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V/A – Take Action Vol 5

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Take Action

Artist: Various
Album: Take Action Volume 5
Label: Subcity
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: February 21, 2006

Overall: 8.0
Music: 7.8
Lyrics: N/A
Production: N/A

The Take Action tour comes around once a year and features a good set of bands that help the Youth America Hotline. This years 2 CD set includes a wide mix of songs from bands like underOATH, Sugarcult, Saosin, Panic! At The Disco, Cartel, I Am The Avalanche, Maxeen and more. Some songs are unreleased or an acoustic version but not very many. This 2 CD set can introduce you to a lot of new bands as it’s mix ranges from pop-punk to hardcore. The best part of this CD is that 5% of the suggested retail list price earned by the artists and Sub City Records from the sale of the CD will be donated to The Kristin Brooks Hope Center which serves youth through YAH! the Youth America Hotline! 1-877-YOUTHLINE (1-877-968-854).

I highly suggest heading out and catching the tour and picking up this 2 CD set with lots and lots of music on it.

Track Listing

Disc 1
1. PSA by Tim Padnotta of Sugarcult
2. Underoath – I Don’t Feel Very Receptive Today
3. The Fall Of Troy – Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man’s Bones
4. Saosin – Sleepers (demo) – Download MP3
5. Boys Night Out – Medicating
6. Sugarcult – Cryin’
7. Amber Pacific – Poetically Pathetic
8. Rufio – Mental Games
9. Plain White T’s – Take Me Away
10. Panic! At the Disco – The O.D.B. Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage
11. Cartel – The Minstrel’s Prayer
12. Hawthorne Heights – Silver Bullet
13. Nural – Chasing You
14. Let Go – Spotlights
15. Armor For Sleep – The Trush About Heaven
16. June – Patrick
17. Emery – Studying Politics
18. Bedlight For Blue Eyes – Ephemeral Addictions
19. The Receiving End of Sirens – Dead Men Tell No Tales
20. A Life Once Lost – Vulture
21. Horse The Band – Birdo
22. The Number Twelve Looks Like You – The Proud Parent’s Convention Held In The ER
23. As I Lay Dying – Confined

Disc 2
1. PSA by Joey Cape of Lagwagon
2. Dropkick Murphys – The Warrior’s Code
3. Strike Anywhere – Asleep
4. Lagwagon – Fallen – Download MP3
5. A Wilhelm Scream – The Soft Sell
6. The Briefs – Getting Hit On At The Bank
7. The Vacancy – So Obvious
8. Teenage Bottlerocket – Pull The Plug
9. Against Me! – Don’t Lose Touch
10. Lucero – Sixteen
11. Horrorpops – Where You Can’t Follow
12. Riverboat Gamblers – Walk Around Me
13. Lost City Angels – Liberation
14. Darker My Love – Summer Is Here
15. I Am The Avalanche – Dead And Gone
16. The Loved Ones – 100K
17. Cursive – A Disruption In the Normal Swing of Things
18. Maxeen – Lead Not Follow
19. The AKA’s – Desperation Is a Stinky Cologne (Unreleased)
20. Hockey Night – For Guy’s Eyes Only
21. Solea – Leaving Today
22. Broken Spindles – Burn My Body

The Rocket Summer Interview March 5th 2006

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The Rocket Summer

I just wanted to preface this by saying thank you so much to the kind people at the Militia Group & Island Records for their continued support of websites like ours. I got an opportunity to dialogue with Bryce Avary (The Rocket Summer) and ask him some questions I’ve been curious about for quite some time; pop in ‘Hello, Good Friend’ and enjoy!

Michael: So why Island/Def Jam?

Bryce: It seemed like a really good place to be. The people there are all really cool. It felt right.

Michael: What made you choose Brat Pack as the next single from your record?

Bryce: I had a good concept of what I wanted the video to be like for the next single and of all the songs it seems like Brat Pack was the best one to fit the video concept. It’s also a song that seems to connect with a lot of people.

Michael: What should fans expect from you on the upcoming tour? New songs? New members?

Bryce: Neither really. We might play new songs but you can definitely expect aԚ  celebration! It’s always a good time, you can count on that.

