HM Exclusive: The Devil Wears Prada Interview

I was going to start the cover story of The Devil Wears Prada off with this intro:

The one thing that the members of The Devil Wears Prada and the rest of us have in common is failure. Messing up, being an idiot, falling flat on our face. Acknowledging this keeps these six guys grounded as a band.

It seemed like a cool angle when I thought about some of the things we talked about in the interview, especially at the end when he talked about forming a band when they were so young that they didn't have time to trip out on all the expectations and image of being a Christian band. But that didn’t pan out. I found another quote and, well, the article’s in print. Here for your viewing pleasure is some bonus footage, as it were … kinda like the “DELETED SCENES” from a movie. These are scraps or part of what we used.

Some athletes talk about “the speed of the game in the pro’s” and how at some point “the game slowing down for them.” The type of music you play has lots of high speed instrumentation and lots of moving around – especially in a live setting. I’m curious how “the game has slowed down for you” in terms of what you do in this band. Can you expound on that?
…when you do it so much, when you run those plays so much, it becomes muscle memory, and that’s kind of how it is for us. It’s not monotonous at all. It’s awesome and it’s a blast, but I don’t think about what I’m playing as much as I used to, I guess.

How does it feel to see a big article on The Devil Wears Prada in Alternative Press Magazine, where they’re telling their readers that your next album is going to be one of the big ones and good ones to look for in 2009?
It’s definitely crazy to hear that. I never would have imagined that, but it’s even crazier to flip through the rest of the albums that they put us on the same level as, I guess, or the bands that we’re comparable to – that’s kind of a shock to me. I never in my wildest dreams would have expected to be even close to on par with any of those bands in a magazine and stuff. I don’t know, it’s cool.

Tell us about any drama (if there was any) in leaving Rise Records and signing with Ferret…
There wasn’t really any drama (leaving Rise and singing to Ferret) at all. We had a two-record deal with Rise and when it got to the end… When we got on Rise, it wasn’t really that big of a label. It was just they had some bands and they sold A Fear Before record to Equal Vision and stuff, but it really wasn’t a high-level label by any means and we weren’t expecting to do anything with our band at all, but I guess we just started selling records and doing all this stuff and the label really, really grew with that and a lot of the bands that signed on after us. And so it was doing really well, but we just kinda felt like we were at a point where we would rather go somewhere else where we’re not the biggest band on the label, just because they have more resources to be able to do, I don’t know, different kinds of artwork or packaging or just marketing and stuff like that. We had a few talks with some major labels and stuff like that, but that really doesn’t fit the mold of what we’ve done as a band. We kind of do everything ourselves in our own way. Especially being a Christian band on secular labels, it’s really important that we don’t have somebody telling us what to say or what not to say about faith-based stuff and everything like that.

We kind of felt more comfortable with Ferret where, it’s a bigger label and they have a lot more resources – they can do a lot more for us – but still an independent label, where we s till have full control over our image…what songs we use and everything like that.

It was a smooth transition between the two.

We met Carl from Ferrett a few times and we really hit it off with him. He’s an awesome guy. He seemed really stoked about the band, and that’s really important for us and the people that work for us. I don ‘t want to be on some major label with a bunch of old dudes that don’t care about my band. If I don’t sell a million records…

(Importance of artwork and the visual)
I think – especially before this whole internet wave of things – visual was really, really important, just because going back to vinyls and stuff like that – even CD artwork. T hat’s kind of a major break for a lot of people on whether they pick up an album or not, is if they pick up the cover art and it looks cheesy, they’re not gonna buy it. WE’ve always tried to do really cool artwork and we’re always…we’re really involved in the process. We were super involved on our first one, just with the guy that did it for us, but Chris, our guitar player, actually did the artwork for our latest CD that came out and so we kind of had total control over everything we wanted with it. I think we’re going to go with somebody else this time, but it’s still, like … just because we are a Christian band and we’re really concerned about how we’re represented, I think image is a big thing. Whether it’s in the artwork or on stage or stuff like that.

