Alabaster
Austin, TX // SXSW
Interview by Jordan Fischels
Q: Is this your first time playing SXSW? How has the experience been treating you?
A: It is. It’s been great so far. We didn’t really know what to expect, but we have been running ourselves ragged. It’s been so great. There’s just so much to see. We’ve been really fortunate. We had three shows on Thursday and two shows on Friday.
Q: You played three shows in one day? How was that?
A: It was rough. [Laughs.] We had a decent amount of time between each one to eat and stuff, but still. Friday we played at 9:00 and then had to hoof it all the way across the river and play at 11:00. Two forty-five minute sets! It was fun though. Tiring, but fun.
Q: How does it compare to other shows/festivals you guys have played?
A: We’ve played Warped Tour before. It’s kind of like a day of Warped Tour, just hauling your gear around. There’s just this level of insanity and chaos that it’s running at, but it’s almost like this very controlled chaos. So you know, day two you finally start to get your spots–you’re like, “I’m going to go over hear to see these guys play,” or “I’m going to this place to get some grub.” You kind of just start to figure it out.
Q: You have a new EP due to be released March 31st called The Villain In Me… Can you tell us anything about it?
A: It’s hard, it’s fast, and it’s fun. For Unraveled, the lyrical content was really meaningful and kind of more grown up. We hit a lot of hard issues on that album, so this one we took that a step further. We continued with the same really good content. We’re still talking about some really powerful stuff, but the music is harder and faster. And I’d say definitely sexier. [Laughs.]
Q: I heard you guys opened for Yellowcard in January! What was that like? Were you guys fans of the band before then?
A: It was awesome! We’re huge Fans! We were sitting there geeking out in the back, snapping pictures, taking videos. I was like “Oh My God, he’s right there!” They were super cool, so inviting. You know you always hope to play with a favorite band and then you get a show and you’re like, What? And then the day before you’re thinking oh my God, we’re playing this show! This is awesome. The cool thing was the crowd that was there in Seattle; we had a lot of our people there too, but most everyone there was there to see Yellowcard; but by the end of the show, they were there with us. It was fun to win over a crowd like that. Several months before, we actually played with Switchfoot at the same venue and we had people at the Yellowcard show that saw us at Switchfoot that were like “We came to see you.” It was the most rewarding thing ever. It felt really great. It was fun!
Q: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
A: Kate and I have a ritual. We haven’t done it in a little while, but we will find a quiet spot and Kate kind of chants a little bit of a mantra. We breathe in and breathe out and do a little bit of meditation, make sure we get into that zone. I like to stretch, because I head bang like crazy on stage; and if I don’t, then the next day I feel like old man Whithers. I’ll go and find a corner or something like that and try to warm up my hands and such. I don’t know if it’s that much of a ritual or not.
Q: Are there any other plans while you’re in the Austin area?
A: Joe’s got a list of bands he wants to see. I want to see Candy Hearts, Harvard is playing again. A little birdie told us that Macklemore is playing again. That is really exciting because we saw them on Wednesday, at the Waterloo stage, and the sound system actually went out. He gave a great performance, but you know we didn’t get to hear it. But it looked cool. [Laughs]
Q: Think you would come back to play SXSW again?
A: Yeah, for sure. We love Austin!
Q: What has been the “Highlight” of your career?
A: I would definitely say playing Warped Tour when we had they opportunity to do that. Joan Jett was playing on a stage right by us, and it was completely epic. Our song “Pendulum” is on our new EP and we have some “whoas” on there that I always get the crowd to sing back, and at the Swithfoot show, the Yellowcard show, and actually last night at the Thirsty Nickel, being able to hear the people singing back. It makes me tear up every time. Hearing them sing louder than the PA, it’s amazing. You don’t even really need to do it and you just hear them doing it. Like at the Switchfoot show and Yellowcard show, that was our last song and when we got off, they people were still doing it. Like we were done, loading gear and people were still just “whoa, whoa!” I love playing live and everything, but we recorded both of our CDs at London Bridge Studios, whereas Pearl Jam recorded “Ten” there, and Alice in Chains recorded there, and all of these artist that I love, you know were there. It was just so amazing to walk in there and set my drums up in the same place where some of these people that I really looked up to had. I just thought, “This is the moment!” I would have to say Yellowcard. I’ve been a fan for a long time so getting to play with them was awesome.
