Stick to Your Guns Interview - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

Stick to Your Guns, originally from Orange County, is a band with a very big following. Composed of five guys with big hearts, they stand apart in the hardcore scene with what's been dubbed a melodic twist to their music, and meaningful lyrics. With aggressive vocalist Jesse Barnett heading the band, he's known for getting right into the crowd. From the very beginning, before they were even signed, they were pulling huge crowds to their shows, and nothing has changed since then. Except maybe drawing even bigger crowds. I had the opportunity to talk with Jesse Barnett [lead vocalist] and Josh James [guitar, backing vocals] about where they came from and where they're going, among other things. The only thing you're missing if you read this is how many times Jesse laughs, because I just didn't have the courage to edit that in so many times. He laughs as much as I do, which is awesome.

***

Photo by Up Late Reviews

What was it like for you in forming the band?

Jesse: Band started in 2003 and I'm the only remaining original member who's been here all 10 years. I get a lot of questions, and a lot of people ask me what it takes to "make it." But that was never the goal of the band and so there were struggles, but I didn't look at them like that as they were happening. It was just what comes along with being in a band, or anything really. If there's something that you want to do, most of the time if it's easy, in my case, I feel like it's not really worth doing. You gotta go out on tour, run out of gas, have no money to eat, sleep on floors, shit like that. It's not really a lifestyle that would be ideal for most people, but we can feed ourselves
and put gas in our tank now, but most of the time,
we're still sleeping on floors. We have bunks now, but I love it.
I love doing it. If you love doing it, it won't really matter. You'll find a way to make it work.

Do you feel like the obstacles you've overcome have made you stronger as a person and as a band? How so?

Oh for sure, but I feel the same way about life. There was a lot of learning. That alone takes a while, and the only way you really learn is by making mistakes and kind of fucking things up a bit which we've done plenty of. We have Josh and he was in other bands, and our other guitar player Chris has been in other bands, so we bring these guys in, and they go, "Well, that's a good idea, but we did that before with our other bands and it didn't pan out so well." So they're able to bring that to the table...their experiences and stuff like that. Bringing these seasoned veterans in, bring them in and have them kinda show us the ropes on things we weren't really familiar with.

Where did your name come from? How did you come up with it originally?

We got a t-shirt at goodwill. I was there with my friend Matt. He actually came up with the name and we thought it would be funny. It kind of just stuck. It had nothing to do with the current issues going on with gun control and stuff like that.

Oh, but I'm sure they can come up with a way to blame that on you.

Yeah! Every time we're at a gas station or something and someone's like "Hey, what's the name of your band?" [southern accent included] and I'm like... "Uh, Stick to Your Guns." and they're like, "Hell yeah!" And we're just like, "Oh, no, it has nothing to do with that."

So, you have a lot of redneck fans, then? [not intended in a derogatory sense]

I mean, maybe. We have a little bit of everybody.

You know, the name sounds a bit conservative, which is not anyone in the band, but whatever. I don't give a shit.

Awesome. I'll quote you on that. 

So, what's your inspiration that keeps you going and keeps you writing new stuff?

Honestly, I just think just existing. Life.

I have two different lives. I have touring life and when I try to adapt to regular life. Whenever I'm off the road. So both of those things really influence me because whenever I'm on tour, that's when I'm having adventures, seeing the world, experiencing cultures in ways that you can only experience by travelling the way we travel. And whenever I'm home, that's when I try to have friendships and relationships and I understand the struggle of that.

A lot of people would like to be in the position that I'm in. Because sometimes I can take it for granted, like fuck, I don't want to do this right now! Like me personally, I don't like flying. It scares me a little bit. Not as much as it used to - I used to be terrified. Now I just get a little nervous. It's hard to complain to my girlfriend like, "Oh no, now I have to get on a plane and go to Amsterdam and travel all over Europe." and "Oh, how much did it cost you?" Nothing.

You can never complain to a girlfriend about touring.

