An indie band trying to make a name for itself in the music industry today is not always an easy thing to do. The meek and timid fall to the wayside quickly, as the stronger and more determined talent in the crop seem to weather the storm and persevere. The fight is not always an easy one, but not everybody thinks that American Idol is the way to hit the big-time. A very good example of that is the breakout LA-based band Before The Mourning and the journey that they are on has been filled with a few bumps in the road, but their destination is set for straight ahead…and upwards. With the way things are going for them thus far in 2014, this could absolutely be THE year for this hard core band of troubadours.
Before The Mourning formed towards the end of 2011, going through several member changes as they moved through the process that a lot of bands do in order to find all the necessary pieces of their puzzle that fit together just right. They’ve released two EPs with their most recent being Damned and Forsaken, and just started recording the first full-length album.
BTM has made some major melodic noise which has garnered the attention of the right people along the way; opening up opportunities that most band’s dream of, such as being added to the roster for In This Moment’s Hellpop Tour II along with Butcher Babies, Devour The Day and All Hail The Yeti.
RockRevolt™Magazine caught up with lead singer, Adam Ryan, and guitarist, Nikki Stringfield, to catch up with them on how things went on Hellpop Tour II and what is ahead for Before The Mourning in 2014!
JP: It’s been a year since we interviewed you last and here you guys are – just off one of the hottest bills to happen 
thus far in 2014 – the Hellpop Tour II. Was that the biggest national exposure you’ve had together so far and how did you adapt – getting thrown straight onto the circus train?
Adam: Yeah, it definitely was the biggest thing that we’ve done so far as a band. It was sink or swim and we seemed to really catch the full swing of getting into our rhythm after the show in Chicago. We felt like that was a big turning point for us. It’s was such an extremely cool experience because everyone got along and we really became one big, close knit unit.
JP: That sounds like a great experience for your first huge tour. Were there any shows that really standout to you, whether for good reasons or bad? If it’s for bad reasons, we can change the names to protect the innocent or the guilty.
Adam: The city that really kicked it off for us was in Spokane, Washington; that city was totally amazing that night. There have been a few shows where it seemed that it wasn’t everybody’s favorite thing to be listening to. When we hit Arlington Heights and most of the shows in that area, Fort Wayne and Cincinnati, the reception for us was really good.
Nikki: It’s tough being an opener and having most of the people there not know who you are, but those seemed to be the crowds that received us the best.
JP: Well you guys rocked it in North Carolina! Did you have a gameplan going into this knowing that you had limited playing time to a crowd who doesn’t know who you are? How do you hit them the hardest and make an impact?
Adam: That’s exactly what we had to think about because it’s a pretty strict rule and we only had 20 minutes to play. We would come up with combinations of four songs and some were way under 20 minutes while others ran over. We really lucked out in that the four songs on our new EP ended up being the heaviest hitting and just the right amount of time.
Nikki: There were a few nights where we were able to add a fifth song, but we pretty much went out each night and hit them hard with those four.
JP: Well you did hit them hard and you gained a lot of new fans along the way. I loved watching your Facebook page and seeing the people comment after going to see one of the shows. You’re definitely winning some people over out there.
Adam: We started out with just under 7000 “likes” on Facebook when the tour started and we’re over 8000 now, so it worked out really well for exposure and a whole new set of people hearing us.
JP: I know Maria (In This Moment) hit a bump in the road on Hellpop II with strep throat. The whole tour was a meteorlogical nightmare; going from really warm temperatures to single digits to below zero and back again! Having never toured in different regions – one after another – did the weather cause any issues with your voice?
Adam: My voice was feeling great for the first five or six shows, but I’m wasn’t really used to that type of schedule. The weather and the demanding schedule presented a problem in that I didn’t rest as much as I should have; especially the vocal cords. My voice did get a little rough after the Indiana show and I was feeling the impact, so basically after that it was it was ‘shut-up every night and rest it’ as much as possible.
JP: So what dis you take away from the tour that you didn’t have going into it?
