E: Chase, The Mile After has been gaining a steady fanbase for its enthusiastic and energetic collection of music. Would you call the group pretty experienced as a band?
Chase: Well, all of our members have previously been in bands before The Mile After, so we knew what it would take to bring this new band to the next level. In fact... Ben, Jim, and Davis played together throughout high school together. Their old band wasn't quite as serious as TMA, but there is no denying that the three grew together musically and mesh really well. Luckily, I fit right in.
E: Is the music that The Mile After plays similar to what you played in the past?
Chase: Actually no. My old band was more alt. rock. We had some pop-punk influence --Green Day, Blink-182--but mainly we stuck to softer stuff. I'd wanted to start playing some music with more energy. TMA makes the music that I've always wanted to play.
E: Do you all share in the songwriting, or is there a principal songwriter?
Chase: Usually our song-writing process goes at follows: Davis or I write a song--lyrics, rhythm guitar, vocal melody--and record it on our own in a very basic manner on the computer. Then the song is sent to the rest of the band. We each listen to it and learn the basic structure of the song. Ben listens and writes lead guitar riffs and sometimes restructures entire parts of the song to work better as a full band. He then re-records a modified version of the song with his rearrangement/lead guitar parts and sends it back out to the rest of the band. We make note of his changes and by the time we pull it out to learn in practice, all that is left to write are the three part harmonies and the drum parts; but most of the drums have already been worked out by Jim, so learning the new song goes very smoothly.
E: Does the band have a good amount of songs under its belt by this time?
Chase: We're very picky on what songs we choose to perform/record. If there is a song in the works that either sounds too much like one of our old songs or couldn�t possibly be someone's favorite TMA song, we throw it out. We only want to produce the best possible music we can, no filler. This, in turn, has limited us a bit in our song output. We've also only been a fully working band for less than a year and in that short amount of time, have thrown out quite a few songs deeming them not good enough. We're constantly throwing around ideas and have enough songs under our belt for a full-length album.
E: Are there any topics you feel that your songs consistently touch?
Chase: **Laughs** The age-old topic of heartbreak. What is a better inspiration? Lately, I've been trying to use other motivation for my songwriting and it works pretty well, but I still can't get better lyrics out of myself from anything other than relationships and the drama within. Hey, call me clich�, but some of the best songs of all time are about love and the issues surrounding it.
E: Is there anything band-related that you think the group needs to work at becoming better with?
Chase: Well... one thing I think we need to work on is possibly our song-output rate. We need to be less picky with potential songs because our listeners would probably like them just the same.
E: How many of the people you interact with will usually know that you're in a band?
Chase: Hmm. Well mostly everyone that I talk to on a daily basis knows I'm in a band and has been to at least a couple of our shows. Even when I talk with someone that I haven't seen in years, they usually know more about my new musical endeavors than I would have thought; probably from my friends and family, but I like to think fans. **Laughs** With our recent promotion on the front page of PureVolume.com, I have been getting bombarded with Instant Messages from people who like our stuff from all around the country. It's really exciting to know that people like listening to what I love making. If a day ever comes where I'm recognized in public by someone I've never met, I won't know what to do. **Laughs**
E: What do you think are the best opportunities that the band offers?
Chase: Well, for this upcoming summer, we're planning a tour. This is something I really can't wait to experience. What can be better than hopping in a van with your three best friends and driving across the country? Not only are you getting a badass road trip in which you get to see things you've never seen before, but you also get to play music every night in a different city for new potential fans. Touring is something great that only people in bands get to experience to the fullest extent. Other than that, I'd say the recording process. Although it is tedious and very stressful, it definitely has its pluses. When the process is done and the master CD is in your hand, you have a connection with those other three guys that nobody else will have. It's hard to explain. All of that hard work together just brings you closer, you know?
E: Yeah. Well, thanks for being such a good interview.
Chase: No problem! It's been my pleasure. Everyone please check out www.purevolume.com/themileafter and tell all your friends! |
