Otherwise, meaning other than supposed, different if you will. That is the best way to describe this incredible band, Otherwise. “We don’t really look like your typical rock band and we’re trying not to sound like your typical rock band. And there’s something for everybody, you might not get what you expect,” says Adrian Patrick, the band’s front man, to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel, on their tour bus. “At least that’s our goal, that’s one of our goals artistically.” It definitely seems like they have reached that goal with their ever-growing fan base.
Originally from Sin City, Las Vegas, Otherwise, consisting of the Patrick brothers, Adrian and Ryan (lead guitarist/vocals), Corky Gainsford (drummer/vocals), Andrew Pugh (guitarist/vocals), Vassilios Metropoulos (bass/vocals), has made their mark across the country, and touched the fans’ hearts with their sound and powerful lyrics. “It’s an amazing feeling to show at a place you’ve never really heard of, that you didn’t know existed. Then people there are singing back your words, even if it’s one person singing back your song lyrics, it’s still like, wow, that’s really happening.”
You may recognize one of their songs being played on Octane, one that has played for at least two years now, “Soldiers”. Back in October of 2011, during the 48 Hours Festival, the band met up with Jose Mangin, Sirius Octane’s program director who they had previously met at the Mayhem Festival in 2010, and while they were convening during the Sevendust set, they gave him a demo of the song. Adrian then tells the story about the song, adding, “it’s very spiritual.” “48 Hours Festival was the last show we got to do with our cousin, Ivan Patrick. He was our drum tech, he had a bunk on the bus, he was part of our crew for many, many years. Me and him are the exact same age, he was my twin, and two weeks later, he died on his bike on Halloween night, but before passing away, he came into Corky’s garage and he sang on ‘Soldiers’.”
For all the die-hard In This Moment fans, you may recognize Adrian’s killer vocals in the fiery passionate duet with Maria, “The Promise”, that was eventually followed by a steamy music video filled with spine-chilling primal screams. Definitely an amazing metal duet that’s hard to forget. However, Adrian revealed that he was not their first choice. “Initially, I was just supposed to be laying down guide-tracks for a more well-known singer, you know, they had a long list of people they were contacting and it just so happened that the planets aligned, with all the red-tape and the record labels and management and people’s schedules, and the label liked what I did enough to say, ‘Dude, this sounds great, let’s put him on the album.’” After “The Promise” was heard, those die-hard In This Moment fans became Otherwise fans as well.
Living in Vegas can have its perks, especially in mind-blowing experiences, ones where they have to be told in song. Some songs have a chilling effect, some have the effect of tugging the fans’ heartstrings (like “Heaven”), all of them have deep and powerful meanings, filled with Ryan’s amazing riffs, according to Adrian where their ideas come from. “Most of our ideas start with a riff that my brother has, he’s a very prolific writer. I mean, he picks up a guitar and a riff comes out and whether we use it or not, he’s always got some new ideas, so usually I’d say about 99% of the stuff is sparked. My brother is a spark, we all just kind of add to the fire…as far as lyric content goes, most of it is experiential, I write from experience. Although some guys are very good at telling a story about something they’ve never experienced or been through, …I try to stay away from that, because to me, it’s not genuine. Maybe it is genuine…to me it’s like I’m not gonna write about something I have no idea about.” The content of the lyrics are about those they have lost along the way to where they are now, about love, hate and anger. One of the songs they performed April 2nd at the Webster, was about an accident they should not have walked away from. These lyrics are the kind that really have the gears turned, that has everybody thinking about a deeper meaning behind these amazing words.
Otherwise has had the opportunity to tour with the Canadian rock band, My Darkest Days. When asked about the tour, Adrian explained that their booking agent from TKO Booking, Andrew Goodfriend, was the one that set that up. “A lot of times the next step is based on relationships…and that was a good tour for us, it was a lot of fun, a lot of small bars, a lot of cool clubs and a lot of great crowds.” Before their headline tour, Otherwise shared the stage with Papa Roach, and after their headline, they will continue to tour with the band as well as perform at the Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio this summer.
While touring all over the nation, quite a few venues stuck out for them such as Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD and Rock Junction in West Greenwich, RI. However, there is one that really hits home for them: The Roxy in Los Angeles. “It’s very special to us because that’s where we pretty much got signed out of and they always do a really good job with sound. They’re total pros and it’s always a great vibe.” It seems wherever this band goes, they manage to set an incredible vibe, one that makes you feel like they are truly connecting with their fans.