Michael: You just made a pretty extensive trip to Japan, what is the scene like over there compared to the US? Are fans more/less receptive?

Bryce: They are just as receptive, they definitely freak out more though. It’s a special thing for a band to go over there. We tour America around the clock but I haven’t been to Japan in over 2 years. It feels more special since it’s not as often.

Michael: It’s quite evident in some of your songs that you maintain a spiritual relationship, without me defining it any further for you, could you explain that and how it plays into your music?

Bryce: I think because I’m a Christian and it’s a huge part of my life, its only natural for it to influence my songwriting. I definitely enjoy singing about that beautiful part of my life.

Michael: Your song, Good News, has been incredibly powerful in my life, could you tell me the story behind it?

Bryce: That song is actually inspired by a situation when I was in Detroit. There was a guy that I got into a conversation with and he wanted to see the show. He was a homeless man in a wheel chair. I carried him down the stairs into the venue to see the show. He wound up getting really drunk and the venue wouldn’t allow him to stay any longer so I had to carry him back out.

Michael: In writing/recording music full band by yourself, is there anything method you’ve found to be most successful?

Bryce: I use one method the whole time. When I finish writing I record the song on 4 track and start messing around on top of the song adding guitar parts and other layers to the song.

Michael: Did the process change for Hello, Good Friend from Calendar Days?

Bryce: Its always the same process for me.

Michael: When you choose your tour support or look for a band to support, what are your decisions based on?

Bryce: We really look for music that we like and think will be a good match with us on tour. As far as us opening for other bands, we are open to playing with almost anyone. I try to play in front of as many people as possible and always take that opportunity.

Michael: Seriously Bryce, what type of equipment do you use?

Bryce: It’s a pretty extensive list actually… On tour I usually use Fender guitars, Marshal amps, Yamaha keyboards, C & C Drums. On the records I use ALL different types of equipment.

Michael: You have been considered ‘The Rocket Summer’ solely as Bryce Avery for quite some time now, do you ever plan on adding members permanently to the roster?

Bryce: I’ve definitely thought about it. If I came across the perfect group of people it would be very possible. Right now, I’m having fun having with my friends tour with me. It’s really up to them when they want to go on the road with me. For instance, my drummer is going to school so its pretty casual right now but the next record might be different.

Michael: What’s life like as a touring, married musician?

Bryce: It’s interesting, it’s definitely way different than most marriages but it’s a lot of fun. We try hard to take minutes out of each day to not be The Rocket Summer but a lot of times that’s hard. It’s good to beԚ  with each other though.

Michael: How supportive have your parents been of your chosen career?

Bryce: They have been really supportive. I was so young when I started that they had a few reservations like most parents would. As time went on and they saw how hard I was working and things started happening they are became extremely happy for me.

Michael: What is the best gift you’ve ever received from a fan?

Bryce: In Japan we got lots of great gifts. Actually a few nights ago I got a cool banner that was written in Chinese. It read The Rocket Summer is sexy. That’s been the most recent one.

Michael: any albums or bands you want to plug?

Bryce: Mindy Smith. She’s really awesome.

Michael: Thanks Bryce!

Cue The Doves – Architectures of the Atmosphere

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Cue The Doves

Artist: Cue The Doves
Album: Architectures of the Atmosphere
Label: Dead Letter Records
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: March 21, 2006

Overall: 7.9
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 8.1
Production: 7.7

Cue the Doves are a combination of musicians with very unique common interests. Their mutual love for sci-fi, extraterrestrial life, and alien abductions is apparent in their lyrics, as well as general tone of music. As requested by founding member, Jon Berndtson, a former member of The Beautiful Mistake, I am making my own classifications of this band, and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not an easy task.

First off, I find a lot of my opinion of a band in their vocalist. Ryan Von Bergen is the pick of the litter. His voice achieves the intensity you find in the hardcore scene, but the pitch control youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢d hear from a vocalist who had been classically trained for years. His ability to layer his vocal tracks as well as include the screaming & singing of two other members is something becoming increasingly rare in the â┚¬Ã‹Å“sing your heart outâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ scene.

