Tag Archives: interview

08.17.12
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[FEATURED INTERVIEW] Elenora

INTERVIEW W/ Nicholas Taylor (Drums) by Nicholas Senior

Could you identify yourself for our readers?

My name is Nicholas M. Taylor and I play drums for the band Elenora.

How would you describe your band to someone who hasn’t heard of Elenora before?

I guess if Chiodos and Emarosa had conceived a child together.. that’s where we’d lie. We’d like to think of ourselves as a pop band, but we like “chuggy” guitars from time to time and I like to use a lot of double-bass in my drumming.

Off the top of your head, which albums really got you into music?

Oh, man… I’d have to say that one of the first was Eiffel 65′s “Europop”, back when I was 9 or so. No joke, that and Smashmouth’s “Astro Lounge”. I had them both on cassette and I wore them out from playing them so much. After that, it was Blink 182′s “Take of Your Pants and Jacket” and New Found Glory’s self-titled. I was pretty hooked from there, and I think my musical tastes have only gotten weirder.

You are releasing a new EP on August 10th entitled Avant-Garde, which is a French phrase for something innovative or experimental. Does that title have particular meaning to you guys as a band? What triggered that choice as the album’s title?

We had been toying with calling it “Transitions” before we stumbled upon the idea of “Avant-Garde”. The idea was that we really wanted for anyone who was a fan of our old EP “In Reality I Am” to know what they were in for. We took a very different direction this time around, so really it was about pushing our own boundaries as a group a little bit as well.

Where did you guys record and with whom? How was the experience?

It was a roller coaster. We started off recording with Ryan Furlott at Rain City Audio in Tigard, Oregon. That was back in February. While we were in pre-production, our guitarist Kurt almost died. Had he not gone to the hospital for a third time, we would have lost him. As it turned out, he had had a rare form of cancer called Burkitt’s Lymphoma. We were all pretty shaken up, and we ended up having to put a stop on things until late May. Thanks to the cancer treatment center at OHSU, he was able to come in and record his parts in May and later that month, we got it done. Having that extra time to reflect, though, really helped us get to a better place with the vocal parts.

How do you feel about the finished product? What do you see the band doing differently, if anything, on a future full-length?

I’m extremely proud of what we were able to do. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we put our hearts into that record. That said, we’re already writing some more songs for the full-length. We’ve gotten so close as a band in the past 6 months that I think the focus for the record will be to experiment a lot more with the writing process. We have 4 members of the band who all play guitar, and I’m not the only person in the group who can play drums, so there’s a good chance that our fans will see a lot more variation in the upcoming songs.

Do you have any touring plans lined up for the rest of the Summer or in the Fall?

We’re jumping on some dates with Apollo, For the Sake Of, and Her Death and After directly following our CD release on August 10. We’re in talks with management about some bigger stuff in October as well. By 2013, we plan on touring full-time.

Which track was the easiest to write and record? Which was hardest? Why?

I think that “Bedfellow” came really easy for almost all of us, because it was just so much fun to play. It came together smoothly, and we all liked it so much that we were pretty tight on it when we entered the studio. The hardest song to record was a song called “Blessed are the Forgetful”, which we ultimately decided to scrap for the EP. It had some good parts which we’ll definitely be using, but it was like pulling teeth trying to get through recording it.

What bands influence Elenora?

A couple of us in the band are a few years older, so I know that Silverstein and Finch are/were a big influence. We all loved Chiodos growing up, and I think them and Emarosa shine through in our vocals the most. A lot of us are listening to some of the more experimental groups now, such as I the Mighty, Closure in Moscow, A Lot Like Birds…

You recently joined forces with Persistent Heart Media. How did that happen?

We were in talks with PHM initially for promotional purposes. We knew we needed a little bit of help spreading the word because we really wanted to make this release as big as possible. Eventually we were approached about the digital release being handled through PHM and we were thrilled.

You have a CD Release show August 10th. Could you tell us about it?

It’s going to be at the WOWhall in Eugene, Oregon. We’re playing with Apollo, Her Death and After, and For the Sake Of. They’re some of our best friends, and the WOWhall is our favorite venue so it’ll be a great night. Presale tickets are $8 and they’re being sold a bunch of places in Eugene, or it’s $10 at the door.

What kind of lyrical themes do you discuss on this new album?

We mostly talk about love and loss. I say that loosely, because some lyrical ideas tend to stray pretty far away from that, but that’s the core of it. We sometimes like to hide a few things in the lyrics, but I won’t go into that too much. ;)

If the Apocalypse comes this December, what will the band be doing in response?

Five words: End. Of. The. World. Party.

08.15.12
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[FEATURED INTERVIEW] Close To Home

CLOSE TO HOME
Interview by Nathaniel Lay

Your last record, Never Back Down, was your first on a label, but you had released a handful of EP’s before it. What can you tell us about your already decent sized discography and your sound progression?

We honestly don’t even consider our old EPs the same band bc we feel that we finally found our true sound when we wrote Never Back Down. Don’t get me wrong though, we’ve definitely had a long journey to get to the level we are at in our career and wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything in this world.

You now have a new lead singer. How did the member change affect the band and their sound? Was he part of the writing of this album or did he come in after the songs had been created?

We think that Andrew has been a solid fit for us. Our sound has matured a little. I think we have taken what we did on NBD and finely tuned everything to be a mature/smoother blend of what our band wants to represent. He was a part of the writing process of ‘Momentum’ from day 1 and we’re glad he was.

How did Andrew DeNeef come to taking the singer position? How has he moved into the performance of older songs?

We’ve been touring this country for a couple years straight now and have made a lot of friends along the way. Andrew was actually a mutual friend that randomly heard about the opportunity and went for it. I know he puts a lot of pressure on himself while preforming song from NBD bc he wants to prove to people that he was the right choice. He’s definitely handling it well.

Andrew’s voice has this alternative rock/punk rock sound to it that is a bit surprising at first, but it works wonderfully. As a result, Momentum feels like it may fit better in the scenes the band grew up around (90′s rock). What can you say about all this?

It’s funny because everyone in our band loves all the late 90′s/early 2000′s alternative rock bands such as Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Gin Blossoms, etc. We definitely don’t take offense to that observation at all because that’s a genre of music WE actually enjoy listening to.

What kind of lyrics will we find on this record? Any themes? Anything particularly important or meaningful?

I think the idea behind this record was to let people know what we’ve been doing since the release of NBD. The changes in our lives, relationships we’ve lost/gained along the way and the idea that change can be good at times.

Why the title Momentum?

