|
April 16, 2003
Victory
Record's Atreyu opened for Lamb of God, Chimaira, and Eighteen
Visions on May 15th at the Opera House in Toronto. I had the
privilege to hang out with drummer and clean vocalist Brandon
Saller after their set. Here's what we talked about.
Interview
by Grayson McDiarmid
G:
You've got a pretty big tour ahead of you, including Europe.
Are you guys getting pretty excited or are you getting tired?
B:
We're already kinda tired, we've been out for a good five
weeks now so it's starting to wear on us but, you know, we're
used to it. We're so stoked to go to Europe; we've never been
before so.
G:
It's a good time to be with Boy Sets Fire too right?
B:
Oh yeah, Boy Sets Fire are rad guys. We've toured with them
before so it will be nice to share a bus with friends instead
of strangers.
G:
Besides the sizes of crowds and the outfits do you notice
any real differences in the scenes as you travel?
B:
It's the same kinda shit. Some kids are a lot nicer than others.
Some scenes are brutal, full of pretentious people you know
but some kids I've noticed are really rad, like they're really
cool to each other and to the bands.
G:
Where in particular do you like to play?
B:
Florida's usually really cool to us, Texas is awesome. This
is the first metal tour we've been on so it's kinda different.
G:
You guy's aren't very old. You must have listened to a lot
of Victory bands in the past. How does it feel to be label
mates with some of the most inspirational bands in hardcore?
B:
It's crazy cause like you said we grew up listening to bands
like Snapcase and Hatebreed and bands like that and now to
tour with Snapcase and be on the same label with them is kinda
weird, it feels good. They're really nice guys, they've been
in it for so long but they know what they're doing.
G:
From a real insider what makes you excited about punk and
hardcore now? What gives you hope?
B:
The whole scene is really cool to be in now because it's growing
so quickly which is really cool cause that lets us and other
bands get their music out to as many people as they want.
Including us, no one wants to play their music to the same
five hundred kids for the rest of their lives. It's great
that all this is being more accepted with lots of different
people.
G:
What bothers you the most at the moment about the hardcore
scene?
B:
Drama. It seems like every scene has at least a couple guys
that love to start fights or love to cause problems all the
time and that just bugs the shit out of me.
G:
Your lyrics are dark, which in my opinion is the way it should
be in hardcore and they seem to come from relationships a
lot of the time. Is their any kind of formula to write a song
that you guys have? Is there anything that you focus on most
or does it just kind of happen? Basically what happens when
you guys write a song?
B:
Usually me or Dan [Jacobs- Guitar] we usually come up with
a base of something or an idea and then we'll get together
and piece it all together and then Travis [Miguel- guitars]
will add his pretty parts, he's really good with all his classical
pretty parts, and then Alex [Varkatzas- vocals] will write
the lyrics to it, he does all the lyrics. We usually do the
music before the lyrics; it turns out best that way.
G:
What have you guys been listening to lately on the bus?
B:
You mean the van! We're keepin it real! The new Alkaline Trio
we just got and it's really fucking good, um, Soilwork, the
new Boy Sets Fire is amazing..
G:
Do you guys have anyone to plug? Is there anyone that you
would suggest that people who go to Ontariopunk.com should
check out?
B:
I've got a few bands. Go to www.nightfallrock.com,
good friends of our back home, really good band, they'll blow
you away. Also go to www.astorybookending.com
if you like the whole pop punk thing and if you like straight
rock and roll that will kick your ass go to www.hidekikills.com.
G:
What's your favourite band or some of them and why?
B:
One of our first tours which was amazing was with Skycamefalling.
All those guys are really good guys, funny as hell. The shows
on that tour were small and weren't really promoted at all
but being with them made it really fun. Boy Sets Fire is really
cool to tour with. Eighteen Visions has been really awesome,
same with Chimaira. All the bands on this tour actually have
been really cool. Usually on tours there's always like one
or two guys that just kinda suck a little bit but this time
there's no one which is really awesome.
G:
You guys are coming back in August I hear. Is that true?
B:
We are supposed to be doing maybe a headliner in August but
we don't know where it is but if we do I'm sure we'll probably
be back, it's not for sure but if we do come back it will
be in August.
G:
That's about it, thanks a lot!
B:
No problem, thank you. Atreyu should have a new album out
on Victory early in the New Year so be sure to check that
out. Their website is www.atreyurock.com
so go there and listen to them!
|
