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

Jon Januhowski - Guitars/Harsh Vocals/Keys
Rocky Nelson - Vocals
Erick Jaimes - Guitar/Keys
Michael Churchill - Drums
Levi Aaron - Bass Guitar

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

I think we’d rather let those projects stay dead. Crimson has been priority for a little over 5 years now, starting when we were all between 15-17 to now.

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

I (Jon) think our original bassist came up with it but didn’t expect it to actually get picked. We’ve thought about changing it a few times but have never thought it’s worth it. The name does have the advantage of not giving away our sound the moment you read it. Plus, every now and then someone says they really like 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?

As far as writing goes, it typically starts with some idea from Jon or Erick. That’s not to say that the rest of the band doesn’t contribute, but it typically originates from them in some fashion. This record was the first one we wrote dealing with Erick going to Berklee in Boston, so a lot of the songs were rough guitar parts in dropbox that we sat on for months before really getting together and working on. The majority of this record is about moving beyond that feeling of uncertainty in who you are as a person. To grow up, recreate yourself and leave the old version of you in the past. Telescope is more about not letting others opinions weigh you down emotionally or slow your progression, even when everything seems dark and uncertain. 

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

Bands like Circa Survive, DGD, and Thursday definitely has a collective influence on who we are as musicians, but we each have tastes that expand outward from each other. Levi adores Say Anything and other pop punk bands that don’t kick people off stages, Jon works sound at a local venue so he’s exposed to more music than most people ever are and it really forces one to broaden their taste, Erick really loves Copeland and Thrice, but is also a jazz guitarist studying at Berklee, Michael loves just about anything with a mathy, challenging feel, and Rocky just likes all of it with a lot more pop/singer-songwriter thrown in.

With this record, we aimed to back off of the wild sounds of the preceding EP, and really explore the kinds of grooves and sounds that would really make your head nod and bounce around. After the Modern Thieves EP we realized we hated playing music that was exhausting every step of the way and couldn’t keep up with what we created. We started seeing more and more great live bands (thanks HRVRD RIP) and it seemed to come from them really enjoying what they’re playing and being comfortable with it. We made songs we liked playing more and it seems like we’ve gotten better live from it.

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

I think that we’ve always been drawn to bands that make music that sounds like no other band could’ve made.  Rather than being fixed on one particular genre, our favorite bands have always had their own unique voice, and we have aspired to do the same with our own voice. 

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

Usually just trying to relax. None of us typically have any sort of stage fright but we tend to get be a little high strung the day of shows unless it’s a little ways into a tour. Jon stretches sometimes then complains that it doesn’t help. Erick’s a fan of applying fast fret to his guitars before sets, Michael does stick exercises on a practice pad, and Rocky tends to find a secluded spot to do some vocal warm ups. There’s also an unplanned tradition of Jon reminding Rocky what the first line to the first song of the set is.

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

We’ve been blessed with being able to open for most of the bands we like who’ve toured small clubs, such as Dance Gavin Dance, HRVRD, From Indian Lakes, and it seems like every few months we’re sharing the stage with A Lot Like Birds, Kurt Travis, Hail the Sun, Stolas, and that whole scene of bands. I think having Kurt Travis feature on a song of ours was something we never imagined when we first started out. 

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

I think we can all agree that touring with Circa Survive in the 2006-07 era would be absolutely incredible. Early Death Cab for Cutie so we could watch them play pre-Transatlanticism albums to under 200 people every night, and some more obvious ones like Copeland, Minus the Bear, mewithoutYou etc. We’d like to think those bands’ crowds would find different things to like about our music, and it’s probably healthy to tour with bands that would squash your performance every night unless you were giving it your all.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Shout out to all the Houston friends: Rome Hero Foxes, Vox Vocis, And Then Suddenly, Mannquin Mishap, Mosaic Dream, Rogues Among Us, and anyone else we’re forgetting. Additional endless thanks to Garron Dupree for the initial tracking sessions of the record, Kurt Travis and  Andrew Wells for the guidance/encouragement/vocal features, and each of our first born children to Michael Sahm for putting up with mixing a record for us