Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Say Anything Update

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Max Bemis of Say Anything has posted a (very long) update below.

NOW SEE HERE,

I’m so so nervous and excited because we’ve got two weeks to go til album release”¦.It seems like everything is hitting me at once, with the song getting on the radio an amazing tour starting off, and the humbling, awesome reactions we’ve been getting from you guys about the new songs .It’s hard to sum up how this all feels but I’ve never been so gracious for where I am in life and the future is a pretty exciting time for someone with such a dark, neurotic mind. Hehe. ANYWAY”¦..

The reason I needed to check in is that chances are between now and when our record comes out, it will most likely leak onto the inter-web, on all those sites with funny ironic names like “the pirate bay” or “oink”. This leaves us all in a serious moral quandary. After all, who wants to pay for something you can literally get earlier and for free. I wouldn’t blame any of you for wanting to hear the record ASAP, and I would probably do the same thing myself, let’s be honest, and have in the past.

The only thing I can ask you in good conscience in this day and age is if you download the record, please, please take the time to buy it off itunes (you’ll get some rad b-sides, too) or pick it up at your local best buy or something (we’re really proud of how the art and record look so physical copy is worth the trip) I can only ask because I’ve started to personally buy music off of itunes again after years of illegally downloading all my music so it wouldn’t be hypocritical. It feels great to be supporting the bands I love.

Although bands make MOST of their money off merch and tour and, yes, the record industry is suffering, there are a few edgier, weirder “indie rock” bands like us that have actually been lucky enough to keep selling a decent amount of records (thanks to YOU GUYS) and therefore still make sense having a place on a major label. We love RCA and have been in the Sony Family for almost six years now, and have no complaints. Thanks to our dedicated, nutty, crazy fans, we’ve increased slowly in size and popularity without having to start flat-ironing our butt-hair to do so. Our label believes in Say Anything and loves this record, and has never asked me to compromise my artistic integrity. All they do is give me the money to do all kinds of crazy, wacky crap on the record and in videos, etc.

To let you guys in on it, you guys loving the record and us being able to have a long career are easily the most important things to us. You can hear it in my music and if you don’t think so, then eff you. That’s why I rarely mention this kind of stuff in interviews or on twitter, etc. . However, it’s literally true that it’s not useless to sell lots of records in this era because we work pretty damn hard and our label spends so much money marketing the band, flying us everywhere, paying us, paying for recording, etc”¦.They also are super flipping out over this record and it’s pretty much in YOUR hands whether they will be able to visibly see a reaction monetarily. There are other positive consequences to selling records as well (tour opportunities, songs being put in movies, etc) , and it’s all pretty much behind the scenes and benefits the band more than anybody.

Either way, , on Novemeber 3rd , if you have it in your power, I ask you all of you to give back to us and buy our record. It would be amazing if everyone who followed me on twitter went on itunes and spent 9.99 or whatever the heck it is to make this happen. You buying the record is, at this point, your way of help us continue to maintain the career, (not over the top) lifestyle and intensive creative output youv’e seen from us so far, and I know our fans care about us, so I don’t feel uncomfortable stressing it’s importance to me. It’s because of you that me and my wife can afford a house to live in, cereal to eat for a midnight snack, and, thank god, comic books! I promise we’ll continute to work our asses off to earn the respect and love you guys give to us by making better and better records, challenging ourselves, and creating REAL ART. It is my true heart’s desire and I have nothing to hide from you guys with rockstar, veil of mystery, we’re-too ““cool-for-you-bull. I love you.

Thanks for taking the time,

Max

Less Than Jake Tour Dates

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Less Than Jake will be hitting the road in November.

Nov 13, 2009 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Nov 14, 2009 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
Nov 15, 2009 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
Nov 16, 2009 Asbury Park, NJ The Stone Pony
Nov 18, 2009 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Nov 19, 2009 New York, NY Nokia Theatre Times Square
Nov 20, 2009 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
Nov 21, 2009 Montreal, QC Le Medley
Nov 22, 2009 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theatre
Nov 23, 2009 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Nov 24, 2009 Chicago, IL Metro
Nov 25, 2009 St. Paul, MN Station 4
Nov 27, 2009 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
Nov 28, 2009 Murray, UT Murray Theater

Violent Soho Interview

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Can you please introduce yourself and your role in Violent Soho?

