Far-Less Interview
Jeremy Hunt: Where are you guys from?
Mark Karsten: We are from different parts of Virginia.
When/How did the band form?
The band formed after Jordan and Joseph’s old band broke up. Ray quit his band and joined up. Jordan was originally the singer until Brandon’s band broke up. I joined about 4 years ago after I met Jordan one summer and he asked me to move up and play.
Any meaning behind the name?
There is no meaning behind the name. It’s one of our friends’ last names and we thought it sounded cool.
What inspires you guys musically? Artistically?
We gain a lot of inspiration from bands that we love, as friends or as musicians. I think we also gain inspiration from each other in the band. There have been many times where I have been inspired to write the best thing that I could after I heard what everyone else wrote.
What fires you up about playing music?
We get excited when we get to a show and see all the kids having fun. There is nothing like looking out from the stage and seeing kids react to the songs that you wrote. It’s awe-inspiring.
How’s the response been to the new album?
There has been a lot of good response from the record. We are getting what we hoped for when we released this record. People don't know how to label us musically. We don't sound like other bands, and that's a wild idea for music these days. So while we have been getting the response we wanted, we have also been getting negative responses from critics. But that's only because we don't sound like a million different bands out there.
How was the Tooth & Nail tour?
The Tooth and Nail tour was freaking rad. We made awesome friends, met so many new people on the road, and got to play amazing shows each night.
Any crazy stories from the road?
We have crazy stories, but we keep those to ourselves. That's for us to know.
What vision do you guys have for the band?
Our vision for the band is to show people that rock music is fun. It’s about hanging with your friends, causing trouble, and just enjoying music. So many times we show up to shows and kids don't want to move or sweat because it will mess up their hair. Get over it man! We also want to keep making records that are different and fun to listen to.
What would you like to accomplish when it’s all said and done?
I think that we have accomplished what we started out wanting to do. We get to make music we love to play, we get to tour and we get to make new friends. I think that we still want to do many things, but right now we just enjoy what is going on with our lives. We are so thankful for this opportunity.
What’s in store for you in the coming months?
In the next months we are just playing a lot more shows. We are going out with a band called 10 Years in May, and then from there is up in the air. We have a couple of tours we are trying to negotiate, but nothing is finalized yet. I know that we are playing Cornerstone this year on the Tooth and Nail stage. We also are planning to shoot a video in the next couple of months so be on the lookout for that.
And now for something completely different…
Who would win in an aerial dogfight? Snoopy as the World War One Flying Ace or Iceman from Top Gun?
Iceman, no question. Sorry Snoopy, but its Val friggin’ Kilmer. He was Doc Holiday in Tombstone. You don't mess with that.
Favorite movie from the past year?
Man, I don't really know of anything that has come out in the past year. MaybeWedding Crashers. I'm a sucker for dumb comedies and Vince Vaughn.
Favorite album?
I don't really have one. Maybe “Around The Fur” by the Deftones or
“Evil Empire” by Rage Against The Machine.
Best comic book hero?
Spiderman was pretty rad. So was Wolverine I thought.
Worst song ever?
Worst song ever is probably “Ordinary” by Far-Less.
What’s your dream concert line-up (either for you to play in or watch)?
It would probably be Candria, Korn, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Tom
Petty, The Eagles, Toto, Slipknot, Smashing Pumpkins and it'd be called
“The Day The Best Bands In The World Played A Show.” It would be a festival and Far-Less would not be playing because we would be too busy hanging out and drinking with our idols.
That’s it! Thank you so much for your time!
© 2006 HM Magazine. All rights reserved.
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Comments
The life statement "You are either going for more or going for less." comes to mind after reading this. I am not a wet behind the ears youngster as I once was. There have been a few life lessons since then. When I read a summary of "hanging out and drinking with our idols", I can certainly see one going for less.
what the crap is that junk? ^^^^
porn advertisements? distasteful. truly.