We wanted something simple that would sum up this album in one word and we all decided ‘Momentum’ fit.

Tell us about the recording process of this record

It was kind of strange to be honest. We did everything kind of backwards. We also made a lot of trips to Taco Bell and the liquor store.

How did you guys approach writing this record, especially since you had just received a new lead singer?

Technology is a beautiful thing these days. We spent a lot of late nights on Skype & FaceTime with Andrew because he was living in Phoenix, AZ at the time. It made the initial writing process a little difficult at times but also exciting because that was something new for all of us.

What guest spots made it onto the record? How did they come to be?

We have Dave Stephens & Kyle Pavone of We Came As Romans on our song, “Family Ties”. These guys have been our good friends since both of our bands started playing music together forever ago. We’ve grown up together and decided these two would be the only people that we wanted on this track. Especially because the song is about friends, family and everyone in our lives the cares about and supports our dream.

Are you guys excited for returning to the Scream It Like You Mean It Tour?

Of course! This tour is like a Summer boys camp full of really good people/friends. We’ve played shows with over half of these bands in the past and excited to be sharing the stage with them again all Summer long.

What other touring do you have planned for this summer/fall?

We will be returning back to Canada in the near future and are currently working on the rest of our fall schedule. I hope it’s a Nickelback or Britney Spears tour. Fingers crossed.

Momentum has a good variation to it, as have your previous releases. What music influenced you the most this time around?

You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Let’s just say we have a very wide range of musically influences haha.

What else would you like to tell your fans?

Thank you for all the support so far! Don’t be afraid to talk to us on Twitter or Facebook and also, LET’S PARTY!!!! :)

08.07.12
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[FEATURED INTERVIEW] A Hero A Fake

Interview by Nicholas Senior

Something is clearly in the water, as North Carolina has produced some of the best metal bands of the past ten years (e.g. Hopesfall and Between the Buried and Me). A Hero A Fake is hoping to cement its status with its third release, The Future Again, which finds the band modernizing its metalcore sound by adding a healthy dose of melody and aggression. The band’s guitarists Patrick Jeffers and Eric Morgan were gracious enough to talk with our very own Nicholas Senior, sharing their opinions on their home state, the band’s musical direction, and the perfect tour bill.

Can you identify yourself for our readers?

Pat: I’m Patrick Jeffers and I play guitar for A Hero A Fake.

Eric: And I’m Eric Morgan who takes up the other guitar spot in AHAF.

How did the band come together?

Pat: Eric and Justin started the band in around 2004 while still finishing up high school. As things continued to progress they held things together through various, seemingly endless lineup changes. Myself and Matt Davis joined in mid 2006. Matt went his separate way to do other things not too long ago. Evan came along right after our Rage tour with Attila. The band basically started out as a fun thing to do and an after school hobby. Gradually it just kept growing and shows started getting bigger and better. During the college years we continued writing music and our ambition started to grow. We scrounged up some money and made an album to pitch to labels and got picked up by Victory. Ever since we have just been trying to make the most of the opportunity that we have, and enjoying making music for our fans.

Eric: Since I was little, I’ve always loved being a part of music and performing. No matter if it was at school or at home with my dad, I just was in love with the feeling it gave you. It started out with a series of small goals and it kept growing. In high school all I wanted to do was play in a band. So eventually I found a group of guys to play. Then all I wanted was to play a show. Then record an album, tour, sign with a label, bigger tours, etc etc. It just never stopped, I want to get better and better.

Your newest release, The Future Again, is set to come out July 17th. What was the recording like for that album?

Pat: The recording process for TFA has been a real change compared to what we were used to in the albums prior. It has actually been a huge change for the better, and worked out perfect for the direction that we were trying to go for on this record. We have always worked very comfortably with Jamie King, so we decided to continue tracking with him. Jamie has an incredible ear for solid takes and that really helps to bring a solid foundation to anything he records. For TFA we wanted to go with a far more refined and produced album. That is what we decided was going to be the best path for this new material. The new material is far more modern and current to some of the coming metal trends lately, so we wanted to make the most of that. After tracking everything we sent it off to Chango Studios to have things produced and sculpt some really good tones for everything. We couldn’t be happier with what Cameron was able to do and we all think it definitely took this record to a whole new level for us. After that we had the mastering and final touches done by Joey Sturgis. There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen for this album but we are all very pleased with how things turned out.

Is there any set story for the album? (If not, is there a particular song that has an importance or meaning you would like to discuss?)

Eric: Justin writes most of the lyrics and he pulls his inspiration from whatever he going through at that time. Some of its relationship stuff like on ‘Dead and Done’ and ‘Princess of the Sun’. We haven’t exactly hit the level of success we’ve been striving for and so there are songs discussing the music industry. For example ‘Wasted Miles’ was written during our Texas In July tour back in 2010 when we were going through a rough time as a band, right before our 11 month hiatus. We were all dealing with business and personal issues and you can hear Justin’s frustration as he sings “Wasted days and wasted miles, the saddest part is my wasted breath”. Coming out of that funk many months later and discovering how much we wanted to make music with each other gave us the idea for the album title The Future Again.

I did end up writing the lyrics for the ‘The Constant’. It was about one of my closest friends and it really means a lot to me when we play that song live. I sing along to that chorus as loud as I can live.

How do you feel about the finished album? Do you think it is an accurate statement of where the band is right now?

Pat: I really couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. We wanted to take a step in a new direction with this record and I think we succeeded in that. A lot of our fans are still unsure what to make of the album. Volatile and Let Oceans Lie were very similar yet still quirky in their own ways. We could have written another album and had it just be an extension of the same stuff, but we wanted to keep things interesting and change it up a bit. I know when I listen to a lot of my favorite bands I really don’t like to hear them write the same album over and over again. Most of the albums that I truly enjoy are ones where that band decided to truly make a leap in a new direction and it creates something “new” to listen to.

Eric: Exactly. We needed to write a different style album. We’re different people now. I wrote the songs on the last album when I was 17-20 years old and so much has happened to us since then – getting signed, graduating college, touring the country, growing up. So after those 5 short years, now at 25, I have a different outlook on what I want our music to be.

The album can be streamed on Victory’s Youtube page. How has the reception of the album been so far?

Pat: The reception has been really promising so far. With such a different album we were unsure how most of our listeners were going to take it. Like I stated earlier there are some that really wanted that same ole AHAF stuff. We tried to incorporate a bit of that character on TFA so we hope that that carries through to those fans. For the most part though we have gotten a lot of attention and encouragement so far. It seems that people are digging the new tunes and I know myself and the rest of the band are super excited for the release and cannot wait to get out on the road and bring it to every one’s home town.

