rockyourlyricsHow do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
The lyric, melody and music often comes as a whole for me.
And I work from titles a lot because I think Lyric is everything in a good song. So a title Is often the inspiration to the rest of the lyrics. so once I’ve found my subject, I can pick up a guitar and let the rest flow.
Usually placing chords around my vocal melodies.
So lyric and melody is usually most important.
Once the basic verse and chorus ideas are in place then I might sit with the note pad for a bit and fill in the blanks. fine tune and re write parts.
But sometimes I might re visit a week later. Lyrics can come together fast or slow.
Depends how delicate a point I want to make I guess.
What is the best verse you ever wrote?
Not sure I could decide that… I’m quite proud of the songs we’ve recorded for our next album.
They were all written very quickly without hesitation. And with that in mind, I think they’re especially strong.
And the one of your favorite song ?
I’m terrible at picking all time favourites. A lot of early oasis makes me very nostalgic… live forever… don’t look back in anger… some might say. Noel Gallagher is an all time favourite songwriter of mine for sure.
Can you tell us more about the song “ troublemaker”….
I guess it’s about looking back on your life and thinking about how we all make decisions at such a young age.
Those choices can greatly affect our futures, it’s crazy how some people make better choices than others, even when we’re young and clueless, do we have some kind of intuition?
What inspired “away from the man”?
I guess that’s about the anarchist in me.
The desire to get away from mainstream culture that we become slaves to. Wanting to quit your job, cancel your phone contract, get off the grid and live a simple life.
Idealistic right!??
Are you happy about the success your album “unlearn everything has obtained”?
Yeh really happy.
The great thing about having low expectations…. you’re gonna be stoked! When we recorded the album we were literally just having fun. We weren’t supposed to even be a band.
The next thing we know matt skiba loves it and wants to release it. Thank you matt!!
So suddenly we’re a band and rehearsing, then were opening for descendents, rise against, TSOL, dreamcar and now interrupters.
It’s been crazy!
Do you remember the day you wrote “Sub Society ”?
I do actually. I was doing laundry and had been listening to some uk 77 punk. And started singing the chorus lyric.
It just came to me. We recorded it a week later and then I finished the verse lyrics hastily about 10 minutes before tracking vocals, haha.
Quick and easy!
What music means to you?
F##k man. Music is everything to me.
It’s guided my life. I’m pretty sure if I never had my passion for music I would be lost and in a really bad place. I still have a crazy thirst for the next great song.. either that I try to write myself or that I discover from a new artist
What makes you happy in life?
These days, I really appreciate the little things.
Which are ultimately big things in my opinion now. I had some health issues recently which kinda knocked me on my ass a bit.
I was stoked to get back to my normal self.
I honestly walk down my road in the morning breathing in the air, thinking how lucky I am to have my health TODAY and have the great life that I have.
Because nothing is permanent and there will certainly be a day when that’s different.
I grew up in England, so the sunshine and palm trees of Long Beach California never get old for me. Being by the ocean also.
I feel lucky every day! I’m truly grateful… and I say it to myself daily.
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