Page 33 - RockRevoltMagazine-Fall2016

been a fan of for years was just –
Ben: I really had to talk him into it. He
really wasn’t interested at first, but I
sprinkled some sugar on it… (laughs).
Keith: (laughs) whatever. That was just
my poker face. I couldn’t be like, “YES
YES YES YES!!” And it has been great
because the fans have just welcomed us
all in with open arms, amazingly. The
support from them has been incredible.
Ben: And that’s the coolest thing about
the whole thing, regardless of who is
writing what or all of the questions that
you ask. Really, at the end of the day, the
most amazing part of this whole process
has been the fans and just how awesome
they are. And how they’ve welcomed
these guys, and welcomed our album,
and welcomed our video. And all of that.
It’s really, really incredible to have been in light of the tragedies in Paris at the
gone so long and have the fans pick up
right where we left off, and have even
more fans since then. So, it’s been really
justifying what we’re trying to do as a
band.
You guys to have some diehard fans. I was
at the Gilford, NH, show, and I was trying
to walk through. You guys came on stage,
and I almost got trampled. (laughs)
Ben & Keith: (laughs)
Ben: Yeah, they’re awesome. And they’re
really, really, really passionate not
only about what we do, but also about
Concert Photography by Derek Koepke
rock music in general. And we always
support that.
So, rock’s not dead?
Ben & Keith: NO way, No way.
Ben: Rock’s always been the kid in the
corner. Rock’s always been the kid at
the back of the classroom, and rock will
make this headway when something
happens like Nirvana or Korn, or some
other genre-defining moment like that. It
will stand out in the front then because it
is something so undeniably awesome that
happens, but then it goes back to the back
of the class where it belongs. So, people
think that because it was so prominent
for a time, and then it goes back to being
the underdog again that it has somehow
gone away. But, it will never go away.
Absolutely, I could not agree more. So,
Bataclan, the terrorist attacks there, did
that change the way you guys tour? Do
you take more precautions? I mean, I am
sure that raised some awareness.
Keith: Definitely. Something like that
changes the way you live your life in
general, whether you are on tour or just
anywhere in public. It’s a scary thing. But,
I mean we still want to get out there and
play to as many people as we can. We
want to make sure everybody feel safe,
the fans and everybody. So, as long as the
good steps are taken to make sure of that,
then that’s the best we can do.
That makes sense. Now, with the Gotcha. Influences. What got you to
Presidential campaigns in the US right start playing music?
now, obviously a lot of the campaigns
use music. So, if one of the candidates Keith: I started playing guitar by
started playing one of your songs listening to Metallica. That was my
because they thought it fit well, would band that got me started. Alice in
you be like, “No, sorry”… or “Exposure Chains, Metallica, all of that.
is good, so go ahead.”? Ben: Nirvana. 100% Nirvana. If it
wasn’t for that band, I wouldn’t be a
Ben: Well, we’re definitely not the musician at all. And then, after them,
kind of band that would do something I went back and listened to Metallica
just for exposure. I probably would and Tool. But Nirvana opened the
not be for it in the sense that we door for me to be a singer that plays
don’t really care to be attached to any guitar, and a songwriter and all that.
sort of political thing because I feel,
personally, that music should be an Sure. So, what’s life like when you’re not
escape from those kinds of things. If on tour? What do you guys like to do
there are bands that want to be political when you’re not on the bus?
and make it a part of what their about,
that’s fine and cool because that’s their Ben & Keith: We like to eat and relax.
thing. But, it’s not our thing. Our thing (laughs) 
is to relate to people on an emotional
level, not a political view. And I don’t
think our music has anything to do
with any of that, so even if it did relate
or they liked it, I probably wouldn’t
really care for it because I don’t want
to take it to a place it doesn’t need to be
just for recognition.