Frontman Jean-Philip Grobler talks about St. Lucia’s second album Matter, his approach of exploring any and every idea, and realizing the importance of speaking out about what you feel.
Interview: Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia
Interview: Anthony Green (Video)
Anthony Green’s new solo album, Pixie Queen, comes out on Friday. In this video interview, the singer-songwriter talks about love, family, addiction, mental health, and how they all found their way into his music. Green, in his music and in person, is candid, frank, and honest. He is also currently on tour to support this new album and the live show is a cross between a fireside sing along (fans literally joined armed and swayed in Baltimore) and a psychedelic rock trip. You’ll find the interview below.
Interview: Christian McAlhaney of Acceptance
In part two of our two-part interview, guitarist Christian McAlhaney gives an inside look into the surreal return of Acceptance, what it was like writing the band’s first album back, how Phantoms holds up 10 years later, and why they have no plans of leaving again any time soon.
Interview: Jason Vena of Acceptance
Acceptance are back and have spent the last year working on a new album. I recently had the chance to talk with lead singer Jason Vena about getting the band back together and what lead to that decision, the differences in the music industry from when the band first broke into the music scene to now, and what the new songs are going to sound like. We also talked about the entire process of recording this album, how the band is taking their time through the process, and why it took ten years for Jason to once again feel like he had something he wanted to say musically. Our full conversation can be found below, only lightly edited, and make sure you pre-order the band’s upcoming album if you haven’t already.
The Republic of Wolves – “Northern Orthodox” (Song Premiere)
The Republic of Wolves have been teasing new music over the past week and today we’re excited to bring you a brand new song from the band called “Northern Orthodox.” You can stream that below. The band has described their new music as trying to revisit a darker and heavier sound and explore that side of their influences. Mason described the song by saying:
“Northern Orthodox” is the eighth chapter of a story that will hopefully be told in full on our upcoming full-length album. It’s also our first song whose musical composition was inspired entirely by a dream.
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Forgotten Free Time (Encore Episode 131)
This week’s episode of Encore has us discussing what we think is the best way to “roll out” an album. What should bands do to maximize the hype and avoid being too overexposed? We also tackle the idea of “free time” and what it means to us as we get a little older. How do we decide what to do with those precious few hours and decide between playing video games, listening to podcasts, or reading a book? The answer is never easy. We also touch a little on Thomas seeing Blink-182 and The Menzingers’ live, new music from Jimmy Eat World, Every Time I Die, and American Football, and I guess college football is coming back and people are excited.
Also, we have released another bonus episode for supporters where we discuss our top three breakfast foods. Supporters can find that in the supporter forum.
Interview: Kevin Skaff of A Day to Remember
Guitarist Kevin Skaff talks about changing it up on A Day to Remember’s new record Bad Vibrations, embracing the garage band mentality again, writing heavier songs with everyone involved, and why history is cool.
Interview: Bishop Briggs
Bishop Briggs talks about opening for Coldplay on their “A Head Full of Dreams” tour, experiencing a hit single with “River,” making everything about the music, and never having a Plan B.
In Too Deep – A Fall Tour Preview Playlist
The end of Warped is always followed by an onslaught of fall tour announcements. This year felt even more nuts than usual and with so many bands hitting the road, it can be difficult to know where to begin diving in. So for this week’s playlist I decided to do the heavy lifting for you and preview eight of my must-see tours for this fall.
You can check out the full tracklist below, and stream the playlist now on Spotify.
Interview: Bayside
Bayside have steadily become one of the preeminent forces in alternative music by simply being themselves throughout their entire career. The band has a unique sense of self which displays itself every time they release new music. The band’s seventh full-length record, Vacancy, just dropped last week, and to celebrate, they hit the road with some incredible bands supporting them: The Menzingers and Sorority Noise. I’ll have more on that tour a little later this week, but for now, enjoy my conversation with Anthony Raneri and Nick Ghanbarian about managing fan expectations, what they feel their responsibility is as a band with a platform, and how you continue to write the most honest music of your career seven albums deep.
Interview: Aaron Gillespie
Last week, I was able to sit down and chat on the phone with one of my favorite songwriters, Aaron Gillespie. You may know him from his work as the drummer/singer for Underoath, or as the singer/songwriter behind The Almost, but Aaron has also just released his stellar debut full-length solo album Out of the Badlands. It came out on August 20th, and I think it showcases everything I love about Aaron’s writing style. We sat down to discuss the record in depth, as well as Underoath’s recent reunion, and many more topics.
Planes Fly Fast (Encore Episode 130)
This week’s podcast finds the hosts talking about traveling and the routines related to flying. We discuss (as spoiler free as possible) ‘Stranger Things,’ we gush about the new The Menzingers’ song, and we talk about Green Day’s new one as well. We also talk about looking up tour dates, song lyrics, and what bands may end up standing the test of time and why. We finish up with some Olympics talk. Because OLYMPICS!
A Decade Under The Influence
For this week’s playlist I decided to celebrate some of the albums quietly turning 10 this year. The albums without anniversary tours, reissues, or major recognition. 2006 was a great year for music — it saw new releases from established acts like Yellowcard, Senses Fail, Brand New, Sugarcult, and debuts from bands like +44 (I’m still holding out for another album) and Cobra Starship (I will always love While the City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets).
You can check out the full tracklist below, and stream the playlist now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Interview: Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant
Lead singer Sameer Gadhia talks about Young the Giant’s third album Home of the Strange, narrating the American immigrant story through music, and the impossible goal of striving for perfection.
The final gallery from the Taste of Chaos tour is for Taking Back Sunday. The images come from their stop at the famous Red Rocks in Morrison, CO. You’ll find the photos below.