Can you say your name and what you do in the band?
Josh of
Evergreen Terrace and I play guitar.
First off, how's Kyle doing?
Kyle is doing a lot better. His accident was in July and for a while we
were really nervous at how serious it could be. He had a blood clot in his
lung. He's been in physical therapy for about a month and the day the
record comes out he's going to fly out and play and finish the last four
days of this tour. So he's been at home practicing and we'll see how it
goes.
How's this tour going?
Good. It's really good. Caleb from
Casey Jones has been playing drums for us and he's definitely been
holding it down for us. The shows have been great, the bands have been
pretty cool for the most part. It's been a real chill tour, lots of
gambling but nothing too outrageous. It's not really a
party tour, it's more
of a sit around and play dice tour.
Almost Home is coming out on Tuesday. How did
you approach this album compared to your last previous albums?
This record was completely written by myself, Kyle, and our other guitar
player Craig. When we started writing the record it was more or less us
just getting in a room and jamming together instead of just writing for a
record. Previous records it was like "All right, we have to have 10 songs
done by this time". This record is just more of us jamming out. It was
real informal, there was no real set structure.
How much of the new material are you playing
live?
Right now, mainly because of the situation with Kyle, we usually play one or
two
new songs. On our next tour that starts in late October, Kyle will
be a part of it and we'll definitely be playing a larger mix of new songs.
Like every record, Almost Home leaked onto the
internet. What are your thoughts on album leaks?
It definitely sucks. What sucks is that labels and PR companies, the people
on that side of it really try their hardest to not let it happen. I know
with Metal Blade they've been not sending out full albums or sending out
watermarked copies. It's inevitable to not get a cd to leak. CD's arrive to
stores like a week before they are released. We started to get calls from
people saying "Hey I just heard the new record, it's awesome". We're like
shit. I mean I guess if someone is going to download it two weeks before it
comes out, they would probably download it when it does come out. If
they're a super fan then they'll go buy it. I know I have never downloaded
a record. I've had friends get something and then get it from them on my
IPOD. I'm from a
different generation and like to have the actual cd and see the artwork and
read the lyrics, you know? That's a big part of it for me. But yeah,
leaking records sucks.
Have you done a video yet?
We actually just shot a video. We got the final edit yesterday. It's for
the song Sending Signals, I think that's track five on the record. That
should be appearing online next week.
You're doing headlining tour after this,
stoked?
We do a headliner here in the states and then we're going to Europe on this
thing called the Persistence tour. It's going to be awesome. It's
Biohazard, Ignite,
Walls of Jericho, us,
Death By Stereo, and it's going to be gnarly. Every time we go to
Europe it's really fun. The shows are insane. Heavy music is on a
completely different level on that whole continent.
What's going on with Casey Jones?
We write sixteen songs for a new record. We went to go record it and the
label told us they didn't have the money to give us for it. It kind of put
us in a shithole and don't know what we're going to do. One of our guitar
players just moved to Boston to teach at Boston University and get his
Masters. The other guitarist just got a job at a medical clinic. It looks
like the end may be near, but we'll see.
If you could tour with any three bands past or
present, who would they be?
Not that this tour would be good, but these are bands that I would love to
see. Queen would definitely be one.
Good Riddance and probably Rancid.
You've been around now for 10 years. How has
the state of hardcore changed in that time?
It's changed a lot. We watched it go from being underground that was never
looked at to be a long lasting career and it's gone from being normal to
play shows and tours in peoples houses to go on tour and playing the House
of Blues or even on tours that play stadiums. I think it's insane that
there are hardcore bands out there selling half a million records. I think
it is really cool that people have become so open minded and can listen to
bands that scream like a shithead. At the same time the downfall with how
big it has gotten is the technology that comes along with it. Overall I
think it has changed for the good. A lot more people are aware of it and
now aware of an alternative lifestyle.
Any last words for the fans and readers?
Record comes out on Tuesday, we'll be on tour all the time, and I know a lot
but I knew a lot more when I was a woman.