Jamie Pham
06/19/08, 12:19 PM
What is your name and what do you play in Dear Life?
Daniel: My name is Daniel and I play stage right guitar in the band. I also dance around like a crazy man on stage.
Can you give a little history of the band for people that aren’t familiar with your band?
Daniel: During my senior year of high school in 2004, I met Vince (guitar) and Matt (drums) through our engineering program at our school. We were all nerds who loved to design and build solar cars, play with highly expensive (and dangerous) machines, mix hazardous chemicals, and partake in various advanced engineering competitions around the country. We basically did stuff that most college programs weren’t even allowing their students to do at the time. So, being the nerds that we were, we became good friends who also found they shared a lot of the same musical tastes. After that, Vince, Matt and I then started jamming together in their living room a few nights out of the week. We were excited because none of us had ever been in a band before, and we’re super stoked when we wrote our first two songs called “All In” and “Bungee”. We did a home recording of these songs using a computer microphone and threw them up on Purevolume for kicks, and, to our surprise, were met with praise and compliments around our school. We then asked our good friend Jason to come do vocals with us for our high school talent show. I remember that night perfectly: the odd mix of both extreme nervousness and sudden overwhelming energy, as if I knew that every single person in that room was watching what I did on that dark gym floor. With the spotlight on me and my friends, I knew what it meant to be a performer, and though the exhilaration only lasted for about 3 minutes, I was happy. After that, we found our permanent bassist Mike (who also went to our school though we never knew each other haha). We became great friends with him after playing with his indie rock band Slow Chaser at the talent show. Soon though, Jason had to leave the band, and Vince and Matt introduced us to their old Counter Strike buddy, Henry, who has been our vocalist to this day. Since then its been a mix of playing venues all across the nation, various interviews at 7AM, sleeping at random people’s houses, sleeping in the van, sleeping in line to get a Wii, various band meetings, LOTS of hours practicing, LOTS of hours in the studio, and LOTS of hours attending to the future of our band.
How did you guys get hooked up with Uprising Records?
Daniel: Our manager, Steve Morales, who was actually a friend before he started working with us, started contacting record labels once our album had a mix going. We were in talks with a few different labels, but decided to go with Uprising in the end as we felt it was the best choice for the band. They have been good to us so far, and we are really, really excited to have our album out on June 24th.
Tell us a little bit about your album, “Framework?”
Daniel: “Framework” is something that we have been working on for a long time. When we wrote the songs on this album, we didn’t just go into a studio and figure out what we wanted to play right there. We had about 90% of the album done before starting to record with Roger Camero in his studio. If put on a timeline, it would show that most of the songs were written independently of each other, which is one of the reasons why I think they each tend to have a little different feel from one another. When each song was written, both musically and lyrically, they were separate from each other chronologically, which meant that every time we got together to write a new song, we had changed a little as individuals since the last song we wrote. I felt that was a big strength we had/have about the music we wrote.
Are there any present themes on the record?
Daniel: The title “Framework” has to do with taking the first step to build something great: you always have to make sure you have a solid foundation and figure stuff out ahead of time so that when you finally construct your masterpiece, it stands tall for the long haul. All our lyrics come from real life experiences and are sincere and earnest and full of humility and love for whatever made us write what was written.
Are you guys anxious about how the record is going to do? Since the release date is about two weeks away.
Daniel: Haha, yeah for sure. It’s our first release so we are definitely nervous, but I would say more relieved to finally have it out. People have been asking us “Do you have a record?” for the past two years, and we always regrettably have to say “no”. Now when someone asks me that, I can say “Heck yeah!”
Any plans for a music video?
Daniel: Definitely. Hopefully this summer. I am a huge fan/critic of music videos, so I can wait to finally be able to be in one. I want to direct it, but we’ll see if the band lets me since I tend to be the one with the crazier ideas haha.
What are some highlights from 2008 so far?
Daniel: I would say playing Bamboozle Left. That was seriously an amazing experience. The festival was well put together, and they treated all the artists like royalty. Not to mention there were a ton of great bands there that weekend. Besides that, playing with some of our favorite bands such as Comeback Kid, The Bled, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Ignite, Chiodos and Every Time I Die. A year ago I would have never guessed we would have shared the stage or toured with any of those bands.
What are some things you guys want to accomplish in 2008?
Daniel: Play with more of our favorite bands, tour all over the US and Canada (hopefully some Europe as well), have the album do well, and play for as many fans and new ears as possible. Also, I would like to have a new record done by the end of the year too, at least pre-production, as I don’t like to just sit around when it comes to music. I also want to seduce Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and possibly marry her, so I’m hoping the band does well so I can get the chance. I stood next to her at Coachella this year yet I was too much of a weenie to say anything haha.
What are some of the pros and cons about being in a newly signed band?
Daniel: Pros: people get really excited when they hear about it, you can mention it in conversations (a girl bought me a drink once because of it!), you can have your music distributed in way more places than just releasing it yourself, people “respect” you a little more.
