Hands Like Houses Interview - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

Hands Like Houses are a very interesting band for many reasons. The fact that they are from Australia, yet still managed to make themselves well-known over here in the States, should be enough to make them stand out, but there's more to it than that. In some circles, they're known by the bands they've played with, such as We Came as Romans, Sleeping with Sirens, and Pierce the Veil. They have so many different fans, those who are into harder music, those who like the softer elements HLH has to offer, and those who have tripped over them merely by accident. It seems like most of the fans they have gathered, however, are very loyal. Their diverse style and sound leaves a lot of room for different listeners to enjoy them.

They were totally awesome and down-to-earth, sweet guys, who I would take the opportunity to talk with again in the heartbeat. You can tell they're really making music because they love it. If you enjoy the interview with Trenton Woodley [vocalist] and Alex Pearson [guitar], please check out their links below and the video of their latest song!

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What has it been like starting off in Australia?

It's certainly been a challenge and a very extensive exercise to get ourselves over here. America bands doing
what we do, would probably be doing very well by now. But we're just kind of breaking even and making things work. Which is good, because it means we're not dipping into our life savings that we've already spent. [laugh]

Coming from Australia and being able to travel all over the world, like we got to go to America and the UK, it's everything we've wanted. It's what you dream of when you decide to join a band.

What have been some difficult moments that you've overcome?

Endless moments. We don't want to get onto that stuff. The positive way outweighs the negative.

Post-interview

Awesome, anything about the positive moments you want to talk about?

Warped Tour. We were just on tour with PTV in the UK, so we got to see the UK. We toured with them here in America as well.

We made a lot of friends everywhere, so it's kind of cool with Warped Tour, we pretty much know someone from everywhere. You don't feel so far from home when you're seeing familiar faces now and then.

It gives you the opportunity to inspire people and do something different. Express your views, not necessarily in a forcing it down people's throats way, but in a more delicate way.

It's a very cool thing to be able to meet new people, experience new things, and go new places, so you can broaden your understanding of the world around you.

Have you had a specific favorite moment?

You always have favorite shows.

Favorite moment recently, last night when we played in San Diego. Everyone just got on stage, and it was awesome. You could feel the vibe. That was one of the best live moments we've had so far. Just finding out that we were on Warped Tour. Getting signed. We've had so many shows and non-specific moments that have happened. The catering today was awesome! [laughs] And it's not raining!

What was it like to go from a lesser known place to touring with huge bands?

You sort of take it in stride. While it's something we have always dreamed of and we get excited by it, you kind of just accept it. We're not taking it for granted, but it's all happened in a way that's so surreal and happened so quickly, we haven't really stopped long enough to think about what we've actually been doing. At the end of the day, because of the difficulties that come with being a band from overseas, we have to keep doing that sort of stuff. We are ambitious in the most optimistic and enjoyable sense. [laughs] We've come a long, every opportunity is better than the the last and we're loving every minute of it.

Are there any woes of touring?


Myself and the drummer are both engaged, and the keyboardist is in a serious relationship, so being away for 5 or 6 months of the year gets really tough. Home cooked meals. Up til this tour with the catering, being able to sit down and eat a meal in a kitchen, around a table. Normal things. Sleeping in a normal bed. The most mundane things about being at home is what you miss on tour. You miss cooking, having a shower for as long as I want instead of having to keep it short because everyone wants to shower. [laughs]


Where did the name of your band come from?

We love good movies. There's this movie called The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry, who guy who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as I recall. He also directed a Foo Fighter's clip a long time ago, and both of which featured a nightmare he had as a kid where he had giant, giant hands. And there was just a conversation in that movie that we thought was really cool, so we did it as a reference to that. As we've moved on, people have kind of added on another meaning. Like safe hands, holding onto the things that mean a lot to you, to keep them safe. Which is something we're all about as well. So it works both ways. It's something that people have attached to it that we've become attached to. People can make their own meaning. We try to make everything we do grow on its own and give it its own character in life.

What is your dream collaboration?

Both: Dave Grohl. I love his mindset. Especially after we watched the Sound City documentary recently. It's just incredible. His mindset and mentality are phenomenal. So having the opportunity to do something with him in a musical sense would be amazing.

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Check out Hands Like Houses on Facebook and Twitter, and get excited for their new album by checking out the video below!

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Photos by Talia Farber.