Be sure to check out Otherwise on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/otherwiseofficial), and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@weareotherwise) for tour dates and updates, and check out their debut record in stores now, True Love Never Dies.
Attention Die Hard Death fans! Death to All tour, which celebrates “the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner” is hitting the big city next April 24th @ Irving Plaza. The tour aims to aid the Sweet Relief Charity for musicians, also in honor of Chuck, which main purpose is to” assists musicians in times of illness, disability and age related problems” .
This year the tour will again feature members of the “Human” (album) era, and some special guests as well. Max Phelps (Cynic’s session guitarist) will have the honor to perform the vocals this year.
Despite the issues with the Sick Drummer Magazine during the first run of the tour, Death to all was a success and once again it’s back with 12 major US dates and one Mexican date. This speaks volumes as the last tour only featured 7 US dates. It was also motioned that this tour will feature a second leg which will include a show in Europe at the Neurotic Death Fest in the Netherlands.
Last year’s skepticism among some fans on whether this tour will create some profit other than charity work was dismissed by Death’s manager, Eric Greif, with this statement;
“A little word about DEATH TO ALL, people. This is NOT DEATH. I have read a few comments about money grabbing or trying to replace Chuck. Please show a little respect. DEATH TO ALL is meant to be a touring tribute to the words & music of Chuck Schuldiner, by the guys who played with him on the DEATH albums – and raising awareness of the important American charity Sweet Relief. Together we can all feel the vibe of what Chuck was all about by being together and collectively flowing to the tunes. We keep Chuck alive by keeping the music alive. It isn’t DEATH…it is DEATH TO ALL. “
Tour dates are as follows:
Tickets avaiable here and vip tickets packages here.
Blood of the Martyrs is a ministry band hailing from Virginia that started back in 2007. They travel the states as a DIY band, getting up close and personal with their craft and with the fans, bridging out with anyone who comes to the shows. This is the second time they’ve been at The Dungeon bringing along the New Jersey-based band, Alive In The Dark, with them for a few stops and sharing the stage that night with locals such as Jonestown, This Above All and Collisions In Grey And Red. I’d like to thank Larry Moore of The Division Sequence/Wrapped In Noir/M.D.I.G (Mom Dad I’m Gaelic). I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did and hit them up with likes and check out their music since they put a lot of effort into what they do and put on one hell of a show! Also hit up Larry for shows in your area and/or flyer work, the man has talent and does a lot in the scene.
Here’s my first nation band interview with Blood of the Martyrs for 315 Street Team and Upstate Metal. Thanks To Larry Moore of the Division Sequence for setting this up.
Attention music lovers! Today, Surrender the Fall dropped the official music video for their latest single, “Some Kind of Perfect.” Watch it below.
Since the release of their debut record, Burn in the Spotlight, Surrender the Fall has developed a small fan base which continues to grow as the days pass. So far, the band has released two videos for their single – “Love Hate Masquerade” and now, “Some Kind of Perfect” – filled with a explosive riffs and fiery lyrics. Check it out below and let us know what you think!
Great news from the music world today- your favorite female-fronted band and mine, In This Moment have just released the official music video for their second ‘Blood’ album single “Adrenalize.” Watch it below!
Since the debut of their fourth studio album Blood back in August, In This Moment have risen even higher in fame to the point of having their shows sold out, as such was the case at their March 30 show in Clifton Park. So far, two singles have been featured from the album- the title track and “Adrenalize,” which revisits some of the popular sexy, sultry themes and some of Maria’s favorite motifs that have appeared in past works. Watch it below and tell us what you think!
The crew began setting up the small stage before the crowd, as they began to pile in closer and closer. Band members, Corky Gainsford (drums) and Vassilios Metropoulos (bass) stepped on the stage, preparing their instruments for the exciting night ahead of us. The testing of the instruments and mics had the crowd itching for the band to start playing. Some of the girls cheered and squealed excitedly as Adrian Patrick (lead vocals) passed through the crowd, his hood up, darkening his face, heading towards the bar room, pacing, prepping himself to blow us away with his powerful pipes. Both the other Patrick brother, Ryan (lead guitar), and Andrew Pugh (guitar) stepped upon the testing his guitar, the anticipation rising with every waking second.
Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for, the lights to dim and the familiar sound of the very first track on their record, True Love Never Dies, filled the ears of the concertgoers, letting the crowd know the crazy night was to begin. Adrian made his way through the crowd yet again and used two fans (or in Otherwise terms, “Wise Onez”) as support as he stepped upon the stage. The familiar guitar riff began to the tune; “Die For You” got the whole crowd pumping their fists and bouncing to the rhythm, some whipping their hair in a wild manner. Adrian began to sing the lyrics with the voice the crowd all knew and loved. Needless to say, his primal scream blew everybody away. After the performance of the first song and “Lighthouse”, the crowd was really ready to rock to what Adrian said was their “party anthem”, “Vegas Girl”. The catchy guitar riffs played by the incredible Ryan bounced off the walls of the tiny venue, the some of the women in cheered drunkenly as they raised their drinks in the air and moved their bodies to the rhythm of the song. Adrian’s moves on the stage had the ladies cheering louder, whipping their hair crazily. The energy in the room whilst the song was playing was insane; this band knew how to get their fellow Wise Onez going. The next song to play was their latest single, “I Don’t Apologize (1000 Pictures)”, to which the whole crowd sang along to the words heard on the radio. Adrian moved closer to the fans, reached out to them, grabbing their hands, giving them a sense of the connection between the band and their ever-adoring fans.
The setlist changed to a slower song off their album, dedicated to lost loved ones, “Heaven”. It definitely was a beautiful, heartfelt song that tugged the heartstrings. Some fans pulled out their phones, using the backlight as a lighter and some used their lighter app, they all waved them to the tempo of the song. What was really touching was the passion and emotion in Adrian’s eyes. He then proceeded to tell the fans about their songs coming from the heart, that their music speaks the truth. He also talked about very eerie topics that gave the crowd a bit of the chills including how they have been in car accidents that they shouldn’t have walked away from. The band then played two back-to-back songs, “Shapes of Metal” and “Stop, Drop, and Roll”, both amazing songs that will haunt the back of the fans minds for quite sometime; those songs brought the high-energy vibe. After playing “Crimson”, Adrian took the liberty in introducing his amazing band mates, then Adrian encouraged the fans to scream for the opening bands, to scream for Otherwise and to scream for themselves, introducing, “Scream Now”. His ever-chilling scream had the hairs on the back of everyone’s neck stand. The crowd jumped to the beat of the drums.
Soon enough, the crowd got the hint the final act was coming to a close. Adrian stood tall, as did the rest of the band, as he encouraged the Wise Onez to pound their heart with their fist to the following the recognizable beat that Corky was playing. The pounding turned to clapping as Adrian sang the lyrics to the song that helped them become well known, “Soldiers”. He harmonized with the fans and continued to reach out to them, grabbing a fan by the hair, bringing him close and brought the mic to his face for him to sing with him. The connection in the room as the crowd sang along was unbelievable; it was such a strong feeling of engagement, it was almost very chilling. Adrian then jumped into the crowd, continuing to perform and bond with the fans. It was then really shown that this is a band that is passionate about their music; this is a band that is passionate about their fans. The band before the Wise Onez, they are a band of brothers, they are soldiers.
The night left the crowd in such a buzz. Wild, enthusiastic grins were plastered upon their faces. They got to meet the band, took pictures with them and received autographs. The brisk, cold air washed over the faces of the fans as they left the venue, their ears rang with the incredible setlist played before them. This was a night that will never be forgotten, a night where the spotlight revealed the true soldiers of music.
Up-and-coming post-hardcore sextet Everyone Dies In Utah is making a stop at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse on Saturday, April 6th as part of their Dark Hearts & Open Eyes Tour. Featured on the tour with them are pop-punk/rockers Bleach Blonde and hardcore powerhouse The Overseer. Joining them, and representing the Upstate metal scene very well, are local acts Redfield, Meira, and Turn the Tide. This show promises to be an exciting mix of metal and rock that features many hot new acts with promising futures. If you want to see some promising talent before everyone else has heard of them, here’s your chance.
