Interview with Sydney Sierota of Echosmith

I first heard of Echosmith because of their YouTube covers of many different popular songs. I was immediately drawn in by young Sydney's powerful vocals and the band's ability to put a great twist on songs, as opposed to trying to sound exactly like the original. Fast-forward a couple of years later, I bump into them earlier this March at Warped Tour Kickoff Party. Not only were they there, but they performed! Finding out that they were going to be playing on the tour was great news. Even better news was when they stepped on stage and even I was surprised at their sound. The band of siblings may look like they're too young to know who they are and what they're playing, but appearances can be deceiving. When I ran into Sydney and her brothers again at Warped Tour in Pomona, she promised we'd have some interview time soon, and she kept that promise. Hopefully you'll enjoy what she had to say.

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You probably get this question a lot, but do you think that it's a benefit that you guys are starting out at such a young age?

Yeah! I mean, I think there are advantages and disadvantages to being so young, and in this industry. I feel like there are definitely more advantages. I think it's been working really well. One, we have the rest of our lives to try this. (laughs) And two, I think people appreciate that we're young. Especially if they hear the music first. People really think it's cool. Even on Warped Tour, I really realized how awesome it is that we're pretty much the age of the people attending, which is really cool because when we talk to them it's like we're friends already. We're on the same level. It's kind of cool to see that, being used to talking to older people obviously, and we have older fans, but it's cool having fans that are your age and so young that you can really connect with automatically. And I think that they can really appreciate that too. Some people have said, "Oh that's so cool that you're actually doing something with your life this young." and I'm happy that I'm doing that, too, because I don't know what else I would do. I think it definitely has been working really well and I wouldn't want to do it any other way. And I think this is the way to do it, at least for us. It's been working way better than we could have expected.

Does it make things better or worse for you that you're all in the band together as siblings?

Actually, believe it or not, I think it's better. we've grown up and been with each other for 14 years - all four of us. Growing up together and we've been learning how to deal with each other for 14 years. Not every band can say that. We've been together 24/7 so we definitely know how to be together, but also how to have fun. It definitely takes a while to get to this point, but we're finally there. And obviously we know what pushes each other's buttons and all that stuff that everybody would know, but we've definitely gotten to the point where it's like, "Yeah, that's not really cool to do when you're on tour." So it works good because we really know what to do and what not to do with each other. We know each other so well and we're all really on the same page. We grew up listening to all the same stuff, so with music we're on the same page. We're pretty in sync with each other. And we like each other. That doesn't always happen with siblings or with bandmates. It's really cool, I like it.

What influenced your band's name change?

We're going through a transition stage anyway, and our music was evolving and we as people were evolving, and we were going through a transition in every way. Since we had a new sound and felt different, we all were thinking the same thing, that we should change the name so it could be a new chapter for us. And the other name felt a little young and "blah." The new name was cool because we all finally liked the same thing. It's cool because it's one word, easy to find, and the domain name was open! So that's always helpful when you're looking for names. It worked really well and it has a nice ring to it. When you're making a band name, you're thinking about it so much. Once it's already your band name, nobody really cares. They like your music, they're going to like your name usually. So that's how we decided to change it.

I first heard about you from YouTube long before the Warped Tour this year. How do you feel that your YouTube covers affected your early career?

I think YouTube covers are really cool and interesting and a good way to find bands. I've found bands myself that way. I think that we've had a decent amount of response from that and a lot of cool fans, but it's also important to post original stuff too and not just post covers and get stuck in that world. Which I think we're doing, so it's okay. In general I think it works really well, we got a lot of new people and it was fun to do some of my favorite fans songs and make it our own. It's a cool way to be creative.

The album cover artwork got some amazing response this past week. How are you feeling about the completion of the album and the upcoming release?

I'm so excited. It's so cool that we got to post the cover and it feels extra real now that we did that. Like I said, we're all so proud of it. We were writing for two years. We wrote 80 songs probably, and now it's down to 14 for the deluxe. It's finally done, we've done our first record. We have always dreamed of this. There are three songs out from the Summer Sampler, but it's really exciting to be like, "Wait! There's more. There's more for you to hear. There's more depth." I really like this record, because I've listened to records myself and gotten confused, thinking that one sounds like that one, or which one was that? I wanted to make sure that didn't happen with our stuff. That was one of my things. That happened, every song is different. Not one song could be compared to another. They're all definitely related, in the same family, and you can tell they're all from the same band, which I thought was really important. But I'm excited for it to be out for real and for people to hear it and grasp it. It's so exciting! It's our first record it should be. I think people are usually this excited for it. I feel really good and confident about it. People have already have great responses to the three songs. I think it's going to do really well. And the record has even more depth to it and other sides to us. So I'm really excited. We've had listening parties before shows where we have pizza and listen to the record or a few songs off of it, and people are loving it. It's so encouraging to see fans really appreciate all of our music.