Musically, this band is a force to be reckoned with. After years of playing bass, Jon Berndtson has made the switch to guitar, and the newly added Jake Quam on drums, Greg Burmeister playing guitar and Neck Gerhart on bass, Cue the Doves has assembled a powerful lineup. Delicate picking transforms into destructive mysterious riffs that build on top of each other far higher than youâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢d ever expect.

â┚¬Ã‹Å“Majestic Twelveâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ is a musical introduction that leads directly into the passionate, vocally driven â┚¬Ã‹Å“Sphere of the Abyss.â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ Dominated by technical musicianship, simple but booming drums, and clear melodic melodies, this record is strongly begun. Lyrics that question life meaning, spiritual insight, and mortality, this album is filled with standout songs. The band continues to tear down barriers between the pigeon-hole of hardcore and the endless oceans of melody.

Eerie, paranormal hardcore rock that raises the bar for musical intricacy; Cue the Doves is a band to keep your eyes on and your ears open to. Architectures of the Atmosphere far surpasses most records in the genre. If experience serves me correct, this band has many good things ahead of them. Donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t take my word for it, go pick up this record!

Track Listing
1. Majestic Twelve
2. Sphere of the Abyss
3. An Astronomerâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Ellipse
4. The Balance
5. Course One: The Abductions
6. Architectures of the Atmosphere
7. The Red Planet Falls
8. Peregrine Mountain: The Aftermath
9. Hallucinations
10. Escape The Cell

V/A – The Best of Taste of Chaos

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Taste of Chaos

Artist: Taste of Chaos
Album: The Best of Taste of Chaos
Label: Warcon
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 24, 2006

Overall: 7.5
Music: 7.4
Lyrics: N/A
Production: N/A

In what seems to be like the 10th CD to come from the hit Taste of Chaos tour, The Best of Taste of Chaos is probably in all terms, the best one yet. It features a wide mix of bands that were on the 2005 tour as well as some bands that will be on the 2006 run of the tour. The only problem I have with mix CD’s is that most of the songs aren’t new or special and a person probably already has most of the songs on the CD. However if you are the opposite and don’t have a wide mix of CD’s this can introduce you to a lot of new artists.

If you’re heading to the tour this year and need a refresher course on what it’s going to be like, head out and pick up this 36 song CD that will do nothing but rock you.

Track Listing
1. The Used – Sound Effects and Overdramatics
2. Underoath – Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ve Got Ten Friends and a Crowbar That Says You Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Do Jack
3. Story Of The Year – Our Time is Now
4. Thrice – Stare at the Sun
5. Matchbook Romance – In Transit for You
6. Thursday – I Wanna Hear Another Fast Song
7. My American Heart – The Process
8. Armor For Sleep – The Truth About Heaven
9. Billy Talent – Red Flag (unreleased)
10. Emery – Studying Politics
11. Bleed The Dream – Just Like I Remember
12. From First To Last – Note to Self
13. Rise Against – Give it All
14. Blindside – Fell in Love with the Game
15. Fear Before The March Of Flames – Should Have Stayed in the Shallows
16. Dark New Day – Pieces
17. Roses Are Red – 300 Motion Pictures
18. Street Drum Corps – Flaco 81
19. Avenged Sevenfold – Burn it Down
20. Killswitch Engage – Rose of Sharyn
21. Deftones – Bloody Cape
22. Every Time I Die – Kill the Music
23. Shadows Fall – Enlightened by the Cold
24. Dillinger Escape Plan – Unretrofied
25. Bleeding Through – On Wings of Lead
26. Funeral For A Friend – Roses for the Dead
27. Norma Jean – Bayonetwork
28. It Dies Today – Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads
29. The Bled – With an Urgency
30. Opiate For The Masses – Heaven
31. Alexisonfire – Accidents
32. The Smashup – Effigy
33. Adair – The Diamond Ring
34. Bloodsimple – Sell Me Out
35. Most Precious Blood – Shark Ethic
36. Dir En Grey – The Final

The Transit War – iAh Discordia!

