Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakianis an Armenian–American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and second vocalist of the rock band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter of the band Scars on Broadway. Like the rest of the Hollywood-based band System of a Down, he is of Armenian ancestry, but he is the only member to actually have been born in the United States. Daron Malakian is known for...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth18 July 1975
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Does it bother me that some people are burning their own System CDs and taking money out of my pocket? Not really. This has always been about putting the best possible version of the song in the fans hands. It was like selling an artist's painting before he had finished it.
You put too many songs on your record, and it ends up like a family with too many kids: some of them get neglected.
As a writer I kind of go crazy. I even had, like, at least 20 or 30 more songs to bring into the band. But we had to stop and get into the studio at some point.
As a musician, I don't think I'm the greatest guitar player. I'm a bigger fan of the drums than I am the guitar; I just happen to play guitar. I play drums almost every day at my house. I wrote a lot of songs behind the drum kit, just having the music and vocals in my head and playing the rhythm.
I feel like people have only heard half a record so far. But we like releasing shorter records. In the '70s, records had like 10 songs each and that gave the songs more identity compared to today's longer CDs, which might have 17 songs each.
I just wrote the song sitting in my car waiting for my girlfriend. That's about it, man. You will know what I mean when you hear the song.
A lot of times, I don't feel responsible for the songs myself. But that's my job or my place in life: to keep my search and catch the ideas before they pass me by.
I see them both as one record, you know? Not to compare us to, like, THE BEATLES , but the only thing I can compare it to is, like, you listen to the 'White Album' and it's a double album, but, like, they're just a bunch of great songs.
People's attention spans don't run too long these days.
Every song I've written is luck, I think; it's luck - 'How did that just happen?'
There's no rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are.
We wanted to make a record that was a success beyond where we were at. All of my favorite bands evolved, and I really wanted our band to evolve.
I would never cancel a tour unless I had real reasons and personal things that require my undivided attention.
I'm so inside of it that maybe that's a little tough for me to tell, but I don't see too big of a difference. I see them both as one record, you know? Not to compare us to, like, the Beatles, but the only thing I can compare it to is, like, you listen to the 'White Album' and it's a double album, but, like, they're just a bunch of great songs.