And you seemed to have really great response on Warped Tour as well!

Yeah, it went so well. It's crazy, I didn't know or expect it to go like that because we're different. But I'm really happy that it wasn't what I expected.

What's been the most difficult thing that you've had to overcome? And how has that helped you grow?

Wow, that's a good question! I think just being young and accepting that. We haven't had that many crazy things to go through as a band, especially since we didn't really put anything out before our Summer Sampler and this record. Because there are so many bands that have to deal with their first, FIRST record that they aren't proud of. And they hate it, the sound isn't what they like. We're really happy that in the six years we were a band, we didn't really post anything. Or release anything. So that makes it easier not to have a rough patch to get past that record, which I think is usually a band's problem. Just being young is an interesting thing. I think now we're at good age and it's really working well being this age, but definitely at first some people hear we're young and kind of say, "Eh, I dunno..." and I mean, I even do that sometimes and I'm in a young band. It's dumb but it's a natural response sometime from people, to be like, "Oh, they're only..." or "The drummer is 14. Ahh, they must suck." That's what a lot of people think. But we turned it around and made it a good thing. I'd rather pleasantly surprise someone and end up being great, than the other way around. and they expect us to be great because we're young and then we suck. That's the biggest thing we've had to overcome. And the way you take pictures and do photo shoots, that makes a difference. The kind of poses you do. You have to be careful when you're so young. But I think we're definitely working with it now and knowing what to do and what not to do. So it's better now.

As for the writing aspect of the album, what were some of your inspirations?

For the album, we were writing for two years. A lot of that was developing and I think this album shows our perspective on life in general. Life inspired us. That's what should inspire songs. What you go through, what you're doing, how you feel about life in general. I think that's really important. You can tell how someone feels about life by their songs. Like with how it sounds, and what they say... But, I think we're all really positive and excited about life. I think you can tell that in the songs we have and the lyrics. We're not super  excited, energetic, upbeat in every song. There are some songs that break it down and get real. It's so simple, but it's really true - life just really inspired this album and we were just being honest about life and there wasn't anything super crazy, so it's not like "this situation inspired this album." Just growing up and living life is what this album is about.

What has been the most amazing moment of your career so far?

Jeez. That's a great question! It's so hard. I'm going back and forth between two situations. I would probably pick Detroit Warped Tour, which was in the middle. And that was a show that almost got totally shut down. Or one of the few, because there were a couple. But there were thunderstorms, windstorms, they even thought there might be a tornado. All of this stuff... and then everybody had to go inside. Every band, every fan, everybody had to stay inside this building for like an hour for protection. We were supposed to go on when they called everyone in. And then an hour later, we got a call saying, "Hey! You guys are first up on your stage. Go set up right now and play in 5 minutes!" So we freaked out and ran over there. It was the best show we played on Warped Tour and maybe even ever. We were on the Ernie Ball stage with 600 people there. They were so into it. Not just there, bu so into it and singing along and passionate about it. It was so cool to see that. I mean I have videos of people singing "Cool Kids" Every single person was singing it. It was so insane to see that. A little bit of a shocker but in a good way getting to see... people really like this band. We really were appreciating that. It was sort of a "wow" moment that I had on stage. I was so inspired.

What would be your dream collaboration?

I definitely would pick Chris Martin from Coldplay. He's just so good. Everything he does is so good. He's always inspired me. The way he writes songs and doesn't really follow any rules. It's so great. I would die to collaborate with him. I wouldn't die, but I think it would be pretty great.

Norma Jean - "Wrongdoers" Album Review

Normally I'm known for adding somewhat of a prologue to my album reviews. This time I'm gonna jump right in and say that Norma Jean has brought it. I knew this right away without question. If you've ever listened to them before, you probably have a certain opinion, whether bad or good. Most of the people I've met or in my age bracket listened to them back in the O God, the Aftermath days and petered out, maybe listening to their next album, not really following along with their releases.