The Wonder Years Interview - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

Nick Steinborn from The Wonder Years was cool enough to give me some time to talk about his experiences in the band! Although he may not have been there since the very beginning, he's definitely been a crucial part of their growth.

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What has it been like from the beginning, breaking out of the scene in PA?

it was a lot of hard work. I joined towards the end of that whole thing, but I was in bands before that. And really, it's just a lot of really crappy shows, kids who just don't care. But eventually it starts to pick up. It literally took the past 5 years to get anything happening. Just a lot of hard work.

Is there anything specifically you've overcome that has made you a band and stronger person?

There were a couple tours where we were having not really major issues, but we learned how to work together to not piss each other off constantly. I think compared to some other bands, we tend to like each other a lot more. And we can hang out and have a lot of fun. But that alone helps us as a band, because we're not arguing and wanting to kill each other all the time.

Well, that's important!

And how do you feel like you guys are different from the scene you came from?

I don't think we're really that different from the scene. We come from a bunch of bands who work our asses off, try to play as many shows as we can and do as good of job as we can to be relatable and to be good people. I just think we really try to be good people, play good music, and do what we believe in. There's no sugar coating it. We try to be honest. We don't have backing tracks or anything like that. We try to be us on stage.

And I think that's so good, staying true to yourself. And not selling your soul just for a big paycheck.

Sometimes people just grow up and they want to change, and it happens. But there are definitely bans who see another path to take with greener pastures. You cant really fault people for doing that.

Speaking of growing up, how do you feel the newer music is different from your older music?

Well, I joined right after The Upsides came out, so the first record I wrote with the band was Suburbia. I feel like just the inclusion of me was an extra person screwing everything up. I feel like we take a lot more time to piece things together now. Because they wrote The Upsides in like a month and a half. Suburbia we did it in 2 months, but we mapped it all out. This new record we took it to the next level, in like 4 months. Really kind of mapped out everything, including guitar riffs. Just a lot more planning.

What are your goals from here on out?

We really just want to keep doing what we're doing, hope that people keep liking it and supporting us. Play bigger shows, or smaller shows, whatever we have to do. As long as it stays fun, we're going to keep doing it.

Do you have any exciting news on the radar?

Not that I'm allowed to talk about. We'd get in a lot of trouble if we said anything. But we're playing the UK in the fall, with Warped Tour UK.

What has been a favorite city or show along the way?

I really like Seattle, Portland, and Chicago. Seattle and Portland for the cities themselves. Chicago is also a really cool city, we have a lot of awesome friends there. but when it comes to playing shows, Philly is our hometown. it's a lot of fun.

Dream collaboration?

If I could somehow resurrect Blue Album/Pinkerton-era Weezer. I don't know what Rivers Cuomo has been doing since then, but when he was doing that, and Matt Sharp was in the band that would have been awesome to collaborate with the two of them.

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Check out The Wonder Years on Twitter, Facebook, and on their website.

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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.

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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.

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Interview with Chiodos - Vans Warped Tour Pomona 2013

It was awesome to get a few minutes of time from a couple of my favorite Chiodos guys, [because sometimes the guys who aren't the front-men have the most to say] Derrick and Pat, and learn a little more about the place they started and how things came about, now that you can say they're "pretty well-known" ;) (and internationally at that!) The guys were super friendly, fun to talk to, and totally on the same page when it came to answering my questions.

They're on Warped Tour this year, as we learned at the Kickoff party back in March, when Craig played an acoustic set. Be sure to check them out when they come to a city near you! And if by chance you've never heard of them, I'll leave you some informative links below, so you can put them on your "to listen to" list.

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When you started off with the band, what did you imagine for yourselves and where it would take you, compared to where it has?

Chiodos @ WT Pomona, by Scutterbug Photography

Didn't imagine it was going very far. It's definitely a lot different than I imagined. You don't really plan for it to be anything, if it happens, that's great. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I think as a musician, you start off doing it for the love of music, and you're not really looking for any kind of reward from that. It's rewarding enough. The music is... what it is. That's what you reward yourself with, creating something.

What has it been like, touring with different bands, visiting so many countries, and huge tours?

After a while it blurs together, touring with a bunch of different bands; you become good friends and establish relationships with certain people, but there's a lot of people you don't see often, because they're doing the same thing as you and travel a lot. It's been a great experience, always meeting new people is fun.

