The Second After is a Pop-Punk/Rock Band from Durham, North Carolina. They released their first EP "Hit & Run" in fall of 2015.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
We are Michael Greason on vocals, Jeremiah Greason on lead guitar, Ryan McDonald on drums, Luke Dingfelder on rhythm guitar and Nolan Shambley on bass guitar.
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to The Second After? How long has the band been around?
This band got started around the fall of 2014, although most of us have been playing music together for most of our lives, probably about 15 years at this point. We come from various backgrounds as well. Luke and Jeremiah have been in heavy technical metal bands together, and Ryan, Michael, and Nolan all played together in a post-hardcore band called Drown The King before forming The Second After together.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The name “The Second After” is about life decisions. For instance, the second after we made the decision to pursue this project with every bit of effort we could muster, our lives changed and will never be the same. It's about really thinking through your decisions in life and being conscious of the effect they will have on you and others. It's also meant to be open to interpretation for our listeners.
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?
The Greason brothers head up the initial composition, typically one or both of them will bring several riffs or a whole song to the table, and Ryan also plays an essential creative role in determining the ultimate structure of our songs and how they flow from beginning to end. Lyrically speaking, most of the music is about Michael’s anxiety, and his efforts to overcome it through creative expression, or otherwise just releasing it/effectively explaining his perspective through the music. The themes will likely change over time, as they will always be coming from an effort to express ourselves creatively wherever we’re at, and we will of course grow and change as people as time goes by.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
As far as our genre, were all influenced by bands like Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, Fall Out Boy, etc., creatively however we draw strong influence from different kinds of music. Justin Timberlake is a big hero of Michael’s vocally for instance, and Jeremiah’s playing style is influenced heavily by guys like John Petrucci and Guthrie Govan, as well as bands like Periphery and Chon. Ryan is influenced largely by Aaron Gillespie of Underoath, and bands like Miss May I and The Mars Volta.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Well again, we've all been playing music all our lives, we grew up in it. Growing up during the whole “teen angst” period of the early 00’s when bands like Linkin Park, Thursday and Taking Back Sunday were first blowing up, while at the same time navigating the turbulence of our teenage years and figuring out who we are in society and in the world probably had a big impact in ultimately pushing us to play this kind of music. It just resonates with us deeply somehow because of that.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
We all do a good bit of stretching before shows. Michael avoids eating during the few hours before a set to avoid the post-meal slump, while Ryan tries to eat something heavy in protein before playing. Jeremiah runs through a warm up routine he came up with before every set as well.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
The experience of playing this stretch of shows we've been playing since we got our line-up solidified early this year and since playing our first show in March of 2016 has been awesome. The response we've gotten so far has been absolutely incredible, and to have the group we have now with all the effort being put in to this project is amazing. We’re so excited about what the future has in store for us, and we’re just going to keep pushing forward.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Motley Crue. They know how to party.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just that we’re grateful to be able to be in the unsigned spotlight, and thanks so much to everyone out there for checking us out! We'd love to meet you at a show soon!