EVERYONE DIES IN UTAH:
Signed to Tragic Hero Records and with two albums released, Everyone Dies In Utah is starting to gain some ground. This band features solid, heavy verses and melodic, catchy choruses, balancing the two very well and keeping their musical doors open to experimentation. Killer riffs, pounding drums, powerful bass lines, strong vocals, and electronic dabbling all contribute to this band’s signature sound. If the humor in many of their song titles is any indication (e.g. “Bed, Bath & Beyonce”), then EDIU promises to put on a fun show that will get the energy going in the crowd.
THE OVERSEER:
To support the heavier side of the headlining act, The Overseer can definitely relate. Having just released their debut LP, We Search, We Dig, this band is ready to start making a splash. With their experimental metalcore sound, which many people compare to Underoath, they serve as a more than appropriate supporting act. Something tells me that these guys won’t continue to be a supporting act forever.
BLEACH BLONDE:
When it comes to making a splash, these guys have just started to get their feet wet. Yet to release an EP or LP, they have three songs on iTunes in a single. And you know what? It’s enough to get to know these guys. Bleach Blonde is undoubtedly the least heavy band on this tour, appealing more to the catchy side of EDIU. They have a light, fun, pop-punk sound that is a definite standout and they certainly have the potential to draw a much larger audience.
REDFIELD:
Upstate New York’s premier partycore band, Redfield is ready to take the stage again to support their upcoming EP. Having recently released two of the songs from it, these guys are certainly generating more buzz than ever before. Their electrifying stage presence and groovy metalcore sound will certainly bring the energy at this show, as they always promise to do.
MEIRA:
Brutal metalcore hopefuls Meira are going to unleash havoc on the Lost Horizon at this show. Their debut EP, Closure, released in September of last year, was one of the best local releases of the year. Their live show is nothing short of the brutality they demonstrate on the EP, either. This is yet another band that ideally represents the Upstate metal scene with these national bands.
TURN THE TIDE:
By far one of the fastest rising local bands of the last year, Turn the Tide are an excellent opening band to set the mood for the rest of the show. Yet, they have much more promise than to just be openers forever, and have already headlined a few shows in the short time they’ve been together. They are a hard-working band whose talent is only exceeded by their determination, planning to bring that to their debut EP this summer.
This show is going to be, without a doubt, a showcase for rising stars. The best time to see a band live is when they are still relatively unknown, because they have to work the hardest to make themselves known, and make fans out of the people who happen to be at their shows. Many of these bands are still trying to get their names out there to get more fans, and every one of them deserves it. If you want to see a show with high energy, a mix of sounds, and top-notch Upstate representation, then this is going to be the best way you could spend this Saturday.
After touring with Papa Roach, Otherwise is playing at the Webster Theater Underground in Hartford, CT on Tuesday, April 2nd. This will be the band’s first time playing the venue since before the release of their debut record, True Love Never Dies. Opening for them is Girl on Fire. A night full of excitement, head banging, and killer guitar riffs await the rock lovers of Hartford, CT on April 2nd and then in Upstate New York at The Uptown Theater in Utica Wednesday night.
OTHERWISE:
Originally from sin city, Las Vegas, this four-pieced hard rock alternative band is one that has put their blood, sweat, and tears into their debut album, True Love Never Dies. The band consists of the Patrick brothers, Adrian (vocals) and Ryan (guitar/vocals), Vassilios Metropoulos (bass/vocals), and Corky Gainsford (drums/vocals). You may recognize Adrian’s voice from the metal duet done with In This Moment’s Maria Brink, “The Promise”, for their third record, A Star-Crossed Wasteland, accompanied by a steamy music video. The band first gained notice by having their leading single, “Soldiers” played nationally through Sirius XM’s Octane channel, yet they remained unsigned at the time. Finally, when they signed with Century Media, Otherwise was produced by Jay Baumgardner (Godsmack, Bush, Papa Roach, Seether, Sevendust, and P.O.D.). Most certainly, the band’s music will be haunting the back of your mind for quite some time.
All in all, a very great line up, one that will leave the crowd buzzing for a long while. Get ready for a rocking and kick-ass night! This will be an explosive experience that will leave your ears ringing for quite sometime!