And touring the world is also great. Being able to see new things is the best. I can't complain.

What has been your favorite moment or city?

It's really hard to choose, because so many places are great. people spend their hard earned money to go to a concert in general. Most frequently and for the longest time, Chicago is one of those really hot spots for us. When we play shows there, it's always incredible. The kids are always going nuts there. San Diego is really good too. Anywhere in California. Also Texas is always good. And anywhere up on the East Coast. And after a while, anywhere. Those stand out the most.

What has been the inspiration that has kept you going, wanting to make music, and to continue on?

Derrick Frost @ Warped Tour Pomona, photo by Scutterbug Photography

Shows are always fun. My inspiration is not having to get a real job. Because I've worked those and it's not as fun. It's very hard to really be fortunate enough to be put in a position where you can do something you love and to be able to support yourself that way. A lot of people go to work everyday and are not loving what they do and that's unfortunate. It's nice - that's my motivation - knowing how much I love music and how I would rather do that than something I hate.
Something you enjoy, and not just for a paycheck.                                                

What are your tour woes, things you miss when you're on the road?

The usual things. Your own shower. We have a shower, but it's one of those soap on, rinse off, kind of things. My own bed. Simple things. Family, friends, wife [Pat], animals. The little things. The important things, but they are little. Things you take for granted.

If you could collaborate with one person, who would it be? (Living or dead.)

Pat: Kanye West.

Pat & Derrick post-interview (picture by ULR)

Derrick: In the past, it would have been kind of cool to do something with The Rolling Stones. They were really interesting. When I was growing up as a kid, one of my favorite bands when I was in highchool was the band Thursday. That would be great. Or Kanye. He's pretty awesome; definitely
the most unique.

What do you think of Yeezus, speaking of Kanye?

Heard a song or two. Really liked it. Never really disappointed by any of his music or his records. I'm more entertained by his antics, which makes me like him even more.

Thoughts on Jay-Z releasing his album through the Samsung app?

I like interesting, new ideas like that. Different ways for music to be distributed. Getting those new ideas out. Respect his marketability sense. He makes so much money and is so successful because he does something clever like that and something so outside the box.

Now having phones and everyone having apps, it's easier to accept things like this. Works better with someone huge like him. With someone established like him, he knows people will buy it regardless. That's pretty awesome. I didn't actually know about it, I'll have to research it.

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Interview with Amity Affliction - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

I had a chance to talk to Ahren, who sings and plays bass for the Amity Affliction, an Australian band that has certainly made a name for itself here in the US. Personally, I think this band is different from a lot of the bands in the post-hardcore genre, especially with their latest album Chasing Ghosts. It was really enjoyable to find out a little bit more about how the band started and what their process is like, so I hope you enjoy reading about it as well. And if you aren't familiar with their music, I'll put some links below so you can find out what you've been missing!

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Photo by Scutterbug Photography

What was your image for the band, when you started out?

We started in high school and I wanted this to be my job to play music and tour, and take it as far as possible. And here we go, here we are.

What's your writing process like?

I'll usually write a whole song in Garage Band in my room, because I live far away from the other guys in the band, and then we send them back and forth by email. Joel writes all the lyrics and we piece them together like that.

Have you run into difficulties along the way to get where you are?

It's a hard lug, touring Australia, especially where we're from. We've been a band for 10 years now. It's been a long way to here.

What's been a favorite moment along the way?

Meeting people and making new friends. The whole thing. There's not just one moment, but the whole journey.

Photo by Scutterbug Photography

How do you feel you differ from other bands in your genre?

Our lyrics have a lot of meaning and passion behind them. Joel really helps kids see through depression. Musically, we're not too different from a lot of other bands, but we're more punk rocky.




If you could collaborate with one artist or band, dead or alive, who would it be?

Bon Scott, from ACDC.

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Check out The Amity Affliction on Facebook, Twitter, on their website, and on Warped Tour this summer! They put on a great live show that shouldn't be missed.

Photos by Scutterbug Photography, check her out on Facebook.

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Interview with Architects (UK) - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

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 live this year at Warped Tour. I consider myself a melody-driven type of music listener, so no matter the genre, I'm always looking for bands who have the melodies down. Sometimes I'm looking for the ones with the downright dirty melodies, and sometimes I'm  with which they scream, because I feel like it's different than a lot of bands out there with screaming.

