Gerard Way and Geoff Rickly Discuss The History of Emo

Noisey interviewed Gerard Way and Geoff Rickly about the histories of their respective bands and the future of their current projects

Way: That’s exactly what the vibe was, and out of that a brotherhood really did grow. We’d run into these guys at a show—like, another band’s show, which is how you’d always meet each other—and think actually, they’re pretty cool. I remember that benefit show where the line-up was Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday, and Thursday, and you could feel everything starting to gel. It was amazing.

Get Involved! Premiering New Song on BBC Radio 1

“Apathy” a new song from Get Involved! (featuring ex-members of Glassjaw, Thursday, & From Autumn To Ashes), is premiering tonight at midnight (GMT) on BBC Radio 1’s “The Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter.” The track will be available as a FREE download immediately following the premiere at www.gtnvlvd.com. The song appears on the band’s forthcoming Ross Robinson (At The Drive-In, The Cure) produced EP, for which the band has enlisted the support of fans via Kickstarter to help back its release: www.kickstarter.com/projects/261139367/get-involved-with-get-involved.

Wolves At The Gate to release covers EP, Back To School

Ohio post-hardcore rockers WOLVES AT THE GATE are pleased to announce Back To School, a digital EP of covers set to drop September 30th. The EP sees WATG paying homage and “schooling” a new generation on keystone bands such as THRICE, THURSDAY, BLINDSIDE and THE RECEIVING END OF SIRENS with fresh takes on fan-favorite tracks from those artists.

Back To School Track List

1. Deadbolt (originally by Thrice)

2. Understanding In A Car Crash (originally by Thursday)

3. Sleepwalking (originally by Blindside)

4. Planning a Prison Break (originally by The Receiving End of Sirens)

Koji Announces Limited Edition 7" for Acoustic Basement Tour

Koji has announced a limited edition 7” single featuring the song “Distance/Divide” from his forthcoming debut full-length on Run For Cover Records.  The B-side is a cover of the song “All My Life” originally by Evan Dando of the Lemonheads.  The 7” is limited to 300 copies and available only from Koji on the Acoustic Basement tour.  It will not be available digitally.  The limited release features a screen printed jacket available in three different color ways. 

The monthlong Acoustic Basement Tour begins today.  In addition to Koji , the tour features Run For Cover label mate Vinnie Caruana as well as Geoff Rickly, A Loss For Words and Brian Marquis.

February 01, 2013 – Hamden, CT – The Space

February 02, 2013 – New York, NY – Marlin Room @ Webster Hall

February 03, 2013 – Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon

February 05, 2013 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar

February 06, 2013 – Pittsburgh, PA – Smiling Moose

February 07, 2013 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop

February 08, 2013 – Pontiac, MI – Pike Room  @ The Crofoot

February 09, 2013 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen

February 10, 2013 – St. Louis, MO

February 12, 2013 – Nashville, TN – The End

February 13, 2013 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade

February 14, 2013 – Jacksonville, FL – Phoenix Taproom

February 15, 2013 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar 

February 16, 2013 – Gainesville, FL – High Dive

February 17, 2013 – Columbia, SC – New Brooklyn Tavern

February 19, 2013 – Richmond, VA – The Camel

February 20, 2013 – Newark, DE – University of Delaware

February 21, 2013 – Philadelphia, PA – The Barbary

February 22, 2013 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Wonder Bar

February 23, 2013 – Boston, MA – TT The Bears

Geoff Rickly Releases Mixtape #1

Geoff Rickly’s (Thursday) new solo material is now available in the form of a mixtape.

There are no strings attached, no hidden marketing games. This doesn’t reflect my belief that music should be free or any desire to revolutionize an industry. I just want to do this myself, for now. No art-by-committee, no selling music. Just me & my friends at home, making songs(bedroom songs, songs not too polished up). I’ll keep making more of these and giving them to you when I finish. Maybe someday I’ll make a proper record and sell it. Maybe not

Review: Circa Survive - Violent Waves

After just about two years, Circa Survive’s newest self-released and self-produced album “Violent Waves” hit the shelves Tuesday, August 28th. They decided to fly solo for album number four, which isn’t too surprising, and they really flew with it. The album is literally a fantastic fusing of their former three albums, “Juturna”, “On Letting Go”, and “Blue Sky Noise”. The new 11-track album gives you just about an hour of Circa Survive at it’s finest. The first seven minutes, a song titled “Birth Of The Economic Hitman” is nostalgia for hardcore “Juturna” fans (like myself). Playing with progression, softness, atmospheres, and stretching frontman Anthony Green’s vocals to it’s limits, the album has done nothing but amplify Circa’s distinct feel.

