Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Alex Ganes – Vocals and Guitar
Alex Jenks – Synth
Shaune Killough – Bass
Bryan Contreras – Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Shiffley? How long has the band been around?
Shiffley only came about after a long line of failed attempts. We’ve been in punk bands, metal bands, jazz bands, A Cappella groups (true story), but it wasn’t until college that the sound really clicked and Shiffley started to build momentum.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
In his free time, Alex G. likes to write and draw comics. Shiffley is the name of a sleazy car salesman in some of his comics. As musicians trying to sell our music, we can relate to Shiffley’s grind. As far as changing the name of the band… there is no turning back now. We’re in too deep.
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?
Alex G. is our songwriter. He will generally come to the band with the song and then we as a group will arrange it together. Some recurring themes in our songs are apathy, revenge, and depression. That being said, the songs are by no means sad. These themes will surely change over time as our relationships with songwriting and with other people evolve.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
We have eclectic tastes in music and draw influence from artists in many different ways. Current influences of ours include: Phoenix, Foster the People, Tyler the Creator, M83, and Paul Simon.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Though there wasn’t a specific artist or band that inspired us to start, many groups that we’ve seen and played with have motivated us and have renewed our love for what we do. We’ve been fortunate enough to share the stage with larger acts such as Twenty One Pilots, the Plain White T’s, Night Riots and most recently VanLadyLove and in the process have learned a lot.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
There is an array of dumb things we do… Before every show, we write a set list for each member of our team and distribute them randomly (Manager and TM included). One of the set lists however has a little drawing of a demon in the bottom right corner. Whoever gets this list must do something stupid after the show as agreed upon by all members of the band prior. Some of the more ridiculous ones include: speaking only in rhyme for the rest of the night, losing the ability to sit, and wearing a bucket over your head until the next tour stop. I guess that isn’t exactly show prep… but that’s what we do!
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
We’ve experienced a lot of cool things as a band but one of the most impactful moments for us was when a friend called us to tell us that he heard our music on TV. Of any moment, that was the time we realized… “shit, maybe we can do this.”
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
We would love to tour with The Killers or Muse. Frontmen Brandon Flowers and Matt Bellamy have both been extremely influential to our development as a live band and it’d be awesome to develop that relationship.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
*Shameless mode: ENGAGE*
We just released a new single called “Sleepless Night” that you should go listen to right now. We’ll have more coming soon so make sure you tell your friends, keep listening, and as always #ShareTheShiff.