Sam & Alex post-interview (Photo by ULR)

listening for something a bit more clean-cut, but no matter what, that's what draws me in. I love the distinctness

Sam Carter and Ali Dean (Alex) who are the vocalist & bass player, were super hilarious during their interview with me, which just make my admiration for the band higher. If you don't know them, check them out online at the links after the interview, and definitely check them out at Warped Tour this summer.

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What's it been like for you guys, coming from another country and a different scene?

Difficult from over here, the US is such a big country; to start over here you really have to throw yourself in it. You can't just do it in a week like you can back home. There are a lot more bands over here, so a lot more choices. You just have to get out there and do your gig and hope that people like it. 

How do you feel like you guys differ from other bands in your genre who are trying for a similar sound?

Architects at Warped Tour Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

We're good. [laughs]

I think this genre is saturated with bands that have lyrics that don't really mean much. It's very easy to go into the studio or record on your laptop these days. A lot of musicians or bands don't sound like their records when they play live, because they don't play their songs properly. These guys that play the instruments in the band [Architects] are fucking great, man.

What has been something difficult along the way that you've overcome?

Cash. Not enough of it. We don't like cash. Cash is evil. We overcame cash by not caring about it anymore. 

What's been a favorite and monumental moment that has stuck out for you?

Download Festival. London headlining shows. We had the main stage at Download Festival back home in the UK. That's one of the biggest, and that was fun.

How do you feel about being labeled as metalcore?

Architects at Warped Tour Pomona, Photo by Scutterbug Photography

That's cool, we like it, yeah. We have bits of hardcore and metal in our band, so that works.

What label would you pick if it was your choice, that fits best?

Screamo. Screamo emo. Post-screamo. Stonedcore. Bongcore. Bongmetal. 

If you could collaborate with one artist or band, dead or alive, who would it be?

Chino Moreno. [unanimous answer] He's got about 25 or 50 side projects and they're all amazing. He's never done a bad thing in his life. He seems to take everyone's offer. 

Any woes of touring?

[singing] Wooooahh, woaaaah.

The worst part is showering. We don't shower as much as we'd like to. We always smell good, but if we had as many showers as we'd like, we'd smell amazing. You know, like two a day instead of one a day.

Alex: I'm a two a day kind of guy. One in the morning and one at night. I'm hygienic, sue me.

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Check out Architects on Facebook, Twitter, and their website. And of course, this summer on Vans Warped Tour!

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All photos (except interview photo) by Scutterbug Photography, like her page on Facebook.

Interview with Silverstein - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

At Warped Tour this year, I had the chance to sit down [okay, we stood] with two of the guys from Canadian band Silverstein, Josh Bradford [guitar] and Billy Hamilton [bass] and get into real talk about what breaking out of a completely different country is really like and how they keep going after all these years. It's always fun talking to different bands, but it's always a bit of a trip getting to talk to a band that's been at it for so many years, with so many records. It's even better when they have awesome accents!

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What was it like, starting off in Canada?

Kind of weird. Started playing shows locally, as most bands do. We started getting a little bit of a buzz in our local area, and we did a tour of Eastern Canada in 2001 or 2002, and then we had made a demo so we started sending it off to labels in the US, Canada, and even to Europe. We looked at all of our favorite CD's and looked at the address on the back of them! Then we got signed to Victory Records in 2003 and started touring the states. More so in the states and internationally than we did in Canada. I think it's neat for us, being a band from another country and a lot of people think we're American, and Canada is very similar. Right above ya! But being another band from another country, we have taken internationally touring very seriously. A lot of bands tend to stay in America, but we have always had to go through the hassles associated with international touring, so we're a lot more comfortable with going crazy places. We've been to more than 40 countries. It's amazing that we've traveled that much and that our music is what's brought us there.

What's it been like so many big bands/countries/huge tours?

Silverstein at WT Pomona, photo by Scutterbug Photography

Amazing. [laughs] We've gotten to play with our some of heroes all over the world. Amazing for us as fans of music and people trying to build our own career. [laughs]

Favorite moment/city?

we've been to so many places. we always love going to exotic places like Australia, Japan, and we had a really great time in Hong Kong last year. Indonesia. Russia a couple times, that was really cool. people tend to underestimate places like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago; being from Canada it's so great to come to the states, and be like, "I'm in LA for a week!" and even some of the smaller, out of the way places, like Some of the cities you don't consider a destination city, but being on tour, you find your way passing through, you get to learn that there are really cool, tucked away hidden spots all over. It's nice to know that Boise, Minneapolis, cities that you wouldn't think are cool, are actually really, really cool. It's fun to discover that.