Cons: the feeling of selling out (that’s my inner punk side coming out haha), people who say you’re selling out (I already feel like that so don’t rub it in!), losing a little control of your music and band, not always getting to have the final say in decisions, people who think you’re lame for signing to a label.
Has any bands played any pranks on you guys so far on tour?
Daniel: I wouldn’t say pranks; more straight up wars. Dear Life always leaves home fully stocked and ready for action (paintball guns, LOTS of fireworks, water balloon launcher, etc). When we toured with our friends in A Love Ends Suicide and Catherine, we had some good Van Wars with each of them. It got pretty nasty for a while, and we don’t do that stuff anymore haha. It just makes being on tour miserable, especially when you smell feces and can’t find where it’s hidden in your van ☹
You guys have been a band for four years now and have been doing everything yourselves, like recording and booking tours. What are some tips you can give to young bands that are starting out?
Daniel: The number one thing I always tell bands and people who ask me this question is to make music that YOU like. If you don’t, then you won’t be motivated to do what it takes to spread your music and business (because being in a band is definitely a business). Make sure you love it and are willing to put in the time and hard work, and if not, don’t waste your time. There are plenty of other amazing things in the world you could be doing instead of being in a band. Also, karma is real, so make sure you treat everyone you meet along the way with respect and love.
What would you be doing if you weren’t playing in the band?
Daniel: I would be starting my last year of college at Cal Poly Pomona. I’m an International Business and Marketing Major and I love going to class and learning. This past quarter was actually my first quarter out of school and I hated it. I’m a big fan of education even though I know college isn’t for everyone (seriously though, everyone should at least try college – it’s pretty freakin’ rad). Besides that, when I’m home from tour I stay busy by playing soccer and volleyball, working out, going to the beach, recording at home, video games, reading (although I do it on tour too), visiting family and friends and sometimes just straight up chillin. I enjoy just living in the moment, whether it’s at home in my backyard or 2,000 miles away from there.
Any bands you are listening to that you would recommend to our readers?
Daniel: As of late, I’ve become a huge country music fan (the rest of the guys hate it when I play country in the van!) so I definitely love to listen to Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson. I have this habit of listening to the same album for days on end, haha, and currently I’m rotating between City and Colour, Thrice, Rilo Kiley and Jack Johnson. However, my all time favorite band is NOFX, and of course everyone loves Blink 182 and MXPX. They pretty much sum up my childhood.
You can check out Dear Life on myspace here (http://www.myspace.com/dearlife).
Daniel: My name is Daniel and I play stage right guitar in the band. I also dance around like a crazy man on stage.
Can you give a little history of the band for people that aren’t familiar with your band?
Daniel: During my senior year of high school in 2004, I met Vince (guitar) and Matt (drums) through our engineering program at our school. We were all nerds who loved to design and build solar cars, play with highly expensive (and dangerous) machines, mix hazardous chemicals, and partake in various advanced engineering competitions around the country. We basically did stuff that most college programs weren’t even allowing their students to do at the time. So, being the nerds that we were, we became good friends who also found they shared a lot of the same musical tastes. After that, Vince, Matt and I then started jamming together in their living room a few nights out of the week. We were excited because none of us had ever been in a band before, and we’re super stoked when we wrote our first two songs called “All In” and “Bungee”. We did a home recording of these songs using a computer microphone and threw them up on Purevolume for kicks, and, to our surprise, were met with praise and compliments around our school. We then asked our good friend Jason to come do vocals with us for our high school talent show. I remember that night perfectly: the odd mix of both extreme nervousness and sudden overwhelming energy, as if I knew that every single person in that room was watching what I did on that dark gym floor. With the spotlight on me and my friends, I knew what it meant to be a performer, and though the exhilaration only lasted for about 3 minutes, I was happy. After that, we found our permanent bassist Mike (who also went to our school though we never knew each other haha). We became great friends with him after playing with his indie rock band Slow Chaser at the talent show. Soon though, Jason had to leave the band, and Vince and Matt introduced us to their old Counter Strike buddy, Henry, who has been our vocalist to this day. Since then its been a mix of playing venues all across the nation, various interviews at 7AM, sleeping at random people’s houses, sleeping in the van, sleeping in line to get a Wii, various band meetings, LOTS of hours practicing, LOTS of hours in the studio, and LOTS of hours attending to the future of our band.
How did you guys get hooked up with Uprising Records?
Daniel: Our manager, Steve Morales, who was actually a friend before he started working with us, started contacting record labels once our album had a mix going. We were in talks with a few different labels, but decided to go with Uprising in the end as we felt it was the best choice for the band. They have been good to us so far, and we are really, really excited to have our album out on June 24th.
Tell us a little bit about your album, “Framework?”
