Pop-punk/Hardcore/Punk
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LIGHTWAITE
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Interview with The Braces!
-Who are The Braces?
TB: The Braces are 4 dudes who love punk music of all types and love playing it, whether it's to 1000 people or 5 people.
-What would you say keeps you guys going? I read you've been a band for 4 years or so.
TB: We didnt really take ourselves seriously at first we just played for fun it's only been about two years that we've been taking things seriously because we feel that our music is finally at the point where people who have never heard punk music or of punk music can get into it and yet its still somewhat classifiable as punk that's something we wanted to accomplish
-Awesome, Who are your biggest influences?
TB: In terms of ideals and beliefs the clash and minor threat in terms of music nofx, the clash, bad religion and osker in terms of lyrics elvis costello and the lawrence arms
-What are some of the things you have learned from being part of the punk scene?
TB: People have ego's and opinions that aren't based on fact or logic in the punk/hardcore/pop punk scene punk kids pride themselves on being open minded but most are close minded not to alienate a bunch of kids by stating that but I've seen a terrible band throw out a kid dynamite cover and have the hardcore kids eat it up and then a band right after covers lifetime who most hardcore kids don't know of and the hardcore kids dont give two shits (lifetime is the band that dan yemin was in prior to kid dynamite) on the other hand,I love punk kids/hardcore kids/pop punk kids a lot of them are really great guys once you get to know them and get their respect it is just irrationally hard to earn it
-Hmm, what are some of the things that you have noticed changed 5-10 years ago in the music scene?
TB: I remember my first show ever was with TSOL, Death By Stereo and Audio Karate when I was 13 in 2000. You would never see a show like that these days an 80's hardcore classic with a metalcore band and pop punk band and thats even probably a step below what it was like before my time everything is getting sectioned off I'd rather play to a bunch of eager eared 15 year old's than a bunch of nose to the air arms crossed 17 year olds who won't give a shit about you if you don't have a breakdown
-Lets get back to the band haha, What do you have recorded/released?
TB: We recorded and released our first LP ourselves when we didn't really know how to play our instruments but we didn't care we decided to do our second album ourselves after offers from a few producers because we felt like we would be able to make it how we wanted, instead of paying an excessive amount of money to get something we didnt want plus we were broke
-Haha, How many shows do you think you guys have played? Tell me about the best and worst show you guys have had.
TB: I've lost count our best show was definitely our CD release show for our last album we got to play with some of our best friends and it was amazing to hear everyone singing along plus we were in charge of booking it and running it so we got to do it how we wanted the worst show we've had was on tour in riverside we were playing with a bunch of hardcore bands and we had to run the sound ourselves because the venue didnt know what they were doing and we had to provide our own mics and duct tape them to the stands it wasnt bad because of that though that would have been fine but we played and pretty much everyone cleared the room but these two dudes and so i basically spent the rest of the show pretending that these two guys were our biggest fans and when we got off stage one of the guys was like "youre a fucking dick onstage, I wanted to sock you"
-When writing songs, where do you get your inspiration for lyrics?
TB: It depends I know that our bassist Fern takes a lot of inspiration from things that are currently going on in his life I think it varies for me Some of the songs on our album were about things that happened to me a long time ago and others were written two weeks before we recorded I wrote the entire song "I'd Rather Be Hot" stuck in traffic on the 101 freeway on the way home from work then figured out the melody on ukulele because that's all I had at my apartment and then from there worked it into guitar.
-What would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard of you.
TB: haha thats so tough, Poppy Punk that isn't necessarily pop punk and isnt necessarily punk. I guess if I were to use bands... It's a mix between Blink 182, Bad Religion, Lifetime, and Jawbreaker.
-Are there any upcoming tours for The Braces?
TB: No tours planned, but we want to play as many tours this year as possible so if any band reads this and wants to go out on tour with us let us know and we'll start planning.
-Thats it for the interview, any last words?
TB: check out our friends in the sheds, blackout 101, the bogarts, lightwaite and check our friends' record label No Sleep Records!
check them out: myspace
TB: The Braces are 4 dudes who love punk music of all types and love playing it, whether it's to 1000 people or 5 people.
-What would you say keeps you guys going? I read you've been a band for 4 years or so.
TB: We didnt really take ourselves seriously at first we just played for fun it's only been about two years that we've been taking things seriously because we feel that our music is finally at the point where people who have never heard punk music or of punk music can get into it and yet its still somewhat classifiable as punk that's something we wanted to accomplish
-Awesome, Who are your biggest influences?
