Interview: Andy Williams of Every Time I Die

Every Time I Die are keeping busy these days; they put out a new record, Ex-Lives (which sold nearly 14,300 copies in its first week, landing them at #20 on the Billboard 200) finished up a headliner with Stray From The Path, and now are direct support for The Devil Wears Prada. I had the chance to chat with Andy about their new video, Revival Mode, Warped Tour and his opinion on the current music scene.

You just put out a video for Revival Mode; was the guy in the wheelchair inspired by Breaking Bad or is there another story behind the video?

To be honest, I have no idea. This dude hit us up and wanted to do a video where Keith, Jordan and legs were killers and Steve and I were victims. That’s pretty much all I got from it.

I saw your recent interview where you defended Sonny Moore (aka Skrillex); any chance you’d ever collaborate with him?

I’m not sure. Dudes voice is cool, but I’m not a big fan of dusted. So I’d rather him sing on something, and then cut it up. He’s a good dude though

When I interviewed Tom from Stray From The Path; he told me he saw you guys playing a garage when he was growing up and now you’re touring together. It’s crazy how things come full circle.

Yeah, he was kind of blowing my mind on that tour. He’s been around a long time to. I had no clue they liked the band, I was really into Stray and then we played a fest in Michigan together and kind of jerked each other off there!

How does feel to be playing Warped Tour again this year? Are you gonna write a blog about generic, autotuned bands like Keith did in 2010?

I don’t think I really have to with how saturated the world is with dog shit. I’m more concerned with slaying mother fuckers sonically. I’ll probably talk shit here and there though.

Speaking of, what is your opinion on the current state of the music scene?

To be honest, there are REAL bands on the rise. letlive, Stray From The Path, The Ghost Inside, Balance and Composure, Title Fight and then the current hardcore scene is stronger than ever with bands like Cruel Hand, Bitter End, Terror, Trapped Under Ice, Alpha and Omega and such. Then metal has Black Breath, which are making metal real again, cause that scene is about as watered down as ever, but Black Breath are the real fucking deal.

What do you feel has contributed to your long career as a band? Bands like Haste The Day, Thrice, and Thursday have recently broken up, bands that had been at it for a while.

I think it’s because we never let the major label world get involved. We never gave a fuck about anything but slaying, dicing, pulverizing, and decimating ear drums. A lot of bands get caught up in bullshit business and forget about being a band of dudes.

When appealing to different sets of fan bases, new and old, young and old, what is the thought process when trying to write something that has an appeal to both, but also embodies what ETID is?

We just play. Honestly, we get up and play. No thought goes into who is coming to see us.

You’ve been in this band since 1998 — there have definitely been some hard times along the way; have you ever considered quitting the band, and if so, what things encouraged you to stick with it?

There’s been a lot of hard times, but I’m no quitter and when I have thought it might be time to hang it up, I have a great band of guys that make it easy not to. I surround myself with the best band on the planet.

The music industry has changed significantly since you guys started out. What advice would you give upcoming bands— musically and business-wise?

Just remember why you started riffing. It wasn’t to open for Metallica or make a million dollars and if it is what you’re in it for, then I hope you get electrocuted plugging your laptop and Pro-Tools rig in on stage.

Musically and lyrically, what are some of the personal things that had an effect on the outcome of this new record? How does Ex-Lives reflect the sound or message?

Coffee, I drank coffee for the first time ever while writing and recording this record.

What are some of the particular messages you tried to get across in the lyrical content of this record?

Riffer madness

Last question: What are one book and one band that you’d recommend to anyone that listens to your band?

Spray Paint The Walls. It’s a book about Black Flag that’s done by every person involved, not just Henry Rollins. Balance and Composure; they’re the best band out now.

Every Time I Die announce new album title, track listing; release new music video

Buffalo’s magnificently brutal metallic punk ensemble Every Time I Die are set to unleash brand new album titled Ex Lives this March 6th via Epitaph Records. The new album was produced by renowned heavy rock producer Joe Baressi (The Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age, Parkway Drive) and offers an unrelenting onslaught of ingeniously composed and furiously executed cathartic hardcore.

This is the band’s highly anticipated follow up to 2009’s raging masterwork New Junk Aesthetic which Absolute Punk heralded as a musical “weapon of mass destruction” and Allmusic.com described as “the group further refining its signature approach with a new sonic clarity - energized and passionate, delivering its blend of old and new sounds with a directness that gives the ferocious music an unusually broad appeal.”

Every Time I Die’s new album Ex Lives is currently available for pre-order at: www.ex-lives.com.

You can now watch a video for the song “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” from the new album. The powerful clip was directed by the band’s vocalist and lyricist Keith Buckley and features a barrage of startling visceral images which perfectly match the raging brutality of the track. As Buckley explains, “In order to write lyrics I had to pay attention to the defeatism that the music suggested. To compile this video I had to acknowledge the masochism I wrote of to myself. You don’t get rewarded for your faith and you don’t get celebrated for your heroism. Just when you find yourself attached, you have lost it. Everything is borrowed. C’est la vie.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gi_aOe334

Ex-Lives Track Listing:

1 Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space 02:43
2 Holy Book Of Dilemma 01:49
3 A Wild, Shameless Plain 01:49
4 Typical Miracle 02:25
5 I Suck (Blood) 02:55
6 Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow 03:12
7 The Low Road Has No Exits 02:51
8 Revival Mode 03:46
9 Drag King 04:11
10 Touch Yourself 02:17
11 Indian Giver 04:09
12 Grudge Music (bonus) 02:24
13 Business Casualty (bonus) 02:45
14 Starve An Artist, Cover Your Trash (bonus) 02:53

And catch Every Time You Die’s patented brand of rock and roll mayhem live when they take their beloved brand of punk infused metal mayhem on the road, joined by Los Angeles based hard core stage diving aficionados Terror. ETID will follow the tour by spending their summer adding some of their patented punk infused metal to the annual Van’s Warped Tour.

