Driven Far Off

Can you  please introduce yourself and your role in You Me At Six?

Hi I’m Max and I play guitar for You Me At Six.

How did  You Me At Six get started? What is the history behind the  band?

You Me At Six started around 4 years ago when myself and Josh wanted to start another band from previously being in one. Josh knew Matt from the local scene and he lived next door to Chris after already loosing a guitar player. Matt, Chris and myself met Dan at college and thought it was the best idea to get him to join the band after loosing our old drummer. We told Josh so we practiced and that’s when this line up was formed back in 2007.

So,  tell me about your new album Hold Me Down that came out in  January.

Hold Me Down is our second full length album, we started writing the songs in October 2008 and finished writing in June 2009, we hit the studio to record the bulk of it in April / May 2009 and returned for recording the last few songs in July 2009. I personally think this CD is the best songs we have written as a band. It went into the album charts at number 5 in the first week of it being on sell and number 2 in the iTunes download chart in the UK.

How  is Hold Me Down different from your previous  album Take Off
Your Colours?

Hold Me Down is a more mature CD, I would say it’s where we are at this time of our career and how we want to write songs, as well as enjoying them as musicians. Take Off Your Colours was written while we were growing up through our teen years where we wanted to be like band such as Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Paramore etc, so I think we have found our sound more on this second CD and hopefully it will progress as time goes on.

Since  You Me At Six is from overseas, have you found it difficult
to get recognition  within the United States? Do you guys have any
plans to play in the  U.S.?

We have already done 2 tours in the States, we did Warped Tour in the Summer of 09 and then we did the AP tour in the Fall of 09. It’s nice that we aren’t getting recognized because it was like that in the UK first and it made us work harder as a band. We are coming back again for the whole of Warped Tour this year and trying to get some more shows planned for the end of the year.

What  other touring plans do you have for 2010?

We are going to Japan, Europe, Australia, America and the UK, basically as many places as we can play this year to promote the Hold Me Down CD.

How did  you get started playing music?

I wanted to play guitar for 4 years before I got one and it took a lot of arguing with the parents but I think they are stocked now that they let me play. I was inspired by Kurt Cobain to play guitar ever since I heard Nirvana for the first time. Ever since then I’ve been writing music for 7 years.

Who (or  what band) would you say is your biggest influence and why?

Incubus and Thrice are 2 of the biggest influences on me, the jams they write on guitar are so inspiring to musicians. The sound and tone they can create makes me think one day I wish I could be as good as these guys.

What  are some of your goals for You Me At Six?

Our goals were to play the Astoria and Brixton academy as a band, and it’s crazy to think that we have sold out both of these venues and played them so I’m mega stocked, another great goal for You Me At Six was doing Warped tour last year. We all love old school Drive Thru bands and I remember watching their DVD’s from when their bands do Warped tour and we always wanted to do it, we are very lucky that we have had all these great opportunities in our lives.

Any  last words for our readers?

Thanks for supporting our band, it means the world to us and no doubt we will meet each other soon and I can say that face to face to them, if they haven’t picked up Hold Me Down please do! And see you guys on the road!