Eric: The new music seems to really be resonating with a ton of new people. We knew that we might lose some fans of our older albums, just because it was such a change in direction – and we’ve definitely heard their feedback. But whats the most encouraging to me is that some of those angry outspoken fans have come back to us after letting the album set in and told us that after a few listens they are starting to really get into the new songs. That kind of AHAF quirkiness that we’re known for is still present in this album, it’s just incorporated a bit better so its not as apparent on the first listen.

Do you have any touring plans lined up for the summer and fall?

Pat: We do have some touring plans coming up in September, so keep an eye out for that announcement. We are waiting on a few things but it should be announced pretty soon with dates and all.

Eric: The September tour will be announced by the time this is published!

What is the best part of being from North Carolina?

Pat: It sure isn’t the scorching hot and humid summers, I can promise you that. The best part for me would have to be the location. Where we’re from is pretty centered on the east coast so we are never to far from anywhere in the east. We have mountains close and beaches close so it makes traveling for tour and vacations and what not very easy. We also have the best accents and good southern cookin’!

Eric: We have a lot of space down here. You can drive anywhere without too much traffic and there is so much land that isn’t developed yet. That’s one of the hardest things to get used too about touring the north east, the density of both people and infrastructure up there is the toughest thing to get used to.

Is there something in the water where every band that makes it out is a metal band?

Pat: I think there’s definitely a big music culture here, so we do have lots of musicians of all types. The metal bands in Charlotte have done pretty well, which I am not sure if that’s just a coincidence or what but we’ll take it. There are also lots of well-known non-metal musicians from NC that most people don’t know about. Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Randy Travis, Fred Durst, Ben Folds, James Taylor, Charlie Daniels, Clay Aiken, and so on. So NC definitely has its roots in music and there’s no denying it.

Eric: It is startling how certain places can be a nucleus for this style of music. So many bands that break out are either from Michigan or North Carolina. Back in the early 2000’s it was like that in New Jersey where so many of the Drive-Thru bands where blowing up.

What influenced you to go into music? What would you be doing if you weren’t in the band?

Pat: I started playing guitar when I was pretty young and have always enjoyed it, but having the opportunity to play around the country to people that love to hear us perform is a game changer. It’s something that really makes you love what you do sometimes and makes playing incredibly rewarding. If I weren’t in the band I would probably be following one of my other hobbies. I went to school for automotive stuff and really enjoy building cars, so I would most likely be doing something in that field.

Eric: I’m a huge technology and gadget nerd. I also double majored in college in Business and Physics so I’d most likely go to work for a tech company. I’d love to do product development in the mobile space.

If you could tour with any three bands (still around or broken-up), who would those be?

Pat: Pink Floyd, BTBAM, Periphery. Those are just a few that come to mind quick but there are tons of bands and musicians that I idolize and would LOVE to tour with.

Eric: Hopesfall, Misery Signals, Senses Fail. I think I could die after that.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

Pat: Just be sure to check out The Future Again if you haven’t already and pick it up when it comes out. Also keep an eye out for those tour dates and hopefully we will see some of you at a show soon!

Eric: I cannot confirm or deny that our band’s alter ego is “Evan & The Faggots”.

08.07.12
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[MUSIC INTERVIEW] After

Interview w/ AFTER by Nicholas Senior

Could you introduce yourself for our readers?

AFTER has assumed many forms over the years, but the current collection is Jose Freitas on vocals/guitars/keys, Matthew Denis on bass, and Brian Sumwalt on drums.

Can you give a brief history of the band?

AFTER started a few years ago in Orange County as a four piece and moved to Los Angeles after getting picked up by local indie label Skullr Records; countless lineup changes later, we finally settled into our current sound as a focused power trio.

In the last year we met our manager, Don Hamister, and developed a devoted LA following that recently culminated with a sold out show for our ‘Riders on the Storm’ video release at The Viper Room in Hollywood.

How would you describe After’s sound?

We’re influenced by such a wide variety of bands, but a lot of our sound is our take on a very 90′s sound; we love the power of bands like Rage Against the Machine and Pantera, but our melodic sensibility is more in the vein of bands like Incubus and Foo Fighters, and to be fair their rhythm sections are influences as well.
We’re also inspired by bands from the last decade: Karnivool, Dub Trio, & Circa Survive to name a few.
Some people have termed our sound ‘progressive pop rock’, but we also have a serious alternative bent; we really just try to focus on quality song craft while retaining the musicality and groove that defines a power trio.

Your new EP is available at http://afterishere.bandcamp.com/. Great job on it, by the way! How do you feel about the finished product and its reception so far?

Thanks for the plug, glad to hear you enjoyed it; we worked with a great producer, Barrett Yeretsian, who brought the clarity of our sound to a new level, and we’ve been getting some really great feedback.
Even the very liberal rendition of the Doors tune, which we thought might garner some backlash from Doors and classic rock purists, turned out to be a favorite on the EP for a lot of people; we had a lot of fun making it, and we’re really glad that people seem to enjoy it just as much.

Why cover a classic song by The Doors? Did it have anything to do with the fact that they were also an LA-based band?

It actually really had to do with the fact that the melody worked really well for the ‘quiet/loud’ dynamic structures we are fond of, and the lyrics are timeless and endlessly relatable; a great song will always be a great song, no matter what style it’s being performed in, and hopefully we’ll get some of the kids today to broaden their musical palate.

You state you are fans of the late great comedian Mitch Hedberg. Do you have a favorite of his jokes? Is After just a bunch of comedians who also play instruments?

He has so many good lines, but the first one that comes to mind is:
“I was going to whiten my teeth, but I decided to get a tan instead.”
He, along with others like Bill Hicks and George Carlin, were truly geniuses in their own right; if those names are unfamiliar to anyone reading this, please stop reading and use YouTube immediately.
You can thank us later; we’ll be waiting for you here when you’re done

If you could tour with any bands dead or alive, who would it be?

Jose: With Nirvana on their 1989 Bleach tour through Europe and with Filter on their 1995 worldwide tour with the Pumpkins. Oh yaaa…
Matt: That’s an almost shockingly specific list Jose…in no particular order: Incubus, Rage, Foo Fighters, Circa Survive, Thrice, Deftones, Tool, Muse, Bad Religion, Karnivool, 3, Fair to Midland…it’s a long list, I suppose I’ll stop there.
Brian: Matt stole a few from my list, so I’ll just go with Nine Inch Nails or Michael Jackson.