I am Luke Henery and I play the bass guitar.

Where are you guys from? How did you all get together?

We’re from the suburb of Mansfield, Queensland Australia. We were all friends at school, Everybody in the band was either engaged too, best friends with, or a long term partner of James’ sister. Nah. We all heard Luke’s songs and thought it was the shit.

What does the band name “Violent Soho” mean? How did that happen?

We wanted to call ourselves Ruby Soho from the Rancid song, and James wanted to call us The Violent. So we married the two. Not that we sound anything like Rancid.

Can you tell me about some of the albums and EPs you guys have put out?

First put out Pigs and TV which was our first EP. And then through that we met Dean Turner and recorded an album with him in Australia called We Don’t Belong Here. It was released in Australia on Emergency Music (Dean’s label) and now after touring heaps through Australia we got to record an album in Wales with Gil Norton which is like a compilation of some brand new stuff and some stuff from the other album, but it’s basically our debut album as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

Are you guys working on a record right now?

See above!

What are your touring plans for the rest of this year and 2010?

To keep touring as much as possible! Touring with Built To Spill, Raveonettes and Dinosaur Jr. so it’s all pretty fucking rad.

Do you guys find it difficult to break into the American music scene since you guys are from Australia?

Don’t know, we’ll give it a go and tell you in a year, We’re just excited to play some shows!

What are some of your musical influences?

Midget, Hateman, Bud, Tad, Dick Nasty, The Sips, Eat Lazer Scumbag, Mouth, The Nation Blue

What are some of your goals for Violent Soho?

To buy lots of guitar pedals eventually and to know how to use them. And to get bonkled. And grow beards.

Any last words?

Nathan Freeney was close enough to Violent Soho to nearly be in it, thanks to the stoops. Just because he has short hair that doesn’t mean he represents Mansfield!


We Butter The Bread With Butter Interview

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Can you please introduce yourself and your role in We Butter The Bread With Butter?

Hello everybody !! 🙂  Well, I’m Marci. I’m a 21 years-old student and the guitar-player of my bandWe Butter The Bread With Butter.

How did the band come together? What is the story behind the band?
Tobi (who does the shoutings) had a metalcore band before, and I played in a looooot of different bands before. Even in some pop bands 😀

Somewhen I joint this metalcoreband and we get such big friends. we spend each evening together, played some nintendo or something and it was just a question of time, when we’ll be going to start making music in our own way.

I have to ask-where did your band name come from?

Haha, that’s a good question. Actually we don’t know. We just wanted to have a much too long name, with no sense….so…one day we wanted to get some food from mc donalds and tobi said: “hey, what about we butter the bread with butter” I had to laugh sooo hard, that we nearly had an accident 🙂

For new listeners, how would you describe the sound of We Butter The Bread With Butter?

I think it’s a very new und modern sound. We’re mixing very hard deathcore elements with a lot of danceable electro-music parts. We just try to create songs, you have fun, you want to dance, you want to mosh  and want to party while hearing it.

Your album, Das Monster aus dem Schrank, was just released about a month ago. Can you tell me a little bit about the making of this record?

This is a story nowone believed us jet 😉

We had a few (veeeeeeery very bad) songs and decided to make an album 🙂 and after the first instrumental songs have been recorded we were listening to theme and I had to go to the toilet. Suddenly I I noticed how great the syllables of german children’s songs get into the music…..that’s how our style was born 😉

How have fans responded to the album?

Of course, there were some conservativ people, who hate us for what we’re doing. they don’t like mixing modern  elements into some metalsongs. But mostly it was just amazing. At the beginning we treat all orders on our own and send shirts and cd’s to our fans 🙂 But soon it wasn’t possibly any longer for us. And the feeling that the people gave us on our firts shows was sooo amazing. Each time we play, people just want to have party and a great evening.

