Courage My Love
Interview by Perry Fish
Answers by Mercedes Arn-Horn
1. How did you come up with the name Courage My Love?
The name comes from a 1936 Sci-Fi movie called “Things to Come.” We’re all suckers for creepy movies and we thought it was a good name that suits our music.
2. Who are your greatest musical influences?
We’re all different, but I’m a huge fan of Citizen, Balance And Composure, Brand New and Chiodos! Our influences change all the time.
3. You guys are pretty interactive with your fans. What is your favorite way to connect with them?
Honesty, I love hanging out with fans after every show. I love talking to them face to face, grabbing pizza with them, goofing around. I don’t like to think of our fans as “fans.” They’re more like friends. I try to keep in touch with as many fans as possible even after we move on to another city.
4. Earlier this year you released your second EP, Becoming. How have you changed as a band since your first album?
A lot has changed! We’ve all grown, as a band and as individuals. When we were writing For Now we had never been on tour, we had just signed a record deal, and it was our first time in a legit studio. We were totally high on life! Becoming is a little darker, more grown up. We’ve had experiences on the road, a member change, and a year to grow. This record is more mature, more sleek, more honest and from the heart. I’m really proud of it!
5. Can you tell us about your recent project, The (Un)Real Lives Of Courage My Love?
Unreal Lives was a bit of fun we had to promote Becoming before it came out. It’s a fake reality TV show about all the “drama” we had in the studio when we were supposed to be making it. We got inspired by all the late night TV we watch on tour. When it first came out, some people actually thought it was real and we were fighting all the time!
6. You have upcoming tour dates in Canada and the US. Any stops you are really looking forward to?
I’m really stoked for all the stops in the states. It’ll be our first US tour, so I’m looking forward to meeting our fans there. As far as Canada goes I always love Montreal and Toronto!
7. What is your favorite part about being on tour?
I love getting to see new places and meet new people. Getting to meet new fans and hang out with Phoenix and Lockwood all day is the best thing ever.
8. Mercedes and Phoenix, what is it like being in a band with your sister?
It’s awesome! Phoenix and I make the perfect team. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. We don’t take criticism personally and we’re 100% honest with how we feel without it being awkward. Plus, I rarely feel homesick because she’s always with me.
9. You have hinted on your Facebook page about a new music video being released soon. What can you tell us about that?
It’s a video for the 2nd track off Becoming called “Cold Blooded.” It’s gonna be an intensely creepy video. I don’t wanna give too much away! It’s the first DIY video we’ve ever done, so I’m really excited to see how it turns out!
10. You have grown a lot over the past few years together. What is next for Courage My Love?
Everything is on the horizon. We’ve got some pretty major tour plans, as well as plans to release a full length record some time in 2014! We’re writing and touring right now, planning on revisiting countries like Japan, Canada and the USA, and visit new countries we’ve never been to before. Keep an ear to the ground, we’re coming for you!
11. What would you say has been the most difficult part of your career for you all personally and collectively?
I think we’ve been really lucky so far. Haven’t had a lot of struggles. Writing for Becoming was probably one of the hardest things we’ve had to do so far. There was a lot of pressure to try and top For Now in every way. We were writing about 2 or 3 songs a week, about 40 in total. On top of that, our former bassist David had just quit the band to spend more time with his family and pursue school. Needless to say we were going through a rough time, saying goodbye to our bassist and best friend while writing and recording simultaneously. There were times when we weren’t sure we could handle it. But out of that came some of our best songs on the EP, and an even stronger desire to make it work. I’m glad we went through it. I think it made us a better band in general and made Becoming a better record. Sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself!
12. How did you, or do you continue to, overcome these struggles?
There’s always pressure in this job, you just have to remember why you’re doing it to begin with. You’ve got to stop focusing on how far you have to go, but on how far you’ve already come.
13. What is the ‘highlight’ of your career so far?
The highlight has probably been playing our first show in Tokyo, Japan last year. We didn’t know what to expect from our fans there, or from anything really. We were literally in the great unknown, and we were blown away by how supportive and crazy our fans are over there. We didn’t expect to be followed on the streets of a city on the other end of the world, or have our lyrics screamed at us by people who don’t even speak English! It was totally surreal.
14. What is the one dream the moment at which point either personally or collectively you would be able to say yes I’ve achieved this, I’m living my dreams?
We’re already living our dreams in many ways. Just to know our music has affected our fans in a positive way, and getting to travel the world because of our music is an amazing feeling. Of course we have a long way to go, but I think you have to enjoy every step of the way. Live in the moment. Don’t let the ride pass you by. Our main goal is to do what we love and have fun doing it. On the other hand, I’m not sure if we’ll ever be fully content with where we are. We’ll always be trying to make ourselves better and reach more people.