You guys frequently mention your prowess as a live act. What sets you apart from every other rock band in 2012?

We actually sound even better live than we do on record; in all seriousness though, a lot of live acts today use so many backing tracks that the performance element suffers.

We used to run tracks as well, but after slimming down and really focusing on our tones we still have people thinking we run a click and tracks; we don’t use either anymore.

And our chest hair is inspiring.

Do you have any plans to tour in the future?

We’re always looking to play outside of Los Angeles as often as possible, and with the recent release of the ‘Riders’ video we are about to start a big promotional push; if you live in the US, you’ll likely have an opportunity to see us this year.

What has inspired After lyrically?

Frustrations, women, fictional scenarios, and other ruminations on life…

What bands/artists have you been listening to lately?

Jose: Dub Trio, Karnivool, Meshuggah, just discovered Failure, and always tons of Fu Manchu.
Matt: Jose borrowed the first three from me; other stuff I’ve been sinking my teeth into lately includes the latest releases by Skyharbor, MuteMath, and The Brew.
Brian: Someone beat to me Karnivool again…aside from that, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dredg and The Great Wall.

What is the best/funniest story out of the After camp so far?

Despite all of the lineup changes incurred by the band over the years, we’ve only had two drummers; they’ve both been named Brian S.
Fortunately, neither has yet to explode.

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

If people really love music, they should go out and get involved in their local music scene, even if that just means going to the shows of a local band they particularly enjoy; going to our friends’ shows is almost as much fun as playing our own.

There are so many talented groups who never get any recognition that are as good as any band you’ll hear on the radio, and often times they are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

05.10.12
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[MUSIC INTERVIEW] Dismember the Fallen – discussing their first couple years and their brand new EP

INTERVIEW W/ NICK DENEAU (VOCALS) BY NATHANIEL LAY

You’ve guys gone through several members changes, correct? How have they impacted the band’s sound over the last two years?

Originally Dismember the Fallen started with a cover band and underwent a few member changes to get a solid line-up that we really satisfied playing shows with. A little over a year ago we underwent a major member change and it had nothing but a positive influence on the direction of the band. We grew more serious, more hungry, and began stepping it up in terms of number of shows, stage presence, and musically.

How would you describe one of your shows?

I could probably sum it up with one word. Energy. We bring a lot to an ordinary show in terms of energy. We rehearse multiple times a week to ensure a tight, solid live performance musically. I can say it is never a bland, boring performance.

What touring plans do you have for this summer?

At the moment touring plans are in the works but nothing is finalized. Once everything is set we’ll definitely be spreading the word.

You have a new EP coming out at the end of May. Why the title “Moving In Dreamscapes”?

I want to say first of all that many of lyrics in “Moving In Dreamscapes” are from personal experience. Dreamscapes are defined as “a landscape or scene with the strangeness or mystery characteristic of dreams.” We wanted to correctly portray the surrealistic qualities of our songwriting and lyrics. I want our fans to put themselves in the moment I’m writing about and portray the feelings I had in a certain moment. I hope that the truth and honesty of my lyrics can help someone get through their day or stay strong through a rough time, hence the name “Moving in Dreamscapes.”

Tell us about the writing process of these songs

All of the songs were pre-produced at our home studio before going to Zoinga Recording to produce them. It’s a basic trial and error for us in the writing process. Many ideas are brought to the table and recorded and messed with. We tend to work on songs for one to two weeks to get exactly what we want out of it. As things went we improved on songwriting and building off each other to better ourselves.

Where and with whom did you record? How was the process?

We recorded “Moving in Dreamscapes” at Zoinga Recording in Royal Oak, MI in October of 2011. The process was a 5 day long process, from 10 am to about 11 pm every night. It was a great experience, going back to where we recorded our first EP “Structures” and recording our new music. It’s always an exciting time figuring out how each song is going to turn out and building on them with small ideas to get the most potential.

How has your sound changed or evolved since your inception?

Our sound has drastically improved since the first song that was written as a band. Looking at our first song “Don’t Let Go” to some of the songs on “Moving in Dreamscapes” is like night and day. I think we have all grown and matured as musicians and as people. It has definitely showed in our music and it can only get bigger and better from here.

What plans do you have for 2012?

Plans for 2012 include many, many shows along with hopes of touring, writing a full length CD, and spreading the word of our music and our message.

On the new EP, what song is your favorite and why?

My personal favorite song on “Moving in Dreamscapes” is “Give it Up.” I wrote this song about the passing of my mother in 2008. It has alot meaning to me, writing about something that isn’t easy at all to talk about. She was my best friend and my role model and this song is about how much it crushed me to lose her. I hope it can give strength to someone else going through a hard time of losing someone close to them.

Do you plan on staying independent, or are you searching for a label?

Well, there is a search for a label, even though we would love to stay independent. It’s so tough for a band to be on the road with all the high gas prices, the state of the music scene, and many other factors. Having a label to back you makes things alot easier.

What kind of lyrical stories/concepts are explored during this new record?

Many different kinds of concepts are explored in the lyrics of “Moving in Dreamscapes.” From liars and deceitful people, to love, losing somebody, and being controlled. I tried to touch as many subjects as possible in the 20 approximate minutes of “Moving in Dreamscapes.”

Will the physical release differ from the digital in any way? Where will fans be able to purchase this album?

Nope, the physical release will be the same as the digital release, other than it being professional packaged. “Moving in Dreamscapes” will be available at every major digital distributor and physically on our online merchandise store May 29th, 2012!

04.03.12
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[MUSIC INTERVIEW] Stick To Your Guns w/ Frontman Jesse Barnett…

An Interview with STICK TO YOUR GUNS frontman Jesse Barnett
by Jon Hole


In this day and age of over hyped and over produced music, it’s a positive thing to see and hear bands that have a firm grasp on not only the music they perform, but the wold around them as well. Very few bands hold the distinction of garnering full respect from fans and peers alike. Even people that don’t care too much for the music still respect the OC Crew known as STICK TO YOUR GUNS. Less than a month ago, the band released it’s newest slab of high energy, thought provoking music, know simply as Diamond. Besides the bands incendiary music, both live and studio, it’s frontman Jesse Barnett that helps propel STYG to the level they are at. Taking some time out to answer a few questions while on the Fight The Silence Tour with FOR TODAY, here’s Jesse.