It's hard to keep up with so many different bands who are constantly putting out new work, so you don't always have the up-to-the-minute memories of recent work to compare to. Going back and listening to some of the older NJ tracks that used to get quite a lot of listening time, I realized even more than after the first listen to Wrongdoers how good it is. This is a band who has worked their ass off over the years, and this album proves it.

Although it's not the first track on the album, I started with the title track, "Wrongdoers." It immediately struck me as being exactly what I was hoping for. Soon came the realization that this album might be bringing back old NJ, which would make a lot of their long-time followers very happy. Edgy, and loud, but still with quite the melodic aspect to it that is missing in so many of the bands that overpopulate the metal scene these days. Stylistically, the album is incredibly pleasing on the ears.

It's true that many fans will stick by a band and enjoy their tunes even if they grow and change their style from what drew the listeners in originally. Something that many, including myself, have always noticed and enjoyed about Norma Jean is that they seem to do what they want - and hope that people will enjoy it. And that's the best kind of music you can find.

"If You Got it at Five, You Got it at Fifty" is a second favorite, made even better by the video they just released, which pokes fun at many of the party style music videos that seem to be popping up all over the web these days. There's something almost playfully malicious about it that really sucks you in.

"Sword in Mouth, Fire Eyes" was a close third, being that it's still got the energy and emotion that the rest of the album holds, but takes on a much more melodic, softer vibe to it than any of the other songs on the album. It served as a good breather (aka a palette cleanser) between the rest of the louder songs, filled with such hard-hitting vocals.

I didn't really have specific expectations built up for this album, but the most accurate thing to say is that I was surprised and pleased by the way that it turned out. In a genre full of artists and albums that seems to be getting overpopulated and dwindling, Norma Jean has put out an enjoyable and solid record.

Feather Oars "Reckless" Album Review

It seems like we're always looking for something new and unique in our hunt for music, and if you're someone who's "really into music," you're always in a different mood—and it's always something different that you desire that will make you feel satisfied. With the risk of seeming cheesy, you could almost relate it to an Easter-egg hunt. What will you find in some secret hiding spot that will totally blow your mind? I think it's similar to a small child finding their goodies at the hunt and the way it truly excites them. 

If you're fortunate, sometimes new music surrounds you in such a familiar, comforting way that it's like feeling at home. That's what I call a great find. Music that envelopes you, comforts you, and reminds you of everything you've loved: that's powerful. That's what Feather Oars have produced in their debut EP, Reckless. I couldn't compare it to any other albums by the band since this it's their first release, but it is certainly a strong statement to say that it's a great stand-alone album.

The first several times that I listened to the album, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was beautiful and full of life, and even one of my favorites that I'd heard in a long time coming from an indie rock band. I had no complaints or any ideas of what I would have changed if I could have. The real excitement for the album though came later, after I had let it stew for a little while. After getting the correct track list and putting the songs in order, I felt like everything had been turned upside down—in a good way. I knew that the album reminded me of something, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on. I liked that.

Listening to it a couple more times, I started to recognize certain elements and also came to a realization. And what it was that I recognized were elements that reminded me of some of my most loved and cherished music –but I'll get back to that in a moment. What I realized was that this album was the birth of musicians who truly loved music. Now, that might sound like something you would scoff and say, "Duh!" to, but in this day and age it isn't a given. There is a difference in the sound of a track where you can hear the love and the passion, and that is present on every track of this album. I use the word passionate specifically because it's a word that speaks to me, just like this album did.

Starting off strong with "Knowing Yourself, Art", I knew I was in for a real treat. The word desperation comes to mind, but not in the pathetic sense of the usual definition. More so in the frenzied, reckless sense, where you can just see how badly the band or the singer wants you to feel the message of the track. 

"Tear You Apart" reminded me, funny enough, of a track from 2005 under the same name, by She Wants Revenge. Funny enough, singer Michael Pfohl told me that he hadn't heard the song or the band whatsoever, so while it was not directly inspired by She Wants Revenge, it definitely might remind some of the sound. Regardless, the following track, "Collide" also had a rough, shaky sound that fell into the same vein of alternative, post-hardcore, almost gothic sounding rock music.

It's difficult to compare one band to another when you're invested in the sound, but with the hopes to find this wonderful band some new listeners, I would say RIYL: La Dispute, Brand New, Balance & Composure. Although some of the tracks are in a darker vein, there is an obvious attempt to make light of the darkness portrayed in the music.