What have been your inspirations in continuing to make music over the years?

Silverstein at WT Pomona, by Scutterbug Photography

Growing up listening to classic Warped Tour Bands like NOFX, Bad Religion. Those bands have put out dozens of records, constantly touring, constantly putting out new stuff, pushing on. That's been an inspiration for us to keep going, not focusing on one thing, like the one record for us that was popular and we're gonna go do a reunion tour of that. We're more focused on making new music and keep playing the whole catalog.

What are your goals for the future?

Touring. China, Greece, India, Africa, anywhere we can play, we want to go.

What's next on the horizon for music?

We just put out a record in the Winter/Spring, so we're going to be touring for the rest of the year and into next year, before we think about writing new music. We're doing the whole Warped Tour.

What are the worst touring woes?

Being on something like this, Warped Tour, you're out in the sun all day. I got a burn yesterday! He's got a burn going on. It's the kind of thing you don't think about on a regular tour. You sleep half the day away most of the time. Staying hydrated and not getting sunburned. Those are the biggest tour woes. Warped Tour is also pretty solitary when it comes to the same buses and stages and everything's just set up in different order in each city. Usually you wake up and in the morning and you're like, where is everybody? Where's my stage? Where's catering? Where do I poop? Things are a little different here. And it's tough to get away, every time we have a friend in town, who can pick us up and go get some food or grab a drink. It's really nice to get away from the lot.

What's your dream collaboration?

Dave Grohl.

I was going to say Paul McCartney, but then I remembered when Dave Grohl collaborated with Paul, it was kind of bad, but I think doing something would be awesome. Dave Grohl is our hero.

***

I'm going to assume most everyone has at least heard of Silverstein, so if it's been a while since you've listened to them, go catch up now! Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and check out their new album, This is How the Wind Shifts.

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All photos by Scutterbug Photography, like her page on Facebook!

Interview with Man Overboard - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

Man Overboard is one of the most famous bands for breaking out of New Jersey and turning into an internationally known "pop punk" band (in quotes, because who really likes forcing any band into a genre?) and I was fortunate enough to get a few minutes with Nik Bruzzese [lead vocals/bass] and Justin Collier [guitar] to talk about how they did it, and get a little taste of New Jersey, both through their humorous answers to the questions, and within the accents, always reminding people where they came from.

It's hard to believe they only started in 2008, because they've come such a long way. It's always nice to chat with band members who are humble and grateful, regardless of their fame, and to see their appreciation for the other bands who came from where they did and who are working hard for their success as well.

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What was it like for you breaking out of the NJ music scene?

A lot of bands are from NJ, there's lots of competition. With that, there's a lot of bands to play with, so it's a pretty good scene. Whereas if you're from Kansas, there's probably not a lot of other bands to play with. That honestly made it a little bit easier. Especially being near New York and Baltimore. Boston. Early on, we would go out and play shows in all of those areas; the bands we're friends with and have met from previous bands and such. We tried to be proactive early on.

How do you feel you differ from those bands?

Photo from Facebook

We worked hard. We never stop. We're always on the road. Always writing and trying to make our band better. We eat, sleep, and breathe this. It's hard to be cut off from that. It sets us apart: our work ethic. There were a lot of bands that we've played with who were long gone. And then there's a couple like Transit, Balance & Composure, The Wonder Years, that are still around and worked really hard as well. So it is cool to see your friends in bands succeed. I mean, Balance [& Composure] is playing a show with Jimmy Eat World! We're freaking out. We're more excited than they are. They're like our best friends.

Where did your guys' name come from? I don't want to assume anything about Blink-182 here...

Nik: I was in the Navy...and I had a close friend of mine who went overboard.

[me: staring deadpan]

Naw, I'm just kidding, it's a Blink song. It was between Man Overboard and Apple Shampoo.

What has been something you have overcome along the way?

Just being away, on the road for long periods of time. It can be difficult at times, but we make it work.

How has that made you stronger as a band?

We're all friends in the band, at the end of the day. It's easier.

So what are the touring woes of being away?

