Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Matt Evans: Clean Vocals/Guitar

Fletch Archerd: Vocals/Guitar

Tom Schreiner: Bass

Derek Greenfield: Drums

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Arms For Elephants? How long has the band been around?

We've played in bands together including "Hallway Affairs" and "Anchor Anchor" as well as a few less notable local bands throughout the years. Arms For Elephants has been together since February 2014.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

The name "Arms for Elephants" popped into my head one day, no idea where the thought came from. In short it means "protection for the defenseless". It's the only name we've ever had for this group, and it just felt right immediately so we went with it.

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 generally start with rhythmic concepts, and then Matt and I (Fletch) write vocal parts/lyrics through the process of recording. Lyrically, one of the main themes of this album is the process of dealing with pain and learning how to accept and move on. There's a lot of anxiety and depression in the lyrics, because facing it head on and being honest and vulnerable is an important step in overcoming pain. Our style has been described as similar to post-hardcore from 10 years ago, so it has a nostalgic feel to it while still incorporating a fresh unique sound. The themes and topics are sure to change as we change and mature, but the reasons why we make music will never change. We want to help people, and this is how we do it.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

We take influence from a ton of bands and styles including Underoath, Silverstein, Saosin, Anberlin and Conditions to name a few.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Mxpx, Blink 182 and pop-punk in general were crucial to our roots as musicians. We all fell in love with music from a young age and that was the sound that started it.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

We're realizing more and more that stretching is a very good idea before going on stage, though it's not yet an engrained habit. As far as vocals go, we tend to drink a lot of tea with honey and talk less on show days.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

It's kind of hard to pinpoint just one thing because a lot of exciting things are happening very quickly lately. I have to say that releasing our first full length/first physical CD is probably the most exciting thing yet. For the first time, all of our hard work is tangible and we can share it simply by handing someone a CD.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Underoath is a band that we could all agree would be a top contender for this answer. They've helped us in the ways we hope to help people with our music, so for that they have our admiration.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for having us! Our debut full length album "My Judas Scene"  is available for pre-order on Itunes, or on Bandcamp/Spotify/Google Play when it officially releases September 1st 2