smartpunk
> *When and how did you form?
>
three and a half years ago the 4 of us came together and decided that we wanted to pursue our dreams and passions and follow music full time. i was still in college and we went to atlanta, georgia and recorded our demo with matt goldman. we shipped it off to various labels and got amazing response. we assessed all the contracts offered and realized tooth and nail gave us the biggest opportunity and a fighting chance.
strayer (guitarist) joined us may of ‘05 and has made such a positive impact on our live show.
> *What are your day jobs?
>
fortunatly for us we have the opportunity to tour enough that we don't have to work, but the last job i had was substituting for the polk county school system. deon has worked for his dads pipeline business, strayer worked @ blockbuster, nate used to mow lawns, and i dont think joey has ever had a job.
> *How would you describe yourselves to someone who has never heard you?
> *If we were to search your practice space, what would we find that is not
> music related?
>
somewhere between 80's new wave and indie-rock. i have no idea. i dont think that any bands like to give themselfs labels, i dont think any of us want to fit into any mold. we lie to ourselfs and pretend were original. but were all products of things that have gone before us. so for us, we get our inspiration from everything from the cure to the rolling stones.
our practice space is actually a recording studio owned by a guy name steve johnson. he is such a funny guy, i think he collects everything. there are telescopes, a car, old 80's instructional drumming videos, old computers, random tapes, mic stands made of car stearing wheels, workout equipment, and the latest edition... a pair of boxing gloves that we used alot during this last practice.
> *On your next release, is Aaron Sprinkle going to be producing it?
yes we are going to seattle this august to record our third record. aaron has been such a good producer and been more of a friend than just an engineer. he has a very hands off attitude, and leaves us up to our own decisions. at first this was hard for me to understand, but then it taught me that i need to learn how to arrange and come up with harmonies, and figure out what fits where soley on my own without outside influences. i am looking forward to this record. more than i can tell you. i am so confident in the few songs that are completed, though joey sent me the 18th demo this morning.
>
> *When can we expect the next release?
darker, not different, just darker. i hate when bands change to where they are not the same band anymore, so there is definetly going to be some type of cohesion between albums, but this one will be the most introspective for sure. i would like to think that this is our london calling, or ok computer. not that i think this album will compare in greatness to either of those, but this will be the album all the others are judged by.
i think that the first record very nieve, very innocent... man vs. nature. we knew there was a big world out there, but we had never seen it. the second record was about interpersonal communication with others. it was all about friendships, relationships... basically others, like man vs. man. this album is almost going to be a biogrophy of the human mind, reaching into the desires of the sub consciouss that everyone deals with but no one talks about. this is going to be our man vs.self record. if you can't tell i am elated to be working on this! i just finished the last song (*fin) yesterday @ richards cofee shop in winter haven, florida.
>
> *If you weren't in this band, what would you be doing?
i think about that alot. not because i want to be out of the band but because i am so future oriented. i think i would be in either med school or getting my mba. i ultimetly want to work with an orginization like world vision, or unicef. i want to do something that is going to change the world, and change peoples minds about helping the world. i wouldn't even doubt it if i were to end up in a 3rd world country building orphanages for the rest of my life. who knows. and who cares. i am really content in this moment and whatever happens in the future i know will be amazing.
>
> *What do you admire most about the other band members?
strayer is such a character. he is the latest member of the band so i have only had about 2 years to get to know him. he has an electric personality on stage and him and i have this chemistry on stage that i dont share with anyone else ever!
joey and i have been friends for about 10 years, when i first met him he was invading my little punk scene, and i made fun of him because he had really long black hair and was wearing a metallica shirt. since then we have have become co-dependent on each other when it comes to writing. like john & paul. not to that level, but kinda like that. joey is the best song writer i have ever met. he can write any style of song in a matter of minutes, and it is amazing!
knater and i have become brothers. i love him like one. seriously. nate is so humble and founded in what he believes. most people his age would be all over the map trying to live it up, but he knows who he is. and thats more than i can say for most 25 year olds!
deon and i have been friends the longest. he is the most loyal friend i have ever had. we butt heads the most but thats because we are both so passionate in what we do. he is the realist and i am the dreamer. when we are home me and him hang out the most. we got off tour and 24 hours later were calling each other trying to figure out what were going to do that night. tonight he is having a bbq at his house! were all going over there to cook the rack of ribs we bought yesterday. sorry vegans!
i count seth our tour manager, keoni our tech and kyle our manager as apart of the band as well. i admire them for sticking with us. we are so adhd i dont see how they put up with us.
>
> * What are three things you'd like to do as a band that you have yet to do?
i want to go to japan.
i want to have enough money that deon can open up his resturaunt he always talks about. or the rest of the guys and myself always talk about it, cause randomly he is a really really good cook.
i want to watch xmen 3 together.
>
> * Final thoughts?
well i leave to go to haiti tomorrow morning. knate, seth, and myself are going to help build an orphanage in a remote part of the country. if i die can you have them play nico's "these days" at my funeral. i would also like for tony danza to make an appereance at my funeral. not that i am a fan of his, it just would be so random if he showed up and everybody was like "how the hell did stephen know tony danza?"