Don’t be fooled by the first track, however, because the second, “Sharp Practice”, takes a different turn, craftily adding in some funk-like sounds and an upbeat chorus. A noteable track, and one of my favorites from the album, is “The Lottery.” With a more upbeat intro, the track still successfully creates an almost hypnotic flow of both Anthony Green’s and Geoff Rickly’s voices (from former band Thursday, which ended in late 2011). Overall, the album itself gives the diversity and intensity that Circa Survive fans would expect, mixed with their familiarly tasteful sound.

10/10

- Kim

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.

Interview: Brandan Schieppati of Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through put out a new record in January and proved they still have what it takes to create a great metal album. I emailed vocalist Brandan and discussed his gym, Rise Above Fitness, his long career in the band, and his side project, I Am War.

State your name and role in the band please.

Brandan Schieppati. I sing…. well kinda

Tell us how Rise Above Fitness got started

I’ve always taking fitness very serious. As I started to age I started not being in the dame shape that I was in before ever with working out. Basically I was just going through the motions cause I wasn’t educated on how to break through plateaus. So I starting seeing a trainer and eventually became his intern and I realized that I had a place in the fitness world and that was to educate and train people seeking all fitness goals. So I became a trainer in 2009 and quickly built up my clientele and now I opened my own gym and things couldn’t be better!

How is your style of training different from a conventional gym or aerobics class?

I use the basis of Metabolic Circuit training. It’s basically a high intensity workout incorporating functional movements. Olympic lifts as well as Strength and Conditioning all wrapped into one. In the end, you have an hour long work out that gets everything you need without wasting away at the gym. If you are in the gym longer than an hour and a half, you are just there to make friends.

Have you ever thought about making fitness DVDs in your free time?

 One is indeed in the works. I start production this week.

 Is it hard to find time to work out on the road in between shows?

Hell no. Just takes the will power to execute. In my DVD, I will show people that you don’t even need weights or a big space to spike your metabolism and get a workout in.

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

I feel we transitioned at the right time from a full time touring band to what we are now which is a very active band but have other things in our life that are the focus. Like my gym. Bleeding Through is fun. Started as fun and will end as fun!

You’ve been in this band for 13 years — 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?

I have thought about it when it became a business. We made a good living of the business of music for a while and still do ok but we just had to switch that focus to what was important and that was to play and write this music cause we love it and not worry about the industry or what people say and think. We are a family and BT breaking up would be like a family breaking up and we don’t have a reason to. Plus people still for some reason care about this band a lot. I think it is because we are consistent and not trendy!

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 Bleeding Through is?

We just write that way we feel. I know that is may be bad to say that we don’t care about opinion and we do care to an extent but we really just write to the emotional level that us as individuals are feeling and that translates onto the record.

There’s a instrumental track on Declaration that’s been my favorite for a while; Finis Fatalis Spei. Could you give us the background on the making of this track? I know you sampled a quote from 300 on it.

That is all Marta on that one!

How has it been with the label for you guys? A lot of bands have been saying very positive things about the label, but some bands have also spoken negatively of it. Craig himself is very outspoken. How has it been working with Rise for you guys?

I love Rise. Craig is a good guy and a fan of music; straight forward and honest. They let us be ourselves which is good for a 13 year band that isn’t going to change for anyone. hahaha

Do you have complete creative control since you’ve been around longer than most bands on the label?

See above. Ha yeah they let us do as we wish!

Can you give us an update on I Am War? (side project with Alex from Atreyu)

Music is done. Finishing up vocals and mixing soon. I fucking love the sound so far and I think it is going to take people by surprise.

Last question: what are one book and one band you’d recommend to anyone that listens to Bleeding Through?

Book= Never Die Easy. It’s about Walter Payton, my childhood idol. Band= Entombed! Enough said!

A Vinyl By The Light Divided

Hot Topic will be releasing Thursday's 2006 album A City By The Light Divided on vinyl this May.