GEOFF TATE On How He Keeps His Voice In Shape: ‘I Have To Work At It’

In a new interview with Portugal’s Look magazine, ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about how he goes about writing songs. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  ”For me, the creative process begins with a schedule and being able to start your day with music. For instance, if I’m working on a piece of music, I typically will leave it unfinished so that I have a place to start the next day. And so I begin with that piece of music and working on it and develop it and develop it to a point based upon where I left it the previous day. So for me, I need a schedule. I need to be able to start at, like, 10 a.m. with my coffee sitting at the keyboard and the computer with my recording gear, and I work that way. And it’s been that way for 30 years. [Laughs] And [it’s] definitely a lot easier now because in the past, we would have to remember our ideas and write them down on paper and then wait and book studio time and go in and record the idea, and maybe a month would pass before you had the ability to write your idea out. And nowadays I can just open up my suitcase, unpack my equipment, set it up. It takes 10 minutes, and, boom, I’m working on the idea that’s still in my head. So it’s a much more immediate process, and I love that.”Asked if the creative process is “more organic” nowadays, Tate said: “Yes, absolutely. More organic, because it’s fast. In fact, if I wanted to, I could compose a song in one day, put it all together, play all the instruments myself and put it out on the Internet in one day. Never before could you do that. So, yeah, if you have an immediate idea that’s very topical and maybe you have to capitalize on the situation that’s going on in the world, you could do it very quickly nowadays.”Regarding how he keeps his voice in shape after more than four decades as a professional musician, Geoff said: “I have to work at it. [Laughs] Yeah, it’s a muscle, so you have to keep working, working, working to keep it working correctly. I try not to take too many days off. I try to sing every day, and it keeps working, I think, because I use it so much. There’s an American saying: use it or lose it.”Tate recently revealed that he is working on the third and final chapter in QUEENSRŸCHE’s classic “Operation: Mindcrime” album series. He told Metal-Rules.com about the musical direction of the material that will appear on “Operation: Mindcrime III”: “It definitely has a strong early QUEENSRŸCHE vibe, with some tracks being super heavy and technical. The album is also deeply emotional, marking the final chapter in the ‘Mindcrime’ saga. It continues the story of Dr. X, Nikki and Sister Mary, focusing on a specific point in their journey. I’m thrilled with how it’s turning out and can’t wait for people to hear it.”Geoff went on to say that he wrote the songs for “Operation: Mindcrime III” mostly with his guitarists Kieran Robertson from Scotland and Alex Hart from Boston. “I think that’s it — the three of us primarily wrote the whole thing,” he said.Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE’s third studio album, “Operation: Mindcrime” took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, “Operation: Mindcrime” was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the “Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time” by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that “nearly 30 years after its initial release, ‘Mindcrime’ feels eerily relevant.”The original “Operation: Mindcrime” album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006’s “Operation: Mindcrime II” was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Operation: Mindcrime II” in their entirety live.[embedded content]