TB: In terms of ideals and beliefs the clash and minor threat in terms of music nofx, the clash, bad religion and osker in terms of lyrics elvis costello and the lawrence arms
-What are some of the things you have learned from being part of the punk scene?
TB: People have ego's and opinions that aren't based on fact or logic in the punk/hardcore/pop punk scene punk kids pride themselves on being open minded but most are close minded not to alienate a bunch of kids by stating that but I've seen a terrible band throw out a kid dynamite cover and have the hardcore kids eat it up and then a band right after covers lifetime who most hardcore kids don't know of and the hardcore kids dont give two shits (lifetime is the band that dan yemin was in prior to kid dynamite) on the other hand,I love punk kids/hardcore kids/pop punk kids a lot of them are really great guys once you get to know them and get their respect it is just irrationally hard to earn it
-Hmm, what are some of the things that you have noticed changed 5-10 years ago in the music scene?
TB: I remember my first show ever was with TSOL, Death By Stereo and Audio Karate when I was 13 in 2000. You would never see a show like that these days an 80's hardcore classic with a metalcore band and pop punk band and thats even probably a step below what it was like before my time everything is getting sectioned off I'd rather play to a bunch of eager eared 15 year old's than a bunch of nose to the air arms crossed 17 year olds who won't give a shit about you if you don't have a breakdown
-Lets get back to the band haha, What do you have recorded/released?
TB: We recorded and released our first LP ourselves when we didn't really know how to play our instruments but we didn't care we decided to do our second album ourselves after offers from a few producers because we felt like we would be able to make it how we wanted, instead of paying an excessive amount of money to get something we didnt want plus we were broke
-Haha, How many shows do you think you guys have played? Tell me about the best and worst show you guys have had.
TB: I've lost count our best show was definitely our CD release show for our last album we got to play with some of our best friends and it was amazing to hear everyone singing along plus we were in charge of booking it and running it so we got to do it how we wanted the worst show we've had was on tour in riverside we were playing with a bunch of hardcore bands and we had to run the sound ourselves because the venue didnt know what they were doing and we had to provide our own mics and duct tape them to the stands it wasnt bad because of that though that would have been fine but we played and pretty much everyone cleared the room but these two dudes and so i basically spent the rest of the show pretending that these two guys were our biggest fans and when we got off stage one of the guys was like "youre a fucking dick onstage, I wanted to sock you"
-When writing songs, where do you get your inspiration for lyrics?
TB: It depends I know that our bassist Fern takes a lot of inspiration from things that are currently going on in his life I think it varies for me Some of the songs on our album were about things that happened to me a long time ago and others were written two weeks before we recorded I wrote the entire song "I'd Rather Be Hot" stuck in traffic on the 101 freeway on the way home from work then figured out the melody on ukulele because that's all I had at my apartment and then from there worked it into guitar.
-What would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard of you.
TB: haha thats so tough, Poppy Punk that isn't necessarily pop punk and isnt necessarily punk. I guess if I were to use bands... It's a mix between Blink 182, Bad Religion, Lifetime, and Jawbreaker.
-Are there any upcoming tours for The Braces?
TB: No tours planned, but we want to play as many tours this year as possible so if any band reads this and wants to go out on tour with us let us know and we'll start planning.
-Thats it for the interview, any last words?
TB: check out our friends in the sheds, blackout 101, the bogarts, lightwaite and check our friends' record label No Sleep Records!
check them out: myspace
The Wonder Years "The Upsides" REVIEW
The Upsides
(The Wonder Years)
I’m not sad anymore, I just listened to The Wonder Years. Sophomore album The Upsides is a reluctantly positive, poppy and personal introspective of a last year at college and the circumstances surrounding the transition from idyllic adolescence to disillusioned but hopeful maturity. Starting off with the motto of the album (“I’m not sad anymore\I’m just tired of this place”), “My Last Semester” kicks off the new and improved style of the band. TWY has taken the best aspects of Get Stoked On It! and expanded on its foundation of pop punk spirit and intimate lyrics, developing the unique sound that sets TWY apart. While there are few standout tracks, the consistency of pace and variety of rhythm makes it easy to get addicted to the album as a whole, a story that one can read over and over again, finding new lines to laugh at and more parallels between the life of vocalist “Soupy” and your own. “Melrose Diner” reminds us of what “my friends all say,” and “It’s Never Sunny” says that “Most days are bad days\But we can’t just wait\For someone to pull me off of the concrete”, the little things that everyone relates to on some level. The charm and beauty of The Upsides is not just its catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, it’s the simple message embedded in the words of guys like you and me – a message we can all appreciate about the upside of life. And for pulling that off, The Wonder Years has something to be happy about.