>
three and a half years ago the 4 of us came together and decided that we wanted to pursue our dreams and passions and follow music full time. i was still in college and we went to atlanta, georgia and recorded our demo with matt goldman. we shipped it off to various labels and got amazing response. we assessed all the contracts offered and realized tooth and nail gave us the biggest opportunity and a fighting chance.
strayer (guitarist) joined us may of ‘05 and has made such a positive impact on our live show.
> *What are your day jobs?
>
fortunatly for us we have the opportunity to tour enough that we don't have to work, but the last job i had was substituting for the polk county school system. deon has worked for his dads pipeline business, strayer worked @ blockbuster, nate used to mow lawns, and i dont think joey has ever had a job.
> *How would you describe yourselves to someone who has never heard you?
> *If we were to search your practice space, what would we find that is not
> music related?
>
somewhere between 80's new wave and indie-rock. i have no idea. i dont think that any bands like to give themselfs labels, i dont think any of us want to fit into any mold. we lie to ourselfs and pretend were original. but were all products of things that have gone before us. so for us, we get our inspiration from everything from the cure to the rolling stones.
our practice space is actually a recording studio owned by a guy name steve johnson. he is such a funny guy, i think he collects everything. there are telescopes, a car, old 80's instructional drumming videos, old computers, random tapes, mic stands made of car stearing wheels, workout equipment, and the latest edition... a pair of boxing gloves that we used alot during this last practice.
> *On your next release, is Aaron Sprinkle going to be producing it?
yes we are going to seattle this august to record our third record. aaron has been such a good producer and been more of a friend than just an engineer. he has a very hands off attitude, and leaves us up to our own decisions. at first this was hard for me to understand, but then it taught me that i need to learn how to arrange and come up with harmonies, and figure out what fits where soley on my own without outside influences. i am looking forward to this record. more than i can tell you. i am so confident in the few songs that are completed, though joey sent me the 18th demo this morning.
>
> *When can we expect the next release?
darker, not different, just darker. i hate when bands change to where they are not the same band anymore, so there is definetly going to be some type of cohesion between albums, but this one will be the most introspective for sure. i would like to think that this is our london calling, or ok computer. not that i think this album will compare in greatness to either of those, but this will be the album all the others are judged by.
i think that the first record very nieve, very innocent... man vs. nature. we knew there was a big world out there, but we had never seen it. the second record was about interpersonal communication with others. it was all about friendships, relationships... basically others, like man vs. man. this album is almost going to be a biogrophy of the human mind, reaching into the desires of the sub consciouss that everyone deals with but no one talks about. this is going to be our man vs.self record. if you can't tell i am elated to be working on this! i just finished the last song (*fin) yesterday @ richards cofee shop in winter haven, florida.
>
> *If you weren't in this band, what would you be doing?
i think about that alot. not because i want to be out of the band but because i am so future oriented. i think i would be in either med school or getting my mba. i ultimetly want to work with an orginization like world vision, or unicef. i want to do something that is going to change the world, and change peoples minds about helping the world. i wouldn't even doubt it if i were to end up in a 3rd world country building orphanages for the rest of my life. who knows. and who cares. i am really content in this moment and whatever happens in the future i know will be amazing.
>
> *What do you admire most about the other band members?
strayer is such a character. he is the latest member of the band so i have only had about 2 years to get to know him. he has an electric personality on stage and him and i have this chemistry on stage that i dont share with anyone else ever!
joey and i have been friends for about 10 years, when i first met him he was invading my little punk scene, and i made fun of him because he had really long black hair and was wearing a metallica shirt. since then we have have become co-dependent on each other when it comes to writing. like john & paul. not to that level, but kinda like that. joey is the best song writer i have ever met. he can write any style of song in a matter of minutes, and it is amazing!
knater and i have become brothers. i love him like one. seriously. nate is so humble and founded in what he believes. most people his age would be all over the map trying to live it up, but he knows who he is. and thats more than i can say for most 25 year olds!
deon and i have been friends the longest. he is the most loyal friend i have ever had. we butt heads the most but thats because we are both so passionate in what we do. he is the realist and i am the dreamer. when we are home me and him hang out the most. we got off tour and 24 hours later were calling each other trying to figure out what were going to do that night. tonight he is having a bbq at his house! were all going over there to cook the rack of ribs we bought yesterday. sorry vegans!
i count seth our tour manager, keoni our tech and kyle our manager as apart of the band as well. i admire them for sticking with us. we are so adhd i dont see how they put up with us.
>
> * What are three things you'd like to do as a band that you have yet to do?
i want to go to japan.
i want to have enough money that deon can open up his resturaunt he always talks about. or the rest of the guys and myself always talk about it, cause randomly he is a really really good cook.
i want to watch xmen 3 together.
>
> * Final thoughts?
well i leave to go to haiti tomorrow morning. knate, seth, and myself are going to help build an orphanage in a remote part of the country. if i die can you have them play nico's "these days" at my funeral. i would also like for tony danza to make an appereance at my funeral. not that i am a fan of his, it just would be so random if he showed up and everybody was like "how the hell did stephen know tony danza?"
posted by Sven at 9:01 AM
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