Joe DeAndrea
10/08/08, 01:31 PM
What is your name and role in the band?
I'm Tom and I sing and play guitar. I'm the moody one. I'm the cred-seeking punk rock kid. I'm a bigger Green Day fan than DJ Rosstar. Yeah, I said it.
How ridiculous is it that your new album has a parental advisory sticker on it? Do you think it's going to affect album sales?
It seems rather odd to me considering we purposefully did not print the lyric to avoid that. I read some responses on here and I thought the same thing concerning other CDs I own with far more offensive material and yet sans-advisory. I think if anything, it'll boost those sales - "we gotttttta know what's so damn offensive!!! I hope they sing about sex and drugs." Nah, who knows? I hope it doesn't have a negative effect.
You began demoing songs for the new album back in March of 2007. Why did the process of getting the album recorded and released take so long?
We demoed something like 25 songs with our good buddy and love slave Bob Freeman. Bless his heart and patience. We turned them over to Drive Thru, well some of them, and they thought they needed work. We were all burned out on them and thought they ruled. Then I had an epiphany when a snake bit my ass in the desert and a starship came down and took me off to Remulak. I agreed with them that we weren't ready so we went back to work more on songs. Eventually it took a long time because of scheduling and finding the right person for the job. Plus, we were all going through a lot of internal problems with things and typical band/label disputes that I will leave up to the imagination (cause lord knows the thoughts about it fly). We got it figured out and now the cd is coming out. Post-recording it took awhile because Drive Thru was getting a new distribution deal.
It's been over three years since the release of your first album. How different would you say the new record is compared to the old?
The old record was like a flat lining patient. The new CD has dynamics, and doesn't leave you thinking "wasn't that the same song over and over again?" We worked hard under the wing of the great Mark Weinberg to create something not to be completely expected, yet not so far off as to shock. I don't think you can lump us into the pop punk realm of bands like All Time Low, We the Kings, and bands of the like. They are all good bands, but that's not really us. We're more of a power slob. I think our CD has a lot more to offer to more people than our old CD.
You guys have a secret track on the new album. Did you record any extra tracks that will make it as b-sides?
The secret track is funny - it got messed up at mastering or something and so it actually has it's own track (#12) instead of being way later in track 11 like it was supposed to be. So once track 11 is over skip it otherwise you'll hear 20 minutes of nothing. We did not record anything else during the time of the CD recording, however we do have tons and tons of demos I spoke of before and we were thinking of doing something fun with those...
The cover art to The End of an Error is pretty awesome. Who designed it and what was the concept behind it?
Jesse Burton, formerly of the band Paulson, designed it. We gave him the title and after one try he came up with the current cover. It's more of a concept that goes with the phrase "the end of an era" which quite obviously is the pun intended. The end of an era is like our growing up and changing since the inception of this band. We kind of think of some stuff we've done (looking back), as a lot of bands do and also when you see a picture of yourself about 5 years ago and you think "what the hell was i thinking?", as an error.
Are you worried about old fans writing you off claiming you've changed your sound or you're not the same band anymore?
I'm sure some people will see it that way, but you can never please everyone. We're the same guys we always were, but we're older. We can't play the same stuff forever. Growing is the fun part of being a musician. Seeing what will come out next. I think that our fans are so awesome that they will be able to grow with us.
If you were unsigned and could sign to any label you wanted to, which one would it be? Would you rather stick with an indie or try a major?
I'd stay unsigned and we'd do it ourselves.
What are your opinions on the upcoming election?
I've watched the debates, I've followed as closely as anyone who is semi interested once the election roles around and I would definitely vote for Obama. I won't go any further with this here
How about the music industry as a whole? What are your suggestions on how to fix it?
There is no way to fix it. Soon enough everything will turn on itself and implode. Heads will implode of all of us who wear skinny jeans. The industry will eat itself and go back to the nineties when I would have my mom go pick up a cd the day it came out and when I got home from school it would be on my bed. I don't have a good suggestion on how to fix it and I don't think anyone does or else something would be happening right? All I can ask is that you still buy our $35 bright colored tee shirt and save the scene!!
As the year is nearing its end, which albums of 2008 are your favorites and which ones are you still anticipating?
Alkaline Trio never lets me down. Counting Crows CD. I want to get Copeland's CD.
You're about to head out on tour with You Me at Six and Farewell. How different is it playing in a different country like the UK? Do you prefer it?
I love it. We played the UK once and got a really great, unexpected response. You Me at Six seems to be blowing up over there and so I can only imagine the shows will be of epic proportions and awesome. I like how much the kids in the UK hang out after the shows. They don't head right home, but stay around and get down. Sometimes I prefer it for the sheer fact that we don't have to drive...
What are your upcoming touring plans after your stint overseas?
We have a tour with the Morning Light for 2 weeks in November, some holiday shows, going to Australia for soundwave 09 and some US new year stuff in the works.
Any last words?
Thanks to everyone who still cares. Thanks for sticking it through these past 3 years with us, sometimes I wonder how WE even made it so for you to still be here it means so much.
