Something You Whisper is showing they have what it takes to become an iconic band in the post-hardcore scene. With a strong Canadian tour history, impressive new singles, and a cultivation of an American fan base SYW seem destined for the next step. In 2014, SYW is becoming more aggressive, and hunting down the opportunities to lead them forward.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Wes Will – Lead Vocals
Kyle Adshade – Guitar / Vocals
Austin Palladini – Guitar / Vocals
Brian Shepherd – Bass
Tom McArthur - Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Something You Whisper? How long has the band been around?
Wes, Kyle and I (Tom) all were in this band from the beginning and haven’t been in other projects. Austin was in a smaller local band from our hometown in Cambridge, which to be honest I don’t remember the name of. Brian came to us last year from a band called End The Echo. SYW has been around for a while, but we started to be a serious project in 2011.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The name came from a conversation, that’s all we’re gonna say about it. (Wes)
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?
I'd say Wes tackles majority of the lyrical content and others will add lines, small sections of other lyrics. As for the music, It usually starts out as an idea from Austin, Brian or myself. It then gets demoed out, worked on, parts change, then Austin tabs the songs out. Finally they are sent to the studio once we are ready to begin the studio sessions for that song. (Kyle)
For this album, it wasn’t a concept album but a theme does run through it. Talking about the different sides of people, each song depicts another side . They’re all experiences from my life, that I think can be relatable to other people. It’s not a straight up real life event, but more of an abstract interpretation of how I dealt with the situation.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
We’re influenced by a lot of modern hardcore music, we took our time with our upcoming EP and started writing it when Memphis May Fire really busted onto the scene, and you can hear that I think. But we also listen to a wide range of rock and top 40. Trying to stay current is important. Obviously every band member has their own roots in certain genres. (Tom)
For me it’s Silverstein, the killers, like moths to flames, and maroon 5, keep it current and a little diverse. (Kyle)
The other big influence for me is The Weeknd, his music is so abstract and ambient and I feel that element could be tied into our genre and flow well with the music we make. (Austin)
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
For me, I saw Metallica when I was in grade 8, and that’s when I knew I wanted to play shows. (Tom)
I attended a lot of local shows in Cambridge, and events like Rock The Mill. It inspired me to reach this goal, because this was something I knew I could do, as I knew people doing it. This really triggered the idea of a band for me. (Wes)
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
We all have our little rituals I guess, I pick three songs for every tour and listen to them right before our set time. We also all stretch out, and the guys who do more running around on stage, do some more extensive warm-up. (Tom)
Before every show I do a half hour workout plan, including suicides, push-ups, skipping, and a full body stretch. This loosens me up, and gets my adrenaline going, this way I don’t need to force my body into things on stage. I also do a vocal warmup that takes me around 20 minutes. This includes bubbles, which is the rolling of the lips and humming before working up louder sounds, and I finish with singing parts of songs. (Wes)
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
For me it was Warped Tour 2012, we got the chance to play the Ernie Ball Stage, and even though we opened the day, it was a dream come true. (Tom)
“Also being on tour for 4 months straight in 2012 because it was such an incredible experience living on the road for that period of time” (Kyle) Because I haven’t been in SYW as long as the others, the highlight for me was going on my first tour ever with the band to Western Canada last year. (Brian) This process of writing and recording From The Other Side has been really incredible, although frustrating. (Wes)
To me, the highlight is the writing process, watching an idea be born, watch it change and come to life, then finally when the song gets to the final version mixed and mastered. (Austin)
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Saosin, Senses Fail and Taking Back Sunday on one package because I love those bands. Who doesn’t want to watch their favorite bands everyday? It doesn’t hurt that it would be a big tour! (Tom)
I would tour with some rockstars from the past, avenged sevenfold, Metallica and Slipknot because they all weighed in so heavily on my love for music (Kyle)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yeah! We’re dropping a brand new EP “From The Other Side” on March 4th! Hope people will check it out and then come hang out at a show!