Five AM is an alternative pop band from Princeton, IL.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Sam Nelson – Vocals
Aaron Isaacson – Guitar
Joe Gibbs – Bass
Josh Nelson - Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Five AM? How long has the band been around?
Sam played drums and sang in As A Heart Attack, Aaron and Josh played guitar and sang in Mean Right Hook, Joe played bass in My Beautiful Mistake.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Sam wrote some demos as “5am” for a while. The name stuck once the band started writing and performing together. It has taken on its own meaning since then. You can tell a lot about a person’s current situation by knowing what they’re doing at five in the morning.
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’ve all written songs for the band. Most of the time, one of us will flesh out a structure to a song, and then we’ll all work together to put the bells and whistles on the final product. Our songs speak on love, loss, and partying mainly. It’s superficial, but we’re just out here to have fun. The music we’re working on now cuts a bit deeper, so you could say that the topics have changed as we’ve progressed.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Honestly, we get most inspiration from local bands. Supporting other bands and seeing them succeed pushes us to do better.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
No, not really. We’ve all been playing music in some form or another for as long as we can remember. Maybe Underoath.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
We do a football huddle and hype each other up.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
We’ve played a few shows out of state where we didn’t know anyone there, but everyone in the audience knew the words to our songs. That’s probably been the coolest part of playing in this band so far.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Justin Bieber. He’s not a band, but could you imagine? I bet that shit’s crazy.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Free Bobby Shmurda