Driven Far Off

Andrew: That is like the smallest fucking recorder I have ever seen. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s cool.

– Haha, yeah. State your name and position in the band.

Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m Andrew, and I play drums in Fall of Troy.

– Give a brief history of the band and the origin of the name.

We just flipped through a history book and picked, like we had a name before that and thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s how we did that. So, letâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s do it again.

– What have been your best and worst moments of this tour?

Just like any show, where kids are having a good time. But like the worst, our trailer axle broke, people had some personal problems (not related to the band) that effected our motivation as far as playing shows. This has probably been the most stressful Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve ever been on.

Good thing itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s almost over.

I mean, it sucks though because I love everyone on the tour, like everything that has happened has been, not related to music or anybody in the bandsâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ relationships. So itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s just really frustrating. But itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll be alright, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll fucking play some new songs or something.

– What elements do you try to bring to each show to set you apart from the rest of the bands?

Just try to fucking, like a bunch of people paid a bunch of money to come see you, you should probably show them that you are at least trying to work and give them a good show. I just try to play as hard as I can, fucking rock out and let kids get into it.

– If you could pick one show that made you feel accomplished of everything you have done, which would it be and why?

Um, playing Bamboozle was really cool. 7 or 8 thousand people there and that was like, insane. Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve never played for anymore than 1500 so that was weird. I mean, it blows my mind that Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m fucking in Virginia and there are people here that know who we are. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s weird.

Is this the first time you guys have played in Virginia?

Nah, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve played at the Peppermint.

Yeah, with Spitfire right?

Yeah, I think we played with some local bands. I canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t remember, I think it was on the Number Twelve tour. I like Virginia, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s fun man.

– When starting this band, what were your goals and how have they changed?

I mean, we were just having fun and challenging ourselves. Like the music we played before this wasnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t very challenging, it was very poppy. Just play music with people we like, hopefully other people will like it too.

(Tim Ward from Fall of Troy opens the driverâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s door of the van)

Tim: I wish I was tough like Russians. Russians are fucking tough.
Andrew: Haha, this has happened with like every interview.
Tim: I want some goddamn boy Russian friends and I want a Russian girlfriend.
Andrew: Dude, remember that guy we met from Russia?
Tim: Yeah, man.
Andrew: We met him in New York and he was like â┚¬Ã…”(speaks with a Russian accent) Hi, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m from Russia, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m moving here for the summer.â┚¬? Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m like â┚¬Ã…”Dude, thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s awesome.â┚¬? Then heâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s like â┚¬Ã…” Russia likes you guys, why havenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t you come there?â┚¬?
Tim: His name was Uri or Alexia or Vladimir.
Andrew: Anyways, Russia was our inspiration, haha.
Tim: Russia is intense. I just read about that shit man. People get drunk off of cologne.
Andrew: You just drunk off of like 2 or 3 packs of Blue Ribbon.

– What hardships did you encounter when starting the band and how did you get through them?

Um I mean, just like at first just getting shows. We didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t even think about playing a show for like 3 or 4 months.

I read somewhere that you guys were 17 years old when the band started.

Yeah, I was 16 and so was Tim and Thomas. We used to have another guitar player and he was 17. It was just like â┚¬Ã…”Hey, how are we going to get our gear from so and soâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s house to practice.â┚¬? As it moves on, we obviously want to put on a good show and try to make stuff work with us, like personally because itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s tough. We were friends before this actually, we tried to make it into a business, so I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know. Shit has gotten mixed up, but itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s cool.

– Are there any plans to go into the studio and recording the next record?

Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re going to be writing for like the next two months, as soon as this tour is done. We have like four songs right now, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll hopefully be recording in September or October, to be out like January. I know people want to hear it.

– How would you compare and contrast how the band sounded in the beginning and how it sounds now?

I think we got tougher. I mean, the melody is still there and stuff. I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, I think weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve just become more of ourselves.

– In your opinion, which song on the last record best defines the band the most?

Um, probably off the last record, â┚¬Ã…” The Holy Tapeâ┚¬? or maybe â┚¬Ã…”Macaulay McCulkinâ┚¬?. One of those, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re just fucking weirdos.

– If you had to quit this band and join another one, which one would it be and why?

Um, thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s tough. Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢d love to be in He Is Legend, thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll be fun, they have good songs. I really donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, I mean if we are talking about anybody anywhere, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll probably say The Beatles. The songs arenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t too hard but theyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re still fun to play. They had a lot of success but that kind of ruins, I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, success isnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t really everything, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s kind of weird.

– If you could overhear people talking about the band, what do you think you would hear?

I hope I would hear, â┚¬Ã…”Man that was fucking crazyâ┚¬? or â┚¬Ã…”I didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t expect that.â┚¬? I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m sure people would, thereâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s haters and thereâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s lovers. Everyone is going to have their own opinion, kids probably say that every song has a guitar solo, but whatever, you can also say that you like that.

– In your opinion, what is the biggest current issue people are overlooking?

With everything?

Yeah, just in general.

I wish people would be more aware of what our country is doing and like putting us, regardless of what you think when the U.S. does something, it reflects on everybody else. I mean, no oneâ┚¬Ã‚¦I mean, I wish people would stay up to date with current events more, and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s kind of stupid for me to say that because Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m on tour and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s really hard, like I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t see the news everyday. I mean, get over retarded stuff like gay marriages and fucking try figuring out whatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s really important.

Exactly, people are worrying about that when there is so much crap going on in every city.

Yeah dude, people are getting tortured, there are people that in this alley tonight that needed help and people are arguing about two guys getting married; fucking get over it.

Yeah, they arenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t hurting anyone, so that’s not an issue.

Yeah, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s notâ┚¬Ã‚¦Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã‚¦haha this could be a long night. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s all good.

– If you could choose a writer, dead or alive to write the lyrics for the next record, who would you choose and why?

Um, alive I would pick this guy, Mark Danielewski, he wrote this book called â┚¬Ã…”House of Leavesâ┚¬?, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s just terrifying. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s cool, we have some song titles from it. Dead, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll probably pick this dude named Richard (couldnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t make out the last name). He wrote really simple but he had great ideas. Yeah, either one of those.

– If you could choose one quote to be written on your tombstone, what would it be and why?

Fucking, umâ┚¬Ã‚¦.I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s a tough one. Right now in my life, if I died right now, it would be â┚¬Ã…”Play Harder, Play Faster.â┚¬?

– What are the best and worst aspects about being in a band?

The best is just traveling and meeting people and doing shit like this. Like a variety stuff on life, when youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re touring you get to see something different everyday. But the worst part, I mean, I live in a van and I have for the last year. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s ok, I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t really mind it.

Yeah, you get by.

Yeah, fucking like, whenever I get bummed out, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m like â┚¬Ã…”No one I know is doing this, how can I beâ┚¬Ã‚¦

Yeah, people are just at home doing nothing while youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re touring.

Yeah, exactly. Like everyone I know from high school is either in one place, like going to college or at home. No one I know is doing this so itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s special and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s something that I wanted so, I have to put up with some bullshit and realize that itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s actually cool.

– Anything else you want the readers to know.

Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re not breaking up, the album will be out soon.

Yeah, I read about that on your myspace about people thinking the band is going to break up.

Yeah, I mean I can totally understand, like this tour has been a messed. Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve canceled a bunch of shows and I know kids are pissed off, it sucks but just bare with us weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll come back. Like Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m sure youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve had days where you didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t go to school. 99 percent of people miss days from their life and it sucks but you get over it. Just stick with us, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re not dead.