Emerald Isle are a metal band from Tempe, Arizona.

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

Rhandy DeGarmo on bass, Shawn Russell on keys, Lev Lewis on guitar/vocals, Kaige Killain on drums, and myself on vocals!

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

As a whole, no. The band is a completely fresh line-up. We have all crossed paths playing in the local scene together and it all worked out where we were looking for a group at the same time!

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

There’s a town in NC named Emerald Isle, we thought it had a nice ring to it and some of us have Irish roots so that’s a plus too!

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?

Rhandy and Lev take care of most of the writing, and as a band we get together and figure out what we want to express in our lyrics! So far, we have our lyrics to be about life and specific experiences that we have all gone through. For example, our song “Lost” was about the first real anxiety attack I had and it was terrifying. It made it easier to write about and I really want people to connect to us through our lyrics and experiences because we ALL have experienced the same thing at one point in our lives.

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

The band is inspired by all sorts of styles, more specially tailoring our sound to a modern BMTH and Our Last Night style. It shows in my vocals, it’s a style I have absolutely loved playing and practicing and I can’t wait for the doors to be opened with this new sound and style that we have been pursuing.

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

For me, it was Miss May I hands down. I don’t know why, but their vocalist’s style at the time was incredibly inspiring and it basically drove me to where I am now.

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

Drink lots and lots of water!! Doesn’t matter if you’re singing or not. It gets super hot up there and you want to make sure you are hydrated so you can perform at your highest level. For vocals, I’ll do some stretching and do some standard vocal warm-ups!

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

So far, it definitely would be the songs we just came back from Cali with! Everything we have done so far is kept under wraps until we start playing shows, so keep an eye out.

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

I would love to tour with Northlane, they are a solid band all around, great group of dudes and spread an amazing message through their music. Definitely Linkin Park as well! They paved the way for me listening to heavy music when I was a kid.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We will be looking to release our first EP early next year and have our first show before the year is over! Thank you for the time and opportunity in allowing me to do this interview!