Russ Hockenbury
07/12/06, 02:13 PM
The following questions were answered by Brandon Mullins of Across Five Aprils via email. AFA's new album "Collapse" is in stores now.
When I put out a feeler about interviewing you guys, the general consensus was that you kind of disappeared for a while. So, I guess I’m going to have to ask the question and you can tell me if it’s warranted: Where the hell have you been?
Hahah yeah we've been around. Yeah the band until the last year or so hasn't been able to tour like we needed to make shit happen. So we've just been doing what we could. But now we have all done what we needed to get the right tours and get the hell out.
Reader Question: Your Martyr asks: Having a new singer, do you (the band) feel that you've kept the A5A sound/experience (Musically, lyrically, vocally) unique enough to be received, accepted, and enjoyed by the same audience that enjoyed the previous vocalists unique style?
I come from a history of melodic music so I know that the sound is not veering to far away from what a5a established in its beginning, the way the band is going stays true to the a5a sound. The differences would be, that our newer stuff is a lot darker and heaver but catchy at the same time. A wise man once told me "you catch a fish with a hook, not a riff" and during this record we adhered to that mentality, and another difference might be lyrically. The lyrics I write are more...grown up? Not necessarily serious content all the time, but more adult. We have songs on this new record that span from topics like spousal abuse...to threesomes... It’s that kind of different.
Relatedly, given the time that has passed between your last release and Collapse, how has Across Five Aprils evolved?
We wanted catchier songs. I think any a5a fan can see that natural progression. With the EP we definitely hit on some melodies and listener friendly songs.
"Collapse" is the record that a5a needed to put out, we’re very proud of it. We covered all our bases...heavy... Dark... Catchy...
You really can't go wrong with those 3.. Now we just need midgets and naked girls in videos and were golden.
Florida State girls are pretty loose from what I hear, but is Tallahassee really for hookers?
Yes. I’m from tally so I can speak and know what I'm talking about.
Tally is...a great town. We all know that not all chicks from tally are hookers, but lets just say...You go out to Big Daddy’s or the in between and your looking to hook up at all, more than likely your going to have a good night...
Tragedy In Progress is the number two best-selling cd in Indianola's history. Do you know who has number one?
Yeah its the first Evergreen record, Losing All Hope is Freedom. Good record, good band. They just blew the hell up. We actually share a management company now.
On the topic of Indianola Records, who's decision was it to re-issue Tragedy In Progress?
That was Indianola records’ call. It wasn't to trick anyone, it was a marketing deal. They needed to establish a new record on a new line of distro before collapse came out. It just made sense. Long story short, we got better distro for "collapse" because of it. It’s a good thing.
Which is the better literary band name: As I Lay Dying or Across Five Aprils?
Hahah they're both pretty gay. Well if I had to pick which one is more terrible...As I Lay Dying. Only because when you look at the text they both come from, ours is a book about the south and southern traditions. Theirs is a poem. Come on, How cool is poetry really. Unless your a hippie, and we ain’t no God Damn hippies.
Ps. I like your questions...best interview I've done in a while
How old were each of you when you first read Irene Hunt’s Across Five Aprils? Was it assigned reading or something you picked up on your own? What was it about the book that made you take its namesake?
Yeah it was assigned reading in the 8th grade or some shit. I hate reading books personally, but books on tape...the jam!
The teaser video you guys have up on your MySpace for the "Let's Whisper" video is hilarious. Who did the casting, specifically where'd you find the guy on the bike? He's going to be big, Chris Tucker big.
Hell yeah he is! Haha. The casting was done by the director Andy Reale (www.andyreale.com (http://www.andyreale.com)) and I. He saw that dude riding his bike around Courtney (the video vixen) and he was cat calling her like it was his job... Andy took one look at him and knew it was fate. So we put him in it. hahah
When I put out a feeler about interviewing you guys, the general consensus was that you kind of disappeared for a while. So, I guess I’m going to have to ask the question and you can tell me if it’s warranted: Where the hell have you been?
Hahah yeah we've been around. Yeah the band until the last year or so hasn't been able to tour like we needed to make shit happen. So we've just been doing what we could. But now we have all done what we needed to get the right tours and get the hell out.
Reader Question: Your Martyr asks: Having a new singer, do you (the band) feel that you've kept the A5A sound/experience (Musically, lyrically, vocally) unique enough to be received, accepted, and enjoyed by the same audience that enjoyed the previous vocalists unique style?
I come from a history of melodic music so I know that the sound is not veering to far away from what a5a established in its beginning, the way the band is going stays true to the a5a sound. The differences would be, that our newer stuff is a lot darker and heaver but catchy at the same time. A wise man once told me "you catch a fish with a hook, not a riff" and during this record we adhered to that mentality, and another difference might be lyrically. The lyrics I write are more...grown up? Not necessarily serious content all the time, but more adult. We have songs on this new record that span from topics like spousal abuse...to threesomes... It’s that kind of different.
Relatedly, given the time that has passed between your last release and Collapse, how has Across Five Aprils evolved?
We wanted catchier songs. I think any a5a fan can see that natural progression. With the EP we definitely hit on some melodies and listener friendly songs.
"Collapse" is the record that a5a needed to put out, we’re very proud of it. We covered all our bases...heavy... Dark... Catchy...
You really can't go wrong with those 3.. Now we just need midgets and naked girls in videos and were golden.
Florida State girls are pretty loose from what I hear, but is Tallahassee really for hookers?
Yes. I’m from tally so I can speak and know what I'm talking about.
Tally is...a great town. We all know that not all chicks from tally are hookers, but lets just say...You go out to Big Daddy’s or the in between and your looking to hook up at all, more than likely your going to have a good night...
Tragedy In Progress is the number two best-selling cd in Indianola's history. Do you know who has number one?
Yeah its the first Evergreen record, Losing All Hope is Freedom. Good record, good band. They just blew the hell up. We actually share a management company now.
On the topic of Indianola Records, who's decision was it to re-issue Tragedy In Progress?
That was Indianola records’ call. It wasn't to trick anyone, it was a marketing deal. They needed to establish a new record on a new line of distro before collapse came out. It just made sense. Long story short, we got better distro for "collapse" because of it. It’s a good thing.
Which is the better literary band name: As I Lay Dying or Across Five Aprils?
Hahah they're both pretty gay. Well if I had to pick which one is more terrible...As I Lay Dying. Only because when you look at the text they both come from, ours is a book about the south and southern traditions. Theirs is a poem. Come on, How cool is poetry really. Unless your a hippie, and we ain’t no God Damn hippies.
Ps. I like your questions...best interview I've done in a while
How old were each of you when you first read Irene Hunt’s Across Five Aprils? Was it assigned reading or something you picked up on your own? What was it about the book that made you take its namesake?
Yeah it was assigned reading in the 8th grade or some shit. I hate reading books personally, but books on tape...the jam!
The teaser video you guys have up on your MySpace for the "Let's Whisper" video is hilarious. Who did the casting, specifically where'd you find the guy on the bike? He's going to be big, Chris Tucker big.
Hell yeah he is! Haha. The casting was done by the director Andy Reale (www.andyreale.com (http://www.andyreale.com)) and I. He saw that dude riding his bike around Courtney (the video vixen) and he was cat calling her like it was his job... Andy took one look at him and knew it was fate. So we put him in it. hahah