For those who may not know, can we get a brief rundown of the ‘History Of…’ the band?
The band started around 2003. We didn’t actually start touring until about 2005/06. When the band start there was really no fantasy of it ever leaving Orange County or even my moms garage for that matter. I think that’s why we had success we have had. I think we were focused on the right things. We were just a bunch of fuck ups playing breakdowns. I think over the years and with all the member changes that we’ve had we have perfected a sound that we all enjoy and found a group that works really well together.

What spurred you to get into music? More specifically, what bands inspired you?
Obviously as the years pass more bands and different bands inspire me now. However, there are the few that have always remained an inspiration for me. Some of those bands are DEATH BY STEREO, IGNITE, BOY SETS FIRE, TERROR, RISE AGAINST, PROPAGANDHI (my favorite band of all time, HATEBREED, SANTA SANGRE and many other. Those are just name a few.

On the new record, Diamond, you go harder and deeper into a few topics you’ve addressed before, such as the intolerance towards homo sexual’s, what sparked this new found aggression? By that I mean, the new material is fiercer and almost angrier, what was the motivation?
I’m glad that was noticed. Look, I feel like we’ve always been this band who stood behind the positivity thing but almost used it as a mask to not really say anything specific. We didn’t want to offend anyone. But as I get older, there are things that i just have absolutely no tolerance for. Homophobia being one of them. Now I’m not saying everyone should go around kissing homosexuals, holding there hands and run around through fields of sugar cane. Instead, just stand on a common ground where someone can just love someone else, man or woman, and it be ok. I felt like I wasn’t outspoken enough about the subject, so in the song we are talking about, “Life In A Box”, I really wanted to get the point across. People say we aren’t positive any more because we sound more angry. To me anger and positivity go hand and fucking hand. We are just militantly positive. “I’m through acting civil, now you know how I feel”!

Have you always been so ‘vocal’?
Of course. I think the only difference now is that I’m more mature in what I’m being vocal about. By that, I mean I make sure I form a good solid opinion about something before I start screaming about it. But also on the other hand I’m trying not hold judgement on anything. I honestly think if people weren’t so defined by there opinions, we wouldn’t have the problems we have today.

You also touch upon more positive aspects, like in ‘We Still Believe’, both the album version, the intro to the video and the Acoustic tracks are very inspiring. Again, for those that may not know, what was the ultimate purpose in writing it?
I don’t think this song is anymore positive than others but I guess I know what you’re saying. The purpose for writing this was because I still believe. I believe this world isn’t too far gone from saving like the rest of the god fearing county would have you believe. There are good people in the world doing really amazing things. You if can’t see them, then you have your head so far up your ass to realize that you’re the actual problem. Also, there is an organization of hardcore kids from back home, orange county CA, that I work with called We Still Believe that do really great things. You know, the things hardcore kids are supposed to do. This song is a tribute to the things that they are doing. I believe in them with all my heart so I felt like this is the least I could do.

Musically Diamond is more diverse without losing any of what makes STICK TO YOUR GUNS what you are, it’s almost a mature continuation of The Hope Division, how was the writing different this time around?
Plain and simple. We had more time. With The Hope Division we had just had Chris (WALLS OF JERICHO) join the band and really had to rush to out the record together. We are very proud and honestly pretty amazed at how it came out. With Diamond, we were able to breathe and actually put more of an effort into. To think about things and make decisions based off of what we thought instead a time constraint.

Are any of the issues addressed on Diamond actually fueled by personal experiences?
‘Such Pain’. The whole is a personal experience, it’s a song I’m singing to myself. I made an amazing and self awakening discovery. I am the source of all my pain. There are no external enemies, I am the enemy. Once I realized that, I was able to adjust and I’m now training my brain to hold no judgement and not to blame. An inward revolution of sorts.

‘The Bond’ is about all the people in my life and in STYG’s career who have actually stayed with us the entire time. They know who they are.

Honestly, every song. But I won’t get into everyone. Some are personal.

One of the biggest and most notable changes are the vocals. At times you almost have a Scott Vogel type of fury in your voice but then turn around and the cleans are extremely harmonious and original, which is something the music scene has been missing. Bands like EVERGREEN TERRACE never got the full credit they deserved for what they did. Was this an intentional change?
Haha I didn’t really know. I have heard that alot though. I think that that just proves I’m a guy who sings, not a singer. I’m not consistent. I don’t know, maybe I’m just still growing. The screaming I could see just because on this record I want everyone to know that I’m furiously intentional with every word I have written. With the singing maybe I got better? Maybe worse? Who knows.

The use of Jiddu Krishnamurti has become an important and integral part of the last two records, how did you come across this man and his thought provoking words?
YouTube. Some how stumbled across him. My life has never been the same.

With this record, what is the band hoping to achieve?
Nothing. Everything is a journey and we don’t want to be concerned with a destination or achievement. Really I guess you could say we just want to inspire positive thought and inspire positive action.

The addition of Josh James (EVERGREEN TERRACE, CASEY JONES) is a match made in heaven. He not only understands the STYG vision, but is a perfect musical fit. How did this union come to fruition and what is it like being, basically, a Straight Edge band now?
Haha it makes it easier having someone else as fucked in the head as us. He’s a great dude and we love him very much.

What are the bands future touring plans for the rest of 2012?
Anywhere and everywhere. Up next Europe with EVERGREEN TERRACE and then the ALL STARS TOUR.

On tour, what are a few of the most important things you cannot live without?
iPad. iPod. iPhone.

If you could assemble a ‘Dream Tour’ with current bands, who would be on the line-up?
TERROR. That’s it.

If you haven’t already picked up Diamond, now is the time. And as always, be sure to catch STICK TO YOUR GUNS on the road and support them and any of the other bands you get the privilege of seeing live.

If you need any further convincing, read our review here:

http://lmpmagazine.com/2012/03/28/music-stick-to-your-guns-diamond-review/

01.16.12
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[Feature]: Crafter of CONFESSION talks about new record and touring

>>INTERVIEW WITH CRAFTER (VOCALS) OF CONFESSION
BY NATHANIEL LAY

How does it feel to have your new album be the first Lifeforce release of 2012?
It’s good to have Lifeforce in Europe. It’s going to help us get to new people. We are working with three amazing labels, so we couldn’t be happier.

Why the title “The Long Way Home”?
It’s based around life choices, traveling, touring, etc. It’s the feeling of missing home, missing your friends and family.

Are there any themes, ideas, or stories carried throughout this new album?
Just life’s experience in general. The things we do, the ways we act, and the choices we make. Some of my former friends took drugs and changed. Some friends got in bands and traveled the world, some had families etc. That’s life. Things change every day. We take it as it comes, and we make our own paths some for good some for bad.