Daniel: “Framework” is something that we have been working on for a long time. When we wrote the songs on this album, we didn’t just go into a studio and figure out what we wanted to play right there. We had about 90% of the album done before starting to record with Roger Camero in his studio. If put on a timeline, it would show that most of the songs were written independently of each other, which is one of the reasons why I think they each tend to have a little different feel from one another. When each song was written, both musically and lyrically, they were separate from each other chronologically, which meant that every time we got together to write a new song, we had changed a little as individuals since the last song we wrote. I felt that was a big strength we had/have about the music we wrote.
Are there any present themes on the record?
Daniel: The title “Framework” has to do with taking the first step to build something great: you always have to make sure you have a solid foundation and figure stuff out ahead of time so that when you finally construct your masterpiece, it stands tall for the long haul. All our lyrics come from real life experiences and are sincere and earnest and full of humility and love for whatever made us write what was written.
Are you guys anxious about how the record is going to do? Since the release date is about two weeks away.
Daniel: Haha, yeah for sure. It’s our first release so we are definitely nervous, but I would say more relieved to finally have it out. People have been asking us “Do you have a record?” for the past two years, and we always regrettably have to say “no”. Now when someone asks me that, I can say “Heck yeah!”
Any plans for a music video?
Daniel: Definitely. Hopefully this summer. I am a huge fan/critic of music videos, so I can wait to finally be able to be in one. I want to direct it, but we’ll see if the band lets me since I tend to be the one with the crazier ideas haha.
What are some highlights from 2008 so far?
Daniel: I would say playing Bamboozle Left. That was seriously an amazing experience. The festival was well put together, and they treated all the artists like royalty. Not to mention there were a ton of great bands there that weekend. Besides that, playing with some of our favorite bands such as Comeback Kid, The Bled, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Ignite, Chiodos and Every Time I Die. A year ago I would have never guessed we would have shared the stage or toured with any of those bands.
What are some things you guys want to accomplish in 2008?
Daniel: Play with more of our favorite bands, tour all over the US and Canada (hopefully some Europe as well), have the album do well, and play for as many fans and new ears as possible. Also, I would like to have a new record done by the end of the year too, at least pre-production, as I don’t like to just sit around when it comes to music. I also want to seduce Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and possibly marry her, so I’m hoping the band does well so I can get the chance. I stood next to her at Coachella this year yet I was too much of a weenie to say anything haha.
What are some of the pros and cons about being in a newly signed band?
Daniel: Pros: people get really excited when they hear about it, you can mention it in conversations (a girl bought me a drink once because of it!), you can have your music distributed in way more places than just releasing it yourself, people “respect” you a little more.
Cons: the feeling of selling out (that’s my inner punk side coming out haha), people who say you’re selling out (I already feel like that so don’t rub it in!), losing a little control of your music and band, not always getting to have the final say in decisions, people who think you’re lame for signing to a label.
Has any bands played any pranks on you guys so far on tour?
Daniel: I wouldn’t say pranks; more straight up wars. Dear Life always leaves home fully stocked and ready for action (paintball guns, LOTS of fireworks, water balloon launcher, etc). When we toured with our friends in A Love Ends Suicide and Catherine, we had some good Van Wars with each of them. It got pretty nasty for a while, and we don’t do that stuff anymore haha. It just makes being on tour miserable, especially when you smell feces and can’t find where it’s hidden in your van ☹
You guys have been a band for four years now and have been doing everything yourselves, like recording and booking tours. What are some tips you can give to young bands that are starting out?
Daniel: The number one thing I always tell bands and people who ask me this question is to make music that YOU like. If you don’t, then you won’t be motivated to do what it takes to spread your music and business (because being in a band is definitely a business). Make sure you love it and are willing to put in the time and hard work, and if not, don’t waste your time. There are plenty of other amazing things in the world you could be doing instead of being in a band. Also, karma is real, so make sure you treat everyone you meet along the way with respect and love.
What would you be doing if you weren’t playing in the band?
Daniel: I would be starting my last year of college at Cal Poly Pomona. I’m an International Business and Marketing Major and I love going to class and learning. This past quarter was actually my first quarter out of school and I hated it. I’m a big fan of education even though I know college isn’t for everyone (seriously though, everyone should at least try college – it’s pretty freakin’ rad). Besides that, when I’m home from tour I stay busy by playing soccer and volleyball, working out, going to the beach, recording at home, video games, reading (although I do it on tour too), visiting family and friends and sometimes just straight up chillin. I enjoy just living in the moment, whether it’s at home in my backyard or 2,000 miles away from there.
Any bands you are listening to that you would recommend to our readers?
Daniel: As of late, I’ve become a huge country music fan (the rest of the guys hate it when I play country in the van!) so I definitely love to listen to Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson. I have this habit of listening to the same album for days on end, haha, and currently I’m rotating between City and Colour, Thrice, Rilo Kiley and Jack Johnson. However, my all time favorite band is NOFX, and of course everyone loves Blink 182 and MXPX. They pretty much sum up my childhood.
You can check out Dear Life on myspace here (http://www.myspace.com/dearlife).