Adam: I definitely learned about the rigors of a tour of that magnitude; the need to take proper care of myself and my voice. I learned some new things and techniques from Heidi and Carla from Butcher Babies which I’ll always remember. They have a similar screaming style and it takes a toll on their voices as well. They have these certain drinks and techniques that they use to keep their voices in shape; I really learned a lot from them on how to take care of my voice as an instrument.
JP: Let’s talk a little bit about the new EP Damned and Forsaken. Can you compare and contrast this one with your first EP, Remembrance, that came out 2012?
Adam: On Remembrance, I think we were still trying to find our sound and we put it out early-on in the band’s formation. Our old guitar player departed before we did Damned and Forsaken, so there’s just another flavor on there and reflects the more mature direction of where we are going.
Nikki: I think Damned and Forsaken shows our growth as a band, which is what you hope for anytime that you put out something new.
JP: Speaking of something new…you just started recording for the new album?
Adam: Yep…we just went into the studio on March 1st to start recording our new album, so we are really in the beginning phases of getting tracks laid down and so forth.
Nikki: We are in complete creative mode right now in every way. We just recently started working with Steven Juliano ( I AM GHOST, Requiem For The Dead) who is creating the artwork for our album and we’re so excited about that! He is such a talented frontman on and off the stage. You have to check his work out at stevenjulianodesigns.com!
JP: Is the album going to be released independently like both of your EPs were?
Adam: Yeah, I am sure that as soon as we get all of the songs finished, our manager will start feeding them out there to see if there’s any interest in us.
JP: Will the album have stuff from both EPs or will it be all brand new stuff?
Adam: It’s a little too early to tell, but there won’t be anything from the first EP on it. There may be something from the Damned and Forsaken, but we’ll put all the songs together and pick the best ones from that.
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JP: Ok, the gloves come off now and it’s time for the tough questions. IF you could be a super hero or have any super power, what would it be?
Adam: Oh that’s easy, flying. I have always wanted to fly and I have vivid dreams every other day about flying. I don’t know what it is, but I think it would be awesome to be able to fly.
Nikki: I’ve never really thought about that question before. I think being invisible could be fun; it could also be super scary at the same time. You may see things that you really don’t want to see.
JP: What would your professional wrestling names be?
Nikki: “The Stringfield Strangler” – that’s my new stage name.
Adam: Oh, that’s a really good one! I don’t know, maybe something to incorporate my name like “Adam Bomb.” I’m not really too happy with that one right now, it’s sort of weak, but it’s all that I can think of off the top of my head. Yeah, I’m Adam Bomb and I’m going to drop it on you.
Nikki: That makes sense for when we are in the van (laughs).
JP: Uh oh, somebody crack the window!
Adam: Yeah, it’s pretty much been the “Window Cracked Tour” so far (laughs).
JP: That’s a great segway into my next question. What’s been the best and worst food on the road?
Nikki: The turkey sandwich that almost killed both of us.
Adam: Yeah, for whatever reason, we thought that it would be in our best interests to eat these turkey 
sandwiches from a gas station out in the middle of nowhere. It put us both out of commission that night and our stomachs were churning pretty hard.
Nikki: As for the best food, there’s been a lot of Subway and Cracker Barrel is always good – and safe.
Adam: There was also a great Mediterranean restaurant in Huntington, New York right next to the Paramount.
JP: Well now I’m hungry and I know you guys have to go finish loading in and getting ready. Thanks again for taking the time to do this. It’s great to see positive things like this tour happen for Before The Mourning because of all the hard work you put into what you’re doing.
Adam: Thanks man, we really appreciate that. We want the fans to be on the lookout in April for our debut album and a tour hopefully soon after to support it. We appreciate the support from you and RockRevolt, you guys have been great.
BEFORE THE MOURNING IS:
Adam Ryan (Vocals), Nikki Stringfield (Guitar), CJ Cussell (Guitar), Phil Gonyea (Drums)
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