How does the music of this record compare to your first full length a couple years back?
We try to keep the same formula. Heavy and melodic. I don’t think we changed much other than the speed of the songs. We just made shit more intense.

How would you describe the sound of Confession?
Mosh and roll? (Hahahah) Stole that from Bury Your Dead. We are dudes influenced by loads of rock and punk and also metal and metalcore. So we are just a mix of mosh, fast parts, melodic riffs, etc.

What bands influence you guys the most?
My friends I think. Parkway Drive, Bury Your Dead, tgi. I could make older bands, but I think in general we just loves our friends’ bands, there ability to write sick songs, and it inspires us to write better stuff.

From past tours, what are some of your most memorable stories from the road? Funniest?
Anything with Parkway. Touring with ya best mates is what touring is about. Everyone is stupid and fun. Big shows but still with the hardcore attitude. No rockstar bullshit.

Tell us about the tour you have coming up in April.
It’s three bands who we are mates with and playing huge shows. Tgi and Parkway are so huge there now. So I think it’ll we sick. This is our biggest tour for the year no doubt.

What would you like to announce to your fans reading this?
Just have fun doing a band. When it’s fun, you write better, play better, and the vibe is better. Don’t let bullshit get in the way. Come check us out and the new CD. Life is about doing what makes you happy. Don’t live in a ditch and hate what you do, the company you keep and the place you are. Do what you can to change it and be happy for yourself. Keep moshingggggggg!

12.10.11
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Featured Music Interview: FAKE FIGURES talk debut EP

Interview w/ Guitarist Travis Miguel, by Nathaniel Lay

1. You guys come from several different bands and sections of the music industry. How did you come to forming Fake Figures together?
- We all know each other through our mutual circles of friends. I’ve known Bob Bradley (Bass) for a number of years through his time in Scars of Tomorrow. He approached me to start this project and I jumped at the chance. We have pretty similar tastes in music. I’ve known Justin Pointer (drums) since I was 17. We’ve played in various different bands together when we were younger. When we were looking for a vocalist we wanted someone who sounded like “the guy from Hotwire”. So we figured “Fuck it, let’s just ask him if he wants to be involved”. Rus liked what we were doing so he jumped on board. We were initially going to be a 4 piece, but the songs ended up becoming much more layered guitar-wise and there’s no way I’d be able to pull it all off by myself in a live situation, so we got a hold of Heather Baker, whom Justin and I have known for years.

2. How have your positions in the industry influenced the way you approach this band and its movements?
- We’re all seasoned vets in some shape or form. The music industry is a very strange place, especially nowadays. It’s constantly changing and shifting. Our experience has only helped us. There’s no set “right” way to do things, but there are definitely “wrong” ways to do things.

3. How did you come about getting the artwork done for Hail the Sycophants? Did you guys provide the design idea or did you have the artist create what he wanted?
- We didn’t have any set concept for the artwork, but we did want something a little vague. Ruben Martinez nailed it on the first go-around. None of us 2nd guessed it, which, if you’ve ever spent time in a band, very rarely happens.

4. Why the title Hail the Sycophants?
- You’d have to ask Rus about that. He’s a weird dude…and I mean that in the best way. Our rapport within the band is usually stupid low brow humor, but every once in a while, Rus will blind side us with some trippy but insightful info on astro physics or something like that. A “sycophant” is basically a self seeking flatterer or a parasite so make of it what you will.

5. Which track is your favorite and why? Which is the most fun to play live and why?
- Depends on the time of day and how much I’ve had to drink…..applicable to both questions.

6. When recording this album, which songs were hardest and which were easiest?
- We had a pretty easy go of it. There weren’t any time contraints or deadlines so we worked at our own pace. The only thing I had a hard time with, and I’ve done this with everything I’ve ever recorded, is 2nd guessing myself. I constantly torture myself with the whole, “can this be better?” At a certain point, you just have to let go and let it be whatever it’s gonna be.

7. How was the studio time for this EP?
- It was very relaxed in the studio. We recorded it at Pete Charell’s Dexter Dog Studios in Orange County, CA. He has 2 English bulldogs that made the experience magical.

8. Have you begun writing for the LP?
- We have. We’re bouncing ideas and riffs off each other.

9. How would you describe the sound of Fake Figures?
- We sound like Freddie Mercury riding a pegasus into the sunset….fucking glorious.

10. Any upcoming tour plans or special announcements you’d like to note?
- Hail the Sycophants EP is out now! Makes a great stocking stuffer!

08.09.11
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[MUSIC] Attack Attack! [INTERVIEW]

Short ‘n’ Sweet
An interview with ATTACK ATTACK!
by Jon Hole

Ahhh yes. Summer. Heat. Humidity. Scantily clad women. Warped Tour. As is done every year, Warped Tour 2011 is rolling around the US and laying waste to whatever city it decides to rest in. This years line up is extremely strong with bands that have been blowing up. MISS MAY I. ASKING ALEXANDRIA. ENTER SHIKARI. Bands that are extremely heavy. WINDS OF PLAGUE. THE ACACIA STRAIN. And pretty much everything in between. For i believe the fourth year in a row, Rise Records ATTACK ATTACK! have been wowing crowds and doing their thing. With a freshly released Deluxe Edition of their 2010 self titled record, featuring 8 bonus tracks, under their belt, AA! once again proves why they are one of the scenes best. If you still havent picked up their re-issue or seen them live, now is the time to do so.

First off, let me just say the re-issue is fantastic. Who am I ‘speaking’ with and what is your role in the band?

My name is Wetzel and I play drums in the band.

How has the response to the newer material on the re-issue?

The response has been fantastic to all of our new material. Very exciting!

It sounds like you guys were experimenting with different sounds on the 4 newer tracks…

That is correct.

How do you feel these songs represent the current state of mind within the band?

These songs definitely reflect the gradual change in our musical taste and the evolution of our writing capabilities. We really wanted to experiment with a more “rock” sound on these songs because it’s a genre we haven’t really touched yet.

How has Warped Tour 2011 been compared to previous ones?

It’s been fantastic. Crowds have been gigantic, the response of our new material has been absolutely awesome, and we’ve been having a total ball just hanging out and jamming on Main Stage.

What are Attack Attack!’s plans for the rest of the year?

We’re going to hit the studio and write/record until we can’t possibly put musical notes together any more. Then we’re going to head back out on the road and show case what we’ve come up with!

One last question, if you could put together a ‘dream’ tour of current bands, who would be on it?

Panic at the Disco, Muse, and Linkin Park.

Thanks for taking time out to answer these questions.

No problem.