After playing the Upstate Concert Hall on Halloween of 2012, Pierce the Veil returned on Sunday, March 24th with a whole new lineup of supporting bands, and came back to rock with a vengeance. Lead singer Vic Fuentes said himself during the show that the crowd was not only much rowdier than that of the Halloween show, but they were “the best crowd on the entire tour so far”. A statement like this leaves us to wonder: who’s responsible for that? Did PTV leave a good impression on the crowd last time, or are we Upstate metalheads just the best crowd in the world? I’d like to think it’s a little of both, and that Vic wasn’t just saying that.
Rapcore/postcore rising stars Issues opened the show, and got things moving to a quick and fun start. They played their new EP, Black Diamonds, in its entirety, which is a good enough length for an opening set, but left many of us dying for more. There were some minor flaws with the sound, including very dull and quiet guitars, but they played it off well with their charisma and rhythmic unity. Clean vocalist Tyler Carter and unclean vocalist Michael Bohn are like perfect alter egos of each other, and co-dominate the stage with a band that plays a unique blend of catchiness and heaviness.
Following them was letlive., Epitaph Records’ unstoppable postcore quintet. This band certainly kept the momentum going, and any audio troubles were certainly worked out by the time they took the stage. Frontman Jason Butler was bouncing all over the stage, and at a few points was singing hanging upside down from the rafters. Displaying high intensity and musical prowess, they served as a great segway for Memphis May Fire. These Rise Records veterans really brought the metal, and the crowd loved every minute of it. They played a fairly long set, and no one in the crowd was tired at all, it made it all the more exciting in anticipation for the headlining band. Of course, the excitement got to quite a few people, as the incessant mosh pits of each act caused numerous slight injuries. Props to the security at Upstate Concert Hall for being on top of things.
Pierce the Veil took the stage at approximately 9:45 with confetti cannons, light and sound effects, and a very appropriate chanting of “this is the Street Youth Rising Tour!” They played eleven songs, including many fan favorites, and most of their hit new record, Fearless Records’ 2012 smash Collide With the Sky. I, along with nearly every other person in the room, sang every lyric to every song, and the room seemed to be on fire with music and spirit. Vic conversed with the crowd, as did hyper-energetic bassist Jaime Preciado, and they were joined onstage by their good friend Jason Butler of letlive. for their collaboration song, “Tangled In the Great Escape”. The band and the crowd gave each other a continuous cycle of energy that blew the roof off the venue. It’s no wonder Vic said we were their greatest crowd of the tour.
In the weeks prior to the show, we attempted to contact PTV‘s management so I could do an interview with them, but we were never contacted back. This was very disappointing to me, as I had hoped to capture some of their famous friendliness and connection with their fans, and the fact that we were ignored made me feel quite the opposite. However, when I saw them live, I started to understand. Their connection with the fans is still strong through music, and they are out to help the fans, never hurt them. Anything could have gone wrong with the interview through the publicist, so I shouldn’t blame them for something that is possibly out of their control. I also came to realize that some bands do in fact think they’ve gotten too important and that is ridiculous. These bands would be nowhere without us (the fans), because everything in this scene stems back to the fans; we are its backbone. Pierce the Veil and friends played that night like they haven’t forgotten this, let’s hope they never do.
This is the band that is not afraid to speak their mind and sing out what everybody in the venue is thinking. Their music has a very fresh rock sound, with catchy tunes that will haunt you for months, maybe more. This is the kind of music that loosens you up after a long day or week. The words that melodically leave their lips are very interpretive; their style is very edgy and rough, in a very good way. It’s that good-time feeling kind of rock, the kind that is also very blunt. Say hello to the hard-rockers of Memphis, Surrender the Fall.
Formed in 2005, band members consist of Jared Cole (vocals), Eddie Tyre (guitar), Anthony Pitts (guitar), Devin Hightower (bass), and Rick Anderson (drums). Surrender the Fall has been to hell and back; Tyre, being a lifelong resident of New Orleans, lost everything in Hurricane Katrina; Pitts was promised career in football until a knee injury. Of course, there was the case of their loved ones succumbing to sicknesses and passing away. Through all of the tragedy, Surrender the Fall strove for greatness. Before showing off their amazing talent, they took the necessary precautions to make sure everything sounded absolutely perfect. Eventually, they booked killer gigs such as in New Orleans, and with a great turn out, and they soon signed with Rum Bum Records. Rum Bum sent Surrender the Fall to Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX (Taking Back Sunday, ZZ Top, Madonna, Devildriver) to record with producer/artist Lennon Murphy (Lennon, Devil’s Gift). After a five and a half week period, the band recorded what is now their debut 12 tracked record, Burn in the Spotlight, filled with songs on “love, hate, pain and everything in between.” The album was released September 18, 2012, with leading singles “Love Hate Masquerade” and currently, “Some Kind of Perfect.” Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the chance to interview the band’s front man, Jared Cole.
