Q&A: Taking Back Sunday Hangs its Hat on Happiness

Some have called them emo; some have called them alternative; some have called them punk; and some have called them post-hardcore. Regardless of what you think best defines Taking Back Sunday, one thing is for certain: for 15 years, the band has successfully built up an army-sized fanbase and sold millions of records along the way. Let’s not forget, they’ve also survived a number of fads in which they were likely uninterested in being a part of in the first place.

This week, the band – Adam Lazzara (vocals), John Nolan (guitar, vocals), Eddie Reyes (guitar), Shaun Cooper (bass), and Mark O’Connell (drums) – released the stellar Happiness Is, their first new album since 2011.

The product of a two-year writing process absent of any record label influence or input, Happiness Is has a certain spark that not all bands with this amount of time on any scene are able to find.

Recently, Riffyou.com caught up with Taking Back Sunday bassist Shaun Cooper in the midst of a stacked North American tour (with The Used) that’ll feature an April 8 stop at the Kool Haus in Toronto, ON. Here’s our conversation with him:

RY: Your Self-Titled album of 2011 saw the return of you and John, and I’d imagine that there must’ve been a bit of a ‘re-acquainting musically with each other’ period for you. With this album, was there more immediate comfort in the writing and recording process?

Shaun: “The re-acquainting process happened surprisingly quick. Since the release of the Self-Titled record, we toured so much and had so many shared experiences. This definitely brought us closer as a band. We also had the luxury of time on this album. We started writing some of these songs over two years ago. It was nice to be able to refine them over such an extended period of time.”

RY: With the original lineup back intact, how do you feel the band has evolved?

Shaun:  “I think we are just all better writers and better people.”

RY: I heard Adam say that he was much more personal in terms of the subject matter he touched on with this album. Why, after more than 10 years as a band, did he finally feel comfortable with being less lyrically cryptic?

Shaun:  “I don’t like speaking for anybody. Adam has said that it takes him awhile to process events in his life before they work their way into his writing. I think that probably has something to do with it.”

RY: Your band has said that it wasn’t concerned about this becoming a perfect album. Perfection is sometimes a thing that can really slow a band down when making an album. With this one, why did you try to not get caught up in that type of trap?

Shaun: “I don’t really know what a perfect album would sound like. I just know that on the last record many details were probably overthought. I think that can sometimes lead to songs sounding a little stale.”

RY: It’s been noted that the band encountered near death experiences leading into this album, and also had the opportunity to play in front of the troops. One would think that both instances change a person’s outlook on life. How did they change your outlook?

Shaun: “When that tree came inches away from killing Adam (a large branch became detached from a tree, landed on his leg, and pinned him down), it really showed all five of us how fragile life can be. Hurricane Sandy displaced my wife and I from our home for three and a half months. At any moment your life can end or be significantly altered through no fault of your own. You really need to appreciate what you have and not focus on the negative. Playing for the troops was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. They work so hard and sacrifice so much.”

RY: What other between-album experiences influenced what people hear on Happiness Is?

Shaun: “There were only two dads in the band during the writing of the Self-Titled record. Now, all five of us have children. I’d say that was a pretty significant influence.”

RY: “How did it feel to get back to not having to answer to label representatives during the creative process?

Shaun: “It was really nice. We wrote a whole bunch of songs then brought some demos around to a few labels. Hopeless Records was by far the most enthusiastic and really made it a no brainer to sign with them.”

RY: Do you consider Happiness Is to be the best album by Taking Back Sunday? If so, what elements of it make you feel that way?

Shaun: “Absolutely! I just think this is the most honest Taking Back Sunday record both musically and lyrically. It is raw and diverse.”

RY: Not all bands in the type of scene you exist within can survive beyond 10 years. What has been the key to your band’s longevity?

Shaun: “We don’t have anything else. There was never a back-up plan for better or worse. The drive that Adam, Eddie, and Mark have had, has made this thing last through so many ups and downs.”

-Adam Grant

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