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The Transit War

Artist: The Transit War
Album: iAh Discordia!
Label: Orange Peal
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 10, 2006

Overall: 7.8
Music: 8.2
Lyrics: 7.8
Production: 7.6

The Transit War, who hail from the sunny city of San Diego, CA, have the desire to make your ears melt with their indie rock tunes. On their new release iAh Discordia! (which is actually a re-release) the band deliver 8 tracks with indie guitars and emotional / inspiring lyrics. From the opening track “We’re Sleeping Better Now” you know that this album is going to be an exciting one. “Beakers & Bunsen Burners” shows the bands creative writing skills with mixing guitars and writing lyrics that move. “Mayday” presents some great guitar work and a faster chorus. You have to love the bands ability to keep you interested on this short album. The title track “Discordia” is, well, different from everything else on the album. It’s short but it’s acapella style is refreshing for the album. If you are going to enjoy any track on this album make sure it’s “Kerosene” which showcases the bands talents on this perfect song. “Hey, Get A Load Of That Stained Glass Window” wraps up the album and it’s a great song that showcases both some great vocal and guitar work.

For indie fans this is another great album. I can’t describe their sound to the fullest so your best bet is to take a listen for yourself and enjoy the music.

Track Listing
1. We’re Sleeping Better Now
2. Beakers & Bunsen Burners
3. A Brighter Green
4. Mayday
5. Discordia
6. Kerosene
7. Wild Nights & The Aftermath
8. Hey, Get A Load Of That Stained Glass Window

Standout Tracks
“Kerosene”, “Hey, Get A Load Of That Stained Glass Window”, “We’re Sleeping Better Now”

The Prize Fight – The Process

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The Prize Fight

Artist: The Prize Fight
Album: The Process
Label: TDR
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: March 7, 2006

Overall: 8.1
Music: 8.3
Lyrics: 7.9
Production: 8.0

The Prize Fight have been off the radar for a bit since their first EP which they released back in 2003. You may remember their horn infused pop songs or the great track “The Trainwrek” that filled that EP but the band has changed and dropped the horns for a new sound. Fans may not totally recognize the band without the horns but their sound overall has improved and it’s great to hear new stuff from them none the less.

Opening the EP is a diverse indie sounding guitar part followed by an increasingly faster emo beat mixed with some emo vocals and lyrics. “This Apartment” is a great opener for the EP which introduces the bands somewhat new sound to the listener. After mixing in some small guitar solos the song tends to carry on a bit coming in at over five minuets long. The next track “Lesson #6: Learning to Let Go” starts out with an almost unpleasant intro (probably just the mood I’m in) and is followed by some back and forth guitar work and a bit of a breakdown. From there on the song almost carries the same exact sound across as the first song except for the dual vocal part where they sing “If all else fails” which brings your ear in instantly. I have to say that some of these vocal parts remind me of The Early November (which is a good thing if you like them) but the band has more of a pop edge to them then TEN does. “Now Or Never” starts out with a great intro followed by a more relaxed chorus. The song has a very nice relaxing feeling to it, but the band doesn’t do much else to impress besides some more emotional lyrics to go along with their indie style guitars. On the next track “I Hate To Say, “I Told You,” we get a similar indie guitar intro filled with some highlights from the second guitar. Overall the song brings up memories of early Jimmy Eat World or even back to bands like Sunny Day Real Estate. “The Red Light District” comes in at over 6 minuets long and is filled with even more of the same indie licks and emotional lyrics. The song carries a nice beat though and if you can stay interested you’ll really enjoy it. A harder and faster track titled “Another Day, Another Struggle” wraps up this 37 minuet EP.

If your looking forward to hearing a continuation of The Prize Fight’s previous EP then you best look elsewhere. The bands sound has matured and overall is still great. This is probably one of the most indie sounding bands I’ve heard in a long time and I thank them for keeping things sounding real. Overall you might be fully impress or a little disappointed in this EP but I found a nice sound that reminds me of music being music and now a sub-culture. Check this out if your looking for something along the lines of The Early November or an older indie/emo style.