Media Credit – Kate Drexel
UM: How did you come up with your band name?
JC: Surrender the Fall…we sat down, and took paper and pen and started writing ideas about band names. It was the hardest thing in the world to do; meanwhile people come up with names like Alien Ant Farm or Butthole Surfers…we set out to figure out this name and, to be honest, we didn’t have the meaning right off the bat. We kind of put the words together that sounded good, and we sat down and thought about it for a while and it’s like “Surrender the Fall”…it’s liking giving up the fall. You don’t fall, you don’t fail; if you don’t fail, then you’re still going and that’s success, that’s following your dream, that’s doing it in a diligent way so that nothing and no one can tell you not to, like they can’t keep you from it. Giving up the option for failure. That’s what it means. And well, we’re five stubborn assholes who refuse to stop doing this…one way or another, we’re going to figure out how to piss everybody off with rock and roll music. I forget now who said it, somebody called us “The Bastard Stepchild of Rock ‘N’ Roll”…it was not in an interview, but it was something along those lines…The Bastard Stepchild…the Assholes That Refuse to Quit Playing.
UM: Who are your biggest influences?
JC: Biggest influences…Elvis, Michael Jackson, Prince, U2, Metallica, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash…again, we’re all about music without prejudice, we take influences from everything and everybody. Anybody that would do it, no matter what, anybody that would get behind the mic and say it, and didn’t give a fuck what anybody else thought. Those are our influences.
UM: How did you get to become a part of the My Darkest Days tour?
JC: I think it was a package deal; we sent some of our stuff to their management, kinda worked the details out on the business end and joined with them. Obviously we have never met before or anything like that but they’re some of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet. We love those guys…we actually saw Matt Walst not too long ago, they were…of course you know that he’s filling in for Three Days Grace right now, and we talked to him over at the Shinedown show out there, and they were playing a Battle Creek show same night we were.
UM: What’s the story behind “Some Kind of Perfect”?
JC: Well, I’ll answer that by saying this: “Some Kind of Perfect” and quite a few other songs that we have are very open to interpretation. Sometimes when I write, I draw from a couple of different scenarios to influence me to get me the vibe and “Some Kind of Perfect” is basically about having a goal and having dreams and then thinking this is what’s going to be perfect, which in this case, a band trying to make it and trying to make it in this music business and then they decided to leave it and expected me to go with them and I was at a crossroads in my life where I had to say “You know what? I can’t go” I believe in this enough to see it through and just to keep pushing on and we parted ways. I saw this movie…I forgot what they were talking about but the lady said to another person, “You need to update your fairy tale.” At that point, I had to update my idea of perfect and that it didn’t matter that it wasn’t the perfect that it began with, it was at least some kind of perfect. I think it’s all about following your heart and doing what you know you were born to do, regardless of anyone else in your life. That you can have the strength and the will and the determination to follow it through and see it through no matter what, and it can mess up along the way, get some scrapes and bruises along the way but it’s still perfect because it’s exactly what you set out to do and you didn’t let anyone push you away from that. Like I said, it’s very interpretive so people can pull their own feeling from it and relate to it in different ways and I think that’s the best thing about music in itself is that when people write, it’s not always what the listener thinks it is, and the listener can…I know I found myself growing up, hearing songs and then being able to meet the guy that wrote the song and I was like “I had no idea the way I felt about that situation in my life until I heard your song and that’s exactly how I felt about it.” I think it’s cool to be able to connect with people in that way.
UM: What does your music reflect about you guys?