Chris' favorite is that he has to complain to his girlfriend about going to Italy. "We're in Rome today. We're in Italy. Dammit." and she's like, "You're a dick!"  or "We have to go to Japan! It's the worst. This is the worst life." So sometimes I have to remind myself that I could throw a rock and hit somebody who would want to switch places with me. Like when they're driving on the road on their way to work and I'm on the same freeway going to the airport getting ready to fly somewhere fucking awesome. And I don't think there's anyone I could throw a rock at that I would hit that I would want to switch places with.

Where are you guys going from here? Any specific goals?

I think we have goals, but I think the way our success has been progressively, we try to just do what it that we do and things will come. We like to strive for things, but Warped Tour - I don't think that was the goal. It was just one of those things that happened and we were like, "Fuck. Yes." you know what I mean? When I start worrying about that kind of shit, the pressure, I fuck it up. I start things they aren't. We set goals for ourselves in small increments so they are more attainable to us and we put all of our energy and our focus on that. Like when we decided that hey, we really want to be on Warped Tour, that's what we started focusing on. And then we got the offer to be on the tour. So for us, I think we aren't one of those bands that's like okay, we're going to be the best and have 50k people here next week and sell a billion records. We're not thinking about that. We're thinking about how to maintain and slowly progress. That's the way we like to do it. Just be you and do what you do.

And I think a lot of the time good things come with that type of attitude as opposed to desperation.

Absolutely. Because you see bands sometimes and they to be sort of pathetic. You know what I mean? Willing to sell themselves to get "that thing." You know, fuck it if you don't get that. They rate their success on a certain tour, or how much money they make on merch.

When I was younger, I called bands sellouts but I didn't really understand what that is. I think I have a grasp on it now. If a band gets paid a lot of money, but they got there through hard work and stuff like that, it's different. But if a band is willing to just be like, "Oh sure, yeah, we'll put a swastika on our bus if the fuckin' Nazis are going to pay us a million dollars." There's just certain people who will sell their soul and say anything, do anything, just as long as they can get to the next step. And I feel like that's where it is.

I feel like when it comes to selling out, it's that, but it's whenever they don't admit it. The bands that we'll tour with, they'll be like, "Yeah, we'll change our style. We don't care." And I'm like, alright, I respect that, because that's what they're going to do. They're looking at it from a money aspect and there's nothing wrong with that. But bands and people who are like little liars and little creeps about it, like, "No way man, we're still DIY and all behind the scenes!" and they're freaking out and doing all of this shit to make themselves, but denying it, and that's where it's a problem.

If you could collaborate with any musician/band, dead or alive, who would it be?

This is a hard question, because we just recently collaborated with The Story So Far, and that was awesome, because I love that band. They set it off live, they're wild and crazy. So that was cool. But that's my answer for now, cause I could probably go on and say a whole big thing about that, but I just won't. [laughs]

And I feel like you guys fit really well together.

Photo by Up Late Reviews

Yeah! Being that the styles are very different, but they still complement each other.

Have you heard Kanye West's new album?

Jesse: No, but I want to.

Josh: I heard somebody talking about it the other day, but no, I'm not really familiar with him.

Jesse: I like a lot of his stuff. Like all of the reasons people "hate" him, I don't care about. Oh, he's cocky, I don't care about that. So what. He's a major pop star, of course he's cocky. It's almost like the cockiness and the attitude is why I like him. Fuck yeah, dude. Fuck everybody. He's just doing his thing. But I haven't heard it yet.

Yeah, he broke the internet with the leak. That didn't happen by accident, you know?

Seeing where he is... seeing how famous he is, I don't feel like he can't be an idiot, at least not a full moron. You can be scummy. Any person who is like a billionaire or even a millionaire, you've had to fuck over at least one person. You had to just completely ruin somebody. Even if you're poor, you've usually fucked over a person. So if you're rich, for sure you've fucked over someone.

Please support me by liking my page on Facebook for regular updates!

Warped Tour 2013 - Pomona Day 1 - Live Set Reviews - 6/20/2013

Day 1 at Pomona Fairplex was a crazy one. I arrived quite early in the morning in order to get a good start on the press check-in line and take all the opportunities I could for interviews as well as fitting in sets from bands that I've grown quite fond of. Warped Tour has really only kicked off for the summer, so all of the bands still seem to have a full energy bar for their hot summer day sets.