-Brokedick
For Fans Of: New Found Glory, This Time Next Year, The Light Year, A Loss for Words
Favorite Songs: My Last Semester, Dynamite Shovel, Melrose Diner, Hey Thanks, All My Friends Are in Bar Bands
Rating: B+
(The Wonder Years)
I’m not sad anymore, I just listened to The Wonder Years. Sophomore album The Upsides is a reluctantly positive, poppy and personal introspective of a last year at college and the circumstances surrounding the transition from idyllic adolescence to disillusioned but hopeful maturity. Starting off with the motto of the album (“I’m not sad anymore\I’m just tired of this place”), “My Last Semester” kicks off the new and improved style of the band. TWY has taken the best aspects of Get Stoked On It! and expanded on its foundation of pop punk spirit and intimate lyrics, developing the unique sound that sets TWY apart. While there are few standout tracks, the consistency of pace and variety of rhythm makes it easy to get addicted to the album as a whole, a story that one can read over and over again, finding new lines to laugh at and more parallels between the life of vocalist “Soupy” and your own. “Melrose Diner” reminds us of what “my friends all say,” and “It’s Never Sunny” says that “Most days are bad days\But we can’t just wait\For someone to pull me off of the concrete”, the little things that everyone relates to on some level. The charm and beauty of The Upsides is not just its catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, it’s the simple message embedded in the words of guys like you and me – a message we can all appreciate about the upside of life. And for pulling that off, The Wonder Years has something to be happy about.
-Brokedick
For Fans Of: New Found Glory, This Time Next Year, The Light Year, A Loss for Words
Favorite Songs: My Last Semester, Dynamite Shovel, Melrose Diner, Hey Thanks, All My Friends Are in Bar Bands
Rating: B+
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Interview with Thieves!
-Who is Thieves? Where are you from? How did you all meet? Did you know each other before Thieves?
T:Thieves formed from a couple local bands and mutual friends in Austin, TX. Chris (guitar), Andy (drums), and Nathan (bass) played in a hardcore/metal band (The Cabaret) for about three years. Many years before that, Chris and I, Billy (guitar/vocals), played in a pop punkish band (Tomorrow’s Too Late). Nathan even came out to a lot of our shows when he was younger. Anyways, shortly after the break up of The Cabaret we were all hanging out one day listening to our buddies With The Punches (the vocalist is an ex Tomorrow’s Too Late member). We talked about how much fun it would be to combine the two styles of The Cabaret and Tomorrow's Too Late type stuff. After a few jam sessions, it just turned into something more serious.
-How would you describe your overall sound?
T: To us, Thieves sounds like a group of friends, who primarily listen to metal and hardcore, deciding to revert back to their pop punk roots. We really feel our music reflects the reasons we got into indie/underground music in the first place, mixed with the reasons why we listen to the music we do now.
-What does Thieves have under their belt?
T: We haven’t gone out on any huge tours. However, we have played a few 3-4 day (mini) tours around Texas, as well as some very big local shows. We have shared the stage with such acts as The Wonder Years, Therefore I Am, Man Overboard, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Dance Gavin Dance, Alta Ave, With The Punches, Carridale and many other great bands/friends of ours.
-How many shows have you played so far? What was the most memorable one and is there any you consider to be a total wreck?
T: We've been together for about ayear, and have been playing shows constantly for about 8 or 9 months. I would say our most memorable show so far was a house show we played with our good friends Cities and Years (RIP). That was the first time we saw people singing along to our songs and having as much fun with them as we were. That was a great time. That house got destroyed during our set...our bad. The worst show we've ever played was definitely at Red7 with our buddies in Carridale. They came down from Alabama and played with us for a few days and we just played a bad show. They were great but we were just sloppy. No one was there, our equipment kept messing up and it just flat out sucked. We've never played like that since. Lesson learned.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band?
T: Worst memory is probably just that awful show I just described. The best memories are the shows where I'm not able to sing because people run on stage and steal the mic. It's a good feeling knowing someone wants to sing your stuff so bad they'll steal the mic from you. Also, on our first little Texas tour we played in Bryan, TX to hundreds of people who'd never seen us before and they went off the whole time. That whole trip was incredible. Basically if we can all travel together in the same car and pass the time by making fun of each other or coming up with new ideas for the band, we will have a blast.
