Name: Iguana Death Cult
Members: Jeroen Reek (vocals), Tobias Opschoor (guitar, vocals), Justin Boer (bass), Arjen van Opstal (drums), Jimmy de Kok (keys)
Interviewee: Jeroen Reek
Nationality: Dutch
Current release: Iguana Death Cult's Echo Palace is out via Innovative Leisure.

If you enjoyed this Iguana Death Cult interview and would like to know more about the band, visit them on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

It’s just a way of being that makes sense to me. Or something that makes sense of being. Something I just always have done. I feel like most ideas get formed in the subconscious. You collect a lot of thoughts, impressions, emotions and experiences throughout the day that will one way or another find their way into your writing.

What works best for me is to keep an open mind and don’t focus on the end product. Explore the ideas that flow through you without thinking too much. Let it breathe to a point where you have some substantial ideas and then try to connect the dots.

Now the idea is getting clearer, the process is becoming more pragmatic too. I order everything nicely and maybe do some extra research to see how I can bring the song to completion.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a visualization of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Depends on where I start. Could be a melody I’m stuck with, could be something I read or just a certain feeling.

Most of the time the end product remains very abstract throughout the process.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do research or create early versions?

Not really, though I find that walking around town instead of sitting behind my desk works way better for me to get the juices flowing. So most of the time I just wake up and start walking. See if something enters the mind.

The research, if needed, comes after.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

So, aside from walking around I like to listen to some crazy bebop before I start writing. Something about the organized chaos really soothes my hyperactive brain.

My favorite record to get in the right state of mind is ‘Orgy in Rhythm’ by Art Blakey. Something about the percussive madness that sets the mood for me.



Reading is more something I do when I get stuck. I was always really into the beats. Can be very inspiring, even if it’s just for the cadence. Rotterdam poet Jules Deelder also got me back on track more than once.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note? When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Usually music comes first. When I write music, that first note can be an obstacle. It’s like that first dance move, it can be a bit ugly but it will get you going. It’s the same as it is with writing lyrics, you just have to let it happen sort of. Don’t expect too much of it.

For lyrics I often just hum along with a demo or a recording we made in the rehearsal room, until I get an idea of the melody. I do find that it’s easier to write lyrics to music that originated from my own ideas, than it is to write to the other guys demo’s. Sometimes a get too distracted by my phone, I barely do any work at all.

But then you get to write about that. Problem solved:



What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I really look for ambiguity and a sense of humor. I love it when a lyric is a bit vague and can mean multiple things, especially when it feels a little dangerous.

With humor I don’t mean you should try to be a comedian but I think a smart, hidden joke can really add another layer to a good song. Maybe also because I like it when artists don’t take themselves too seriously.

I think the line: “Tear ‘em down before they are erect, she said” from our song ‘Future Monuments’ is a good example of a layered, somewhat crude joke.



Once you’ve started, how does the work gradually emerge?

Really depends. Some songs are written in ten minutes. Some of them I have to butcher for a month, haha.

‘Pushermen’, a song we wrote together, took us about an hour



Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

No, I feel that way too. Almost like you’re channeling something that has nothing to do with you.

Jack White said it’s like becoming an antenna. I subscribe to that.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes, it is such a strange but beautiful thing.

That’s what some people call the muse, and I think you should never resist it. It will take you places you wouldn't go to if you just stuck to the plan.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I don’t know about spirituality, but like I said, a lot of it has to do with connecting to the subconscious.

Whether you get there by meditating, using substances, dancing or just putting in the work doesn’t really matter.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Couldn’t really tell you. It’s just done at some point. You feel it.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you’re satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practice?

Well, sometimes you write something you’re really stoked about but you will hate it the next month, or even the next morning. So in that sense it’s really important to let it rest for a while. But most of the time, when I’m happy with something, most of the good stuff happens in the first stage of the process. When it’s still fresh. Sure, we’ll change some things later on but I also feel you can polish it to death.

Sometimes it can happen that you leave something on the shelf for years though, and then all of a sudden you make it work. I think we made the first demo for ‘Oh No’ in 2018, but we never really worked it out. But this time, it made the album:



What’s your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

For the last album we made very clear pre-productions of all the songs in our home studio so we knew for 90% how we wanted it to sound.

We did leave the mixing to a third party this time which was a relief to be honest. In the past we would get too involved ourselves and we’d have endless discussions since we don’t always have the exact same taste in sound, which would lead to compromises.

And compromises are a big enemy of great art. For my other project Parisian Night Suit, I do all the recording and mixing myself which really adds another layer to the creative process for me.
 


After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I do and it can be frustrating, but I’m trying to learn that that might be your brain telling you it’s time to relax for a while.

I think the sooner you give in to that the sooner you’ll be back in the saddle.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn’t or wouldn’t in more mundane tasks?

Making coffee has never really been a cerebral experience for me but cooking a great meal kinda does the same thing for me as writing music.

Creating something beautiful, or even something disgusting. That’s what it's all about for me.