Track Listing
1. This Apartment
2. Lesson #6: Learning to Let Go
3. Now Or Never
4. I Hate To Say, “I Told You So”
5. Another Day, Another Struggle
6. The Red Light District

Standout Tracks
“This Apartment”, “Now Or Never”, “Another Day, Another Struggle”

Southcott – Flee The Scene

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Southcott

Artist: Southcott
Album: Flee The Scene
Label: Less Avenged | Rust
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: February 7, 2006

Overall: 7.9
Music: 8.1
Lyrics: 7.5
Production: 7.8

Southcott are finally here with their debut full-lenght album on Rust / Less Avenged Records. “Flee The Scene” is filled with pop infused hooks, kicking drums, and sing along lyrics. The NY based band deliver a full 10 songs that only slightly vary in style but overall are worthing of rocking out to.

With the intro track “Where The Tabloids Won’t Find Us” we are introduced to their upbeat and catchy style. You instantly know that you will be in for a fun album after the first track. Songs like “Sin City: Your Bed Sheets, My Legacy” are very upbeat but don’t technical follow the old school pop-punk most people would think this album is going to be. On “The October Tradition” the band lay things out a little better with more dynamics and range to their instruments. When I first heard “Red Lights And Rooftops” I wasn’t to fond of the way the vocals opened up the song, but you’ll find yourself singing them soon after. “Lifeboats For High Hopes” is a great catchy song where the band mix some upbeat parts with some laid back parts for a more mid-tempo feel. The album so far has been filled with catchy songs that do carry on the same sound but are fun to listen to none the less. The band change things up with an acoustic track titled “Friendly Fire.” Although the song is slow compared to the rest of the album it’s a good change and Penningsâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ vocals make up for it. Wrapping up the album is the track “We’ll Take This Outside, 1:17.” The band keep their upbeat style going on this track that doesn’t fail to impress.

Ever since I first heard these new songs I knew the album would be a great listen. Overall the album goes by way to fast at just 27 minuets and you are left wanting more. If your into pop-punk then this is a must buy for the year, you can rock out and even relax to the album, its all up to you.

Track Listing
1. Where The Tabloids Wonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t Find Us
2. Sin City: Your Bed Sheets, My Legacy
3. Red Lights and Rooftops
4. The October Tradition
5. Lifeboats for High Hopes
6. Vengeance Isnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t the Right Word
7. Post March Third
8. Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll Take This Outside, 12:45
9. Friendly Fire
10. Weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll Take This Outside 1:17

Standout Tracks
“Sin City: Your Bed Sheets, My Legacy”, “Lifeboats For High Hopes”, “We’ll Take This Outside, 1:17”

Paramore Interview (2) February 17th 2006

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Paramore

Since finishing their run on the Warped Tour this past summer and releasing their stellar debut album, Paramore have constantly been on the road. I caught up with them at home in Nashville, TN to see how things are going.

Trevor: First off, let’s get the obvious out of the way. You’ve had two member changes since the last time I talked to you. How is that working out for you?

Josh: It’s amazing.

Hayley: It’s…terrible.

(Laughter)

Jeremy: It’s so good!

(Laughter)

Hunter: It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Paramore.

Hayley: Jeremy was actually at the last show you interviewed us, watching.

Josh: He was there wishing he was back in.

Jeremy: I was the original bass player, and then I left and..yeah.

Zac: He does a lot of smart things like that.

(Laughter)

Josh: It’s been awesome, amazing, and incredible, so yeah.

Trevor: You’ve done a lot more touring since the summer. Now be honest. How much fun are you guys having on tour?

All: A lot.

Josh: We’re so blessed to be able to show up at a venue every day and do what we love doing.

Zac: It never gets old.

Josh: It never does, but it gets cold.

(Laughter)

Trevor: What are some of the new friends you’ve made while you’ve been touring?

Zac: The Lashes.

All: The Lashes.

Hayley: Forever Changed.

Josh: We didn’t tour with them, but we met up with them and got pretty close.

Hunter: Amber Pacific. My American Heart and Halifax.

Josh: Every band we’ve been on tour with.

Jeremy: Yeah, we’ve become close with pretty much everyone.

