rockyourlyricsHow do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
Although a lot of songs come from a personal place and from my own experience, I seem to naturally write songs about other people who are close to me and things they are going through in their lives. I’ve always kind of written a melody first because in my opinion in the type of music we play, if the melody doesn’t make you want to listen, the words won’t come across the way you hope they do. From there I’ll form my topic of choosing around the melodies and form my sentences and wording to fit the overall flow of the song. I think I make it more challenging on myself than I should, but it’s what’s always worked for me.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing in songwriting?
Emotion. Which is something that has to be felt through what you’re playing and I think a lot of bands don’t focus on that enough. Music is art and art is emotional. I want people to feel what I felt in that moment. Those are the songs that always meant the most to me, driving around screaming my lungs out at two in the morning.
Are you ever scared of revealing aspects of your personal life/experience to strangers through your music?
Always. When you put how you feel on a page and then sing it, that’s always terrifying. Especially nowadays when the world is so at odds with each other. Words are a very powerful thing. But you have to be honest or you’re not being true and more people than you realize have felt the same thing you feel or are feeling it now and that song could change them forever. And because of that, it’s worth it.
What is the best lyric that you ever wrote (the most meaningful for you)?
Most meaningful lyric to me just because what it meant to me at the time was in Its Always Sunny In Arkadelphia and the lyric was “Dead, Alive. It’s all the same. I need it fixed before it buries me.” I wrote that when I was on our first tour and at the time, I was sinking into into depression and the atmosphere I was creating around myself was a very negative one. I was pulling away from my friends, my loved ones, my interests, and it was kind of me just putting into words that moment where I knew I was the problem but I didn’t know how to fix it and me putting my hands up saying I need help.
What inspired “Heartbreaker”, part of your new album “Better Moments”?
This one was a call out to the people who always wanted us to be what they expected of us and not who we actually were. We’re a group of musicians who love to push any boundary we can of ours because it’s exciting and makes this fun and the lyrics embodied how the song felt to me. It was basically a **** you to people’s expectations. It fit how people felt about our music, described people in our personal lives, etc.
And “Finding Home”?
This song is directly to the loved ones in our life. Tour is fun, it’s amazing, it’s hard work, and it can also be extremely tough to be away from someone you love for months at a time. You can text and FaceTime but different time zones and schedules can add up and it can be hard. And you have so much gratitude towards them for continuing to be supportive while you go off and chase that crazy dream, but you always have to work at it daily and it never gets easier.
Do you remember the day you wrote “No Good For Me”?
It was right after we decided we were gonna give being in a band another shot and we met for the first time and wanted to try something new. Dan wrote with us for the first time that day, as we were feeling out our guitar player situation, and during that session, it all just clicked.
What is the best suggestion your producer gave you?
Tempo of a song is so important! World Famous Doctor Andrew Wade taught us that if you can’t nod your head, or jump to it, it’s an awkward tempo, and I had never really thought about that before he put it into perspective.
What are your plans for 2019?
Finishing up these next few runs of shows and then writing. We’re in full writing mode right now and recording this winter.
To conclude the interview a short Q/A session, please answer the first thing that comes to your mind:
- Define in one word your album “Better Moments”: Honest.
- The best show you ever played: One of my favorites will always be the sold out hometown I Prevail show. It was crazy.
- The one thing that you must have in your backstage: Water/Jameson.
- The soundtrack of your childhood: Matchbox Twenty – Yourself or Someone Like You.
- Your favourite song lyrically speaking, but not written by you: Round Here – Countint Crows.
- Last question is “unusual”, we want to know your best relationship advice: Always work at it and never take them for granted.
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