All in all, there is real depth to this album, in the lyrics and in the music. The songs flow together so perfectly and it's always over too soon. Nashville has obviously been hiding some real gems, if this is any sign of what comes out of there!

This amazing album can be found online for free at http://featheroars.bandcamp.com/ on August 2nd, and will be on iTunes and Spotify, out on August 20th.

Floridan Band "Tides of Man" Interview

I've known the Tides of Man guys for many years and have been incredibly proud of their progress and how far they've come. I always feel a sense of pride or admiration for bands who I see come "from the ground up," but when it's friends of mine or people I know, that feeling is always stronger. And I definitely talk about the band more if I know the people and can vouch for their characters, because personally that makes music so much better in my eyes.

I had the chance to do an interview with Alan Jaye [bassist] and he gave me some really great, in-depth answers to my inquisitive questions. I hope you enjoy it, and that you'll support this wonderful band on continuing their journey. If you know them, please support their campaign for their new album, and if you don't, I'll leave links below so you can get to know their music and give in anyway!

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What prompted you guys to give it another go with the instrumental album, after seemingly giving up on finding a new singer and making new music?

We wouldn't say we gave up. We never stopped writing. It may have seemed as if we were gone, but we've been working this whole time on crafting this new sound. I can't tell you how many times we wrote a song or idea and just threw it out because we weren't 100% satisfied with it. 

We really found ourselves  writing the music that we grew up on and after months of trying out various vocalists, we were completely happy as a group with the sound as it was. It's not like we didn't come across some real talent in the try out process, but the songs just never felt right with vocals. When we finally embraced being an instrumental band, and stopped "fighting" it, we had more drive than ever to put this new record out. 

How has the writing process been for you guys? Did you start all over once you decided to do this process, or did you use some of the material you already had?

There were a lot of riffs written that were formed out of loops, ideas, concepts, or even just messing around. We made a lot of demos with vocal structure in mind, but when we fully embraced being instrumental we just expanded on the riffs and made them into what they are becoming now. It's important to know that we had so much time to mess around with our new sound over the past 2 years, that the songs have been fully put together, and then completely taken apart, or approached from a different dimension all together over time.

What specific moments or experiences during this "hard time" and the hurdles you've had to overcome have strengthened you as people and as a band?

We have all experienced a big change in our personal lives. We're all getting older and we run into the grind of the everyday work world just like anyone else. After a while, we were really struggling to even make it to practice with all of our conflicting schedules.

And that's really what this record is all about. It's about losing sight of the fact that we were just kids once. All of a sudden, we woke up and found our lives full of bills, rent, car payments, etc. Collectively, we've all experienced that over these past 2 years. 

We had to come back into the "real world" after our touring life, and it hit us hard. We were dropped from our label, silently let go by our management, publishing, booking. It was a double edged sword to us, because we lost all those connections in the industry, but we also gained the freedom of not having to write songs to "fit" into that label genre. 

We could've given up on the band all together, and just gotten sucked into that daily grind, but we refused to stop. It really made us stronger as a band having to push through all of that and still come out on the other end with a full length album of songs.

This record is about overcoming that urge to give up on our music, but also living with in the confinements of reality while doing that. It's about always striving to keep that kid-like view of life, yet always fighting the urge to become jaded and sour. 

We wrote this album as a medium to push us through these times, to keep us from going insane with the mediocrity of the day in and out.

There's no question that fans are happy you're "back." Given what you've seen so far and what you predict, how do you think old fans feel about the idea of the new album?

Surprisingly, the fans are actually really receptive and excited for the new sound and the new album. We do have the fans that want the old "Tides" back, but for the most part everyone loves it and because of the support we are getting, the fans are actually backing up our IndieGoGo campaign and helping us get to record and release this next record. We are honestly in awe of the support and love that we are getting it! On a personal note I (Alan) want to thank everyone who has had our back since the beginning. It means more to us than we will ever be able to show you!


The new song you released, "Young and Couragous" was quite beautiful and didn't seem lacking without the vocals. Should listeners expect the same vibe from the rest of the tracks?

The same vibe... We wouldn't say the same vibe. There really is a different message and emotion that each song has and represents, but the feeling you get from "Young and Courageous" definitely spreads throughout the album. We have faster songs, harder songs, softer songs, but the underlying tone of the entire record gives the listener a sense of a story. You're definitely going to want to listen to this record from start to finish.

