10 Quick Ones with AFTER THE CALM – October 2018

According to a recent press release: “Phoenix based Rock Band AFTER THE CALM has released the official music video for “Stuck on Repeat.” Directed by Jacob Reynolds(SLAVES, Dead Rabbitts), “Stuck on Repeat” is the band’s 3rd single released in 2018 produced by Matt Good (Asking Alexandria, The Word Alive).” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and much more in our 10 Quick Ones…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only die-hard fans might find?

Logan: When we approached writing and recording these 3 singles, we wrote them all in different styles and recorded them with different producers. At the end of the day, it’s 3 different sides of ATC. Some that may be new for others, and some that will be familiar to longtime fans.

Kody: There are a ton of Easter eggs that we’ve hidden in this song! For starters, there’s a music break at about 0:23 where you can hear a bunch of voices layered over one another. At this point during the recording, Hanky had already left for the day. Matt, the producer, had told us to go into the vocal booth to record some conversation, so we took it upon ourselves to talk mad shit about Hanky in his absence; it was great. Also, if you listen close enough, you can hear Logan yell, “I’M THE OWNER OF THE DIMMSDALE DIMMADOME, MOTHER FUC-” *edited for radio spin*

David: I feel the amount of production that went into this song is something they might not get. There are so many vocal parts, it blows my mind. There’s even a part right before the chorus where you hear chatter. That’s actually us talking shit to each other in the sound booth.

Jonathan: There’s a section in the beginning where there is a lot of mumbling and it was just all of us in the studio talking and saying random things. Logan threw in a sentence from The Fairly OddParents that made all of us laugh!

Henry: We recorded 3 songs with 3 different producers and Stuck On Repeat is the one we feel is in our sweet spot. Not too heavy, not too light, just the right amount of After The Calm that our fans come to love. Before the first chorus our producer, Matt Good played around with some additional voices that you can hear if you listen closely. Along with more harmonies that we have since incorporated live.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Kody: I played in school bands from 5th grade to Senior year. It wasn’t until I was graduated from high school did I realize that I could turn my talents into a career. Oddly enough, it was Rock Band that convinced me to invest into a drum set. I was good at keeping a beat and decided I could do the real thing.

David: I’ve been playing music since grade school. But the moment I wanted to become a musician was in guitar class and I created my first riff.

Jonathan: The first day of high school I sat in the back of the bus with my blue hair listening to Incubus on my walkman and met my first friend in high school and he introduced me to heavier bands like System of a Down and metal. I saved money and bought a guitar and amp in Junior year and have been playing guitar ever since.

Henry: Growing up surrounded by R&B I always wondered what else was out there musically. In the 90’s there was a channel that used to play Music called MTV. Seeing these bands make music with their instruments compared to just a DJ just spoke to me as a young adult. That’s when I knew I wanted to become a musician.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Logan: Blink, The Story So Far, Good Charlotte, A Day To Remember, Knuckle Puck

Kody: Avenged Sevenfold, Blink 182, The Story So Far, Breaking Benjamin, Knuckle Puck

David: Incubus, Deftones, No Doubt, Sublime, Nirvana

Jonathan: In no particular order I would have to say System of A Down, Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mudvayne, and Mindless Self Indulgence.

Henry: Sum 41, Bayside, Slipknot, Thrice, Foo Fighters

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Kody: I’d go with Jeremy McKinnon from A Day to Remember just to see Logan sing alongside him. They’d go great together!

David: Dave Grohl

Jonathan: I would love to work with John Feldman, he has awesome music and also records great albums. I think we would all learn so much from him and it would be a lot of fun too.

Henry: Prince – Not too many appreciate his talent as a guitar player, the man can hold his own with Slash (and he has). Obviously his voice is just as fantastic.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Logan: Our entire discography is a rollercoaster of genres from Post-Hardcore to Alternative to Punk. Chances are there is a song for almost any listener.