-What’s your goal with this band?
T: The goal of this band since day one has been to have as much fun as possible while emphasizing how important friendship and meeting and forming relationships with kids has on us and the music we play. Of course we’d like to do this every single night.
-What is the toughest lesson you ever learned while being in the music scene?
T: Hard work pays off. Keep playing, keep practicing, keep writing, keep rewriting. Push yourself and never let anyone tell you how to make your music. People will only be into it if it's genuine.
-When it’s all said and done what do you want as a band to be remembered for the most?
T: I want people to have fun and find inspiration in our music.
-What do you guys love to eat? Any particular places you remember from being on tour that you'll never forget?
T: Shout out right here to Gourdough's and Torchy's Tacos in Austin, TX. Those people are doing it right with fresh ingredients. Also, shout out to Aranda’s for bringin the breakfast taco madness at all hours. Eat real food if you have the time and money to. We don't know many out-of-town places... when we're on the road it's drive-thru after drive-thru. Fast food is killing us.
-Thanks for the interview! Any Last words? Anything you would like to add?
T: Thanks to all the kids who dig our music and come out to the shows. Listen to all the bands on our top friends. Listen to good music. Support your local scene damnit (local before global!), and stop listening to Attack Attack and other kids who sing through synthesizers. Also, thanks to Jose for setting this up.
check them out: myspace
T:Thieves formed from a couple local bands and mutual friends in Austin, TX. Chris (guitar), Andy (drums), and Nathan (bass) played in a hardcore/metal band (The Cabaret) for about three years. Many years before that, Chris and I, Billy (guitar/vocals), played in a pop punkish band (Tomorrow’s Too Late). Nathan even came out to a lot of our shows when he was younger. Anyways, shortly after the break up of The Cabaret we were all hanging out one day listening to our buddies With The Punches (the vocalist is an ex Tomorrow’s Too Late member). We talked about how much fun it would be to combine the two styles of The Cabaret and Tomorrow's Too Late type stuff. After a few jam sessions, it just turned into something more serious.
-How would you describe your overall sound?
T: To us, Thieves sounds like a group of friends, who primarily listen to metal and hardcore, deciding to revert back to their pop punk roots. We really feel our music reflects the reasons we got into indie/underground music in the first place, mixed with the reasons why we listen to the music we do now.
-What does Thieves have under their belt?
T: We haven’t gone out on any huge tours. However, we have played a few 3-4 day (mini) tours around Texas, as well as some very big local shows. We have shared the stage with such acts as The Wonder Years, Therefore I Am, Man Overboard, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Dance Gavin Dance, Alta Ave, With The Punches, Carridale and many other great bands/friends of ours.
-How many shows have you played so far? What was the most memorable one and is there any you consider to be a total wreck?
T: We've been together for about ayear, and have been playing shows constantly for about 8 or 9 months. I would say our most memorable show so far was a house show we played with our good friends Cities and Years (RIP). That was the first time we saw people singing along to our songs and having as much fun with them as we were. That was a great time. That house got destroyed during our set...our bad. The worst show we've ever played was definitely at Red7 with our buddies in Carridale. They came down from Alabama and played with us for a few days and we just played a bad show. They were great but we were just sloppy. No one was there, our equipment kept messing up and it just flat out sucked. We've never played like that since. Lesson learned.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band?
T: Worst memory is probably just that awful show I just described. The best memories are the shows where I'm not able to sing because people run on stage and steal the mic. It's a good feeling knowing someone wants to sing your stuff so bad they'll steal the mic from you. Also, on our first little Texas tour we played in Bryan, TX to hundreds of people who'd never seen us before and they went off the whole time. That whole trip was incredible. Basically if we can all travel together in the same car and pass the time by making fun of each other or coming up with new ideas for the band, we will have a blast.
-What’s your goal with this band?
T: The goal of this band since day one has been to have as much fun as possible while emphasizing how important friendship and meeting and forming relationships with kids has on us and the music we play. Of course we’d like to do this every single night.
-What is the toughest lesson you ever learned while being in the music scene?
T: Hard work pays off. Keep playing, keep practicing, keep writing, keep rewriting. Push yourself and never let anyone tell you how to make your music. People will only be into it if it's genuine.
-When it’s all said and done what do you want as a band to be remembered for the most?
T: I want people to have fun and find inspiration in our music.