Trevor: How did you guys hook up with Shane C. Drake for the “Pressure” video?

Hayley: That was sort of John Janick’s idea. He knew him because he had done some stuff with Fall Out Boy and Fall Out Boy was with Fueled By Ramen. So he was like, “I’d really like to see what Shane could do with you guys,” and it worked out perfectly. We’re hoping if we do a new video, he’d be interested in doing it with us, because he’s incredible.

Zac: Yeah, now that he did us, it’s just going up from here. He’s doing Panic! now and we started him off on his career!

(Laughter)

Trevor: Who came up with the concept for the video?

Josh: We all kind of did. We sitting in the van and it was all kind of sprung up on us. It was kind of rushed, so we didn’t have much time to think about it. We love the video and how it turned out, but we’re just going to make our next one a whole lot better.

Trevor: I go into my school’s university center all the time, and they’ve always got MTVu playing. Almost every time I walk in there, the video is on.

Hayley: Oh weird!

Trevor:So how does it feel to know that your exposure is steadily growing away from the internet crowd and is slowly getting more mainstream?

Hayley: It’s really evident at shows. We’ve been able to tell the difference from the Warped Tour crowd last year, and even before that, the Bamboozle crowd. You can tell a lot by the way the kids we used to play for never would scream that much. Then the new kids, I don’t know; after we did the Simple Plan tour and on the Simple Plan tour, you could just walk on stage and everyone would start screaming.

Jeremy: It was like their eyes were going to pop out. They were like, “AAAAH!”

Hunter: Everyone’s just so much more enthusiastic. It’s a good feeling.

Trevor:Are you planning on releasing a new single any time soon?

Josh: We’re hoping to. We don’t know which song, but we’re hoping to some time soon.

Trevor: I heard you were demoing some new material.

Hayley: Yeah.

Trevor: Do you have a target date to actually go in and start recording a new full length?

Hayley: No, not really. I think we wanted to be able to record new stuff, but after we came back out on tour this year, we saw how much different the response was, and how much better it was. So we want to keep this record a chance to keep growing, because I think it’s only going to get better from here. We’re actually going to play two new songs tonight.

Zac: Yeah, we play the new stuff, because there’s no set thing for it. Maybe after Warped Tour, though, we’ll play a whole new set.

Trevor: Since the summer, a bunch of fan sites have popped up and they’ve got really, really rabid readers that contriubte something every day; whether it be pictures, videos, or whatever. Did you guys ever think that would happen to you?

All: No way!

Josh: They’re crazy man. They bring us stuff to shows. They brought Jeremy a pinata for his birthday and filmed us breaking it. The brought him cake.

Hayley: Oh! What about the girl that brought us gingerbread cookies that looked like us?

Zac: Oh man, those were good!

Hunter: There’s so much candy and everything.

Zac: For some reason, I guess we’ve done interviews like, “What’s your favorite food?” and I say, “Candy I guess,” so they read it. Then they’re like, “I heard you guys like these!” and we’re like, “Thank you!” They bring the candy you like and you’re like, “Oh gosh!”

Josh: I guess it’s just hard to fathom that someone you don’t know will buy you your favorite candy just because they like your music. It’s awesome, but at the same time you’re like, “Why are you doing this? I don’t deserve this.”

Jeremy: It’s cool, though, because I love it.

(Laughter)

Zac: I swear, they’re going to put poison in it one time and I won’t care, because I love to snack!

(Laughter)

Trevor: How often do you catch yourselves wishing you were home?

Hayley: Uuuh…(laughs) I think..I think..ah..too often.

Josh: I think towards the end of a tour, everyone’s anxious to get home, but then when you’re off for a week, you’re itching to get back out on the road again.

Jeremy: Yeah, it was like today. We got here at 6:30 in the morning, we all went to sleep, and then like, we all met up for lunch. We all hugged eachother and were like, “I miss you!”

(Laughter)

Jeremy: I mean, seriously, we were hugging eachother and were like, “I saw you like what, five hours ago!” I’m not even kidding, it was the weirdest thing ever and we’re all like, “Aaah!”