Kody: We fall somewhere between Pop-Punk and Post-Hardcore, depending on the song. We write how we feel at the time; sometimes its heavy and other times its more emotional.

David: If Sum41 and Thrice made a baby

Jonathan: I would say that we have punk and rock roots and have songs that range from chill to metal.

Henry: In Phoenix there is a restaurant that serves a combination of Mexican and Chinese food called Chino Bandido. Our music in the Chino Bandido of Rock

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Logan: Two things. Being able to make music that people can appreciate and relate to while enjoying. And playing live. It’s a whole other experience in it’s own.

Kody: Making genuine connections with people. Music is a powerful tool and its surreal to see people relate to our songs. Take Porcelain for example, the song is from the perspective of someone who’s made a mistake that cost them their friendship/relationship. The chorus is basically someone asking for forgiveness, another chance to try again. We’ve had people tell us that the song hits close to home and that they really needed to hear it at the time. Knowing we’ve impacted someone, that’s the best thing about being a musician.

David: Being able to create with the only limitation being your imagination.

Jonathan: Whenever we have someone telling us about how our songs have gotten them through a hard time in their life. It means so much that we can positively affect someone’s life by doing what we love.

Henry: Best part is when we get feedback from new fans who tell us that our music helps them deal with situations in their life.

7. When the band is all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Kody: If you walked into a room with all of us in it, here’s what you’d see: Logan would be telling a story about a video he saw online, David would be pretending to listen while tuning his guitar, Hanky would be off to the side eating pork skins, Jon would be checking his phone for live updates on the current League of Legends match, and I’d be looking at memes.

David: None of us volunteer to cook lol, drinks would be Jon and Kody, guitar wise it might be me.

Jonathan: We actually haven’t had to cook together yet, we usually go to a restaurant. Definitely, David or Henry will whip out an acoustic first and Logan will always jump in with random lyrics. We all enjoy some brooskis together as well.

Henry: I made waffles one time for a few of the guys. When we are out and about we all drink but Kody and Jon usually start things off.  David or myself tend to bust out the acoustic and make the animals bark.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Logan: Music is one of the only things I know in love that I truly love. So if I wasn’t playing music, it would be making music as a producer. Just anything that is involved with music.

Kody: I’d probably have a very similar job, like becoming my own studio engineer. Music is a passion of mine so it’s hard to take myself out of that element.

David: Probably an A&R rep or Designer at Pixar

Jonathan: I’m kind of a nerd and love math and science. I always thought something to do with space would be great. Working on sending out satellites around the solar system would be epic.

Henry: Running a music venue would be a dream. Being on the other end of things and making sure the artist have the easiest and best time possible.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

Kody: It’s hard to say I wish we could go back and change something because we learn from everything that we do. Life is trial and error. We live and learn, so I’d hate to take away from the lessons we’ve faced in the past.

David: Sure there are moments that I feel were missteps, but since they led to where I’m at today then no “do over” needed.

Jonathan: This might sound corny, but no because every time we mess up or miss out on an opportunity it teaches us and we get better each day at what we do.

Henry: Don’t believe so. Been in a few different bands and learned things from each. Those bands have helped me get to where I am now.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for anyone record in history, which would you choose and what does that record mean to you?

Kody: I would sit in on Avenged Sevenfold’s self-titled album. That was the last record to have their late drummer, James “The Rev” Sullivan, on it. They’ve released videos of them in the studio during that record and it would have been a blast to be a fly on the wall.

David: Incubus’ Make Yourself album holds a very close place to my heart. I played that CD on repeat throughout high school. You hear every instrument and the amount of subtle production is truly amazing.

Jonathan: I don’t know too much about musical history but I think it would be amazing to have seen how the Beatles did their thing. They are probably the band that has affected music the most, especially the music we write like rock.

Henry: I would have loved to be in the studio during Metallica’s …And Justice for All recording and let them know that the bass is too dam low and almost non-existent. The record for me was my first introduction to Metallica and it taught me to turn the bass up no matter what, no matter where.

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Category: Interviews