Architects, The Swellers, and For the Foxes were all bands I really wanted to see, and they were all playing at the exact same time or within minutes of each other, so I literally had to run between stages (none of the three were playing close to one another) in order to catch part of each of their sets. Not only that, but their set times all started within minutes of "open doors" for the day, right after 11:00 AM.

ARCHITECTS

WT Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

Starting off with Architects on the Monster Energy Stage, as I entered the fairgrounds, I was able to catch a few strong songs. Architects is one of the few, rare bands in the metalcore genre that I enjoy listening to on a regular basis, as well as thoroughly enjoyed seeing for the first time this year at Warped Tour. Sometimes as music listeners, we're looking for the ones with a more clean-cut sound, and smooth melodies, but sometimes we're just desiring something with those downright dirty melodies, and Architects delivers. I don't seem to be alone in my love for the distinctness with which they scream.

THE SWELLERS

The Swellers are definitely a unique one on Warped Tour this year, if only because they've got some "oldschool Warped Tour" elements to their music, taking one back to years ago when there were a lot more punk style bands. Having been a band for over 10 years, The Swellers knew what they were doing on stage, and how to put on a stellar live show. As the set ended with fan favorite "Best I Ever Had," I was briefly reminded of how I used to listen to The Ataris and The Swellers on playlists together and how similar they are musically. It was definitely a high-energy set with a promise that Warped Tour and the entire summer would be fun and carefree.

FOR THE FOXES

First time seeing For the Foxes live and I was not disappointed. If you overheard me calling them "the cute band on Warped Tour," it wasn't their looks I was referring to, but their indie pop sound, different than the metal and hardcore scene overtaking the tour this year. Their lively, upbeat songs were a great way to start the day, although I wouldn't have minded hearing them a bit later in the day as a palate cleanser between all of the hardcore bands! It was quite pleasant to see how many fans they had, not only at their stage, but totally immersed in the music. It's quite normal that the first few bands playing in the morning don't see many fans, or if they do, they don't get as into the music as they did!

WT Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

SILVERSTEIN

Silverstein has been around for a while, so it seems most of the fans they draw to their stages are those who've been in it for the long haul. If they're tired of playing concerts, after so many years, countries, and venues, it certainly doesn't show. Playing an especially long set list, they capture the audience with fan favorites like "My Heroine" and "Smile in Your Sleep." The passion that they still hold for their music is obvious, and the fact that they feel blessed to be playing each and every stage is too.

The Material @ Warped Tour Pomona, photo by Grant Trimboli (IG)

THE MATERIAL

It was very awesome to see my buddies The Material playing The Ernie Ball Stage at Warped Tour! I just saw them headline House of Blues Sunset a couple of months ago. Recognizing the big steps they've been taking, were friends and fans who knew all the lyrics to their songs. Singer Colleen Moreaux was all decked out, taking the stage by storm with her energy, vocal strength, and just being plain ol' beautiful. Getting the crowd singing along, clapping, and swaying to the music, it was obvious that Colleen and the band feed off the positive energy coming from their fans, and this made them even stronger in their performance. Female fronted bands aren't always well known for getting a lot of attention at Warped Tour, but Colleen's raspy, strong voice was perfect to catch the attention of the early afternoon, wandering concert-goers.

GO RADIO

Go Radio was a personal favorite of the day. The Florida band has gained a lot of attention over the last couple of years, being that they're a newer band. It was great to see how many fans they attracted to their stage, not only while they were playing, but before they even started, which is usually a sign that the band is either famous, really good, or both. And in this case, "both" was certainly correct. Go Radio always sounds good on record, but seeing them perform live proved that they truly are talented musicians with stellar stage presence and incredible vocals and instrumental harmony, because they sounded just as good as they do on their albums.

