-Interview- The Subtle Way 2/15/08

The Subtle Way
(Negative Progression Records)

Genre: Screamo/Emocore akin to Still Remains mixed with Nevea Tears.
Interviewed on: 2/15/08
From: Fremont, CA
www.myspace.com/thesubtleway

www.myspace.com/thesubtleway


1. What are your names and roles in the band?

Jamie Tahirkheli-vocals
Marcelo Sedano-guitar/vocals
Jason Miller-guitar/keys/vocals
Michael Vu-drums
Chad Archila-bass


2. How did the band form?

The band originally started with Jamie and Jason playing covers and writing songs in their freshman year of high school. We were all really close friends throughout highschool and so I was asked to join the band a couple years later. After our old drummer left, I asked my good friend from a previous band, Mike, to join and he was down. After some bassist changes, Chad Archila joined the band to shed us with his godlike bass skills and good looks.


3. You guys are signed to Negative Progression Records, how did you hook up with em?

We hooked up with Negative Progression after sending them an email. We were like "Hey, check us out!" and we were way stoked when we found out Seth Hyman, the president, was interested in signing us. It was a year or so before we decided that NPR was the right label for us and that they would help us accomplish what we had set out to do.


4. How does the writing process occur? Have you been writing for the new record?

The writing process usually starts with either me or Jason coming up with a part or sometimes even a majority of a potential song. We all as a band play on it, give suggestions, tweak parts, etc. till we're happy with how the song sounds. Jamie typically writes the lyrics and the melodies last. We've been working on writing material for our next record and we're all experimenting with new elements. We're definitely excited about this one.


5. Being from California, do you think it's easier or harder starting out in such a musically populated state?

I'd say it's somewhat harder to get your name out in California since there are so many bands, unlike a state like Nebraska or something where there might not be that many playing our style of music. It seems like every kid and their pet raccoon is starting band these days. The good thing though is that the scene in Cali is huge and so there are definitely a lot of kids supporting the bands and coming to shows.


6. When can we expect a new record/full length?

We're currently in the process of writing a new record but I believe we're aiming to have it released sometime before or around the summer season. We'd like to be able to play new songs on our summer tour.


7. Any crazy show stories?

There have been quite a few on tour haha but the one I think of is when we played a local show in Dublin, I think, and during one of our songs I was rocking out really hard and didn't realize Jason was behind me and pretty much managed to hit him really hard in the face with my headstock. He ended up bleeding from his lip for the rest of our set and needed to get stitches that night on his lip. It was a gnarly wound, and I definitely felt like crap.


8. Any chance of a national tour coming soon?

We're most likely going to be doing a national tour this summer. Last summer we did a tour that went through the southern US all the way to Florida and Georgia. It was definitely a fun tour and we're stoked to be coming back this summer.


9. What are you currently listening to?

Oh man, I listen to a lot of different music but lately i've been listening to The Album Leaf, Sigur Ros, Mayday Parade, Born of Osiris, and the new Lupe Fiasco which is way dope. We play everything in the van, I think last week Jamie and I were blasting the Spice Girls album. It was classic.


10. What's next for The Subtle Way?

We're working hard to write the new album and record it. But once we're done with that, definitely a lot of touring this spring and summer!


11. Any shoutouts?

Shout out to Seth Hyman at Negative Progression, all those kids who have let us crash at their places on tour, our families, friends, and most importantly our fans. We love you guys!


-Interview- Mourning After Massacre 2/10/08

Mourning After Massacre
(Unsigned)

Genre: Metal/Hardcore akin to Misery Signals, Through The Eyes Of The Dead.
Interviewed on: 2/10/08
From: Springdale, AR
www.myspace.com/mourningaftermassacre

www.myspace.com/mourningaftermassacre

1. What are your names and roles in the band?

Paul Wappler-Vocals, Jamison Peters-Lead Guitar, Wes Main-Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals, Chad Templeton-Bass, Brandon Yost-Drums


2. How did the band form?

Original Members Wes Main, Hunter Haney, and Shane valentine recruited each other to start a project. Through a few line up changes and after picking up a few recruits, the original Band Edens Fall Became Mourning After Massacre.


3. You guys played with a ton of national acts such as At All Cost, Misery Signals and Haste The Day, does a certain show stick out as being just more crazy than others?

Speaking for me personally (Brandon) The human Abstract was absolutely nuts. those guys kill. Embrace the End and through the eyes of the dead were really cool shows too. Basically, we are very grateful for all of the bigger acts that have acted as catalysts for helping us achieve what we have so far.


4. How does the writing process occur?

The writing process is pretty basic, For the most part it will all start with either an idea for a guitar riff or drum line. From there we will simply brainstorm, copy and paste whatever we can muster up at the time, and eventually after hammering it out it becomes a complete song. Then whomever decides to write lyrics will present ideas and then eventually hammer those out to perfection until the entire project is finished.


5. How has the reaction to the new record been?

The reaction has been great. It was extremely highly anticipated in our area of the country for the fact that we had to push the release date back about three months initially. As far as we can tell, we have even had great reaction internationally. It is so crazy to go on forums and see people speaking a multitude of languages talking about how much they dig what we love to do so much. Russian and Norwegian Metal heads rule.


6. Any cool show stories?

So many. Back when we first started we played a battle of the bands at a small town high school auditorium in alma arkansas. We got jewed out of winning due to some conflict of religious interest and it showed big time when kids were getting kicked out for encoring us and then booing when we werent announced as winners.