(examples of being mis-represented)
We did a tour called Sounds of the Underground and it was a really super metal tour and we played some other shows like that – festivals and stuff – where maybe we didn’t really fit in. If you listen to the style of band that we are and the music that we make, it’s really not that different from all the other bands that were on that show, but the fact that we are a younger band in our early 20’s and small guys, and whatever, the look that we have going, I guess, and the fact of who are fans are, kinda deters a lot of people from it and the fact that we are a Christian band a lot of people in that whole scene won’t even give it a chance, but I think…

A) We’ve never tried to step on anybody’s toes. We’re a really respectful dudes and we are a Christian band and we’re not ashamed to say that, but at the same time, we respect anybody, no matter what they believe or what they say, so, it kind of stinks when people won’t give you back that same respect; but it says in the Bible that you’re gonna face that, anyway, so we should expect it. But it also is kind of weird, the fact that, we started out trying to be just a heavy metal band, hardcore influences and other influences and stuff, but somehow along the way latched on with the whole Hot Topic crowd of kids and everything, so we’ve gotten a lot of crap from metal kids or hardcore kids and stuff like that, because of our fanbase, but it really doesn’t matter to me. If those kids are into it, that’s cool.

What led to the decision to work with producer Joey Sturgis again (for the third time)?
We had a bunch of dudes that we were talking to (about producing) and talking about and stuff, and we could have fit ‘em all within our budget, I think, but for us, everything we’ve done in the band has been kind of weird. We just kind of more on a DIY level, we get all our own crew ourselves and we try to handle all that stuff ourselves and we did our last two records we did ‘em basically in the garage and you wouldn’t really expect it from hearing ‘em or seeing ‘em or anything like that, but that was the environment we did ‘em in and it was actually a real comfortable environment, because we became really good friends with Joey and we could do basically what we wanted with the record. I was kind of scared that, if we went with somebody else – maybe a Hollywood style or somebody in one of these bigger studios, it might be too sterile of an environment for us to do wh at we really wanted to do. We’re not the kind of band that goes into the studio with a really unpolished record of 12 songs and says, ‘Here, produce these and make these really, really good songs for us.’ When we go into a studio, what comes out in the end is really similar to what we go in with, just because we have such a long writing process and we really kick each other’s butts about what songs are being played and transitions and stuff like that. I kind of just felt like it was a combination of: it would be too sterile if we went with somebody else; we wouldn’t be comfortable enough to get a good, solid record out; and I really trust Joey and he’s always had the best sound for us and I know that he understands exactly where we’re coming from as a band, just because he’s been involved with us since our first demo recording. It just kind of made sense, I guess.

How are the new songs sounding? (describe the different parts)
I’m actually, really, really stoked on ‘em (new songs). I was kind of worried, just because we’ve been doing some stuff in the back lounge of our buses on our mini-headline tour and our Warped Tour and stuff and I was like, ‘I don’t know how this is going to go, compared to the old stuff,’ but as soon as we got home and really started working on them … I don’t know. I think it’s similar enough that anybody that likes the old stuff will definitely still like it – the same ideas and the same themes and stuff – and it’s still a real heavy sound, but some parts of it are even heavier than the old stuff and some parts of it are more melodic now, but I think overall it just seems like … When we wrote the last record, we had two guys still in h i8gh school and we ha dn’t been on most of the tours that we have now. We hadn’t been playing together for nearly as long as we have now. Now it’s kind of like, when Chris and I start writing guitar parts and going through stuff, it just molds really real well together. We kind of have a bigger understanding of what we’re going for sound-wise and stuff. Everybody I’ve showed it to so far, just the demos and stuff, have said, easily it’s our favorite of all our stuff so far. I think everybody that’s already been a fan will hopefully still like it and maybe it will be their new favorite record from us, but I think it will open the door to some people that might not have given it a chance before – either on the heavy side or the lighter side.