ALLSTAR WEEKEND

WT Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

It's sad to say that after Warped Tour is over, Allstar Weekend will be on an indefinite hiatus. It was great to see that they had as big of a following as always. They're definitely well known, be it from their Radio Disney hits, songs being featured on the silver screen, or just by their past tours with other popular bands in their genre. Whether the fans already knew this might be the last time they see the guys or not, they sure got fired up for the pop quartet. With a diverse set list to try to send them on a proper farewell, "Nor Your Birthday" and "Clock Runs Out" were especially appreciated by fans, being songs which have been around for a little while. They're certainly different from many of the bands on the Radio Disney line-up, reminding fans all around that the radio still does have some quality artists featured on it!

LETLIVE.

letlive. is another one of those bands that has seemed to be flaring up on everyone's radar a little more recently. They've been around for quite a while, being from LA, so it was pretty cool seeing them play a Warped Tour stage in their home state. Many of the fans surrounding their stage seemed to be long-time fans, probably ones who had seen them years before, stuffed into different small venues as they played sets just as good as the high-energy one they played on the big Warped stage. Being that they're just about to release a new album, this was the perfect opportunity for them to get fans excited, and that they did.

AUGUST BURNS RED

   

WT Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

August Burns Red has always been a fan favorite at big shows, such as Warped Tour. Besides the fact that they've got an aggressive screamer who actually has legible lyrics, the band has some extremely talented musicians who can play melodies like very few hardcore or metalcore bands I've heard. The genuine passion (a word I seem to use often, but only in my writing that has to do with music) from Jake Luhrs is palpable when he sings. Having been around for ten years now, they've built quite the fan base, and seeing them live only reiterated the thought that it's definitely for their talent and not just for the popular appeal.

MAN OVERBOARD

Man Overboard was great to see again, having just seen them late last year, but it's clear that fans all around are happy to see them, no matter how many times they've seen them play before. Although many of their songs are full of somewhat frustrated (but still meaningful) lyrics, they always manage to have a positive sense in their performances, singing the sad lyrics in an almost playful way sometimes. They took the stage with such energy and enthusiasm, playing favorites like "Where I Left You", "Atlas", and "Something Weird." While everyone might not agree with them being labeled pop punk most frequently, they put on a hell of a show, getting the crowd jumping and excited. As strange as it is to say, Man Overboard almost has a family friendly vibe. Not in that they have a childish sound or lyrics, but they just seem so wholesome, like no parent would walk into the room and yell at their kid for playing their music.

HANDS LIKE HOUSES

Warped Tour Pomona, photo by Talia Farber

Hands Like Houses was a pleasure to see for the first time, with much of the audience likely not knowing what to expect, and the other half seeming to be long-time fans and knew all of the lyrics, singing along passionately. HLH has a unique sound; besides being from Australia and having the edge of being from another continent, their meaningful lyrics, melodic, speedy guitar playing, and soulful singing make them a fan favorite at Warped Tour. They played a diverse set, including a few personal favorites "Antarctica", "Don't Look now, I'm Being Followed", and "Lion Skin."

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS

Hawthorne Heights definitely took me back to nearly ten years ago, when I first heard them. They played a really great set, with fan favorites like Diamond Eyes, Niki F.M., and Ohio is for Lovers. Loyal fans sang along so loudly, it occurred to me that it would have made for a great live recording. J.T. prefaced a couple of the new songs by telling the crowd he didn't expect the crowd to know the words, but expected them to make noise and get moving, and they sure didn't disappoint him. It was easy to tell that most everyone had been around since the beginning, or at the very least, for many years since the band's origination in 2001.

THE SUMMER SET

Brian Logan Dales & TSS @ WT Pomona. Photo by ULR

The Summer Set has been a band I've loved since the first time I heard them in 2007 and eventually joined their street team, which I was on for quite some time. I only mention this because their set took me way back, playing songs I've been listening to for six years. They started with a few newer songs, and saved possibly the best two songs for last, ending off with "Boomerang," their new hit single, and last but definitely not least, arguably the most popular song off their first album, "Chelsea", which was definitely a crowd favorite. That got everyone in the crowd singing at the top of their lungs. Impressive as always, was Jess pounding on the drums with as much energy as a three year old on a sugar-high!