Hunter: You hang out for every second of every day and then you’re gone for two hours and you’re like, “I’m so happy to see you!”

(Laughter)

Trevor: What have you been taking out on tour that keeps you sane and occupied on the road?

Hayley: Pillows.

Zac: Scooters.

(Laughter)

Josh: Movies and stuff.

Hunter: Steroids.

Josh: Haha, yeah, our daily vitamins. Hayley’s trying to get a little swollen.

Hayley: (Laughing) No! They make fun of me, because I take vitamins a lot.

Zac: Steroids.

Hayley: (Laughing even harder.) No! I just take vitamins a lot because I’m extremely paranoid about being sick.

Josh: She’s a health freak.

Trevor: I heard earlier in the week, there were a couple of rude guys at a show. So I guess I’m directing this at Hayley. How often do you have to deal with that, and when you do, how do you deal with it?

Hayley: Every night. Lately the way I’ve been dealing with it is just through our music. At the end of “Here We Go Again” we have this, I don’t want to call it a breakdown because we’re not a hardcore band, but I guess this musical outtro, and it’s pretty heavy. I just make up lyrics that kind of pertain to what’s happening. The other night, that’s kind of what happened. I just got super fed up with it. The only thing I can do is sing about it, because that’s the platform that I have at the time. I mean, I’ll say things back to them every once in a while. Like, that one night, I was like, “Why are you here?”

Josh: Yeah, she was like, “Do you even like our band?” and they were just like, “You’re hot!” and they don’t give up. So they kept on yelling and I was like, “SHH!” and they stopped.

(Laughter)

Zac: It’s cool sometimes, because like the other night we were somewhere like, Tucan, Washington or something..

Hayley: Tucan?

(Laughter)

Hayley: Tucoma.

Zac: Tucoma, Tucan, who cares?

(Laughter)

Hayley: Go on.

Zac: Somewhere in this world, we were playing, and this dude was like, “Hey play Skater Boi!” and Hayley just totally like killed him, dude. She was like, “Hey, no. We played that on our last tour.” Then the guy was like, Oh,” and at the end of “Here We Go Again” she just starts, “He was a boy, and she was a girl!” and we were on stage playing and we were like, “What is she doing?” I was like, “I’ve heard that before. Oh wait! That’s Skater Boi!”

Jeremy: You could tell that everyone was laughing at those dudes because she was like, “You should have been on that tour! It was awesome!” Then she’s like, “This song’s called Complicated!” and I was like, “What’s she doing?”

Josh: I’ve got one more story. That one night in Detroit, that was probably the worst night we’ve ever had, but they were like, “Let me touch your hand! Give me a high five!” and Hayley’s like, “You know what? No.” and everyone’s like, (All the guys) “Ooooooh!”

(Laughter)

Hunter: It was like 8-Mile.

(Laughter)

Hunter: We were there. The venue in 8-Mile.

(Laughter)

Hayley: I’m sorry, we’re definitely not sane right now.

Zac: We’re having a good time in Nashkill!

Hayley: For real, though. We’re just excited to be home, and you’re an old friend, so it’s just fun.

Trevor: (Laughing) So what are your plans for the summer?

Josh: We have Warped Tour. We’re actually going to Japan in about a week, then in April, we’re going to the UK. But yeah, after that it’s Warped Tour.

Trevor: Are you playing the full Warped Tour or are you just playing select dates?

Zac: I think a month.

Hayley: We’re playing South by Southwest also, next month in Austin Texas. That’s going to be cool.

Zac: Which isn’t the summer at all.

Hayley: Yeah, but it’s up and coming. I’m excited because Thursday is on that bill and I like Thursday.

Trevor: You’re going to get starstruck. You know you are.

Hayley: Oh, totally. (Laughter) No, see the thing is, we saw Geoff Rickley at CBGB’s when we played there last time. I don’t know, it was in New York, but he was there. We know people from labels that know him and I wanted to be like, “Hey, my friend says she knows you,” but I was so scared.

Zac: He’s a cool person, and he smells like cigarettes.

(Laughter)

Hayley: Yeah, but after that, we don’t know.

Paramore

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