December 7,
2002
Interview by Shane Macaulay
How
long has Silverstein been around for, and have you made any
changes in the band since the day it was put together?
We've
been around since 1999 and sice then we have made some line
up changes and our musical style has evolved so much. Richard
Mcwalter (founding member of the band) left the band and his
guitar in 2001 to pursue his career in electrical engineering
in British Columbia. Since then Richard was replaced by ex-Maharahj
guitarist Neil Boshart. As for our sound, it has gotten heavier
and more melodic.
What
was the scene like in your nabourhood? Did you find it more
difficult to stand out more than the other punk bands?
The
scene is very supportive of their local bands. The scene is
what got us to this point in our musical career, without them
we wouldnt have made it this far. So you see, the scene is
pretty accepting but also picky at times, but that pickyness
kinda makes us work harder at what we do. It wasnt too difficult
to stand out from the other bands because we feel that we
have a whole seperate sound from the rest which makes us unique
and more rememberable that way.
How
come you chose Victory Records as a label? Did you have any
other options?
We've
had many offers from other independent labels but Victory
stood out far ahead from the rest. Silverstein grew up with
albums that Victory had put out. With bands like Snapcase,
Deadguy, Earth Crisis, Strife and Grade, we just thought it
was like a dream come true. We are very happy with things
with Victory, they treat us so well.
Did
you ever think you would get to where you are today? Do you
see yourselves going even further in the future?
We've
never expected to be signed to such a great record label or
get signed at all, it was just a fun thing to do to play in
a band. Its hard to say how far we go, ask us after our first
album comes out, hahaha.
Growing
up in Burlington and Oakville, what do you like to do when
your not practicing or playing shows?
Just
like anyone else, we love hanging out with our friends and
most of us in the band love to party. Thing is, there isnt
much to do in Burlington and Oakville, which explains the
copious quantities of bands in the area.
Will
there be any future modifications to any of the songs you
have written? Re-recordings? Anything to that effect? Or will
you be only releasing brand new stuff?
10
to 12 new and old songs will be recorded and produced by Justin
Koop, everything else is top secret.
I
noticed the "When the Shadows Beam" album has six tracks,
and each song was written and pieced together by a different
band member. Will this change now that you are signed? Is
there one inpaticular style that the label likes more?
Nothing has changed really in the writing process. Victory
signed us based on our 6 song EP which has songs that have
different genres of music melted into one, so we're gonna
keep writing the same kind of stuff but 10 times better.
What
kind of future plans does the label have for yourselves? Is
this something you would like to do for the rest of your lives?
Releasing our first album in mid 2003 and playing gigs across
the continent or maybe even overseas. The way we see it is
that if the fun ends, so does the music. So far we're having
so much fun.
Where
does the lyrical content come from? Is it bases on personal
experience, or from the observations you have made from those
in your surroundings?
Its mostly based from personal experiences with relationships
and our social life. Like when a girlfriend cheats on you,
its like you've been tied to the back bumper of a car and
dragged through shards of glass for miles, stuff like that.
What
advice do you have to the other local Ontario bands, or Canadian
bands for that matter, that are still looking for a label?
Work
hard and dont be afraid to evolve your music into something
different. Tour a lot and get your band name out there!
What
kind of influences does the band have? Do you feel that your
music is similar to their style?
We're influenced by mostly hardcore, punk and emo bands like:
Grade, Cave In, Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Gates,
Slayer, Converge, Kid Dynamite, Propaghandi, and so much more.
We are similiar in a way that we take elements of music from
each of these influential bands and tie them togther into
a song.
The
violin can display a large amount of emotion in a song. Will
the Violin be taking place in any future songs?
Yep,
more violins and possibly other stringed instruments as well.
Thanks
for stopping to do this short interview for OntarioPunk.com.
Thank
you for this opportunity and taking special interest in our
band.
Neil//Silverstein
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