Episode 18: Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me)

When Dan Briggs joined Between the Buried and Me in early 2005, the band was at a bit of a crossroads.  After releasing The Silent Circus in 2003, an album that showed flashes of their future progressive sound, the group went through a number of personnel changes that eventually brought Briggs into the fold, alongside drummer Blake Richardson and guitarist Dustie Waring.  Alongside founding members Tommy Rogers (lead vocals) and Paul Waggoner (lead guitar), this lineup would write and record 2005’s Alaska, which firmly pushed the band’s sound further into the territory explored on its predecessor.  The newly configured group toured relentlessly for the next year and a half, spending countless in vans across different countries learning and bonding with one another through musical tastes and influences. When they finally returned home from the road, Between the Buried and Me would produce maybe their most complete work with 2007’s Colors, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest progressive metal records ever made.  The sum of that bonding and the statement of a band trying to define their place in the musical world, Colors also firmly entrenched the band as a premier force in the world of progressive metal.  That title has yet to be relinquished, evidenced by the rich, dense discography they have produced since, which includes a number of concept records that expertly mix a plethora of contrasting musical styles that all work under the umbrella of Between the Buried and Me.Now on the precipice of releasing their eleventh studio album, The Blue Nowhere, I had a chance to speak with Dan about the new record, set to be released on September 12th through InsideOut Music, and all things BTBAM, including:the recording process for The Blue Nowhere, writing a concept record with no characters, how he developed the idea for the lead single “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark,” and the band’s general songwriting process.how the group incorporates so many different styles of music and makes them fit, the stunning two-track conclusion to the new album, and what the setlist may look like on their upcoming North American tour.the lineup changes when he joined the band prior to Alaska and how those changes shaped the future sound of the band, bonding over shared music interests and long van rides, and the surreal nature of touring with Dream Theater and Opeth after the release of Colors.a discussion of the nature of music fandom and reflections on his 20th anniversary of being in Between the Buried and Me. It was great speaking to Dan about his career with the group to this point, and Between the Buried and Me fans worldwide should be very excited about The Blue Nowhere, as it only adds to the sparkling legacy of one of the most impressive acts in the world of progressive metal today.  Enjoy!