Interview
My American Heart Interview
- Author:
- Review Date:
- 12/18/2007
Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Larry and I sing.
Tonight is the start of your CALIFORNIA LOVE TOUR. What are you looking forward to most on this tour?
Staying in California and not going into the freezing cold. This is the first time we have toured by ourselves, headlining on the west coast in a while.
Who, out of the bands you have toured with, has been your favorite so far?
We just got off tour with Quietdrive and their awesome. My favorite band to tour with is The Audition because they are our best friends. We just have a good time with them.
What are some things you all feel you have improved on from the first album to the second?
I think the songs are defiantly more mature and better written than our first record. We had actual time to write this record as compared to the first one where we only had about a month. It was just hectic because touring schedules got in the way of writing. That really made the record suffer but this time we had a lot of time.
What songs, that you have written so far, are you most proud of or maybe the most personal?
I would defiantly have to say I’m most proud of “Tired and Uninspired”. It’s definitely a really good song and I’m really proud of that song. It just came out better than we actually came in with. We thought it was going to be different and the tempo changed, it turned out really well.
What is the story/inspiration behind the song "Boys Grab Your Guns"?
Its about us parting our ways with our old guitarist, its expressing how we felt about that.
It seems to me, a lot of musicians in bands are doing their own side projects. How do you feel about Jesse having his own side project?
I love it and I’ll be singing on some of his stuff. It will be cool. I do my own stuff too but I wont release it.
What are the best part and the worst part about making a music video?
The best part is acting. Its kind of that thing that most musicians don’t do but you might be a good actor. For instance, Jason Schwartzman from Phantom Planet, quit to pursue his acting career. He is in The Darjeeling Limited and Rushmore. The worst thing about making a video is the long hours and sometimes you’re not being happy with the end results.
Is there a video you guys don’t like that you have made?
I have to say Poison was cool but I think its kind of cheesy.
As a band, what is your goal when it comes to live shows?
Just making sure everyone is involved. You can go into a show and have three kids but as long as you’re having a good time, I think everyone will see that and have a good time as well. If you are yourself and are in it maybe some people will appreciate that.
Which do you like better-acoustic sets or a regular set?
Both! I mean mixing it up in a set is awesome. Last time we played [Chain Reaction], we mixed it up a little. I really enjoy both. The unplugged raw filling, the stripped down bone of songs and playing them acoustic like that is really awesome. Then playing a live set, the energy is there. It’s awesome.
What’s one thing that unsigned bands should know about the music industry?
It’s probably one of the toughest industries to get into. I think you will probably make more money doing real estate. It’s really tough and depending on your situation- we were an unsigned band once and I think a reason we got signed was the amount of fans we had and people who we built relationships with before we got signed. You can get signed to a major your first try and if you don’t sell fifty thousand records the first week you’re screwed. They just put you on the shelf and own you. Like I said, it’s one of the toughest industries to get into.
What would you say is the worst part of the industry you don’t like?
I don’t like the feeling of being tied down to a label but it just has to happen. Like I was saying, if you don’t sell that many records they just shelf you and you still owe them two more records and they are not going to do anything for it. They won’t promote it, they don’t care because you wont make the money but you’re still stuck, it’s because of contracts and obligations I guess.
Any words to the fans?
Thank you for listening. We hope to see you soon and we’ll definitely keep the jams pumped out.
I’m Larry and I sing.
Tonight is the start of your CALIFORNIA LOVE TOUR. What are you looking forward to most on this tour?
Staying in California and not going into the freezing cold. This is the first time we have toured by ourselves, headlining on the west coast in a while.
Who, out of the bands you have toured with, has been your favorite so far?
We just got off tour with Quietdrive and their awesome. My favorite band to tour with is The Audition because they are our best friends. We just have a good time with them.
What are some things you all feel you have improved on from the first album to the second?
I think the songs are defiantly more mature and better written than our first record. We had actual time to write this record as compared to the first one where we only had about a month. It was just hectic because touring schedules got in the way of writing. That really made the record suffer but this time we had a lot of time.
What songs, that you have written so far, are you most proud of or maybe the most personal?
I would defiantly have to say I’m most proud of “Tired and Uninspired”. It’s definitely a really good song and I’m really proud of that song. It just came out better than we actually came in with. We thought it was going to be different and the tempo changed, it turned out really well.
What is the story/inspiration behind the song "Boys Grab Your Guns"?
Its about us parting our ways with our old guitarist, its expressing how we felt about that.
It seems to me, a lot of musicians in bands are doing their own side projects. How do you feel about Jesse having his own side project?
I love it and I’ll be singing on some of his stuff. It will be cool. I do my own stuff too but I wont release it.
What are the best part and the worst part about making a music video?
The best part is acting. Its kind of that thing that most musicians don’t do but you might be a good actor. For instance, Jason Schwartzman from Phantom Planet, quit to pursue his acting career. He is in The Darjeeling Limited and Rushmore. The worst thing about making a video is the long hours and sometimes you’re not being happy with the end results.
Is there a video you guys don’t like that you have made?
I have to say Poison was cool but I think its kind of cheesy.
As a band, what is your goal when it comes to live shows?
Just making sure everyone is involved. You can go into a show and have three kids but as long as you’re having a good time, I think everyone will see that and have a good time as well. If you are yourself and are in it maybe some people will appreciate that.
Which do you like better-acoustic sets or a regular set?
Both! I mean mixing it up in a set is awesome. Last time we played [Chain Reaction], we mixed it up a little. I really enjoy both. The unplugged raw filling, the stripped down bone of songs and playing them acoustic like that is really awesome. Then playing a live set, the energy is there. It’s awesome.
What’s one thing that unsigned bands should know about the music industry?
It’s probably one of the toughest industries to get into. I think you will probably make more money doing real estate. It’s really tough and depending on your situation- we were an unsigned band once and I think a reason we got signed was the amount of fans we had and people who we built relationships with before we got signed. You can get signed to a major your first try and if you don’t sell fifty thousand records the first week you’re screwed. They just put you on the shelf and own you. Like I said, it’s one of the toughest industries to get into.
What would you say is the worst part of the industry you don’t like?
I don’t like the feeling of being tied down to a label but it just has to happen. Like I was saying, if you don’t sell that many records they just shelf you and you still owe them two more records and they are not going to do anything for it. They won’t promote it, they don’t care because you wont make the money but you’re still stuck, it’s because of contracts and obligations I guess.
Any words to the fans?
Thank you for listening. We hope to see you soon and we’ll definitely keep the jams pumped out.