Hit Parader: Does it ever strike you as strange that the more non-commercial you try to be, the more albums you sell?

Daron Malakian: I don’t know if I look at what we do in that context. I think we’ve earned everything that’s come to us. I have no problem saying that my soul has bled for these songs—that I’ve put myself through everything imaginable in order to best convey the thoughts and concepts that I want. So whatever success we’ve had has been earned.
 

HP: Did you ever worry that the radical approach the band takes both musically and lyrically could limit your success?

DM: There may have been times back when we were performing in clubs when such a thought may have briefly crossed my mind. But it wasn’t something that we ever really considered, let alone worried about. We never set out to sell millions of records. We never were the kind of band that listened to the radio and tried to copy what was popular. Even when we were opening shows we never tried to learn any “tricks” from the headliner. We were always most concerned with just being the best band we could be. It seems like it’s worked fairly well for us.
 

HP: After a decade of writing, recording and touring, do you find it hard to maintain the creative edge that has always made System so special?

DM: The tough part for me is limiting what I want to say. That’s why we released two albums this time—there is so much that motivates me. It can be something funny I see on the street, or it can be something tragic that’s happening in the world. I never know exactly what will motivate me.
 

HP: How closely do you follow world events on a day-to-day basis?

DM: sometimes when you’re on the road, that can be difficult—especially if you’re overseas. But with internet communication, and the ability of having cable news at your fingertip virtually wherever you are, it’s now pretty easy to stay in touch. In fact, it’s grown hard to avoid being confronted by the news almost all the time. I can remember a time in the late ‘90s that when you went on the road you were somewhat sequestered away. People had to call you up when you got to a show or arrived at a hotel in order to find you and tell you certain things. Now they can e-mail you, or call you on your cell phone…you’re never out of touch.
 

HP: System is such a critical favourite…are you ever amused by some of the interpretations the media has made over your music and lyrics?

DM: Not really. I try to leave the lyrics somewhat open to interpretation. If every song was strictly about my life, my experiences and by beliefs, I think things would run the risk of getting very boring. One of our strengths as a band is that even when were writing about a very specific subject, like the Armenian genocide, people can relate it to other conflicts and world situations if they want.
 

HP: People have always focused on the “serious” side of System. Yet you’ve also always shown a surprising sense of humor.

DM: People hear what they want to hear in our music, and that’s fine with me. That’s the way it should be. But weve always had a lot of humor in our songs. For whatever reason, people have usually tended to gravitate more towards our political material. Bit if the humor of our songs is being noticed, then I’m very happy. That’s such a big element of what we do that I sometimes get very frustrated when its ignored. A lot of fans expect a certain sound and a certain lyrical perspective from us, and when they're asked to listen and respond to something else it sometimes isn’t that easy for them. Thankfully, they’ve shown a willingness to do that with these albums.
 

HP: What motivates your song writing?

DM: Everything motivates it. Over the last few years the world has changed around us, so we’ve changed as people. And if we have changed then the music were making has changed as well. We didn’t want to lose our identity, but we didn’t want our newer songs to sound like anything we’d ever done before. If you try to change too much, you can lose everything you’ve created. Its so important that we stick to our roots because we’re very proud of them. But on the other hand, I don’t want to get stuck on those roots. I want to always keep adding things and changing things to what we do. I want our past success to serve as a foundation for what we’re doing now.
 

HP: Do you ever feel any extra pressure due to the incredible success the band has enjoyed?

DM: I do feel the pressure. It’s not really brought on by any success we’ve had, its brought on more by my desire to make sure this band continually produces the best possible music. What that pressure does is make sure that I work as hard as I possibly can. Success is something I try not to think about too much. It doesn’t impact me at all. This is not a band of “rock stars” and we never will be.
 

Published on April 2007 Issue of Hit Parader Magazine "90s the Decade that Changed the Face of Hard Rock!" along with interviews with other bands.

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