Every Time I Die Tour Dates:

Feb. 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Feb. 18 – Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon
Feb. 19 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Feb. 20 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
Feb. 21 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
Feb. 23 – Thunder Bay, ON – Crocks
Feb. 24 – Winnipeg, MB – WECC
Feb. 26 – Saskatoon, SK – Louis
Feb. 27 – Edmonton, AB – Avenue
Feb. 28 – Calgary, AB – The Den
Feb. 29 – Spokane, WA – Epicenter
Mar. 02 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep
Mar. 03 – Wichita, KS – the Scene~ary
Mar. 04 – Tulsa, OK – The Marquee
Mar. 05 – Memphis, TN – Newby’s
Mar. 06 – Birmingham, AL – Matthew’s Bar & Grill
Mar. 07 – Knoxville, TN – Valarium
Mar. 08 – Huntington, WV – V Club Live

Every Time I Die announce US/Canada winter headliner

Every Time I Die, Terror, Stray From the Path and Former Thieves will be touring the US and Canada together.

Every Time I Die announce headline tour with Terror and Stray From The Path

Every Time I Die will embark on a FULL U.S. Headliner in Early 2012 with support from Terror, Stray From The Path, and one other band TBA.

Interview: Michael Crafter from Confession

 

If you like Parkway Drive, you have Michael Crafter to thank for discovering them. After I Killed The Prom Queen went on hiatus (and now back together), Crafter formed Confession. We discussed his UFC/MMA background, brutal reviews, and his clothing label, Mistake Clothing.

State your name and position in the band.

Michael: Michael Crafter, I sing and generally boss everyone around.

What are some of your music influences and how involved in music were you growing up?

blink-182, Pennywise and a bunch of local stuff in Adelaide mainly.

How did you break into doing music; what made you turn it into more than a hobby?

Just did a band and things just happened. I didn’t wake up one day and go, “hey I’m going to tour the world or whatever.” Things just happened and kept happening. I don’t think anyone has a grand plan to make it big in a band or do well. I think it either happens or doesn’t.

How was the music scene back home in Australia?

Depends what you call scene. There’s the hardcore scene that’s small and then their is the stadium metalcore scene haha. Both seem to be doing pretty good. 

Where do you view Confession’s role in the worldwide hardcore scene?

We ain’t Madball, Agnostic Front and so on who have a role in what the scene is today. We are just another band playing heavy music; what we play isn’t hardcore. It’s metalcore, mosh metal and whatever else. But hardcore is more like band’s who love hardcore sing about it etc. Like Terror is the biggest hardcore band in the last 10 years; we ain’t that kinda band, we don’t sing about that kinda stuff.

What’s the current status of your clothing company, Mistake Clothing? Are we going to see any new designs anytime soon?

There’s some new stuff on its way; no real status of it. Just ticks over.

Who are a few bands that you feel everyone should be listening and/or not listening to right now? I know you like to jokingly “brutal review” bands on Twitter.

Honestly, I cant say this band or that band cause there’s so many band’s killing it right now. I don’t listen to much heavy shit at all. If any. So my opinion is pretty pointless haha. My iPod is usually on shuffle between Parkway Drive, Eminem, The Game, ADTR, blink 182 and Bury Your Dead.

Speaking of brutal reviews; is true you’re doing a podcast for it?

Maybe or a radio show; haven’t worked it out as yet.

What were you first reactions to I Killed The Prom Queen getting back together?

It’s been years since I was in the band and good luck to those dudes with what they do with IKTPQ. I’ve been asked this heaps and there isn’t a real answer I can give.

If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?

Most people in it suck. Band’s get egos after pulling 10 payers, people see that and try capitalize on it. Music is fun it shouldn’t be about cash and shit so much.Do a band and play shows to ya mates.. That’s what it still is about for me.

I think this would make a great tour: Parkway Drive, I Killed The Prom Queen, Confession, The Amity Affliction, and 50 Lions. They could call it the Thunder From Down Under tour. What do you think of it? 

That tour would never happen hahahaha.

Speaking of tours; any plans to come to the USA soon? If so, could you tell us who you would be touring with?

Couldn’t tell you yes or no cause we have no plans at this time. 

What’s one band that you’d recommend to anyone that listens to Confession?

Bury your Dead and Parkway Drive

How did you get involved in the UFC/MMA? Is it something you would do full-time if you weren’t in a band?

We all love fighting sports, we watch it and train different things. I’ve done Muay Thai/kickboxing for years off and on. I just like training; I dont care enough for it to do it for real and get up early to train etc for fights. I like sleeping in haha

Last question; pick two songs; one from your catalog, that you want new fans to check out after reading this interview. And one song from any band/genre.

From my band - The Long Way Home and blink-182 - Dammit is the best song ever.