Interview '07 - Chad Fergerstrom - 24E

08.27.07 - Monday

24E, the 4 man rock band from California has built a following not only on the local level but nationally and internationally. 2003's "Dirt Love Songs" put 24E on the rock map and they haven't looked back since. As the year rolls on, the band has announced a new full length studio album will be released. "From Stagger To Wind" will be 24E's first album since their 2005 live release "Live From Jupiter". Recently lead vocalist Chad "cblime" Fergerstrom took time out to talk with us about the history of the band, meanings behind a few songs, what is to come from the new album and much more!


Photos Courtesy Of 24E

Island: Right out of the gate, a little band history. In 2001, 24E came to life through members Chad & Bryan. But in 2003 two additional members were added to the band and thus the "Dirt Love Songs" sessions came to fruition. How did Steve and Travis get involved in this musical endeavor?

Chad: Travis and I met through a mutual friend. We, 24E, were looking for a guitar player to fill out the sound so I did not have to carry the guitar parts all on my own like I had been. We connected philosophically and musically. I think it was the next night after we had met that we got together with the whole band to jam and it was an instant fit.

Island: The "Dirt Love Songs" disc really put 24E on the map. Being that it was recorded in 2003, as you look back did this disc meet your personal expectations? Or even now, some 4 years later, do you feel something was missed on a more personal level, as if to say maybe music fans didn't pick up on a meaning that you were trying to convey?

Chad: Dirt Love Songs was recorded mostly to get the music captured with the new band line up and to use it as a demo to make some industry contacts. We liked it, so we made it available online and at shows. We were also successful and getting some industry contacts in Owen Sloane and Tom Callahan.

Island: One thing that has always caught our attention is the name of a band or artist. 24E is definitely an interesting name for a band, very mysterious. How did the name come about and what is the meaning behind it?

Chad: 24E is a prophetic term that means "The Constant State of Music". 24E is about filling the world with the sounds of music, our sounds. It is important to us to connect with people with our songs and the messages in them. Love, depth, pain and life. Forgiveness in life.

Island: The material on your MySpace page has something for everyone. There are all sorts of different emotions in the 4 tracks. One question that came up had to do with the lyrics. The tunes have a poetic sense of direction, who does most of the songwriting in the band?

Chad: I write all the lyrics, so the messages I suppose are mostly mine, although the band connects with them. I usually write the lyrics with a melody and a basic chord structure. From there it goes to the band. Sometimes Travis and I work out the arrangements and some signature guitar stuff together first but it always concludes the same, with the whole band arranging and finalizing the sounds together. I do not write out the parts I want the band to play. For me it is the chemistry that makes any good song or any good band. I want the creativity and the excellence of the guys to be seen in every song.

Island: Going hand in hand with the previous question, as you mentioned you write the basic song yourself. But does the band like to write separately or in a group environment?

Chad: I like to write the basic song by myself. It seems more productive that way, however we have written some songs together from their origin. Walk Away was a jam of the band and my lyrics and melody came last. Falling Down, Steve began and then I picked it up and it was concluded with the same band arrangement formula. I use the word formula reluctantly because I feel in creating songs there are many inspirations and ways that a song can come together. Bryan has been writing some deep stuff lyrically since our last recording, look for some of that stuff to emerge in the future.

Island: I am always interested in knowing a little bit of background information about a song or two. Are there any personal stories or meanings to share when talking about the tracks "Love Is", "Can't Let Go", and "She Moves Me"? As they all seem to have a similar under-lying theme.

Chad: Actually these 3 songs have quite different meanings. Love Is is a song about the truth and choice of love. That love is action and even if you do not "feel" it you can show the greatest love by the choices you make. These addresses the greatest love choice.

Cant Let Go is the other side of love. The depth of emotion. Being so lost in someone else that you go crazy and you think you can not live without the feeling. For me it was the title that rang in my head first. I Cant Let Go, which really means I don't want to let go and I will to everything to hold on.