Explain how your band’s sound has evolved from Plagues to this one.
We’ve done a few songs in drop-B tuning, which is something we’ve never done before. We’ve always just played in drop-D tuning. So, I think it gives some of the songs… We only did it on a couple songs, but I think it gives those songs a way different characteristic from stuff we’ve done before, where it’s a lot heavier in certain aspects, but then on the melodic parts, because it’s a lower tuning and stuff, sounds a lot erie-er, I guess, which is cool. I think, overall, it’s easy for me to talk about guitars, being a guitar player, but I think between Chris and I , our other guitar player, I think our parts are meshing a lot better than they have before, like he’s doing a lot of really coool leads over a chord progressions and stuff. Overall I think the sound is a lot fuller than it was. If I go back and listen to Plagues and I compare it to the new songs that we’re writing, it just seems like there is almost a l yare or two missing from Plagues that’s now there filled in on the new record. I think people will be stoked about that. I think also we’re t rying to get more creative with oru breakdowns and stuff like that. Vocally, I know Mike is doing some different styles of screaming and stuff that he’s done before. I’m going to try and separate my singing parts from stuff on the last album. I kind of feel like… It’s not that I’m not happy with the way they turned out, but I think I just don’t want to do ten more songs with the same choruses and singing parts that we did last time, so I’m going to try to do things a little differently, and see how that goes.

You mentioned bringing more melody to the music this time around. How so?
I think before, where we might just do a harmony chord with each other or something like that, now Chris is bringing in a lot more lead parts – not necessarily solos or stuff – that are really pretty and that kind of contrast with what’s going on with the rest of the music and I think that it kind of makes the songs a little catchier. On the keyboards there’s a lot more layers of kayeboards on this cd than there was on the last CD, which I think is cool Before I joined this band, I remember hearing this song by a band and it just had a heavy guitar part and it had a weird string part behind it. I think it was Rammstein and I was like, ‘Man! That is SO cool! I would love to be in a band like this, and then I found this band and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! This is exactly like I was wanting to do. I think that is something we always wanted to utilize more and now, for some reason, we are deciding to. (laughs)
I think, between the keybaoards and some of the guitar parts – the prettier parts are a lot prettier than they have been on the last two CDs. I think we’ve evolved as as musicians and guitar players and everything.

How do you define a good song for TDWP?
If it makes yo move, it’s probably a good thing. We’ve tried to have songs that… A lot of the stuff that I listen to is really chill, melodic stuff or really heavy stuff. I feel like 90% of the time when people listen to us, they want fast, action, and moving – the constant change and stuff like that. A different dynamic than everything else. There’s a lot of bands that are some of my favorite bands that just do a part and then a verse and then a chorus and a verse and a chorus and then the breakdown and a chorus. And that’s something we’ve never really done. We have a couple of choruses on our last record and this one, but it’s not really the style of thing that we have to do. Whether it’s a lack of not being able to do that or not, I think that’s something people have really lateched on to when they listen to us. If it keeps you really interested and makes you want to move and if you can remember all the singing parts, then I think that’s a good Devil Wears Prada song.

What are some of the best and worst ideas for songs that you guys have thrown out?
We’re the goofiest bunch of guys ever, but there’s this weird , like, pressure when it comes to that kind of stuff that you just know not to do for some reason. It’s kind of frowned upon. Some of the parts that I would say I don’t really like, ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ some of them are even still in the songs, ya know? And the kids are like, ‘Oh man, that’s my favorite part of the CD!’ I’m like, ‘Ahh, I hated that part! I didn’t even want that in there, but I guess that’s why you have six people in the band.

I think some of the best ideas are just when we just sit there and we go, ‘Okay. You know what? Let’s just jam it out and let’s just write either a metal riff or a breakdown or something really fast and really good,’ and then we just start playing it and then just keep going and going and it kind of molds half of a song from there, and you’re just kinda like, ‘Man! Where did that all come from?’ It’s hard to say. We have a weird writing process,” (laughs)