-What do you guys love to eat? Any particular places you remember from being on tour that you'll never forget?
T: Shout out right here to Gourdough's and Torchy's Tacos in Austin, TX. Those people are doing it right with fresh ingredients. Also, shout out to Aranda’s for bringin the breakfast taco madness at all hours. Eat real food if you have the time and money to. We don't know many out-of-town places... when we're on the road it's drive-thru after drive-thru. Fast food is killing us.
-Thanks for the interview! Any Last words? Anything you would like to add?
T: Thanks to all the kids who dig our music and come out to the shows. Listen to all the bands on our top friends. Listen to good music. Support your local scene damnit (local before global!), and stop listening to Attack Attack and other kids who sing through synthesizers. Also, thanks to Jose for setting this up.
check them out: myspace
Interview with Away with You!
-Who is AWY? Where are you from? How did you all meet? Did you know each other before AWY?
AWY: AWY is Chris, jamie, Gooch, Jimmy and Eugene, We all knew each other
and were friends before AWY. Everyone one was in different bands
before awy. jamie, chris and eugene were in 1 band and gooch and jimmy
were each in other bands. After all our bands broke up we decided to
form awy.
-How would you describe your overall sound?
Our sound is based upon playing fun music. Catchy poppy fast and
energetic is what we strive for.
-What does AWY have under their belt? Time to brag fellas, aha.
AWY: In November we played with bayside in gainsville in front of 650 kids.
We also have played with The wonder years, Such Gold, I call Fives and
other known bands. Our song it's been educational was played on 103.1
the buzz a 100,000 watt radio station in west palm beach. We were also
featured on the front page of purevolume for the release of gametime.
-When you're writing new songs, where do you get your inspiration from?
We usually get our inspiration from experiences. Show your teeth was
written after a night where we played a crappy show and the song is
exactly how the night went.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band?
AWY: The best memories are all the great and fun shows we have played over the past year and a half. There are not really any bad memories, maybe bad shows.
-What’s your goal with this band?
AWY: Take it as far as we can.
-What do you want listeners to experience while listening to your songs?
AWY: Feeling of fun and enjoyment.
-How many shows have you played so far? What was the most memorable one and is there any you consider to be a total wreck?
AWY: The most memorable must have been our cd release show. It was the first time we played and most of the crowd knew our words and sang along. Its a god feeling.
-For people that never listened or heard of you guys out there. Give us a few reasons they should.
AWY: Its fun sing along catchy music that is even better live.
-What do you guys love to eat? Any particular places you remember from being on tour that you'll never forget?
AWY: Chicken wings are our favorite. We usually go to wing night at our
favorite wing joint. Mr. Manatees has the best chicken wings ever.
-Thanks for the interview! Any Last words? Anything you would like to add?
We are going to be recording a new album in march so look for it out
in early summer. We will also be on tour in the summer. So message us
if you want us to come to your city.
check them out: myspace
AWY: AWY is Chris, jamie, Gooch, Jimmy and Eugene, We all knew each other
and were friends before AWY. Everyone one was in different bands
before awy. jamie, chris and eugene were in 1 band and gooch and jimmy
were each in other bands. After all our bands broke up we decided to
form awy.
-How would you describe your overall sound?
Our sound is based upon playing fun music. Catchy poppy fast and
energetic is what we strive for.
-What does AWY have under their belt? Time to brag fellas, aha.
AWY: In November we played with bayside in gainsville in front of 650 kids.
We also have played with The wonder years, Such Gold, I call Fives and
other known bands. Our song it's been educational was played on 103.1
the buzz a 100,000 watt radio station in west palm beach. We were also
featured on the front page of purevolume for the release of gametime.
-When you're writing new songs, where do you get your inspiration from?
We usually get our inspiration from experiences. Show your teeth was
written after a night where we played a crappy show and the song is
exactly how the night went.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band?
AWY: The best memories are all the great and fun shows we have played over the past year and a half. There are not really any bad memories, maybe bad shows.
-What’s your goal with this band?
AWY: Take it as far as we can.
-What do you want listeners to experience while listening to your songs?
AWY: Feeling of fun and enjoyment.
-How many shows have you played so far? What was the most memorable one and is there any you consider to be a total wreck?
AWY: The most memorable must have been our cd release show. It was the first time we played and most of the crowd knew our words and sang along. Its a god feeling.
-For people that never listened or heard of you guys out there. Give us a few reasons they should.
AWY: Its fun sing along catchy music that is even better live.