She Moves Me is about inspiration itself. She is a metaphor for inspiration. It is the thing that moves people to be great and sometimes bad or even evil. The song speaks of how inspiration rushes across the stage and inspires us to play and then it contemplates weather or not the same inspiration causes a killer to kill.

Island: Now being that 24E is in the industry and signed to a label. The stress of live shows along with working on new material has to take its toll. But while reading we noticed that poetry is posted via an online blog that the band runs. Is this done to escape from the everyday chaos or just another way to get the emotions out and share things with your fans in an honest way, or both?

Chad: I think it is a bit of both. It is often to emit emotion and thoughts and ask questions about life. At the same time it is to put fresh ideas out to the fans to deepen the connection. We will put out a c.d. once a year if we are aggressive, but we can blog thoughts every day if She moves us.

I do not stress about having too much to do really. I am more concerned about spending more time doing the things we need to be doing, such as getting to those places in the country and the world where we have connected musically with fans but our tours have not taken us there yet.

Island: Each band member goes by a personal moniker via MySpace. Chad = Cblime, Travis = The Sound, Bryan = The Professor and Steve = The Energy. How did these nicknames (so to speak) come about?

Chad: My name comes from a painting that I connected with called Sublime Reality. The spelling comes from the combination of Sublime and my given name. I experienced the painting with a close friend and it connected with the moment, but I have not been able to find or see the painting since. The other names came out of a conversation the band and I were having one night. We literally went through and exercise where we each came up with a one word to describe the others and what they brought to the band. These names came from that night.

Island: In 2005 the band set out to record a live album, which is now available on iTunes. "Live From Jupiter" features 15 live tracks which was recorded in the Southern California region. This leaves the question out there that just has to be asked. With a live CD already available, any chance of a live DVD down the road?

Chad: We actually recorded a live concert this year at the Galaxy Theatre in Orange County. It has been our plan to release it with some fun extras but the editing process is not going well. I am not sure what is going to happen with that yet but I can guarantee that there will be a live DVD in the near future.

Island: It has been announced that this summer, 24E will release "From Stagger To Wind" which is a brand new studio album. What can music fans around the world expect from this upcoming release?

Chad: I love this c.d. We entrusted the producing to Rob Hoffman (Cristina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Hole, Buckcherry) for this project. I think he did a great job capturing the essence of 24E. Along with his production prowess, Rob is an amazing engineer and new how to record the rawness of who we are musically. This c.d. will be the first 24E recording to really have the chance to reach the world at another level. It contains the best of 24E up to this point in our career.

Island: With the release of "From Stagger To Wind" coming, are there any plans to go out on a full blown US tour? Or will a smaller/regional set of shows be something to focus on at that time?

Chad: We would like nothing more than to tour the U.S. and the World with this album. We may hit some of the closer cities to our Southern California base first, but California will probably not be a big part of it initially. We need to see the out of state fans. They have been waiting too long.

Island: There's one reoccurring phrase that can be found on your website as well as MySpace. The slogan "Constant State Of Music", what does this mean to the band, the music being recorded and to fans all over the world?

Chad: This is the state 24E lives in. But as I stated before, it is the future for the world. I do not know exactly what that looks like but we will all know it when it happens.

Island: As this interview comes to a close we'd like to thank you for taking the time out to talk with us. We look forward to hearing the new album soon! Are there any final thoughts, words of wisdom or anything you'd like to mention to our readers, your fans?

Chad: For us it is truly about connecting with the fans. We write the music for us and then you and that combination at the end is what it is all about. Give the music a chance and give us a chance. I promise that Whether or not we are your style, you will feel something with us that is different. Its not arrogance, its sincerity and the choice to love what we do for you.

For more 24E music & information, make sure to check out:

www.24eonline.com / www.myspace.com/24e

* Thanks To Doug Weber @ New Ocean Media