How do six guys get along in a touring band? What are some of the struggles this many members brings to a band? And what are some of the fun highlights?
We don’t really get along,” he pauses to laugh, “most of the time! Anymore it’s easier now, because we’re really blessed with a bus and space and a bunk you can go hide in if you’re mad at somebody; but it’s like any other band. We fight all the time and bicker about little things. This guy’s mad at that guy and then they’re cool, but he’s mad at this guy, but I think overall we know that we have a common purpose to serve God with what we’re doing and I think…I ‘m not sure how it would work in a secular band. I’ve never really been in a real, touring secular band. I’ve only been in this one, but I th ink that. We don’t really have any issues with ego and stuff like that, because we all kind of keep each other in check. ‘WE’re not doing anything cool here, we’re not doing anything good here, this is all God working through us. That kind of keeps that stuff down, but obviously with six different people, there’s six different personalities and 500 things that you hate about each person when you see them on a daily basis, but right now with the last couple of tours we’ve done and being at home and writing and everything, I feel like this is the best we’ve all gotten along in a really, really long time – if not ever. It just really feels like family between the six of us and all of our crew. And that’s how I like it. It’s a lot more fun when it’s not just a job. It’s your life and it’s really fun and you know that there’s 5 ot her dudes that love you and care about you and want the best for you, so…

Funny stories about where the differences between you came to an eruption or anything?
Oh man, we’ve had quite a few fist altercations and all that fun stuff, but nothing really, really serious – at least not in a long time. It’s kind of like a daily thing for us. There’s always somebody yelling at somebody else or whatever. I used to have a really bad temper and I used to k ind of go off a lot, but I’ve learned to keep that in check now, but I don’t know.

Any blood shed by anybody on stage or right before you go on?
We used to all the time. We used to go r eally, really crazy and we’d play these tiny VFW Halls and clubs and stuff and throw our guitars around and everything. Back in the day, Andy, our bass player, got his head split open with a cymbal. Just recently, last spring, we started playing our show. I forget where we were at. Texas or something… WE started playing at this club and it was a really good show and I think it was the second song, maybe, we look over and our keyboard player was gone. His name’s James. We’re like, ‘Uh, what?’ We kind of had a fight over the last couple of days – a couple of the guys with him and so my initial thought was, ‘Great! Did he get so mad that he walked off the stage?’ and ‘What are we gonna do? This has never happened to us before.’ We don’t know what happened, so we just keep playing without him, and then we stop and he walks back out from outside onto the side of the stage he’s sitting there holding his eye. And it’s, like, bleeding, for some reason, the angle I looked over at, I could have swore his eye was, like, hanging out of the socket and so I’m just thinking, ‘Oh my gosh! His eye’s out of the socket! I don’t know what we’re gonna do.’ But I guess it was just really badly hurt. I guess in the song before he had over to the drums and was headbanging and had smashed his eye into the kick drum mic, so then he had to go to the hospital and get it all patched up. He couldn’t see right, because of the way he had hit, so for the next four or five shows he had to just stand on the side of the stage with his keyboard, because he couldn’t even really see to play it very well, so we all would just kind of go, ‘Ha ha! You have to stand over here!’ Th at was a bloody experience. He always gets hurt, though. He’s probably been hurt more than anybody else. There was a period of time where every other week he would hurt his head or his hand or something. He flails around a lot, I guess.

What are some important elements to playing guitar in your band that the casual fan might not know or ever notice?
When I joined this band, I had been singing in other little local bands for the past two or three years and I hadn’t really played my guitar that much and I didn’t know anything about metal guitar or anything like that and I don’t think I even knew how to do a pinch (or pitch?) harmonic squeal or anything, but when I joined, Chris , our other guitar player, kind of talked me through it and kind of taught me all these different techniques and everything, but I think there’s just an underlying understanding when we’re writing and stuff, ‘If one person’s doing this, the other guy does, you know, a certain… It’s kind of like over the writing process, we’ve kind of developed a style of playing harmony octaves on certain parts and I know if he does this then I need to do this harmony of it and stuff like that. Maybe not the first time, but the second time through. Just that kind of stuff. Chris has a lot better technique than I do – especially at shows. I’m really, really sloppy, but he’s pretty on most of the time. We just got this new in-ear system that we’re going to start using on our next tour, so eve rybody gets their own custom mix in the head, so I’m pretty sure I’m gonna get kicked out,” he laughs really loud, “when th ey start hearing some of the stuff I’m playing at the shows.

I guess we have some hard techniques and stuff, but I just don’t think about it anymore, because we play the songs way too much. Probably just that – the style of harmonies and octaves that we do together – is always the same throughout song to song.

