We're only twenty-three seconds in to our phone call, but THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS' TOMO MILICEVIC issues a challenge to his band's New Zealand fans straight off the bat, while conveying his excitement about their upcoming tour. "It's one of those places that not a lot of bands get to go to. And so, the fact that we get to go there this time 'round in itself, is pretty cool. We've been talking about it a lot! So we're expecting some insanity, I hope you guys can bring it..."
Miličević teases even further, hinting at the special treats being planned for the 'Mars juggernaut's first-ever expedition on NZ soil. Whether you may be a dedicated member of The Echelon (the 30STM worldwide street-team), or merely a curious local, it would appear that there is plenty for us all to be excited about. Tomo emphasises that you "can look forward to the full Thirty Seconds To Mars experience. We're going to be coming with all of our guns blazing, so to speak! It's been a long time since we've been to that part of the world - and obviously our first time to come there - so we're having some interesting discussions about what kinds of tricks we can pull out for you guys. But it's a secret. And a surprise! So you'll have to wait and come to the show and see."
At thirty, Tomo is the youngest member of 'Mars - brothers Jared and Shannon Leto"Absolutely not. That will never happen. I am an actor every time we make a music video. That's definitely nothing that I'm interested in at all." Miličević also prefers to skirt politics - "I try to stay away from the whole political thing. It's really not something that I'm interested in." - and his views on environmental issues, such as the mining of NZ's national parks, boils down to: "I think that there's definitely cause to be worried, for sure. Is it protected land? I think that once the people have already voted that it should be protected, it should stay like that. That's my opinion. You don't mess with... you've gotta leave something untouched, right?" Nor is whaling an issue that he wants to dive into: "I don't know enough about that to make any kind of a big comment. That's a tough question to answer when you don't know the facts. I'm not really personally very aware of even what you're talking about, to be honest."
So the passionate opinions of Thirty Seconds To Mars it seems, must stem from a Leto. But not to worry, Miličević wears his heart on his sleeve in other arenas: "At the end of each tour we do a gift for the crew, to just thank them for all the hard work. The crew - they are the un-sung heroes of any tour - they work so hard every day to make the show happen for everybody. So it's just a small token of our appreciation that we just do that all the time." And what did the band choose as their December 2009 Christmas gift, you ask? A Flip Video Camcorder for each member of their touring crew! Heart: Thirty' sure has it in spades... and amongst the things that Miličević does officially know, is excitement about his impending nuptials: "Definitely! We've been together for ten years, so it was time." respectively, aged 38 and 40 - and unlike his band-mates (one obviously more than the other), has no desire for any non-compulsory screen-time at all.
COUP DE MAIN: Every note of 'This Is War' resonates honesty and perseverance... what personally motivates you to win in your own life's 'wars'?
THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS - TOMO MILICEVIC: I think the will and the drive to constantly move forward. When we were making the record 'This Is War', that's one of the major things that was going throughout the entire process, because we were at war with our record company. We were basically completely by ourselves making this album. We were holed up in a house in Los Angeles - just the three of us and Flood - against the world, really. Just making music and trying to re-invent the sound of the band, to basically start over again. So I think that for us anyway, it's just a natural instinct to constantly fight and to move forward no matter what. I think it's important to do that!
CDM: Speaking of your record company, what else can you tell me about the lawsuit you were faced with from Virgin Records?
TOMO: Basically, I can't tell you very much to be honest. But I can tell you that, we felt that after the success of 'A Beautiful Lie' that we deserved to re-negotiate our contract... and that didn't happen. So, we exercised our right to terminate the contract. But we were always interested in resolution. We never wanted to leave. We just wanted to have a new deal, to be treated fairly. And now it's all swept under and a thing of the past - it's fine.
CDM: What is the Thirty Seconds To Mars song-writing process like?
TOMO: Jared is the songwriter for Thirty Seconds To Mars and he's the main creative entity in the band. What he'll do is, he'll write a bunch of songs and be working on several different ideas, and then he'll come to Shannon and myself, and we'll all work on them together and turn it into basically what you hear at the end. That's the result of all us working together. Then it's back to Jared. He's going to be the one that's going to be making the finishing touches, as far as the production of the song goes.
CDM: Is Jared quite the perfectionist?
TOMO: Definitely. He knows, and gets, what he wants. He's got a clear vision of the way things should be, and when some-one has a clear vision like that, you have to just do whatever you can to support that process and keep it moving along. He's got a really clear idea of what Thirty Seconds To Mars should sound like and what it should be like. Seeing as how it's his vision and a thing that him and Shannon started together, I really enjoy the way that we do things.
