Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Justin Olin - Vocals/Guitar
Patrick Maloney - Vocals/Bass
Alec Mackowiak - Guitar
Kyle Ahlstrom - Guitar
Jon Clark - Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Commonweather? How long has the band been around?
Yeah we were actually. 3/5th's of us were in an easycore band called This Is Our Year for about 3 years and Patrick played in a Pop-Punk band called Johnny Rockette for a couple years as well. If you listen to either of those bands and then to us now, you would definitely not believe we were members of those bands. Commonweather formed in November of 2014.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
We originally started with the name Storyteller but realized it wasn't a good fit for the direction we were taking the music. Commonweather actually comes from a Citizen song of the same name. We thought it sounded cool and decided to just put the 2 words together.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
We usually start off with Justin and Alec writing the base of the songs along with some lyrics. Pat, Kyle and Jon come in after to sprinkle on their ideas and complete the song. Kyle has actually produced/recorded our whole discography as well and has been a big help bringing in his ideas when doing the demos. We write and record demos of the songs in a studio before actually going in to record the final product. With most of us being perfectionists, it's crazy the amount of times we've written full songs then had to rewrite them down the road because we didn't like the way they came out.
We write a lot of songs about personal experiences we've all been through over time such as losing loved ones, heartbreak and depression. On our new EP "Apparitions", we dove deeper into substance abuse, and the suffering that comes with mental health problems. As far as changing over time, we write about what we know. Things that mean a lot to us. So it all just depends on how we're feeling the next time we write.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Currently the biggest influences are a lot of 90's grunge bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam. We've also been listening to some newer alternative bands such as Superheaven, and Balance and Composure.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
I think a lot of us can agree that 90's Rock influenced us to start making music. That also goes into a lot of early 2000's Emo/Pop-Punk such as Taking Back Sunday, Alkaline Trio and Bayside.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
We usually just like to loosen up, relax and enjoy a couple brews together. We're all about having a good time, especially if craft beer is involved.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
The biggest highlight would have to be finishing our new EP “Apparitions”. We're very proud of what we made and are just really excited to finally be able to share it with everyone.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Presently, Bayside, Basement, Circa Survive. Some in the past would probably be The Beatles and Nirvana. Also if Phil Collins ever decides to do another run, he should hit us up.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for having us be a part of Kill the Music, and look out for our new EP "Apparitions" coming out April 29th through iTunes, Apple Music, Bandcamp and Spotify.