What are some of thoughts going thru your mind and conversation when walking off stage?
Well, it kind of depends on how it went. If it was a bad show, our singer, Mike will kind of…he’s not really the kind of guy you want to be around for the next hour or so. He kind of takes it a little deep when we don’t have a good show.

“Oh, hey! What’s up, Mike?”

(growls) Ugh! Don’t talk to me!”

I think we used to take it a lot harder, because it was a lot harder to prove something every night to people that maybe never heard us and stuff. Now, it’s definitely a lot easier, because almost every night now almost all the kids know us already and they’re really stoked about it and they go crazy and we’re really lucky and blessed because of that. It keeps us in better moods when we get off stage. Usually, it’s, “Who’s in line for the shower first?” if we have one. “Should we go get something to eat now?” After you do it so much and you’re on the road eight months out of the year, after every show you’re not … you’re still thinking about, but you still want to go eat or something, ya know?

What are some of the highs and lows of your confidence as a band?
You mean, experience-wise?

Well, when a band first starts out, usually they don’t have much confidence, and it grows from certain events and stuff…
Well, I say now we’re pretty confident after a certain time at whatever level we’re at; but definitely right now it’s kind of a scary time for us, because we have a new record coming out and we have our first major market headline tour, and so we don’t really know who that’s going to go, so obviously we’re nervous about whether the shows are gonna do well and the records going to do well. But really it’s kind of a split between, uh, we’re confident, just because we know that we have a good fan base and we’ve sold a lot of records and blah, blah, blah; but at the same time, we’re constantly being shown on a daily basis that, anytime we get too confident, God kind of like yanks things away from us and gives us a show like we’re kids or something. It’s like, ‘Oh, okay, we need to get back to w hat’s really important,’ and stuff like that.

Lyrical ideas on the new album that you’d like to talk about?
It’s tough for me to say, because I don’t write any of the lyrics. Mike writes all of them. More than anything, he’s in a totally different place than h e was when he wrote our last record he was in school and working a little j ob and stuff and just hadn’t had the life experiences and the tour experiences and everything and made us into the men th at we are today. So, I think he’s definitely coming from a different place. I think even mood-wise, he’s a totally different person than he was then.; He was really shy and quiet. He still kind of is, but he’s a little more extroverted and confident , maybe than he used to be. So obviously that’s going to change. He’s also been in a relationship for a long time and he’s happy with that probably affects the way he’s writing. He probably learne4d a lot more about his walk and his faith and stuff, and that’s gonna change his stuff.

How’d you like TDWP to be perceived by your audience? Misconceptions?
I guess my ideal perception of is just six dudes that for whatever reason God has chosen us to do this band and we’ve been blessed with all this success and we’re really, really grateful. We’re just stoked to be doing it as long as we can. I think a lot of people talk about how we’re spoiled or how we don’t have to work hard or had we’d had things handed to us and that’s really not true. We’ve worked really hard for everything we’ve gotten and we’ve given up our lives at one time or another to do this and I think a lot of people see maybe the success and the shows that we have now and kind of assume, ‘oh, they’re just lucky,’ or they just, ‘blah blah blah,’ and, I mean, in certain aspects, obviously, we are, but also at one point in time we chose to do this and to do it simply because we love God and we love music and we weren’t making any money. We were actually spending money out of our pockets that we didn’t even have and eating peanut butter sandwiches. It really wasn’t that long ago. I guess people that see us as that kind of thing – it’s really not who we are. WE’re still the same dudes we were three years ago or four years ago – before any of this happened.

I guess just Christian dudes that are trying to get a message out there and rock out while doing it. (laughs)

Cool, if you had to distill the message you want to get out into just a few words, what would they be?
I think mostly hope. I t hink in the genre that we play in most of the bands talk about disgusting things or doing things to women or angst and general hopelessness and I think as Christian people we know that there is hope and that Jesus is that hope. Rather than talk about how things are so bad and we’re rather get across a message that there is real hope in the world, and that’s through Jesus.