Everything is always up and down. Sometimes you don't play a good show, or you have a bad day. You're in a city that sucks, or you're pissed off. You have to learn to roll with whatever is going on.

You don't eat the same. There's no chicken parm. But what's cool about Warped Tour, is that there is catering and you get fed every day, and sometimes there is chicken parm.

Nik: There was yesterday and I f*cking missed it.

And that's your favorite, chicken parm?

We're from Jersey so yeah, chicken parm is great. We also have a veggie [vegetarian] in the band so he enjoys the eggplant parm.

What has been the most memorable city/show?

Every time we play at home is unreal. Last year Warped Tour was unreal and totally crazy. Portland, Oregon is awesome. The shows are cool, but the city is so great. It's probably our band's collective favorite city.

Photo from Facebook, by Lauren Brown

So you all still live in Jersey, then?

Yeah, we all still live there. We all live 20 minutes from each other.

Nik: I turn my phone on Do Not Disturb when I'm home all the time. Nobody disrupts daddy.

What's the inspiration and the soul behind your lyrics?

Women. Distance. Other guys, other people, insecurities. Normal every day things that go through people's heads. If you listen to defeater, they sing about WWII, we don't do that. Women, self doubt. From the beginning of time, it's always been about that.

What are your future goals, or exciting news?

Nik: I want to be on the cover of GQ for the shortest, most famous person in the world.

Justin: A tour in the fall. We can't say what it is, but we'll be around and touring the US. Can't say who it's with.

What is your guys' dream collaboration?

Dave Grohl.

Wish he [Grohl] was here and just hanging out! That would be awesome.

What do you guys think of Kanye West's new album?

Haven't heard it. Is it good? Or does it suck?

[To each their own!]

***

No matter how well you know Man Overboard, the next thing on your to-do list should be to check them out on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, visit their website, and buy their new album, Heart Attack.


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Interview with For The Foxes - Warped Tour Pomona 2013

I had the pleasure of speaking with For The Foxes' own Jonathan Brunner [bass] and Danny Vassallo [drums] to talk a little bit about breaking out of New Jersey, which apparently has become one of my interview specialties. It made me feel right at home (with family from New York and New Jersey) listening to their New Jersey accents and jokes.

***

Did starting off in New Jersey present any special challenges?

In the location where we're from in South Jersey, there isn't much of an indie rock n roll scene, a lot of the kids down there are are into heavy metal. Me, Jimmy, and Nick all played in heavy metal bands when we were younger. So a lot of people that listened to our music to begin with weren't necessarily interested in us. So we found a new home in North Jersey and New York City, where people are a little more accepting of different music.

How do you feel like you're different from other bands in the area?

FTF at Warped Tour San Francisco, photo from Instagram

New Jersey is very small, but it's a very densely populated. There's a lot of diversity, but there's also a lot of
cliques. So you have to find the clique where you belong. We made friends with a lot of different bands from our area, like Man Overboard, and they play pop punk music. It's not necessarily the same type of music as us, but we get along with those guys great. There's a lot of local bands that come out now more than they used to, to open for us locally. We're using doing national tours, it's not that often that we're playing New Jersey.

What has been a difficulty along the way that you have overcome?

Our trailer tire blowing on the way down to our bus. Electrical went after that on the trailer, so I would flip the signal, and it would holt the break. On the way to San Antonio, two years ago on the way to SXSW, our trailer broke. The bearings exploded out of the tires. That was a mess. Other than that, we get through it. It's the daily grind, day to day, you push through it. We're used to it by now. Things that other people would find difficult, we find a little less difficult, just because we've exposed ourselves to it.

How do you feel those make you stronger as a band?

When the situation arises again, you know how to handle it. You grow. You live and you learn. I feel a little bit more manly now! Puts hair on your chest.

How do you feel about the pop label?

It is correct, and it could be incorrect. We like to think of ourselves as indie pop. Indie rock'n roll band with pop sensibility. The pop label is not necessarily incorrect, bu to consider us just a pop band, would be off.

For The Foxes, picture from Facebook

What's been a favorite moment along the way?

London, on our UK tour. Walking out and all the kids are going nuts. Even this, right now, doing this interview with you, at Warped Tour...coming off the main stage is surreal... This is one of my favorite moments. Don't get me wrong,
the UK was incredible, but being able to be here is surreal for me, because it's something I did from about 14-20. We never knew we would be at this level.

What are some touring woes?