You're doing pretty much all the work yourselves and releasing the album without a record label, correct? What has this been like?

Yes, we are doing this record ourselves, without a label. Its definitely interesting. There's a ton to learn and we have a lot of "unexpected" kinks to tackle, but it is a learning experience and its quite fun to know that our music is dependent solely on us getting it out there. We don't have anyone to fall back on if things go bad, so overall it makes us stronger as a group because of the barriers we have to overcome.

How has using IndieGoGo worked for you so far? I know a lot of both lesser known and well-established bands are fans of Kickstarter, but you took a different route.

IndieGoGo has been great! Anytime we've needed any help, they are right there on board and getting our questions answered. Have nothing against KickStarter, it was just based on what we felt would be more beneficial for us, and IndieGoGo seemed to be what we were looking for.  

What are the plans for album release show(s) and touring?

We haven't fully planned our year out, but we're already getting tour offers on this album. We are currently concentrating on the final writing stages of the album, and we will definitely be paying more attention to the shows and touring of the album after that.


If you guys could collaborate (on an instrumental track or otherwise) with one band or artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

Personally if I (Alan) could collaborate with anyone... I would have to say, probably Jaco Pastorious. To me he's one of the most influential bassist/musicians for all of my favorite bands. It kind of says something for me as a player.

As far as the others guys go, you'd have to ask them. But I'm sure we could all agree on collaborating with bands like Sigur Ros, or Radiohead.

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Check out Tides of Man on Facebook, Twitter, and support their IndieGoGo campaign!

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All pictures are from Tides of Man's Facebook page.

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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letlive. "The Blackest Beautiful" Album Review

Sometimes it's difficult to form the right words that sum up an artist's track or album properly. Either you don't feel like the words fit quite right, you think you might sound pretentious and you don't want to sound like you're telling people what to listen to. When it comes down to it, an album review is someone's way of expressing their thoughts on an album which has moved them (or in some cases, that failed to) and a mere suggestion that if you're looking for new music, or if you appreciate that person's personal taste, you may like  it!

Letlive. is a band who, while you can appreciate on record, totally brings it live. Something about having seen them live will make you appreciate the album that much more. But, you're in luck, because the album still stands on strong legs on its own and brings the unhinged live show vibe that's so widely talked about onto the CD. Though their last album, Fake History, received the utmost praise and will obviously be used to compare to this new release, it still had some semblance of a band whose pieces remain being figured out and put together. It's easy to make an album review a "compare/contrast" album and talk all about how it didn't meet expectations from the last album, or how much better it was, but let's stay focused on this album.

It's been online in a full album stream for about 2 1/2 weeks already, and despite the reputation that the band has built for themselves, it's surprising how many people aren't talking about this record. This album is unforgettable, in a "this band really knows who they are now" type of way. There's no fumbling in the dark anymore. This album will please old fans, new fans, and open up the spectrum of fans they will reach in the future, with the wide range of sounds. Diverse, on-point lyrics sung by the versatile Jason Aalon Butler, (and backed by Jeff & Ryan) incredibly talented, harmonizing, shredding beasts Jeffery Sayhoun and Jean Nascimento on guitar, well-versed Anthony Rivera giving 0 f*cks on drums, and Ryan Johnson totally killing it on bass.

Seems like a lot of albums these days aren't saving the best for last, but often placing one of the best, if not the very best, right at the beginning. "Banshee (Ghost Fame)" started out as a favorite track of the album and after many, many times listening through the album, stayed that way. One of the first lines "We're here to fulfill every one of your dreams" later resonated with me with me as being true about the entire album.

"Empty Elvis" was a surprisingly beautiful, crooning second track to follow the rough, loud start. "Virgin Dirt" was another unexpected favorite, due to almost nobody having talked about it and its strength. Starting off with a softer crooning, it will take you and wrap you up and bring you along for the ride. Coming to the end of the album, "Priest and Used Cars" being another underrated favorite, capturing me with this sense of... unhinged, beautiful anguish, like a man who has no time for conversation, but desperately needs you to understand a point he's making.

In the end, this album is worth the wait and proves that every single member in this band knows who they are, what they're doing, and have insane amounts of talent. It's a good thing they found each other, or who knows what would have come if they weren't making this type of masterpiece together.