CDM: In New Zealand, your local record company (EMI Music NZ) has been running an online treasure/scavenger hunt to enable fans to win meet and greets with you guys in August. Is that kind of viral awesomeness quite important to the band?
TOMO: Oh, definitely! The whole Internet community behind the band is very important to us. We're all about communication and being open to the fan-base and to have open-minded communication at all times, really. We discuss things and learn from them, and see what people are interested in. Basically, just to create that community where people can talk and have a place to go. It's what this band has been about all along: to be able to extend an open-door policy through the creative process and all aspects of Thirty Seconds To Mars.
CDM: You'll also be holding a press conference at a local high-school in Auckland, where fans will be in charge of asking the questions. Do you love that sort of fan interaction?
TOMO: Definitely. It's always a surprise. You're always surprised by the types of questions that people ask, and you can tell a lot about people... the interests, and the genuine concerns that different people have, it's always a fun time. We've done it a couple of times now and it's always been really good. We're looking forward to that for sure.
CDM: What was it like filming the 'This Is War' music video?
TOMO: It was really fun. We were in the desert in California, and just basically turning into little kids, playing war with each other. Getting all dressed up in full proper military gear and driving around in a Hummer-V shooting guns. It was definitely a good time. I think the video is going to be really cool. We've seen a couple of little teasers and clips now, it definitely looks pretty exciting. It's the first time that Jared hasn't directed a video in a very long time, so we'll see how it turns out. *laughs* For Europe, we're just finishing up a video for the song 'Closer To The Edge'. So that's looking like it's going to be the next single, and maybe it'll be the next single in America as well. But for America, 'This Is War' is still fresh on the radio, so it's a little bit different the way it works with the singles between different territories.
CDM: What can you tell me about the documentary that Jared has been making?
TOMO: It's called 'Artifact'
CDM: Do you have any idea when 'Artifact' will be released to the public?
TOMO: Not at all. Probably not for five years knowing him. He'll keep on working and working and working, until he decides he can't do it anymore.
CDM: Will 'Hurricane' - the song that Kanye West recorded on for the 'This Is War' album - ever be released officially?
TOMO: Well, I know that it's already out there on Youtube and all the different torrent sites. I'm sure somebody could find it if they really wanted to hear it. But as far as putting it out officially? That's one of those things: you gotta talk to the record company about that. The two record companies gotta figure that one out.
CDM: Before you joined Thirty Seconds To Mars, you had been in the process of listing and selling your musical gear online. Do you ever wonder how different your life would be if that phone call had never come, or a little late?
TOMO: If the phone call had never come, then you and I certainly would not be talking right now. And who knows, where I'd be? I was in a pretty dark place at that time, so it could have went bad. But luckily, the call did come, and now here we are having a conversation about the call that came.
CDM: You'd already been listening to Thirty Seconds To Mars before you auditioned to join the band. What was your audition like?
TOMO: It's actually pretty funny. I came to L.A. to audition, and basically, there were two songs that had to be prepared, and I came in prepared to play all of the songs. So, I was a bit cocky. And after we played the two prepared songs, I just started calling out songs to the guys to play, and I think ultimately they realised that I had done the work and I was actually interested in being there. Probably more than all the rest of the guys that were trying out.
CDM: With your uncle being a virtuoso violinist, and you yourself having originally been trained to be a concert violinist from the age of three, did you ever think that you would grow up to playing lead guitar in a rock band?
TOMO: Well, definitely not when I was younger - because like you said - I was definitely born and bred to be a violinist. But I became friends with this guy, and he turned me onto a couple of different bands, mostly really heavy music like Metallica and stuff like that. But once I heard that, something switched in my head, and ever since then I've been on a road straying further and further away from classical. But I still love it. I have a violin still and I play it.
CDM: Have you ever played your violin for Thirty Seconds To Mars?
TOMO: I've done it a couple of times, but I haven't done it recently. I do plan to do it again, I just haven't had the time to fully prepare since we've been pretty much touring non-stop, and just doing so much work. We're in the process of doing two videos, they're going through editing right now as we speak. So there's been a lot of things happening that is making it impossible to prepare for the violin section of the set. *laughs*
CDM: Shannon has said in interviews that band practice is really important to him - practising six to seven hours daily. Do you feel the same way?