I'm Tom and I sing and play guitar. I'm the moody one. I'm the cred-seeking punk rock kid. I'm a bigger Green Day fan than DJ Rosstar. Yeah, I said it.
How ridiculous is it that your new album has a parental advisory sticker on it? Do you think it's going to affect album sales?
It seems rather odd to me considering we purposefully did not print the lyric to avoid that. I read some responses on here and I thought the same thing concerning other CDs I own with far more offensive material and yet sans-advisory. I think if anything, it'll boost those sales - "we gotttttta know what's so damn offensive!!! I hope they sing about sex and drugs." Nah, who knows? I hope it doesn't have a negative effect.
You began demoing songs for the new album back in March of 2007. Why did the process of getting the album recorded and released take so long?
We demoed something like 25 songs with our good buddy and love slave Bob Freeman. Bless his heart and patience. We turned them over to Drive Thru, well some of them, and they thought they needed work. We were all burned out on them and thought they ruled. Then I had an epiphany when a snake bit my ass in the desert and a starship came down and took me off to Remulak. I agreed with them that we weren't ready so we went back to work more on songs. Eventually it took a long time because of scheduling and finding the right person for the job. Plus, we were all going through a lot of internal problems with things and typical band/label disputes that I will leave up to the imagination (cause lord knows the thoughts about it fly). We got it figured out and now the cd is coming out. Post-recording it took awhile because Drive Thru was getting a new distribution deal.
It's been over three years since the release of your first album. How different would you say the new record is compared to the old?
The old record was like a flat lining patient. The new CD has dynamics, and doesn't leave you thinking "wasn't that the same song over and over again?" We worked hard under the wing of the great Mark Weinberg to create something not to be completely expected, yet not so far off as to shock. I don't think you can lump us into the pop punk realm of bands like All Time Low, We the Kings, and bands of the like. They are all good bands, but that's not really us. We're more of a power slob. I think our CD has a lot more to offer to more people than our old CD.
You guys have a secret track on the new album. Did you record any extra tracks that will make it as b-sides?
The secret track is funny - it got messed up at mastering or something and so it actually has it's own track (#12) instead of being way later in track 11 like it was supposed to be. So once track 11 is over skip it otherwise you'll hear 20 minutes of nothing. We did not record anything else during the time of the CD recording, however we do have tons and tons of demos I spoke of before and we were thinking of doing something fun with those...
The cover art to The End of an Error is pretty awesome. Who designed it and what was the concept behind it?
Jesse Burton, formerly of the band Paulson, designed it. We gave him the title and after one try he came up with the current cover. It's more of a concept that goes with the phrase "the end of an era" which quite obviously is the pun intended. The end of an era is like our growing up and changing since the inception of this band. We kind of think of some stuff we've done (looking back), as a lot of bands do and also when you see a picture of yourself about 5 years ago and you think "what the hell was i thinking?", as an error.
Are you worried about old fans writing you off claiming you've changed your sound or you're not the same band anymore?
I'm sure some people will see it that way, but you can never please everyone. We're the same guys we always were, but we're older. We can't play the same stuff forever. Growing is the fun part of being a musician. Seeing what will come out next. I think that our fans are so awesome that they will be able to grow with us.
If you were unsigned and could sign to any label you wanted to, which one would it be? Would you rather stick with an indie or try a major?
I'd stay unsigned and we'd do it ourselves.
What are your opinions on the upcoming election?
I've watched the debates, I've followed as closely as anyone who is semi interested once the election roles around and I would definitely vote for Obama. I won't go any further with this here
How about the music industry as a whole? What are your suggestions on how to fix it?
There is no way to fix it. Soon enough everything will turn on itself and implode. Heads will implode of all of us who wear skinny jeans. The industry will eat itself and go back to the nineties when I would have my mom go pick up a cd the day it came out and when I got home from school it would be on my bed. I don't have a good suggestion on how to fix it and I don't think anyone does or else something would be happening right? All I can ask is that you still buy our $35 bright colored tee shirt and save the scene!!
As the year is nearing its end, which albums of 2008 are your favorites and which ones are you still anticipating?
Alkaline Trio never lets me down. Counting Crows CD. I want to get Copeland's CD.
You're about to head out on tour with You Me at Six and Farewell. How different is it playing in a different country like the UK? Do you prefer it?
I love it. We played the UK once and got a really great, unexpected response. You Me at Six seems to be blowing up over there and so I can only imagine the shows will be of epic proportions and awesome. I like how much the kids in the UK hang out after the shows. They don't head right home, but stay around and get down. Sometimes I prefer it for the sheer fact that we don't have to drive...
What are your upcoming touring plans after your stint overseas?
We have a tour with the Morning Light for 2 weeks in November, some holiday shows, going to Australia for soundwave 09 and some US new year stuff in the works.
Any last words?
Thanks to everyone who still cares. Thanks for sticking it through these past 3 years with us, sometimes I wonder how WE even made it so for you to still be here it means so much.