07.14.11
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[INTERVIEW] Set Your Goals @ Warped Tour 2011

SET YOUR GOALS Interview
By Tim Dodderidge

While at Warped Tour, I got the privilege to meet two of the members of hardcore punk band Set Your Goals, guitarist Junior Flores and drummer Mike Ambrose. We talked about things from the tour to their new record, Burning At Both Ends, to even the beaches of San Francisco.

How’s life in San Francisco? I’ve always wanted to go there.

Mike Ambrose (drums): It’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of good music and Giants games and stuff.

Junior Flores (guitar): It’s great. Except for the beaches. They kinda suck.

Are you enjoying the tour thus far? Have you become friends with any new bands?

MA: The tour’s been awesome. It’s weird, I think we’ve known less bands on this year’s Warped than the others we’ve done. I think all across the board, the bands are having more fun than any of the other years. We’ve been hanging with The Wonder Years, Every Avenue, August Burns Red, some of the A Day To Remember dudes.[Soft Break]JF: It’s been good.

How many tours have you done?

MA: This is our fourth one.[Soft Break]JF: Yeah, we’re on a routine already so we know what to expect.

MA: We’ve been packing in as many activities as we can- playing catch, going to waterparks. Trying to get some golf days going.

JF: Ride the golf carts (laughs).

How did you get your start as a band and how did you meet up?

MA: We all met just going to shows. We went to Gillman like every weekend and knew like a bunch of the same people. Jordan, Matt, and myself just wanted to do kind of a more fun outlet-style band that there wasn’t a lot of in the Bay area at the time. And it just picked up pretty quick and to all of our surprises, we were just like wow. We all wanted to tour. That was our dream, and this band kind of allowed us to do that and as soon as we had something recorded we just hit the road and played wherever we could, slept wherever we could. We picked up Junior along the way. He came in like 2005 or 2006. We met him on our first tour that we did, as he played for a band called Make Move from L.A. and he was playing guitar at the time. So we just stayed in touch and we had an opening for a guitar player and he was a really good fit, and he’s been in the band ever since.[Soft Break]JF: And it just snowballed from there (laughs).

I just picked up your new album Burning At Both Ends. So what did you do differently with this album that you didn’t do with your previous ones?

MA: We showed up to the studio with very little of it written. Haha, no. I think the two main different approaches this time were that we lived in the studio and were able to record and revise so we could play music 24 hours a day (we were there for like 7 weeks). So we had like 4 or 5 versions of every song. And the vocals and melodies were just as important as the guitar parts this time around. Before we had a lot of the lyrics finalized, they would read a book and just put in random words to the melody ideas that they had. We played a lot around with vocal melodies earlier on in the songwriting process but it…[Soft Break]JF: …usually just flowed together. That’s the only way the producer would let us record stuff. It was definitely different, but he just pushed us until we got done and got what we needed to get done, before he even started tracking drums or guitar or anything.

MA: There were a lot of revisions; the songwriting process was pretty grueling. But we’re stoked on it at the end.

You had a song featuring Hayley Williams on vocals on your last album. How did this end up happening?

MA: We paid her a million dollars (laughs). Actually, we’d done tours with New Found Glory and Chad had been dating her. We had toured with Paramore and were cool friends and just stayed in touch. We had a lot of guest vocals on that record and none of them were really planned, like, as the song developed we found a part for this person or we thought would be cool for that person. It was just a lot of that.

JF: Her and Chad were just hanging out at the studio one night and we were just like, “Hey, you want to rap this part?” And she said sure.

MA: It was just like that. It wasn’t some thought-out ordeal. We got all of our friends on there and she just killed it. We thought it was awesome.

What led you guys to having two lead vocalists?

MA: That wasn’t really like a conscious, planned-out thing. In the beginning when we just started, Jordan was going to play guitar and we had our friends Matt and Justin who were going to sing and Justin wasn’t able to do it and Jordan was like “I’ll just sing.” Jordan and I did a lot of the writing in the beginning stages. We’d bounce a lot of ideas off each other. Like one day he was the guitar player and the next he was a singer and when we went in to record he just sang and played all the guitars on the record. So when we started playing live he was just going to sing. It just sort of fell into place and we just ran with it and we discovered there were a lot of fun ways to play with two vocal melodies with two lead singers rather than just one.

Besides having two lead vocalists, what differentiates Set Your Goals from other pop/hardcore punk bands?

JF: Lyrics. I think lyrics have been a big part of the band. Just because growing up in the hardcore scene, at least to all of us, was like, well, it could have a great and catchy tune but if the lyrics suck it has no meaning to it. So I guess that’s kind of the only difference.

MA: And there’s a lot of us jumping around on stage. We’re all trying to have a good time.

What were you hoping to accomplish with your new album, Burning At Both Ends?

JF: Take over the world (laughs).

MA: We just wanted to have fun songs that translated well live and that were fun for us to play. So not overly though-out songs, not songs over five minutes long. Just fun songs with catchy choruses, but we still stuck to our sound.

JF: Most bands think ahead, like this record we’ll do this or that. But with us, we never think about it and just get new songs going to where we were bored playing the old ones. Hopefully it will takes us to a new level where we can keep doing this for a long time.

What’s your favorite track off the new record and why?

MA: From performance perspective, I’d say “The Last American Virgin.” I just have a lot of fun playing it. It’s really cool, but that’s just because it’s a good drum song, so it’s just from my instrument’s perspective. What was that one song? (thinks)

JF: “Unconditional”.

MA: Like I said, we all had four or five versions of every song. So for the real song titles, it just takes us a few months to learn the actual names. We all had some dumb names for them too.

JF: Yeah, like Raphael Bebop, Leonardo (laughs).

MA: We had like 40 songs so we had all of these dumb names for them. Like version one, version two, and so on.

Who are your biggest influences, aside from CIV, who basically gave you guys your name?

MA: Oh, there’s so many.

JF: We all listen to everything. Like, I listen to a lot of hip-hop and pop, hardcore, some of us listen to a lot of metal.

MA: Dan’s really hardcore with metal.

JF: Like black metal (laughs). But it all blends in somehow.

MA: Saves The Day- huge influence. As a drummer, I can go on for days. Just our friends who we tour with and have been here before us. New Found Glory…we look up to them.

JF: Saves The Day. That tour was awesome for us.

MA: I think they’re the ones that keep us on the road. And the fans too. We get to see kids come out to party to songs that we write in a garage.

Your band name is Set Your Goals. What are your goals for the future?

