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The Divine Romance is proof that hard work pays off. The Northern California metalcore band has been virtually non stop since the band’s conception in 2003. After a series of line up changes, two self-released EP’s, a self-released DVD and a music video, The Divine Romance is beginning to see the fruits of their labor. Singer, Travis Waugh slowed down just a bit to talk to HM about the bands busy schedule and how their not planning on stopping anytime soon.

Interview by Laura Bartlow

First off, where did The Divine Romance get its name?
Well, to make a long story short, it came from a book. I was working on lyrics for a song and had written down The Divine Romance as a possible subject to write a song about. When we were deciding on a name I came across it in my journal and proposed the name to the guys. Everyone liked the name.

Can you give us a little bit about all the guys in the band?
The guys are great. We have a great mix in this band and no drama. Chris loves to eat and sleep. Anthony is all about being on the road. He loves to tour. And Sam? Well, he is all about having fun.

And what about yourself?
I am the one that handles all of our business. I manage the band as well as book the band. This band is my life.

You guys just signed with Harvest Earth Records. Congratulations on being part of the HE roster. What exactly does that mean for The Divine Romance?
Hopefully a lot. The guys at Harvest Earth are really great. They have been amazing to work with. We decided to sign with Harvest Earth because of what Winter Solstice did on the label. Watching them sign to Metal Blade from HE was amazing. We are hoping this will be an opportunity for other labels to see us. The label has been very supportive.

You’re Already Dead is the band’s debut release on HE. I’m definitely excited to hear some new stuff.
Yes. You’re Already Dead is our debut release on Harvest Earth Records. It is two sessions of recording we did in a matter of five days. We are happy with it for the amount of time we did it in.

Most of You’re Already Dead was recorded with a fifth member, correct?
Yes it was.

Has downsizing the band from five members to a four piece affected the band at all?
We had a second guitarist in the band when we recorded. When we went from five members to four it was a bit different. We where worried about our sound with only one guitarist, but Sam has really been able to hold it down. You get used to playing shows with five people on stage and it changes the atmosphere a bit. It definitely gave us some more room to move around though. There’s a smaller chance of getting hit by a guitar now.

What are your influences as a band- both hardcore/metal and otherwise?
We all like a wide variety of music. Some of our biggest influences are As I Lay Dying, Unearth, ZAO, Winter Solstice, and Killswitch Engage.

Metalcore and hardcore bands seem more and more prevalent these days, what sets TDR apart from the others?
I would say there are a couple things that set this band apart from the rest. First would be our live show. We give everything we have every show. None of those choreographed moves. Just a lot of movement and a lot of fun. Second and most important is our passion for Jesus. This band is not afraid to stand up for what we believe. We are not a preaching band who forces things on people. We just know what we have and how huge the need for us to share it is. We are all about relationships.

It seems a lot of your songs tell stories, like “Postwar Tragedy” and “My Angel”. Tell me about those...
I definitely try and tell stories with each song. “Postwar Tragedy” is a song about my Father dealing with fighting in Vietnam and returning home to the real world as if nothing ever happened. “My Angel” is about kids who cut themselves. There is an epidemic today of kids cutting themselves out of depression. We want people to face these issues and hopefully find help. I know we are not going to be someone's savior, but if my lyrics help someone cope or even change their ways, I have succeeded.

That’s a heavy load to bear. Do you think that the hardcore scene these days is making a positive effort to address these kinds of issues?
I think some bands do. It depends on the writing style of bands. Some bands write about serious issues as other right songs about random thoughts or ideas. It just depends on the band.

Travis, you were recently in the studio recording with Every New Day, correct? What can we expect to hear from your work with that band?
Yes. I was up in Winnipeg Canada for a week with Every New Day. I was asked to do some guest vocals on one of their new songs for their upcoming release on Hand of Hope Records. Their new album is going to be amazing. Scott Wade (ex- Comeback Kid) also laid down some guest vocals on one of their new songs. Be sure to pick this one up.

We’ll be watching out for that.

One last thing, where does the band see itself in a year from now?
Hopefully releasing a new record, signed to a major label and touring Ozzfest. Haha.

Well, we wish you good luck.

© 2006 HM Magazine. All rights reserved.

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