If you could change your band name to anything else at this point, what would you call yourselves?
Anything else! (laughs)
That’s really the only thing that I would take back that we’ve done in our career. I heard, when I joined the band, that they almost called it Five Fish and A Fish. I thought that would be kind of funny. That is a weird name. We wouldn’t get the movie question anymore! (laughs)

How important is humor in the day-to-day workings of a band? And why?
I think it’s one of the most important things, just because, you know, when you start to take yourself and your life and your band too seriously, you kind of just, you get egotistical and you get bitter and you lose the fun that you can really have touring and that’s when bands turn into, you know, sour people. I think we’re the most immature bunch of kids that you could find (laughs) and it makes our lives a lot more fun because of it. I think we’re more fu n to be around. I think that’s definitely one of the most important things about being on tour and being in a band – is humor.

Is there anything you hope to talk about in this cover story?
I don’t know. I ramble way too much already, so…
I hope people check out the new album. We have a lot of really big plans for things that we’re gonna do as a band. We’re about to do a tour in March. It’s like our first big headline tour and we have a lot of really, really cool ideas for production and lighting and stuff that we’ve never been able to do before. So, I’d encourage people to come check that out, even if they’ve seen us a million times. It’s gonna be a totally new take on the same band.

The music scene around you and how things are changing?
It’s definitely weird to flip through AP or HM and stuff and just see all these bands and be like, ‘Oh yeah! I know these guys! Oh yeah, we played with these guys!’ It’s kind of a shift in climate, I guess, from all the bands that I grew up listening to and used to be a big fan of; well, now there is a lot of bands that are our age and that are doing the same things that we’re doing coming up and getting big. It’s kind of weird, because we kind of came up with them. I don’t know. It’s a pretty good scene, overall. Most of the bands are pretty nice and obviously, you’re gonna run across some that aren’t. I’m sure they do a lot of things that I wouldn’t do myself, but I think there’s quite a few people doing things.

What are your thoughts when you go into a mall and you step into Hot Topic and you see The Devil Wears Prada something there?
It’s awesome. It’s unreal to kind… It’s hard to say, because most of the time I’m angry, because my friends or my family like to go in there and go (imitates a mother voice), “Ahh, isn’t that your band?” and embarrass me. For some reason, they think that’s okay to do. I don’t know. I try not to think about it too much, because I’ve met too many dudes that get all hung up on it and they turn into “not good people.” And I really don’t want that to happen to us or our band or anything. It’s definitely an awesome feeling to see that kind of stuff, but it’s kind of weird, too, at the same time. It’s different from this side of the fence, I guess. When you’re the one in the band or on the shirt or stuff, you don’t really realize that it’s actually happening, because it’s you. It doesn’t feel like it’s the same as any other band, you know? I just don’t’ feel like the same guy.

What are some of the famous quotes that you’ve said to each other or family members have said to you to kind of put you guys in your place?
I’m on the road and stuff and I’m in this band and stuff and they take a picture of me and stuff, and then as soon as I get home, my friends are like, “I don’t give a crap about your band at all!” They don’t care about my band. They’ve known me way before that and it’s just funny to them. That, I think… My family is the same way. I’m a really goofy guy. I’m kind of a dork and I’ve always been that way, I guess. I’ve always been perceived that way by my friends, so, that really, really helps to keep me in check, personally, at least – to come home and just be like – not only one of the guys, but a dorky one of the guys. It just helps put it in perspective, ya know? No matter what happens with the band or anything, I’m still just a dude.

If you could fix a few things in the scenester scene, what would you fix?
(sighs) Probably start with the hair (laughs). I’m just kidding. I don’t know. I was the s ame way when I was 16. If it’s not this right now, it was punk or it was goth or it was beatnik, or new wave or any of that stuff. I th ink people look down on that right now, but I think it’s the same as every other little sub-culture that’s come around. I guess, really, there’s just a lot of sexual stuff that kind of bums me out. Like, a lot of girls that take pictures in their underwear and put ‘em on their myspace and just have, like, dirty words and stuff in their myspace names and stuff. And that’s just kind of a bum out, ya know, just because I’m a dude that, I really respect women and girls and it’s sad to see girls that kind of lose their self respect and their identity because of all the other people they see doing the same thing. I don’t even know if that’s just within this scene, but I know I see it a lot in this scene, and I t hink that all that stuff kinda needs to get cleaned up, ya know? The whole grindcore thing and all the death metal and everything. You know, I like a lot of the bands, I just get really, really disgusted by the things they say and the quotes people get from it and put on their myspace and everything. It’s gross stuff, ya know, and it shouldn’t be things we think about or sing about or anything; so I think I’d just kind of clean all that stuff up a little bit.