MA: We want to make more records and keep touring. It’d be awesome to keep doing it because it really is a dream come true. It’s a very changing landscape out there. The music industry is a very bumpy ride. You never know the next corner. We do what works for us and what we enjoy doing and we hope that kids keep coming out to see us.

JF: What works for us is breaking down every tour and somehow make it through (laughs). Just to play music, that’s our goal.

MA: We love touring. Just to travel the world. It’s just great.

06.14.11
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[INTERVIEW] Face To Face w/ Trever Keith

LOOKING BACK AND LAUGHING
Interview with Trever Keith (Guitar/Vocals)

By Bubbs Harris

I can’t hide my happiness that FACE TO FACE have reformed, put out a new album, and are back out on the road. Hell, just the idea of getting my hands on a new FtF record was enough to have me smiling ear to ear, but lo and behold, they would be coming through my town (Pensacola, FL) on their “Laugh Now, Laugh Later” (also the name of the new record) tour, with STRUNG OUT, BLITZKID and THE DARLINGS for what would be one of the finest nights of punk rock I have ever experienced. The only person more excited than me was my wonderful wife, Sara, whom is the biggest FACE TO FACE fan I know. (Trust me. I’ve been with this woman for seven years, and the only album I’ve ever known her to buy was the FtF self titled album to replace the one that had been worn to a nub). To make things even cooler, Sara and I would be sitting down with founder and one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet, Trever Keith, for a quick interview, aboard the very tour bus that was carting our heroes across the country, to talk about reforming, the new record and being back out after a long absence. I won’t spend any more time telling you how stoked Sara and I were to be able to do this, as the memory alone might bring a tear to my eye, so on with the interview.

I’m so glad to see FACE TO FACE back together. For a long time after the band split, you expressed zero interest in putting it back together. Why the change of heart?

Someone offered us bricks of gold. (laughs) When the band broke up, Scott (Shiflett) and I, in particular, wanted to explore new things musically, and after our Ignorance is Bliss debacle, we knew that incorporating that stuff into the framework of FACE TO FACE wouldn’t work, so we decided that it would be best to leave FtF behind and work on new ideas and projects. The truth is, after we had the opportunity to go make different records or try different things, we realized that there was this hole that could not be filled unless by FACE TO FACE. So, after about four or five years of the band being broken up, we really started missing it. I asked Scott if there was any reason why we shouldn’t be playing music together. He said “No way, dude. Let‘s go for it”, and here we are now. We started taking baby steps here and there with a show or festival here and there and it all kind of snowballed, as these things often do, but that’s great, because this is what we are all best known for and there is no reason to put that aside.

Aside from personal satisfaction, how much did the fans weigh on your decision. FACE TO FACE fans are very loyal and connect personally to the music. I know I do.

Yeah. That was a huge part of it. Obviously, if there wasn’t some demand for this band, it would be a lot harder to do something like this and put it all together. But because the fans wanted to see us get back together so badly, it made it a lot easier to put it together and get back out there. We owe a lot to our fans. They have treated us well.

I remember seeing the documentary where you talked about kids telling you they would have maybe killed themselves had they not listened to the self titled album, or Don’t Turn Away. Do you still get those that come to you and tell you how FtF’s music has impacted their life more than just musically?

Things like that, yeah. Maybe not that exactly, but close.

That has to be pretty heavy to hear.

It’s almost so heavy that it doesn’t really register. I mean, when I was writing the lyrics to all of those songs I’ve written, I never thought it would be much more than exercising my own personal demons, or what have you, but it’s really gratifying to know that they may have helped someone in a positive way.

From what I’ve read from interviews with you, I can tell that you are sort of your own worst critic. How do you fell Laugh Now, Laugh Later stacks up to some of the older releases? Personally, I think it is a very mature record that is more about solid songwriting than balls out speed or following some predetermined program for punk rock.

It’s hard for me to look at it in that way. I try not to compare it to any of the older material. Think about it. The first record was released in what, 1992, or something like that. I’m a whole different person now. We all are. In spite of being younger back then, I also had a different perspective on life. I didn’t have kids then or any of the things I am used to now. Things were just different, in terms of writing songs, then as they are now. What we did with Laugh Now, Laugh Later was kind of tap into a “signature sound”, which was familiar, but at the same time not retread any all too familiar territory. But I think that, after any band makes more than a few records, you then get faced with the question of “How can I make things fresh and original, without rehashing the same old shit over and over again?” After the self title record, that was sort of on our minds, and we started to trail away from what we were best at. With the new album, we didn’t really think about it at all. We just wanted to make the music that was inside of us at that point in time, so that‘s what we did.

Had you been sitting on some of the new songs for a while, or did it all come to you once the band was back together?

Some of the music was, but that’s about it. Once we started playing together again and putting stuff together, the lyrics came (snapping fingers) like that. I actually pushed that a bit, even right up to recording. I felt sort of like a seventh grader having to cram for a book report or something. I even wrote a lot of the lyrics in the studio, but I made sure that I didn’t rush things too much. Normally, I have a process that I like to go through, and I want to make sure that my lyrics mean something to me and might resonate well with the listener, and they might understand where the words came from. We didn’t have the time to do that once we got rolling on all of this, so I was working at a pretty breakneck speed, but nothing is half-assed. What I did do differently on this album, which I have never done before on a record, was jaunt down different song titles, then would put them with the music we were writing and then let that set the tone for the lyrics to follow. I’ve never done that, before.

What’s the story behind the title of the new album?

We didn’t come up with that, actually. Our friend Corey Miller, who did the artwork, came up with that. We were working on themes and things for songs and the art, and her was actually drawing pictures as I was writing lyrics. We would kind of show each other what we were doing and it was cool, because it was sort of like two people’s visions working in together. It was cool. Anyway, we were talking about possible titles and he randomly threw out Laugh Now, Laugh Later. It immediately felt right to me. I thought it was the perfect concept for this record. It’s kind of based on the old school cholo tattoos, with the saying “Laugh Now, Cry Later” on them, which basically means you‘re going to reap what you sow. I thought that was fitting for us as a band, because we were sort of allowed this reprieve by the fans and by the public to have been able to go and done what we’ve done and come back, and still be welcomed with open arms. So it’s kind of like laugh now, …laugh later. We can take a step back and appreciate it more. The general attitude of the band is that we are just trying to take this all in stride and enjoy the fact that this is something we can experience. We are very fortunate.

Well, you’ve already done “The Only Goodbye Tour”. So, if the band breaks up again, I suppose you can’t do that again.

(Laughs) Yeah, can’t do anymore farewell tours. We’re not KISS.