Missing my bed, seeing  family. It's easier for us than it was for old school rock n'rollers, because we have cellphones and GPS. It's a lot easier now, we can FaceTime and video chat, and see the people you love and care about; you can get a taste of home no matter where you're at. Other than that, we've all been wanting to do this our whole lives.

What is your dream collaboration?

Jonathan: Miguel or Bono.

Danny: Well it's harder for me, since I play drums. But if I could fill in for a drummer for a day, A Wilhelm Scream would be really cool, or Decapitated.

***

Check out the talented guys of For The Foxes on Facebook, Twitter, and on their website.


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Warped Tour Kickoff 2013 - Club Nokia - March 28, 2013

Brian Marquis, Scutterbug Photography

The evening started off with Brian Marquis looking sharp in a fancy shirt and tie, playing a captivating acoustic set, with lights that made the stage look like space, and one the crowd seemed to be waiting for. He's one that will make Warped Tour's Acoustic Basement worth visiting. (Also the man who created and runs it, for those who don't know!) Later realizing the show started and ended with acoustic sets made the whole night feel kind of cozy, even though the entire venue was totally packed. Echosmith (signed to Warner Bros. Records) was a pleasant surprise, as when they stepped up on the stage, the delicate, young female lead singer, Sydney, and her three accompanying young male band members seemed almost timid and very innocent looking. Sydney's outfit almost looked out of place with such a sweet face! I can say the crowd was probably not expecting such a strong, versatile voice to come out of such a tiny little lady, just the same way that I was surprised the first time I heard them. They rocked out and got the crowd interacting and moving around. Although I personally think Sydney's voice is perfect for acoustic performances, the band's performance was one of my favorites of the night. The show continued with one of the most amusing bands likely to have ever graced a fairly big time stage, New Beat Fund. They're California locals and had something

New Beat Fund, Scutterbug Photography

different going on than most Warped Tour concert-goers, Club Nokia, and myself have ever seen - a man in a ghost costume dancing on stage. Although they seemed out of place with the rest of the performers of the night, their lackadaisical performance seemed to be quite well received. They got the audience laughing and involved in their set, which seems to be rare of a newly emerging band or one that the crowd isn't familiar with.

Dia Frampton, Scutterbug Photography

It was an ultimate pleasure to see up close and personal performances by NBC's The Voice beautiful alums: season 1 runner-up, Dia Frampton (also of Meg & Dia), Juliet Simms, (also of Automatic Loveletter) and Charlotte Sometimes. The crowd seemed to be quite a fan of the strong, female vocal talents of the night. There's just something about that versatile ability that never seems to let you down - and all of these ladies' performances were impressive as usual.

Dia Frampton looked stunning as she took the stage with her usual raw, uplifting, soulful voice and subsequently wooed the crowd (which seemed to be dominated by men) with more than her good looks. Although The Voice may not be everyone's favorite in terms of television, it's safe to say she was appreciated nonetheless.

Juliet Simms, Scutterbug Photography

Juliet Simms is known by her many different forays into the music business, and being the singer for Automatic Loveletter is just one of them. It definitely gave her an advantage to be well known by the audience, many of whom were looking forward to and hoping for the "big" performances. (She showed up with boyfriend Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides, who will also be on Warped Tour 2013.) 

Her voice has always seemed to be haunting and aggressive, in a way that has set her apart from many musicians, and even sitting down on a stool down stage, she brought her powerful voice that filled the room.

Charlotte Sometimes was a singer who I'd never had the pleasure of hearing before, but the crowd sure seemed to know her - they were whooping and cheering like crazy before she even started her set. Kicking off her shoes, and getting comfortable, she took the stage by storm with confidence - her voice loud and far reaching. She sounds a lot like Fiona Apple, who funny enough, Charlotte told me earlier in the evening during her interview, is one of her musical inspirations.

MC Lars, Scutterbug Photography

MC Lars, who I've been a personal fan of for years, got on stage wearing a Zelda Atari game around his neck, had his laptop rap station set up, as well as being accompanied by Andrea Blunt, on the violin. Not only was it surprising to see how many people in the audience knew MC Lars and his music, but at first there were murmurs and comments about why Lars would have a violin player/back-up singer with him and how that would fit in. As usual, he seemed to wing it and have the confidence that he could get away with anything. He played a few fan favorites,
including Flow like Poe, The Raven, Download This Song, and Hipster Girl. 

