Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Aaron O’Connor – Vocals
Scott Montgomery – Guitar
Brandon Millman – Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to 3PM? How long has the band been around?
Brandon: Actually, none of us had been part of a band before 3PM. We started out as rookies five years ago and have been learning how the industry works one day at a time.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Aaron: 3PM is a secret acronym and we don’t tell anyone, but you’re welcome to guess!
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?
Scott: We write all of our music together because that way everyone can pitch in, and having three different opinions/musical strengths can make for a stronger song. Most of our songs stem from life experiences or themes that we relate to on a personal level.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Aaron: Honestly, we’ve been listening to a lot of different bands and styles of music for inspiration and trying not to sound like anyone in particular. The last thing we want is for someone to say “You sound like X band.” Instead, we want the listener to hear our music and think “oh this is definitely 3PM!”
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Scott: We all have our inspirations for sure. Brandon and I have always been huge fans of the pop punk scene, especially blink-182. We covered lots of their songs in our day.
Aaron: I grew up listening to lots of hard rock music, my favorite band of all time being Breaking Benjamin.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Aaron: Yeah we slap each other in the face a lot to get pumped up. If you look closely in our live photos, our cheeks are often red.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Brandon: Being the catering band on Warped Tour 2015 was an incredible experience. It was our first time traveling the entire country for months at a time. The trip was not always easy, but it was certainly rewarding as we sold 8,500 albums over the course of the tour and made countless new friends and memories along the way.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Scott: We’d love to tour with bands that share the same love for music we have, and are stylistically similar. Touring with All Time Low or 5 Seconds of Summer would be amazing, and I think we’d be a great fit.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Aaron: Every once in a while, we’ll yell out the meaning of 3PM, but only when nobody is around to hear.