u201d Root mused. \u201cSo if I write a four- or five-minute-long arrangement and I\u2019ve got it set up so there\u2019s an intro and then there\u2019s a verse line and then a pre-chorus and a chorus and then a middle eight section or a breakdown and then it all repeats or whatever, I might give it to him and he might wanna sing a chorus over what I thought was a verse or he might take this little pre-chorus section and want that to be the verse.\u201d This process of try and modification ensures that the music evolves as new views are added.<\/p>\n
Root also stressed how crucial it is to remain open to new ideas, especially when it comes to guitar parts. \u201cSometimes he\u2019ll just write over what I give him and we won\u2019t change anything. And other times it\u2019s that progression. And then, as far as guitar parts, I\u2019ll always do a left and right guitar track. And even in the studio, Mick and I will perform hard left and right tracks.\u201d However, in some circumstances, Thomson would come up with his own interpretation. \u201cThere might be songs where, if it happens to be a song that I wrote at home, he might wanna be, like, \u2018That rhythm\u2019s really cool, but I have this idea and I\u2019m gonna play this.\u2019 And that\u2019s amazing \u2018cause it adds a whole another new layer to the music that I wouldn\u2019t have thought of.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Root, this kind of creative freedom and collaboration is vital to Slipknot\u2019s sound. \u201cWhen you become so attached to something and you\u2019re so in your head with it, you can\u2019t look at it objectively, but you give it to somebody like Mick and he hears it from a totally different standpoint and a different style of playing even, and he does something that wouldn\u2019t even occur to me. And then all of a sudden that\u2019s the thing that takes the song and lifts it to where it needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim Root\u2019s observations illustrate how Slipknot\u2019s songwriting process is a delicate balance of various aspects. Despite the intricacies and hurdles, it\u2019s this precise approach that has enabled them stay a force in the music world for over 25 years.<\/p>\n
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When it comes to crafting music, Slipknot\u2018s guitarist Jim Root says that there is no definite formula. In a recent interview with Andertons Music Co, he opened up about his songwriting approach and the significance of spontaneity, pressure, and teamwork in crafting the band\u2019s unique sound. Root noted that songwriting typically arises from unanticipated situations, 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