I recently got to sit down for a phone interview with Nick of The Spill Canvas to talk about the band’s upcoming record, tours and more. Thank you very much to Nick for talking to us, and Sarah for setting everything up!
So firstly, where are you right now?
Nick: Sioux Falls, South Dakota…where we live!
Did you guys do any recording there?
N: No, we’ve recorded here before though. This is where we recorded the first record, but really right now its just kind of where we reside (laughs).
So is the recording for the new album done?
N: The new album is basically done. We’re done recording, we just haven’t done the mixing yet.
Where did you guys record it?
N: it was recorded in LA, in Hollywood.
Can you describe it a little bit?
N: Yeah, you know its definitely a lot different than anything we’ve ever done. We tried to just to concentrate on a lot of different styles that we’re able to do, and we kind of just went for it in ever aspect. We’re really excited for it and we hope people will appreciate it or at least, fans will enjoy it.
Was it easier this time around since you guys have done a couple of albums now?
N: Yeah, it was a lot easier to get things rolling. i think we wrote roughly thirty songs for this next record, and obviously we couldn’t choose all of them, but we definitely knew it was getting a little easier than the times before. It was pretty cool to have that advantage and know what our dynamics as a band were.
So the EP was released a little over a month ago. Why did you decide to put out the EP between the two albums?
N: Well, we basically had time when we were here when we were home over the holidays, and we started thinking that when we were going to be recording the new record it wouldn’t really be out until this fall. That would have been a little over two years in between the last record and the new record so we had time and we figured, why not put out something, a little something. Some new songs and covers, just something for our fans to have before the next record came out. It was mainly a big thing for fans. We just wanted to give back to give back a little bit.
The EP also has a couple of covers on it. How did you decide to put those on?
N: One of the covers is Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac and that one… we’re just huge Fleetwood Mac fans. It was pretty crazy to be able to do something like that. The other song was an acoustic number, Catch The Wind and that was by Donovan, who’s kind of like a Bob Dylan. That cover was actually recommended by the head of Warner Music Group. When he recommends something its kind of like oh wow. It was a very great honor to even get a recommendation so we were kind of like “oh, lets check it out”, and we listened to the song. We decided that it just worked perfectly for my voice, and everything just kind of fit well so that’s how that one happened.
Did you guys already know that you wanted to have covers on it, so you just picked songs or was it the other way around?
N: Yeah, basically it was just picking what songs. We went through a lot and, we picked a lot of more current songs too like songs from the nineties and stuff. We actually decided to go with something from the seventies, and a little bit early just because we wanted to see how well we could cross barriers like that. We’re just such fans of all kinds of music so for us to be able to bridge the gap, and get out of the realm of all the normal bands in our genre, and showcase that we were able to do that.
You guys were named one of the 100 bands to watch in 2007 by Alternative Press. What do you think about that?!
N: It’s awesome. That’s just such a crazy honor to me. There’s just so much good music out there, so to be able to be recognized as something that people enjoy, and something that somebody would actually consider good… it was just such an honor. We’re lucky to be a part of such a cool group of musicians and artists, so we could not be happier.
So a couple of months ago you guys designed a guitar hero controller that was auctioned for charity. How did that come about?
N: A bunch of other bands had done it, and we got approached via our label management. We just never really get the opportunity to do anything for cool charities like that, cause things have always just slipped though our fingers. It was one of the first things that we got to do, and it has just been so cool. We just slapped a ton of stickers on it and spray painted it a little bit. It just just a fun thing, because we’re a very quiet group of guys so it’s kind of like we don’t ever get out and do anything like that. It was just great do to something like that for once.
Do you guys play a lot of Guitar Hero?
N: Yes, we do! We played it so much in the studio.
Who would you say in the band is best at it?
N: Oh man, I would say Landon, our new bass player. He can play on expert level or whatever hard level, and he’s so good at it. I admire his Guitar Hero abilities (laughs).
What is your favorite Spill Canvas song and why?
N: Oh wow. Well, I have to make the question easier for me to answer, because I love pretty much all the new stuff that no one’s ever heard before, so that’s not really fair to everybody! Out of anything that’s already been recorded, I really love the song To Live Without It off the new EP. It just came out really naturally, and that’s kind of how a lot of the new stuff came out. I love Staplegunned so much too, I don’t know, it’s so hard to choose but those would have to be the two.
So you guys are going to be on Warped Tour this year. Are you excited?
N: Yes, very! We have the chance to do the entire span of the tour, and it will be the first time we’ve gotten to do all of it.
Are there certain cities that you like to tour in most?
N: Yes. Warped Tour’s definitely a little different. The cities on Warped Tour are so different. If it were a tour we were on with just a few other bands, we love playing the east coast, the upper east coast, northeast area. Anywhere in the west coast is amazing.
What are your tour plans after Warped Tour?
N: We’ll be doing another tour. We’re right now just setting up our first headliner to support the new record which is supposed to come out in the fall. We’re just kind of getting details for that, and I think we’ll know before Warped Tour what the headlining tour line up will be and all that stuff. Maybe get some tour dates in the works too, so we will know soon!
What would your ideal tour be?
N: Oh wow, there’s just so many bands that I’d love to tour with. If I had to choose, I would say Saves The Day just because they’re one of my all time favorite bands, and they got me into writing music. If you were talking, any style or genre, I would say Saves The Day, Van Morrison and probably Damien Rice. They have all been really huge influences on me, as musicians. It would just be awesome. Oh, and maybe U2 also.
What music have you been listening to lately?
N: I’ve been listening to the new Circa Survive a lot, I love that band so much. A lot of Van Morrison, the new Bright Eyes record; I’ve never really been a huge Bright Eyes fan, but his new record is definitely worth checking out. I’m also constantly addicted to The Format, they’re just such a great band.
How would you compare the music you listen to now to the music you listened to 5 or 10 years ago?
N: It’s definitely a lot more broad. I appreciate all kinds of music now as opposed to when I was younger, I was very strict on listening to only one kind of music, you know? Now, I just love all kinds, anything that’s good.
Well that’s all I have. Is there anything else you would like to add?
N: I don’t think so, I think I’m good. I appreciate it though.
Ok well thanks so much for talking to us.
N: Thank you, I appreciate everything.
Leave a Reply