-What do you guys love to eat? Any particular places you remember from being on tour that you'll never forget?
AWY: Chicken wings are our favorite. We usually go to wing night at our
favorite wing joint. Mr. Manatees has the best chicken wings ever.
-Thanks for the interview! Any Last words? Anything you would like to add?
We are going to be recording a new album in march so look for it out
in early summer. We will also be on tour in the summer. So message us
if you want us to come to your city.
check them out: myspace
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Interview with Minus!
-Whats up Minus?
M: Not much man. I'm at school at the moment in the library. Listening to Kickback, about to start socking computers. That's about it for now haha.
-Haha, Where did you guys come up with the name?
M: I'm trying to think of some interesting and deep story about how the name "MINUS" came into play, but... I got nothing. I guess half of it came from Breakdown's "Plus Minus" record, get it? All I know for sure is that once the name was discussed, Mr. Daniel Weinraub immediately went to work on designing our logo, which came out looking great.
-Haha What does Minus have under their belt?
M: I think we have only played 3 real shows to date, 2 of which were over last weekend. We played 1 show in Santa Barbara before that, and before that we hopped on before a Downpresser set and played 1 song at a show in SB with Forfeit and Backtrack. The 1 song show was hard, it might be my favorite Minus show to date. Aside from shows, all we have under our belt is a demo, which was recorded sometime in 2009. It took awhile to come out because we recorded with Nathan Zemke (Violation) who happens to be going to school in San Diego currently, so we would have to schedule our recording/mixing sessions around when he would be off of school and home. However, we do have a full 7 inch (at least!) written already. We might record this Spring, who knows. As for now, more shows, more shows, more shows.
-Do you guys have any upcoming tours planned? What do you all do when you're not with the band?
M: We don't have any definite tours coming up at the moment, but there are certainly a lot of ideas being thrown around. We might actually all be flying out east to this year's United Blood Festival in Richmond, VA, just to attend. But if that were to happen, we'd most likely hop on a show or 2 before or after the fest, we'll see what happens though. Other than that we're just looking to play as much as we can around the west coast. Outside of Minus, almost every member of the band plays in at least one other band, that's one thing that keeps us busy. Dan plays in Downpresser, Travi sings in a band called Fell to Low, Austin plays in both All is Fleeting and Fell to Low, and Butcher plays in Pressvre. As for me, all of the bands I was playing in died out, so I started Minus to fill that void. But aside from bands, several of us are full time students. Some of us work part time. Be sure to check out everyone else's bands if you haven't already.
-Out of the few shows you've played what we're your favorites? Why?
M: The first Minus show ever might be my favorite. It was at a place called Mike Jensen's Mainstage in Santa Barbara. The show was with Downpresser, Forfeit, Backtrack, and a few others. We hopped on unannounced right before Downpresser's set and played one song. It was wild. Noses were broken. Lots of friends were there, a good time was had.
-Ha, cool. What bands do each of you guys listen to on the regular? What are some of the bands that influenced Minus?
M: Well, I can't speak for everyone in the band but I know most of us are heavily influenced by NYHC. Bands like Outburst, Madball, Breakdown, Agnostic Front, Killing Time, etc. But then again I know we all listen to a lot of different music. A. Crane and myself might roll up to a show bumping Lady Gaga with everyone else in the van hating on us. But hey, it happens. As far as the music that influenced Minus, that's kind of a hard question. Most of the demo was written without any real direction. It's not like the band started with a definitive plan on trying to imitate a certain band's sound. I will say that my only real direction in Minus was that I wanted to make sure it didn't sound too much like any of our other bands. As much as I love bands like Merauder and 80's trash metal, I wanted Minus to sound entirely different than say Violation or Downpresser. The songwriting on the demo reflects that I think, in that the structures of the songs are rather simple when compared to our other bands. The newer material we have written shows a lot of growth from the demo though. Stay tuned.
-What is the toughest lesson you ever learned while being in music scene?
M: I guess my answer to that would be to always have your priorities straight. Whether they be family, friends, bands, school, whatever it may be, know your priorities and know your boundaries. I often have a problem saying no to things, especially if it's an offer to do something I love like playing music, so I found out the hard way what my limits and my priorities were. At one point I was playing for up to 4 bands all while attending school full time 5 days a week. Add friends and a girlfriend to that and life can get a little hectic, in which case some areas begin to diminish. Of course, my priorities have evolved and shifted over time, but music has always been something that's been very important to me. Here I am.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band? Or any other band.