What are your touring plans for the rest of the year and for 2010?
We’re going to release our second album at the end of this year =) and we’re working sooo hard on it. The next CD has to be perfect !!! 😉

In 2010 we want to have some great shows and tours, and we hope sooooo badly, that we’ll have the chance to come to america next year to play a lot of shows.

What are some of your musical influences?

This is a very long list. It starts with bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Suicide Silence, The Bridal Procession, Bring me the horizon and all this stuff.
But we also like each song, which is simply good ^^ so we like to hear to lady gaga for example to 🙂 And there are a lot of electro-bands we love like: Crystal Castles, Justce or Frittenbude 🙂 But my favourite music is film music. Hans Zimmer is my greatest idol.

Coming from Germany, has it been hard to attract American listeners to your music?

No !! Our friends from america always have been sooo nice to us. this feeling….making music you love, and it’s heard in america, too. is just unbelievable. Our Label “Redfield Records” did a lot for us to make it possible and we are
very grateful for that chance !! 🙂

What are your goals for We Butter The Bread With Bread?
At the beginnig we didn’t have any 😀 haha But now, we want to be the hardest party band in the whole world !!!

Any last words for our readers?

Be nice to your parents !!!  😉
And seriously: Thank to our fans !!! !!! we don’t say that, because we have to and everybody have to say it….no…
We thank you sooo much. you made it possible, that the first part of our biggest dream become reallity !!!

Architects Interview

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Can you please introduce your band, yourself, and your role in the band?

My Name’s Tim HB and I play guitar in Architects

So, how did the band get started? What is the history behind the band?

We met at college in 2004, and between then and early 2007, went thru a couple of line-up changes to get to the final incarnation of the band we have today.

You are currently on tour with Oh, Sleeper, ETID, and BMTH. How is the tour going so far? I know ETID is just a fun band in general, any interesting, random stories you’d like to share?

The tour is going great so far. It’s a lot better for us than the last US tour we did for sure! BMTH are our best friends being on tour with them is always awesome, ETID are great dudes, and an incredible band. They’re definitely a fun band, last night they offered a free shirt for people to try this insane hot sauce, which resulted in a crowd gathering in the parking lot around a couple of dudes putting hot sauce in some pretty sensitive areas!

Even though your album, Hollow Crown, came out in February how do you guys feel about this release and what are you most proud of from Hollow Crown?

We’re really happy about how Hollow Crown came out and what we’ve achieved from it, especially in increasing our fan-base in the UK and enabling us to play to more places around the world. Im really happy about how the songs go over live too, reaction to the songs from it all over the world have been insane!

What are your plans after this tour is over? More touring? Recording? Sleeping?

After this tour we have a few days off at home, then we go straight out to do the Never Say Die Tour in UK/Europe, which will be awesome! Then after that we’re taking a couple of months off to try and finish up our next record, then after that it’ll be more touring until we go record it later next year.

Is there any specific meaning behind the bands’ name, Architects?

To be Honest, not really. We had to think of a name quickly and wanted a one-word band name, and Architects was the one that we felt suited the band the most out of the ideas we had.

How did you guys get started playing music? Who is your biggest influence?

We all just started playing our instruments for fun when we where real young, and then started getting into more challenging music, and subsequently challenging ourselves to get better as we got older so we could be like our favourite bands!

What has been the most memorable experience about being in a band?

There are so many that it’d be hard to choose, but I would have to say our First UK tour would be my most memorable experience from this band. The excitement, and the lack of expectation are things I really miss. Doing what we do now is incredible, but that child-like curiosity and care-free attitude to what we where doing was so fun back then because everything was amazing and we didn’t really know what we where doing!

What are the future goals of Architects?

Our goals now are the same as they’ve always been, to keep producing records that we’re stoked about, to keep building our fan-base and to play a lot of shows!

Any last words for Driven Far Off?

Alan Dino’s dog frog disco