TOMO: Definitely. We've got to stay on top of our game. So whenever there's free time and we're not touring, we're definitely working and rehearsing and figuring out new and better ways to present the songs live. It's our job. The concert is the reward for all the other work that we do, so we want to make sure that we're solid, so we can have a good time and not have to think about all the small stuff. The show should be a place that everyone can feel free and just go crazy and have a great night that they'll never forget. That's the goal for us every time we get on stage - is to give people a great experience. and it started off as being a documentation of the making of the record. We just kinda felt that we should film the process because we got to work with Flood, and we were completely by ourselves in this house making a record, and we just thought it would be cool to document the whole thing. And then it really just turned into something much bigger, which is more or less kind of a recorded history of these three individuals and the world around them at the time. That's really the best short description you can give of the film. With everything that's going on all around us - whether it's personal, or just social - and the clips that I've seen of the movie are pretty amazing. So, I'm really excited to see what Jared does with it when it's done.
Thirty Seconds To Mars is a band at the forefront of their genre, thanks to the dedication and loyalty of their devotees. So it wouldn't seem right, to complete an interview without asking some questions submitted by local fans... and Miličević keenly obliges.
CDM: What advice do you have for young musicians?
TOMO: Definitely to just stay true and be aware, and listen, and not let anyone dictate what they think they should play, or not play, and to just work really hard. When it comes to music - you have to make - it's a life-choice. In the sense that, that's who you are. It's not something that you can do part-time or sometimes. You either do it full-time for the rest of your life, or not at all. I don't believe that there can be like a hobby musician. Music is something that consumes you completely and you just have to let it. And then, everything will work out. You can just never quit.
CDM: Do you have any tips for people learning how to play the guitar or bass?
TOMO: Listen to Led Zeppelin. That's the only tip anyone needs, if you're learning how to play bass!
CDM: Have you ever forgotten how to play any Thirty Seconds To Mars songs?
TOMO: It happens all the time, especially with older songs. After a while, there's so much material that you do need to brush up once in a while. Songs off the first record I could definitely not get up and play right now, I would certainly have to practice them first! But yeah, I think everyone has those moments of failure where your mind goes blank for a split-second. You know, it's natural. It happens. You just have to laugh it off.
CDM: Do you ever get distracted during shows when Jared crazily runs round?
TOMO: No, absolutely not! Are you kidding? I love it. The crazier he goes, the crazier I go! So I'm fully in support of it.
CDM: What is the most important thing that you have learnt from your experiences of being in Thirty Seconds To Mars?
TOMO: To never ever, ever, ever stop pushing for the best possible result. Because often times, it's in the eleventh hour that the biggest decisions and the biggest solutions to problems are made. That's something I've learnt from being in this band, you can never stop pushing. When it gets difficult, you have to push even harder.
CDM: What is a dream of yours, that you have yet to fulfil?
TOMO: Playing New Zealand!
CDM: What is your most-prized possession?
TOMO: I don't know if I have one. I don't know if I place that much thought on that type of stuff. I think I would have to say: the ability to do what I do for a living. Which is not really a possession, but it's definitely the thing that I am very grateful for. It's definitely not something that everyone gets to do and I never take that for granted.
CDM: Tell me something that most people don't know about Jared...
TOMO: Most people probably don't know about Jared, that he's incredibly loyal. When he's your friend, you can count on him no matter what. He's the type of person that - he will never let you down. I think that's something people don't know.
CDM: What can New Zealanders expect of your upcoming set-list?
TOMO: It will be a mixture of everything, because we've never played there. So I'm sure that we'll do a bit of a different setlist than what we've had prepared for the 'Into The Wild' tour generally. I think that we will be pulling out a couple of different tricks for everyone in New Zealand.
CDM: Will Neon Trees and Mute Math be joining you in Australasia?
TOMO: No, no they won't. That leg of the 'Into The Wild' tour ended last night in Phoenix actually. Maybe we'll meet up again with those guys in the future, but I'm not actually sure whose going to be playing with us in New Zealand just yet. We're still working on that to be honest. [ COMPUTERS WANT ME DEAD have since been confirmed as the NZ support band and THE ART for the Australian leg of the tour ]
...and lastly, what would a Thirty Seconds To Mars interview be, without a parting message to their fans:
"Get ready, we're coming! And we're very excited. We can't wait to come play for you all and see your country. We're counting down the days, so we'll see you guys soon!"
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