His fascination bordering on obsession with Edgar Allen Poe is both amusing and perplexing to some, but it sure makes for interesting "laptop rap." The beach balls he had bouncing around with notes and faces taped to them rounded things out for a very interesting set.

Big Chocolate, Scutterbug Photography

DJ Big Chocolate, like MC Lars, had a bigger fan base than one might realize before he got on stage. Apparently his listeners have traveled down the coast from Seattle, because the crowd was super psyched to hear him and his extra-long set. Not the type of music you would typically expect to hear on a big Warped Tour stage, but nonetheless an interesting set. As he says on his SoundCloud, "Forever evolving or always getting bored," Big Chocolate always seems to be up to something different. While his set may not have been everyone's personal cup of tea, especially those who were there especially for Chiodos (which there were many), we all know people like to have different types of music to listen to and it was certainly fun to mix it up from all of the female vocalists performing.

Gin Wigmore, Scutterbug Photography

Gin Wigmore, New Zealand native rocked the stage with a full band (she's better known as a singer/song-writer) and her sassy voice and moves. It's hard to speak for everyone, but it wouldn't be a shock if many were surprised to hear that she was much more than a pretty face. It was an enjoyable combination of the cheerful music paired with her accented voice. She's been compared to Amy Winehouse, a connection that certainly seems to fit well. Besides having absolute star quality, her songs are like earworms in the sense that they made a lasting impression after the show.

Craig Owens, Scutterbug Photography

Attendees seemed to be most excited for what would be the last two sets of the night, Chiodos and Craig Owens acoustic. Unfortunately, one of the members of Chiodos could not be there due to reasons I'm notat liberty to release, so Craig put together a 3-part acoustic set and had the crowd crooning along to well-known songs from Chiodos, as well as a personal favorite, "You Told Me You Loved Me," from Cinematic Sunrise. 

All in all, it seems that this was a great sample of the diversity that will be displayed at Warped Tour 2013 and all of the up and coming artists that show-goers will be discovering. Despite the controversy that the bands playing the last few years have not lived up to expectations of previous years, it's still exciting enough for people to come out to Warped dates and see what these artists have to offer.

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You can check out all of the above bands and artists on Facebook at the clickable link through their names, and check out the page for my talented friend Lan Nguyen (all photos above) on her Facebook at Scutterbug Photography.


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Warped Tour Kickoff 2013 Interview with SECRETS (3/28/13)

I found SECRETS struggling to explain their name to a writer nearby, to which I politely interjected, "Their name is SECRETS - it's one word and all capital letters." to which Michael and Richard (bass & vocals/guitar) both gave me a smile and Michael exclaims, "Yeah, you know!"

The guys were really friendly and excited to talk about their music and upcoming news, which fans who listen to post-hardcore and that genre of "harder" style music should take note of.

Of course, some of the news they gave me on the "DL" is now public knowledge, but hopefully all you SECRETS fans will enjoy reading nevertheless.

***

What are you influenced by in your music career? What got you started and fuels your fire to continue?

We all grew up in the music industry. This is our dream job. Pretty incredible to make a career of doing what we love.

What has been difficult to overcome along the road?

Picture from Facebook. With new vocalist Aaron Melzer!

When you get together as a band and start playing music, it seems like a lot of fun, but you don't know what to expect before tour. There can be things about your fellow band members you don't know about and once you're on tour you might not like those things or be able to relate to them. It's rough being away from home and being on the road for so long.

We recently lost our bassist and vocalist (who we've replaced now with Aaron Melzer) which is really hard - we've all been super close.

What have been some of your favorite moments?

Europe, definitely. New York City. It's so unreal and like the movies - so cool to have that chance to see the world and doing what you love. Meeting people and kids with problems that you can relate to.

What are your guys' musical influences?

Death Cab for Cutie, Brand New, Bayside, Underoath, As Cities Burn, and A Day to Remember (post-hardcore scene).

If you could choose someone to collaborate with, who would it be?

Michael: Justin Bieber or Kanye West.  Richard: Ben Gibbard. Aaron: Tom Denney

What can we expect from you in 2013?

A new album, a new look, and a lot of good sh*t.

***

Check the band out on Facebook, Twitter, and their website, where you can preorder their new album, Fragile Figures, out July 23rd! Also be sure to check them out on select Warped Tour Dates!


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