rockyourlyricsHow do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
The whole band makes an effort to contribute lyrically, but it usually falls on me to arrange those lyrics into melodies and fit them within song structures. Someone will usually present a hook or a line that feels important in itself, and we fit that line within a concept or story. From there the song takes shape.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing in songwriting?
Diversity. If you write the same track 10 times, you aren’t accomplishing much. Songs should be dynamic both within themselves, and as a body of work. A good song flows like water.
Are you ever scared of revealing aspects of your personal life/experience to strangers through your music?
Most definitely. There are still quite a few things I’ve never tackled lyrically, just because of how vulnerable a place they come from. It’s all about personal growth though, and I hope to continue writing with honesty, in a way that can connect my own experiences with others.
What is the best lyric that you ever wrote (the most meaningful for you)?
The chorus of Bouquet is a personal favorite set of lyrics. “Some days are grayscale and others are in Pantone.” It was an incredible release to finally talk about my own struggle with masculinity and sexuality in a more poetic way.
What inspired “Letting Go”, part of your latest EP “Timeless Youth”?
‘Letting Go‘ is our “one that got away” story. It’s the one track on the record that follows that typical “about a girl” format. I just think every record needs one. The summer after my senior year, I spent two weeks on the coast of North Carolina and entered into a very Romeo and Juliet-like relationship. It caught fire quickly and burnt out even quicker. Things ended with the realization that I never really knew any sort of truth about the person I had been with.
And “Rose”?
‘Rose‘ is a song about knowing yourself, especially the good and the less desirable traits. It’s an admittance of all my own personal character flaws, and writing it out was something I saw as an important step towards personal development. Being aware of these flaws and how they negatively impact your relationships and experiences throughout life is so important to growing as a person.
Do you remember the day you wrote “What We Live For”?
Musically, this song had been finished for a number of months before it was written lyrically. I had just returned from a 4-day writing session out in LA, and had about 12 hours turnaround time to get ready for our first month long tour. Despite all the stress, there was an overwhelming feeling of being on top of the world. With that in mind, it felt very natural to write something a little more confident than our usual material, and I basically sat in the back of the van and finished the whole thing in a 10 hour drive to Ohio.
Is there a link/a common theme among the songs of the new EP?
Every track on this record is a story that takes its root in youth. From Bouquet, which highlights a past relationship that ultimately failed due to a juvenile lack of self-awareness, to Dazy, which satirizes the reckless party culture that can be born out of your first taste of freedom. Every song has its place in the narrative that is “Timeless Youth.” There’s a cliche statement that says, “growing older doesn’t mean growing up,” and I think whether that exists in a positive or negative light, that’s what this record is about.
What is the best suggestion your producer gave you?
Write a song for everyone. No one ever said you have to write a whole record pigeonholed in one area of a genre. Take influence from as many places as possible, and then put your music back into ALL of those places you drew from.
What are your plans for 2019?
We plan to tour as much as possible in support of this new record, hopefully make it overseas, and put out a few more songs through the duration of the year.
To conclude the interview a short Q/A session, please answer the first thing that comes to your mind:
- Define in one word your EP “Timeless Youth”: Transitional.
- The best show you ever played: Vans Warped Tour Virginia Beach 2018 (the last year).
- The one thing that you must have in your backstage: A case of water. Hydrate to be great.
- The soundtrack of your childhood: Homesick by A Day To Remember.
- Your favorite song lyrically speaking, but not written by you: ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance. That band always had such an incredible ability to tell a whole story with their music.
- Last question is “unusual”, we want to know your best relationship advice: Never set too high of expectations. For yourself or for your partner. Everyone is flawed, everyone is human. If you need a day to be selfish or focus on just yourself, take it. Same for your significant other. There has to be a level of mutual understanding that no one can give 100% of themself, 100% of the time.
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