Interview with Chris Dudley of Underoath

With the highly anticipated release of Underoath's new album, Ø (Disambiguation), releasing on November 9th, we talked with keyboardist Chris Dudley about the album and their upcoming tour.

Christian Rock Rocks (Brooks Ginnan): Can you say your name and what you do in Underoath?
Chris Dudley (Underoath): I am Chris and I play keyboards.

CRR: Your new album will be releasing November 9th. Can you explain the process of how the making of the album went?
Chris: It was actually a lot different than any other record. All in all, the writing process was a lot shorter, but with Daniel coming in really opened up a lot of new creative doors for us, so even though we took less time, the time that we had was more productive than ever before. The recording process itself had a lot more experimentation than we have ever had as well. Lots of trying new ideas, scrapping older ones, etc. It was really exciting overall.

CRR: What was the process like of having all the clean vocals done by Spencer on the album?
Chris: Honestly, it was awesome. It was really exciting going into the room after he was done with a song and knowing it was going to be something completely new that we had never done before was great. He freaking killed it on this record, and if I wasn't in the band I'd say that as well... haha.

CRR: How did the songwriting on the album go without Aaron?
Chris: Like I said before, it was very open and experimental overall. For the first time in a long time, we had 6 guys who were on the same page as far as what we wanted to accomplish, and that was just invigorating.

CRR: What are some of the lyrical themes found throughout the album?
Chris: Well, Spencer does all the lyrics now, so all in all it's a lot more personal to him. There are themes of struggle, hope, and everything in between, really. I like the fact that this record is so personal for him because I think when you have an album that way it is very relatable to people.

CRR: How do you think Ø (Disambiguation) compares to your previous albums?
Chris: It's always hard to say because when you are involved with a project from its infancy, seeing it come to fruition, and listening back, you have somewhat of a biased view of what it sounds like. In my eyes it is a lot more cohesive, a lot more flowing, and just a more concise effort overall. I've had other people say things like "You sound like a real band now", "This is the best thing you guys have ever put to tape", and "I used to want to vomit when I thought about your band, but this record is amazing", which are all amazing things to hear... haha.

CRR: What is your personal favorite song on the album, and why?
Chris: Today, it's probably "A Divine Eradication". It changes day by day, but today that's the one. It's just a really heavy song and it makes me want to drive fast... that's the sign of a winner to me.

CRR: So in just a few weeks, you will be going out on tour with A Day To Remember, The Word Alive and Close Your Eyes. What can fans expect to hear from you on this tour?
Chris: We will be playing a wide variety of songs. Some older songs, a few songs off the new record and some stuff in between. We are just stoked to get out on the road on general. It's been way too long since we've been on tour.

CRR: Any other things you would like to say?
Chris: Thanks for doing this interview, and I hope you dig the record!