How do six relatively young guys keep themselves solid in the Lord and keep walking in the midst of a busy rock and roll lifestyle, living on the road and all that stuff?
Well, I think a big part of it is we are younger and so everything kind of happened really fast for us, so we didn’t really have a lot of time to change into anybody else, so we weren’t guys that went around having sex with any girl that would have sex with us and doing drugs and stuff like that before we were in the band, and so, we still really aren’t those kind of people, ya know? We don’t do those kind of things. And most of our friends in bands, you know, I hate to say it, but I know they do and that’s the lifestyle they live or whatever, but I think a lot of it also comes with…I can’t remember exactly what verse, but I know there’s a lot of verses in the Bible that talk about, you know, holding your fellow Christians accountable and I t hink that’s a big thing in our band. We know that whatever action we do or whatever situation you get yourself into, there’s going to be five other guys that are gonna look at that and are gonna say, “Yeah, dude. You’re still a good dude and you’re still good in your walk with the Lord,” or “You screwed up big-time and you shouldn’t be living your life that way.” I think that helps – knowing that there’s that accountability there. And just being one of the only Christian bands in the scene that we’re in and on the tours that we’re on, it kind of helps keep a perspective of, you know, “If that’s what these people want to do, then fine, but we’re not gonna get sucked into that.”

How do you deal with the expectations some people have on you, as far as the Christian band thing – whether they want you to do more or do less?
It is kind of difficult, just because Christianity as a whole and as a faith is just so person by person. Look how m any different denominations there are that believe in the s ame God and believe in the same basic truths about Jesus and everything, but think very, very different things on certain behaviors or certain things about day-to-day life. And so, it’s so unrealistic for us to expect that we can please every single denomination of Christian that listens to our band and likes our band, but we get a lot of stuff on myspace and different websites and everything – from different kids. One kid will say, “Why do they have this?” or “Why do these guys have tattoos? The Bible says this,” and maybe I read the Bible and I take something different from it. I guess it just… It’s hard to deal with at times, and I know I had a lot of good talks with Tim from Underoath on the tour we just did with them about the fact that, you know, at the end of the day, you just have to live your life in prayer and, you know, be the best Chrsitian that you think you can be and you can’t really live your life based on all those people’s expectations of you, ya know? Especially, like, with tattoos or even with long hair I’ve seen stuff about, even today my friend was telling me about a youtube video where somebody was saying something about, “Well, how can they have long hair w hen the Bible says a man should not wear his hair as a woman?” And I’m just like, “Man, that’s kind of losing what we should really be concerned about,” but I don’t get too hung up on any of that stuff. I know that I… I just live my life as the Christian that I think I’m supposed to be and hopefully people can latch on to that. If not, then I don’t really know what to say. We’ve heard, “How can you be a Chrsitina band if you have screaming in your music” and stuff like that. What do you say to that, ya know?

How can the reader of HM Magazine pray for you guys and support you as people?
Probably just pray that we can be strong individually in our faith and that we can be strong as a band in our faith and that the things that we say on stage and in our music every day can touch somebody’s life. We always pray before a show that, even if just one person walks away thinking about what we said or did on stage, then that would be amazing, ya know? I guess I would just ask people to pray that God will use us in the best way that He sees fit. Because that’s really all we can ask for, ya know?

Anything else you wanted to added or talk about?
That’s pretty much it.

Thanks so much for your time, man. I appreciate you guys and what you’re doing and hope the best for you guys.
Thanks, that means a lot. It really does. We don’t really get to do a whole lot of stuff in this vein, so it’s cool when we get to.

Anything you want to say about that (Worship At Full Volume) poster?
I don’t know. I don’t even know what I was doing there! It’s awesome, but people are like, “What were you doing?” and I’m like, “I don’t know.” (laughs)
My mom would probably say, “That pretty much describes Jeremy, right there! A wild child.”

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