M: That's an easy one to answer personally. Just last weekend we played our first weekend of shows outside of Santa Barbara. We played in Riverside one night and Chula Vista the next. All in all I think there were 9 of us in the van, since a couple of friends came along, so of course a good time was had. However, this also doubles as the worst, because on the second day I somehow came down with the flu. I woke up and threw up everywhere then had a fever the rest of the day. Being sick on the road sucks. But it was still an awesome time. We hit up some casinos, played some C-Lo, you know. We have a solid group of friends in and around Minus so I'm looking forward to future trips and shows.
-Haha, I was at the show in Riverside, loved it. When it’s all said and done what do you want as a band to be remembered for the most?
M: I don't have any real prolific goals for the band in general. Cheesy as it may be, this band started because the 5 of us were always together, going to shows, hanging out, etc. I guess you could say the lineup for the band just made sense. As far as what I would like to be remembered for, my only answer would be a solid hardcore band. So many bands these days have little niches that they fall into, like crossover merauder type, infest-worship band, Integrity-Clevo rip off band, etc. I wanted Minus to be just a solid hardcore band. Sure we have our influences, but I like the idea of being a straight up hardcore band, minus all the cliquey flare and bullshit. That last pun was unintended haha. This band wasn't started with the intention of becoming a hype band or using any experiences we've had in previous bands as a stepping stool, it started as the 5 of us doing what we love, and that's it really.
-Dream tour, now. Who would play with you guys? Where would you tour?
M: I've gotten this question before, and I'm going to stick by my answer. Rather than pick some insane tour of all of my favorite bands that never tour anymore, I'd much rather just do a solid tour with good friends. Minus, Backtrack, Cruel Hand, and Madball. The first two for good times and the solid hangout, and obviously Madball so I could pit with all of the aforementioned solid friends to Madball every night. Make that tour happen ANYWHERE and I'm down. But if I'm doing the routing, obviously it's a world tour, with some wild stops of course. I always thought it would be sweet to play Hawaii. I know a few hardcore bands have done it. I would just book like a week before and after the show to chill. Kauai is my favorite vacation spot. Tropical AMERICAN paradise, can't beat it.
-Haha sounds awesome man, well thanks for the interview it was tight. Any last words?
M: Thank you for the interview. This interview spanned over several days and I just noticed that it started and ended with me being on my laptop listening to Kickback. Book MINUS a show. We'll play it. Hardcore Lives!
Check them out: myspace
M: Not much man. I'm at school at the moment in the library. Listening to Kickback, about to start socking computers. That's about it for now haha.
-Haha, Where did you guys come up with the name?
M: I'm trying to think of some interesting and deep story about how the name "MINUS" came into play, but... I got nothing. I guess half of it came from Breakdown's "Plus Minus" record, get it? All I know for sure is that once the name was discussed, Mr. Daniel Weinraub immediately went to work on designing our logo, which came out looking great.
-Haha What does Minus have under their belt?
M: I think we have only played 3 real shows to date, 2 of which were over last weekend. We played 1 show in Santa Barbara before that, and before that we hopped on before a Downpresser set and played 1 song at a show in SB with Forfeit and Backtrack. The 1 song show was hard, it might be my favorite Minus show to date. Aside from shows, all we have under our belt is a demo, which was recorded sometime in 2009. It took awhile to come out because we recorded with Nathan Zemke (Violation) who happens to be going to school in San Diego currently, so we would have to schedule our recording/mixing sessions around when he would be off of school and home. However, we do have a full 7 inch (at least!) written already. We might record this Spring, who knows. As for now, more shows, more shows, more shows.
-Do you guys have any upcoming tours planned? What do you all do when you're not with the band?
M: We don't have any definite tours coming up at the moment, but there are certainly a lot of ideas being thrown around. We might actually all be flying out east to this year's United Blood Festival in Richmond, VA, just to attend. But if that were to happen, we'd most likely hop on a show or 2 before or after the fest, we'll see what happens though. Other than that we're just looking to play as much as we can around the west coast. Outside of Minus, almost every member of the band plays in at least one other band, that's one thing that keeps us busy. Dan plays in Downpresser, Travi sings in a band called Fell to Low, Austin plays in both All is Fleeting and Fell to Low, and Butcher plays in Pressvre. As for me, all of the bands I was playing in died out, so I started Minus to fill that void. But aside from bands, several of us are full time students. Some of us work part time. Be sure to check out everyone else's bands if you haven't already.