JC: That we have a really good time on stage. Our live shows and our music go hand in hand. When we did this record, we wanted it to be big, we wanted it to be loud, and we wanted to write these songs that people could grab a hold of and sing with us, because it’s a party. When people pay money and spend the time to see us do something, they want the connection and that’s all about that for us, it’s all about connecting with the audience and connecting with each other on stage and everybody is looking at everybody having a good time. Our music, it reflects us as people; we’re the band that says what everybody else is thinking but they’re afraid to say it. All of our music is honest, it’s real, it’s not a over-fabrication of anything, and I think that’s why we’ve related so well on these tours that we’ve done so far, and the fact that our first major tour was with All That Remains and Nonpoint, they’re metal bands, and I’m sitting there going, “Holy shit, these guys are helping us with our launch…” And I love metal, my guitar player Ed was in a metal band and I used in a metal band, so I mean, it’s sort of blunt but we’re just rock ‘n’ roll. We got up there and every night after night after night, everybody got it, and everybody dug it. We never got a bad review, we always went up and gave it 110% every single night and I think people gravitated towards it because it was honest because we talk about it on stage and we get off stage and we live it. And it’s real and it’s…I think that’s what it is: it’s live, it’s loud, it’s honest, but hopefully it’s catchy enough to where it sticks in your head a little bit.
UM: Favorite venue and why?
JC: Oh, man! It’s a toss up, actually, and I’m not saying this because I’m biased but Rams Head is one and The Machine Shop is the other, and they’re for the exact same reasons: the stage, the sound, the atmosphere at both venues are incredible. The fans that come out and the people that come out are so ready to go. It’s not like they show any prejudice towards any other band, it’s not like the crowd that comes and sit in the back until the headliner comes on. These guys are fucking ready. Both places and we loved it; man, and we were…it’s actually the first time we played at both of those places on the My Darkest Days tour. We had five, six hundred people at Rams Head and I think The Machine Shop sold out, so it was amazing. Those are the two of the ones that stick out. I still watch YouTube videos of the Rams Head show; it was one of my favorite shows I’ve ever played. It’s just the energy and the crowd, we got off stage and everybody was so cool, everybody wanted to hang out…it’s what we live for, it’s what we love to do.
UM: What do you guys do during your down time?
JC: I sit around and write a lot, plus seeing new cities, we’ll go and see different things. My drummer plans on seeing every capital of every city, we’ll go see the sites and what not, if we have time. A lot of times we’re hanging out at radio stations and going to get set up and…this and that, but a couple of the guys like to hit up the casinos and blow a little money, some of the other guys like to get a little bit of their drink on and hanging out, meeting some of the local people. We sit on the bus for long enough; you’re around everybody, all day so sometimes we like to split up; sometimes we go in pairs, sometimes we don’t go out. At the same time, it’s kind of like whatever; it depends on where we are. We’ll sit and write, we like to play Black Ops, I don’t ever play video games…I’m not good at it at all. I’ll sit around and play Black Ops and…I’m big into movies so just normal stuff. Stuff to pass the time when you don’t have anything going on.
UM: When composing a song, where do your ideas come from and how do they evolve?
JC: I just write about life…I write about my life and the things going on and things that I’ve learned, thing’s that I’m feeling; sometimes it’s in the past, sometimes it’s present, sometimes it’s things that I want later on in life and it’s a product of what that moment does to me right then. We sat down and said we were going to try and write good songs. We weren’t going to stick to any kind of genre or anything like that, and we were just going to write, to write good songs. I personally feel like that’s what we did. I don’t know what the rest of the world thinks, I hope they think the same thing but it’s just…I don’t know…it’s just life and stuff that we care about and stuff that happened to us. We’re musicians, we’re all artists and we’re all just a bunch of crazy fuckers.
UM: What does music mean to you?
JC: Ah, man…music…it’s a hard thing to say, you know, ‘cause I don’t know if there’s a word that…it’s a paramour, it’s a drug, an addiction; music is life and it’s a living and breathing thing. It’s the opiate of the masses. No one that I have ever met that does not connect with music in someway, you know, that it affects their life…it’s the energy. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes you get lost and that’s all you need is music. Sometimes you don’t need physical food; sometimes it quenches the thirst or solves your problem…I don’t know…it gives people hope. I mean it’s all the same things to us too. We got into this because we love music and we love the creative process of music…it’s the only thing we know. This is the most important thing to me, this is the only thing I know how to do and for me, it’s life.
