Scars on Broadway Interview (Big Cheese Issue 102)

Under the Skin

While the future of System of a Down remains in flux, Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan are making their own mark with Scars on Broadway.

When System of a Down announced their extended hiatus in 2006, their loyal fan base was unsure how to react to this news. Vocalist Serj Tankian immediately released his solo record last October. Bassist Shavo Odadjian launched his new project Achozen with RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. But there were rumblings of the two remaining members and when their new project was about to be unleashed upon the world.

Guitarist Daron Malakian introduced Scars on Broadway earlier in 2008, after premature reports of various incarnations over the past few years, including Amen's Casey Chaos in one version. "I've been working on this a little before System went on the last tour on Ozzfest," says Malakian: "Ever since we got off Ozzfest I've been working on this non-stop. Right after that tour, I called up John (Dolmayan, System of a Down drummer) to do this. We've been in this for about a year and a half. It doesn't seem like it, but it is."

"The biggest benefit of me and Daron being in a band together outside of System is that we already know each other," says Dolmayan. "That's what brought me to John. I liked his playing I know his bad and his good. He knows the same. There are no surprises for each other. I'm not in the mood of getting surprised by shady types," concludes Malakian.

'Scars on Broadway' is an eclectic record that captures a wide array of sounds where no two songs are alike. Songs like 'Babylon' captures a punkier edge, while 'Chemicals' explores a tripped out psychedelic sound. There are other songs that bring back the heavier SOAD sound from their earlier days, as well as some Armenian influences appearing as well. Fans got to hear 'They Say' on the band's Myspace page, but this is but one aspect of the band's sound.

"It's like one facet of a diamond. Every time you look at a diamond from a different perspective, it's going to shine a different light on you. That's what this album's like. It has a lot of different hooks to it," says Dolmayan.

Scars on Broadway played their first live show at the Whisky in Los Angeles in March, which introduced the live band with guitarist Franky Perez, keyboardist Danny Shamoun, and bassist Dominic Cifarelli (former Pulse Ultra guitarist). The packed crowd brought back memories of the old SOAD shows in the mid 1990s, when they sold out the club circuit before they signed a recording deal.

"There was a sense of excitement in the audience," says Malakian. "Like, 'What's this band about? I've heard it was happening'...That's how it was with System. With System, we'd sticker all over LA but no one had seen the band yet. The first time we played there was a sense of excitement in the air. We felt that at the Whisky. That, to me, is the important thing that need to happen to make Scars stand on its own two feet."

Before the record was released, 'They Say' was played on US radio, creating a strong buzz. "the first time I heard 'They Say' on the radio, it was like hearing 'Sugar' for the first time. It was taking it back for me because it was 'They're playing Scars...' We weren't under that SOAD safety net, where we know they're going to play it. I actually didn't know they were going to play it. I didn't know Scars would stand up on its own two feet."

Malakian was one of the main songwriters in System, penning many of their well known songs with Tankian but Scars on Broadway is entirely his vision, where he wrote and produced the entire record himself. While writing for Scars may sound challenging, he makes the process sound a lot more basic than it appeared. "I write catering to what I know and who is playing the songs," he explained. "In System, I knew John's playing style. I knew Shavo. I knew Serj. So when I write I had them in mind. I wanted to write around their styles. When I brought in a topic for the song, I usually wanted it to be a topic that I thought Serj would be into singing so I would try political stuff because he's very involved in political things. In that way it was different because the members have changed."

"Some I wrote after. The approach is very different. I wanted these songs to be very eclectic and not necessarily start the big moshpit. I wanted to make an album that was listenable."

In Scars on Broadway Malakian handles all of the lead vocals, which is not new to him. While in SOAD he played guitar while occasionally doing backup vocals, he was once a lead vocalist in a prior band. "As I've gone more into my writing and even with the last two System records, I wanted to sing on my own songs," explains Malakian. "The things I'm singing about, I can't sing it to somebody else and have him sing it. I'm capable of it. It is taking a little getting used to for me live, because going from stage right to centre stage...I'm still getting comfortable with that. Even if this were a System record, you'd probably hear me singing more than on 'Mesmerize' and 'Hypnotize.' Then where are we? Serj sings his songs and I sing my songs. We didn't feel it was a band situation any more. As i get older now and as a songwriter have matured more, I want to express my voice in my own songs. In a lot of cases in System, I may have written a melody line and the lyrics, but I'm not singing on them. But I wouldn't trade it for the world what we did because I love Serj's voice." "When Serj and I met, I was a singer and he was a keyboard player. We reversed roles. He had never been a frontman of a band before, and I was the frontman of a band that broke up and his band got together. I wanted to do what I did before, write the songs and be creatively involved, but not necessarily stand there and sing."

One key point that drives Scars on Broadway is bringing back the energy and excitement of a brand new band. Malakian wanted to recapture that spirit in his new band that he once had with SOAD. “There are a lot of things going on with this band that goes back to the innocent times of System of a Down. It’s refreshing and it’s almost like you never thought you can feel that again. And you do. If a crowd gets in front and cheers for us, we don’t expect it because they haven’t heard any of our songs. We actually appreciate it opposed to knowing they’re going to cheer.” “The less you expect, the more impressed you are by the reaction. That’s what’s happening to us right now,” added Dolmayan.

With Scars Malakian wanted to create new music that pushed forward his creativity, while showing a different side of him from what he had already done. “I keep writing songs I’ve never written before, but at the same time keep a style. When you hear it you know it’s a song that Daron wrote. Whether it’s System or Scars, you can see my signature there. That’s something that’s important to me. But that happens naturally. So I don’t think about that much.”

Malakian praised Dolmayan’s drumming on the Scars on Broadway record, and a key reason he brought him into the project. But Dolmayan was modest about his role in the songwriting. “It’s pretty much drumming,” he said. “Daron handles all the production and songwriting. I might make a couple little suggestions. I guess a lot of what I bring to the table is comfort. Daron’s comfortable with me. He knows me as a person because I’m not going to change.” “He brings great drumming to the table,” adds Malakian: “I have a lot of friends that are drummers and they’re all good drummers. For some reason, I associate with drummers. I like the drums. One thing there’s a difference with John is behind the kit. I’m not saying it because he’s here. The more people I’ve played with, the more I appreciate John. He fills up the song and is a solid player. You can rely when you’re playing live."

So where did Scars on Broadway come from? Like System of a Down, which came from a poem, this name also has an interesting story behind it. “One day I was talking to a friend on our way to a hockey game about these light posts in Glendale on Broadway that has Swastikas on them in the design,” explained Malakian: “When I said the name Swastikas on Broadway…[I thought] that’s interesting. There’s a dark feeling to that. But I don’t want to use the name Swastikas. The way they’re on there, it’s scarred on there. I thought Scars on Broadway sets up a cool image.”

“Now the name to me, when I related it to the songs, it has nothing to do with that lightpost. It has more to do with all the world is a stage. We’re just scars on that stage that come and go. All we did is left a mark on the world.”