NEVER SHOUT NEVER

Although I'd never seen them live personally, it wasn't surprising that Never Shout Never drew quite the crowd, which was filled with a majority of younger girls. Cristofer Drew looked quite different than the last time I'd seen him, years ago when he wasn't covered in tattoos and still had a baby face. His words to the crowd and the way he sang made it obvious that he had grown up in other ways, as well. Besides his introduction that involved implying everyone in the crowd smokes marijuana, his set was age appropriate and kept the teens entertained.

MC LARS

MC Lars doing his thing! Photo from Facebook

MC Lars pulled off his usual cool performance to a crowd that was very happy to see him. No matter where he goes, the age of his fans, or the setting, it always seems like Lars has a great lot of people who are stoked for his performances. With his Edgar Allen Poe (and otherwise poetic) influenced laptop rap, he draws quite an intrigue out of people. Those who've never seen him perform will walk away a changed man. [Or woman.]

WE CAME AS ROMANS

We Came as Romans are a funny one, being that they seem to have so many different types of fans. There are the fans who have obviously liked them for a long time and are super into them and there's the fans that have just heard of them and are obsessing over their new found favorite band. Lastly there are the people who are so cool, couldn't be bothered to actually "like" bands, but start looking around and seeing if other people notice them getting into it, headbanging, and starting "pits." One of everyone's favorites seems to be their more recent cover of "Glad You Came" despite the fact that it's not an original. It certainly got the crowd moving!

STICK TO YOUR GUNS

Jesse Barnett @ WT Pomona. Photo by ULR

Stick to Your Guns had a packed stage before they had even started setting up, which was no surprise, especially considering that they're a California band playing not far from Orange County. Getting right into it, vocalist Jesse Barnett jumped up onto the barricade and into the crowd, singing at the top of his lungs as the security guards attempted to hold him in place and keep everyone off of the stage. STYG has some heartfelt, life saving lyrics, in the sense that there are people who really look to this music when they're having trouble in life. It's easy to see how passionate the band is and how meaningful it is to them to share the live experience with their fans.

TONIGHT ALIVE

Photo by Scutterbug Photography

Tonight Alive is a newer band on my playlist, being that they're from Australia and although they have toured with quite a few famous bands, it may have taken a little longer for us US music fans to get ahold of them. I found Jenna McDougall to be quite intriguing. It's always impressive when a band is female fronted, because it take strong female vocals to keep a crowd  interested. And that is exactly what Jenna did in Pomona. Her earthy, versatile voice captivates and emanates, making a show-goer feel like they're at a giant amphitheater instead of outside at a fairgrounds, crushed in a pit of fellow fans going nuts! Now that their music is becoming well known here, it's obvious that they'll be sticking around for a while.

SET IT OFF

Set it Off has come a long way since they started making music together, and this much was made obvious, both by the large crowd they drew, their street team, fans who knew all the lyrics, and last but definitely not least, their sound! Late night bands at Warped Tour either have a very small, sprinkling of tired listeners or have a packed stage, and SIO was definitely the latter. With a set mainly focused on their newer albums, and only @Reply, one of their first singles, they captivated their audience. Vocalist Cody Carson has quite the unique voice, definitely one that has been appreciated by their many fans, old and new.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION

WT Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

The Amity Affliction closed off the night beautifully, playing a perfectly balanced set, including my personal favorite, "Open Letter." as their closer. It's easy to fall in love with this band, not only because of the meaningful lyrics and passionate singing, but their versatility as a band is incredible. They balance perfectly legible screaming, with soulful, melodic vocal skills. They're a band that grows on you, from the first time you hear them, till it's become a musical obsession and you can't stop listening, and it seems that Warped Tour goers were aware of what a special occasion it was to have them playing, because they had a packed stage as they closed out the night.

***

Sadly, I couldn't catch all the sets, as I ran around all day catching sets between interviews, but Lan managed to catch a bunch of sets that I didn't get to see, and I've posted those photos below for you to see as well. Enjoy. All photos below by Scutterbug Photography.

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

BLESS THE FALL

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE

ROBERT JON & THE WRECK

 SLEEPING WITH SIRENS

 THE CHARIOT

***

Please support me by liking my page on Facebook for regular updates!

Check out Scutterbug Photography on Facebook for her awesome concert photography!