Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Austin Ritchie - Scream Vocals
Peter Austin - Clean Vocals
Jacob Brendan - Guitarist
Jeremy Ball - Bass
Billy Wahler - Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Minds Like Mirrors? How long has the band been around?
I'm pretty sure we were all in small projects here and there, but nothing even remotely as serious as what we're all doing now. We kind of went all in with this project and have been chugging along with it since about mid-2013.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The band was originally known as "Of Tides & Currents", but after many line-up changes and more importantly shifting ideologies for a new sound, we came to the conclusion that a fresh start was the better way to go.
The name "Minds Like Mirrors" came from the idea that we wanted to perform music that we all enjoyed and felt was a true reflection of self in each individual at any given time. After a bit of positive feedback in the local scene we felt it was the perfect name for our project. Also we felt the name was a great choice due to the fact that no matter what happened to the band in the future, the name could hold its weight despite any line-up changes or new direction choices in music.
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?
All of our material written is collaborative. It normally starts with our guitarist/bassist writing out a basic form to the tracks so we have a decent outline per se to work with. Then we have our drummer come in and re-work the track with ideal drums and adjust accordingly. Then we have both vocalists take a shot at laying down vocals. But the truth is if we all can't agree on a musical idea, we either change it until everyone agrees or we scrap it entirely.
We have A LOT of material that will probably never see the light of day to be completely honest.
Our recent EP that we released was a concept album that deals with the idea of facing an incredible personal hardship and changing one's sense of heart, mind, soul, or way of life in order to grow and transform one's paradigm of understanding. No one goes through life without experiencing its low points, we just want to remind people that there's no reason to go through it alone.
As for our new music, I'd say it has a similar vibe to our previous material, but what we're preparing to release will also be touching on how we've changed and progressed over the past few years.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
I'd say a very interesting combination of Architects, Dance Gavin Dance, and Stray From The Path. But we all listen to such an insane variance in music these are just a few of the bands that I'd say came off the top of the head.
We've been jamming a lot of bands on the 'Tragic Hero Records' label lately. Some great up and coming talent on their roster for sure.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
For me personally, I was at the 2010 Vans Warped Tour seeing my favorite band at the time Bring Me The Horizon. Their set list was centered around their recently released record 'Suicide Season'. I knew just about every word to every song on that record and managed to make it front and center with some close friends during the song "Chelsea Smile". Oli Sykes made eye contact, put the microphone in my face, and I proceeded to scream the hook of the song.
To a lot of people that really doesn't mean much, but after that moment I don't think I've ever been more sure of what I wanted from this life.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
We all have our own weird routines, vocal exercises, triple cable checking connections, etc. But another interesting thing we started doing is a bit of yoga/athletic stretching. You'd really tend not to think playing shows as physical exercise, but we all come off stage at the end of shows soaked in sweat and low on air. As Austin says, "The last thing you want to do is pull a hammy".
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
The last show we played was probably the biggest highlight for us as a band. We were the opening act at Baltimore SoundStage for the bands For Today, Miss May I, We Came As Romans, and Memphis May Fire. The crowd was insane and had such great energy. I think it really revitalized a lot of feelings as to why we started this project in the first place. We're hoping for many more cool moments like this in the future that can continue to help open new doors for us.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
What a tough question. There's such incredible bands out touring right now and that have toured previously. There's an insane tour getting ready to kick-off with Bring Me The Horizon as the headliner with the supporting acts consisting of Underoath and Beartooth. To be chosen as an opener/supporting act on that tour would be one of the craziest experiences of a lifetime.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A special thanks to killthemusic.net for taking the time to interview with us! We seriously appreciate it and highly suggest checking out the rest of their site if you never have before.
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