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30 Seconds to Mars is more than a hobby for actor Leto
BY ALAN SCULLEY
CORRESPONDENT
When 30 Seconds to Mars debuted in 2002 with its self-titled CD, more than a few people probably thought the band would turn into another Dogstar (fronted by Keanu Reeves), Juliette and the Licks (led by Juliette Lewis) or Bruce Willis and the Accelerators.Those bands featured notable actors, and none of them has established themselves enough musically to be seen as much more than side projects to the acting careers of their most famous members. But with the release of the latest 30 Seconds to Mars CD, "A Beautiful Lie," it's looking like the band will become a legitimate, long-term pursuit for Jared Leto, its frontman. Leto, whose acting credits include parts in such high-profile films as "Panic Room," "Fight Club" and "Alexander," is fully dedicated to the band and his acting career, according to drummer Shannon Leto, his brother and 30 Seconds to Mars bandmate. "He'll take the time to do both," Shannon Leto said. "He's an artist and he does what he does. He doesn't make excuses for what he does. And it all just worked out. There's time for him to do movies and there's time for him to do music, and I respect it. "I respect his ability to perform the way he performs, both acting and musically. It's not a vanity project and it's not a hobby for him," he added. "He does it. He loves it. He does an amazing job at it. I think he's one of the most talented people in the world. I'm one of his biggest fans." Jared Leto's commitment to 30 Seconds to Mars is evident from the events that preceded the release of "A Beautiful Lie." For one thing, he and his bandmates spent some three years working on the project, eventually whittling 40 songs down to the 10 that made the CD. Perhaps more significantly, 30 Seconds to Mars grew into a full-fledged band. The 2002 self-titled debut was mostly recorded just by the Leto brothers, with occasional contributions from outside musicians. But 30 Seconds to Mars became a four-piece band for touring behind the first CD, with the addition of guitarist Tomo Milicevic and bassist Matt Wachter. And when work began on "A Beautiful Lie," the two newcomers were encouraged to become fully involved in the songwriting and arranging. "We're all artists" It wasn't an easy process. Shannon Leto noted that finding common musical ground among the four musicians was a challenge. "We're all artists," Leto said. "We all have a voice and we want our voices to be heard. So you learn to communicate for it to work out. You learn to hear each other and you learn to listen and to be open and willing to people's criticisms and ideas. And that's challenging in the beginning. "But through time, you all learn you have a common goal. The four of us have a common goal and you shoot for that goal and you pick what is best for that song. You take the personalities out and you look at it objectively. You just pick what works best for the song and what works best for the album." In the end, what worked best was a bit different approach to the 30 Seconds to Mars sound. The debut CD blended edgy yet melodic guitar rock with electronics, resulting in a somewhat futuristic feel that often caused people to label 30 Seconds to Mars as a progressive rock band. "A Beautiful Lie," by contrast, scales back on the use of electronics and has more of a lean sound. Now the material from both CDs is getting a chance to evolve again, as 30 Seconds to Mars launches a series of summer concert dates that includes a show Monday at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. "We're going to do some old stuff. We're going to do some new stuff," he said. "There are some surprises that we're coming up with that we always like, some improvisation and some guests here and there throughout the tour. So everybody's going to be really excited to see what happens because we have some great, great little treats coming up."
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