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

Bennett Pisaniello - Guitar
Scott Gunter - Lead guitar and Vocals
Sal Salemme - Drums
Brendan Beebe - Bass and Vocals
Chris Lauletti - Lead Vocals

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

Sal, Scott and Bennett were in a band called Voted Most Random for a few years in college before From States Away. Chris sang in a couple bands (Daydreamer, CityLove) as well, and Brendan was in a band called Never Stop. From States Away has only been around for a little over a year now. 

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

The name comes from the situation that we are in as a band. All of us live so far away from each other (NY/CT/NJ). Some in different states and some just further away in the same state. This has been our only name so far. 

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 all write our songs. The best aspect about being in this band is how collaborative we are and how we combine our individuality into each song we create. We try to touch upon what’s pressing us in our daily lives, not only the topic of girls, but real world problems such as mental illness, body image, and overcoming addictions. We just don’t want anyone to feel alone because we know how saturated the pop punk scene is with generic “boy gets dumped by girl” lyrics. We just want kids to know that we’re all going through these adversities too. Our topics will always change. We always want to keep challenging ourselves to create better art and we always will. We’ll never keep it stale. 

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

The best part about this band is we all have extremely different musical inspirations. This includes artists like Blink-182, The Wonder Years, Bayside, Real Friends, Neck Deep, Pierce the Veil, NOFX, Alkaline Trio, I Am The Avalanche, Kanye West, The Story So Far, Young Thug, and far too many more to list out. 

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

For this band, I think it was more of the fact that all of us had previously been in bands, and at the time all of us weren't currently playing any music, and had each thought that part of our lives was going to be over. One thing leads to another and here we are playing Warped Tour and now releasing our second EP. It's funny how fast things can happen, and we're all unbelievably gracious for the opportunity we've gotten to play music again. 

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

We all huddle around the drum set before every show. It helps us focus our energy together and reminds us that we’re all on this stage together. 

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

 Playing Warped Tour for our 5th show as a band was absolutely a highlight for us, and something we'll never forget. We had the chance to document the day for our first music video!

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

I think the bands we previously listed would all be an absolute dream come true to tour with. They inspire us in every way, from our own music to our personal lives. Getting to tour with any one of those guys would truly be an honor. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Thank you for talking with us! Our new EP “Hypvervigilant” officially comes out July 8th on iTunes, Google Play, and streaming platforms worldwide.