We also played a show a few years back in the smallest hole in the wall town called Flippin Arkansas. No lie, flippin Fucking arkansas. We were seeing signs like "Flippin Church of Christ" and "Flippin Police" it was pretty funny, but so many kids came out of the woodwork for the show in a little ass arcade. There were tiny girls that couldnt have been more than 8 years old diving off of pool tables and shit. It was insane.


7. How did the name Mourning After Massacre come about?

Well our former vocalist shane was really stoned one night (a big reason hes a FORMER member) and he was watching a WWII documentary..they were talking about discovering the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in poland, and they spoke of the Mourning after Massacre, and he thought it described our shows in some fucked up way.


8. What's your favorite song to play live and why?

I know Chads personal Favorite Is "Death Come For Blue Eyes" Because its a crowd favorite and we get a lot of participation on that one, and its also just a fun song to play guitar wise. My personal Favorite is "Once Upon A One Sided Affair" Because it has a lot of diversity, everything from technical blast patterns to one of the most brutal breakdowns on the album with a sweet ass gang vocal chant.


9. What are you currently listening to?

Currently, Chad talking back to some bitch on tv asking if he needs "vagisil"

We have been listening to a lot of Rose Funeral, For the Fallen Dreams, Conducting From the Grave, Emmure, and then classics like Arch Enemy and Dark Tranquility


10. What's next for Mourning After Massacre?

Hopefully we will be living in a van on the road for the next couple of years on tour...its what we really live for and the opportunity to be able take it to the masses is fucking siiiiick.


11. Any shoutouts?

Fearless Before Persecution (www.myspace.com/fearlessbeforepersecution)

The Dodge City Showdown
(www.myspace.com/thedodgecityshowdown)

The Goodnight Fight
(www.myspace.com/thegoodnightfight)

Murlesque
(www.myspace.com/murlesque)

Keith baskett (Studio engineer and producer of "For Failure Of The Spoken Word")

Bobby Gerren (Art design and layout)

All the kids all over the world that are helping to get our name out, Come to shows, Buy shirts, Break Bones in the pit, etc. We do this for you and fucking love you all

Special thanks to our florida crew(Krystal Starkey, Sarah Fookes, Dan Brown) For helping to promote the fuck out of us on the east coast


-Interview- Upon Beauty Rests 2/6/08

Upon Beauty Rests
(Jibe Records)

Genre: Screamo/Hardcore akin to A Jealousy Issue or old A Static Lullaby
Interviewed on: 2/6/08
From: Portland, OR
www.myspace.com/uponbeautyrests

www.myspace.com/uponbeautyrests

1. What are your names and roles in the band?

Band-
Jacob Ashley: Founder, lead vocals, lyric writer.
Anthony King: Guitar and back up vocals.
Richie Bradshaw: Guitar
Jonny Braddock: Bass
Daniel Passera: Drums
Matthew Walsh: Keys and back up vocals


2. How did the band form?

Band-
Jacob Ashley left Dear Whoever (a band he founded 2 years before) and started recruiting new members. After many lineup changes the band is whole after 2 years.


3. You guys are signed to Jibe Records, how did you hook up with em?

Band-
Scott Olson the owner and founder is a recording engineer/producer who has worked with bands such as the Deftones, Dredg, Limp Bizkit, Unearth, Alice In Chains, etc. Scott saw us play in Seattle and was very impressed with the bands performance. Mostly how the crowd reacted to the emotion of our band and the command of our front man.


4. How does the writing process occur?

Band-
Jacob comes up with a story line and emotion for a song. Richie writes a basic outline of a song on guitar.. The rest of the band throws in their two cents and rewrites parts to complete the song and make it "us."


5. Your lyrics are very personal, where do you draw your inspiration from?

Band-
Mostly life. All of our songs so far come from Jacob's life. Although we are working on fictional songs based on true emotions. Our next ep will be a full story based on a characters life from birth to death to heaven. Our songs are also very faith based as we are a christian band.


6. You have an acoustic show coming up, how did that come about?

Band-
We love acoustic. It's our softer side and we plan on releasing an acoustic album with acoustic versions of our already recorded songs and new songs written just for acoustic. We try to fill our days off on tour with acoustic coffee shop shows. We don't need breaks.


7. What can we expect on the upcoming record?

Band-
This first ep in our minds isn't as "us" as it could be. It was actually written by many members who have filtered in and out of the band.. Our next ep is more technical, but catchier at the same time.. As well as we have more radio friendly songs. Though expect a few tracks that are even more brutal than anything we've written before.. We're already pretty much done with 3 out of the 7 tracks on the next ep, even though this current ep just came out. We even perform one of the new songs live... It's called the never ending.


8. The artwork for the new record is interesting, what made you decide upon that cover?

Band-
Jacob had an idea of what he wanted, then gave an overly detailed, probably over done speech on it to Squad Studio in Seattle, Washington. Jacob knew he wanted all photo art and to have it be very beautiful, as well as kinda worn out and grungy. So we came up with the idea of putting flowers in a burned down house ad making it look like it grew naturally. It kinda represents rebirth after death. Then we flew Danielle Atkins up from Hollywood to shoot it with a vintage 8mm pull film camera.. Probably overdone. But why do something unless it's right... right?


9. What are you currently listening to?

Band-
Man..... The band rocks everything from death metal to folk in the van. We just listened to the new Thrice duel album and that'll probably stay on the ipod for a while.


10. What's next for Upon Beauty Rests?

Band-
Tour tour tour tour tour, warped tour, Summerfest, tour tour tour, second ep release, tour tour tour tour, acoustic ep, TOUR!!


11. Any shoutouts?

Band-
Scott Olson, Jeff White, and our families back at home!