-Out of the few shows you've played what we're your favorites? Why?
M: The first Minus show ever might be my favorite. It was at a place called Mike Jensen's Mainstage in Santa Barbara. The show was with Downpresser, Forfeit, Backtrack, and a few others. We hopped on unannounced right before Downpresser's set and played one song. It was wild. Noses were broken. Lots of friends were there, a good time was had.
-Ha, cool. What bands do each of you guys listen to on the regular? What are some of the bands that influenced Minus?
M: Well, I can't speak for everyone in the band but I know most of us are heavily influenced by NYHC. Bands like Outburst, Madball, Breakdown, Agnostic Front, Killing Time, etc. But then again I know we all listen to a lot of different music. A. Crane and myself might roll up to a show bumping Lady Gaga with everyone else in the van hating on us. But hey, it happens. As far as the music that influenced Minus, that's kind of a hard question. Most of the demo was written without any real direction. It's not like the band started with a definitive plan on trying to imitate a certain band's sound. I will say that my only real direction in Minus was that I wanted to make sure it didn't sound too much like any of our other bands. As much as I love bands like Merauder and 80's trash metal, I wanted Minus to sound entirely different than say Violation or Downpresser. The songwriting on the demo reflects that I think, in that the structures of the songs are rather simple when compared to our other bands. The newer material we have written shows a lot of growth from the demo though. Stay tuned.
-What is the toughest lesson you ever learned while being in music scene?
M: I guess my answer to that would be to always have your priorities straight. Whether they be family, friends, bands, school, whatever it may be, know your priorities and know your boundaries. I often have a problem saying no to things, especially if it's an offer to do something I love like playing music, so I found out the hard way what my limits and my priorities were. At one point I was playing for up to 4 bands all while attending school full time 5 days a week. Add friends and a girlfriend to that and life can get a little hectic, in which case some areas begin to diminish. Of course, my priorities have evolved and shifted over time, but music has always been something that's been very important to me. Here I am.
-What are some best and worst memories connected with the band? Or any other band.
M: That's an easy one to answer personally. Just last weekend we played our first weekend of shows outside of Santa Barbara. We played in Riverside one night and Chula Vista the next. All in all I think there were 9 of us in the van, since a couple of friends came along, so of course a good time was had. However, this also doubles as the worst, because on the second day I somehow came down with the flu. I woke up and threw up everywhere then had a fever the rest of the day. Being sick on the road sucks. But it was still an awesome time. We hit up some casinos, played some C-Lo, you know. We have a solid group of friends in and around Minus so I'm looking forward to future trips and shows.
-Haha, I was at the show in Riverside, loved it. When it’s all said and done what do you want as a band to be remembered for the most?
M: I don't have any real prolific goals for the band in general. Cheesy as it may be, this band started because the 5 of us were always together, going to shows, hanging out, etc. I guess you could say the lineup for the band just made sense. As far as what I would like to be remembered for, my only answer would be a solid hardcore band. So many bands these days have little niches that they fall into, like crossover merauder type, infest-worship band, Integrity-Clevo rip off band, etc. I wanted Minus to be just a solid hardcore band. Sure we have our influences, but I like the idea of being a straight up hardcore band, minus all the cliquey flare and bullshit. That last pun was unintended haha. This band wasn't started with the intention of becoming a hype band or using any experiences we've had in previous bands as a stepping stool, it started as the 5 of us doing what we love, and that's it really.
-Dream tour, now. Who would play with you guys? Where would you tour?
M: I've gotten this question before, and I'm going to stick by my answer. Rather than pick some insane tour of all of my favorite bands that never tour anymore, I'd much rather just do a solid tour with good friends. Minus, Backtrack, Cruel Hand, and Madball. The first two for good times and the solid hangout, and obviously Madball so I could pit with all of the aforementioned solid friends to Madball every night. Make that tour happen ANYWHERE and I'm down. But if I'm doing the routing, obviously it's a world tour, with some wild stops of course. I always thought it would be sweet to play Hawaii. I know a few hardcore bands have done it. I would just book like a week before and after the show to chill. Kauai is my favorite vacation spot. Tropical AMERICAN paradise, can't beat it.
-Haha sounds awesome man, well thanks for the interview it was tight. Any last words?
M: Thank you for the interview. This interview spanned over several days and I just noticed that it started and ended with me being on my laptop listening to Kickback. Book MINUS a show. We'll play it. Hardcore Lives!
Check them out: myspace
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