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| ::Interviews:: |
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| review & interview content, as well as web site graphics & design, copywrite 2003-2004 Euphonia Online. use of materials granted only with reasonable purposes. |
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| interviewed by robby sumner |
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Chris Barker - Vocals, Guitar Rob Heiner - Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals Sean Bergin - Guitar Steve Weir - Drums |
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| Interview with Rob and Sean April 3rd, 2004 |
| E: Guys, the newest album from Day At The Fair--the Prelude--has just recently been released. What should fans expect from this release and others to be seen in the future? Sean: I'd have to say emotionally charged lyrics, great hooks, and bringing the rock. Rob: It's hard to say, but I think people should expect to hear something not unlike other things they've already heard. I just think that the Prelude is better than 99% of things out there. We're really not cocky... it just is. And as far as the future... the songs we're working on now are just building on top of that, using the Prelude as a foundation for where we're going musically. E: What changes have been made that might suggest a slightly different sound from the one heard on your previous record, No Lights On Weldon? Rob: Well, the main difference is that we solidified our line-up between the two records. We added Steve, and that was, like, the biggest blessing ever. And with Steve came this whole new rock influence. So from there we dropped the whole acoustic thing and just kind of took songs and "trimmed the fat," I guess you'd say. The songs on the Prelude are all very simple songs, but in a very intentional and calculated way. Every song, when we were trimming it, we'd be like, "Do we really need this harmony/guitar part/whatever?" And if the answer was "no," then it was gone. Sean: Speaking as a fan [from] before I joined the band, I can say that the production was so much better. John at Nada really captured DATF's sound perfectly, whereas No Lights was kind of murky, production-wise. E: How much would you say you've allowed the influences of other musicians and fans to affect the songs you write or the shows you perform? Rob: I don't think we allow anyone to affect the way we sound, except ourselves... and John from Nada. When we're in the studio he'll throw some ideas at us. But other than that, we just write the songs we write. It has nothing to do with other musicians or what fans want to hear, though. As far as performing goes, fans totally affect that. When a crowd is into it, even if you're not totally on your game you find ways to step it up and give a good show. E: What aspects of being in a band are the most exciting to you? Sean: For me it's just being in the band. Playing music with guys I really love, respect, and admire. I did the whole "Corporate America" thing for five years and it sucked. This is something I'm so proud to be a part of. Rob: Touring and recording, hands down. Everything else has too much business influence involved. But recording, you put everything you have into it, and if you did it right, when you leave, you leave with something you're proud of. And touring... touring is just fun as hell. I hate bands that complain about touring, because seriously, drinking and playing every day is a hell of a lot better than working a crap job and being at home. Sean: Touring is another aspect that rules. The fact that bands can complain about having to tour baffles me. E: Do you ever think about where you might be today if you weren't involved in a band? Rob: It's funny, because most people would say "Oh, I just would have went to college and become an English teacher" or something to that effect. Me, I would probably be a part-time carpenter, full-time alcoholic. And actually, come to think of it... I guess it wouldn't be all that different. Sean: Been there, done that, and it sucked. It was boring and mind-numbing. E: How would you compare DATF to musical experiences you've had in the past? Rob: 8,000 times better. I've been in a lot of bands before. I've been in serious bands since I was 19, and this is just a far better experience. Better band, better music, better people. Everything's just better. All the other bands, we weren't necessarily bad... we were just as good as we could be. But with DATF, I don't know that there's any potential to reach. We'll find out, though. Sean: This is my first experience being in a band and I think I'm pretty lucky to start out on a high note. I couldn't imagine playing music with anyone else. E: Describe your relationship with your bandmates. Rob: It's awesome... everyone's got their own style. With Chris, we've known each other for, like, 13 years, so we obviously don't get sick of each other. We've been through hell and back, hating each other over girls and whatnot... but somehow this is where we always end up. With Steve... Steve and I have been friends for, like, 8 years. He fell out of touch for a while, but he just jumps back in and nothing skips a beat. Steve's kind of the quiet, shy guy, but he's a freakin' amazing kid--totally committed to the band in every way possible. Sean: Yeah, Steve is definitely the quiet one, but he's also the one who will kill a man with his bare hands if they're messing with one of his friends. Rob: And Sean... me and Sean have a lot in common, mostly drinking habits and whatnot. But Sean's the best kid ever--we went on tour with him and just knew that he needed to be in the band. Sean: We all get along, but I think I have the most in common with Rob as far as music tastes and philosophies. Chris is awesome, and one of the nicest guys ever. Steve is amazing in that he will do anything for you... as evidenced by him replacing my brakes last week. E: What made you decide to go the direction you've gone with DATF? Rob: I don't think it was necessarily a conscious decision to change gears or anything... I think we were just bored of being an acoustic act, and when Steve joined the band he opened up a lot of new possibilities, and the direction that we went in was just the most comfortable for us. E: Interpret this question however you will... who do you write your songs for? Rob: I think we write our songs for ourselves first and foremost. If other people like them, then that's cool. But I guess I'd say that if you can't love your own songs, how could you expect anyone else to love them? So mostly it's for us, just so we hold ourselves to a higher standard. E: When did you first get into music? Sean: I used to listen to my parents' records when I was really little--Beatles, Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, ABBA, Frank Sinatra, and Neil Diamond. I started getting interested in rock with U2's Joshua Tree? record. Punk rock for me began with Nirvana. And I eventually got into the emocore of the early 90's--Sunny Day [Real Estate], Knapsack, Texas is the Reason, and Mineral. I've always played an instrument--in grammar school through high school I played the sax. Then I taught myself guitar when I graduated. Rob: When I was really little, I would make my mom buy me records, mostly Pat Benatar. I was always buying some kind of music, but I didn't really get into punk rock stuff until I started hearing it on skate videos and when I was real into skating... mainly Pennywise, NOFX, Face to Face... those were my first real punk bands I got into, and I would cut class to go to the mall with some older kids when I was like a freshman or sophomore, and all those bands had a new record coming out. It was fun. But I never played an instrument until I got a guitar for my 18th birthday. E: Do you feel as though your interest in music now is as strong as it was in the beginning? Sean: Yeah. I'm always listening to new bands. When a band writes a song that clicks with you in some way, it's just awesome. I never get bored with trying to find that. Rob: As far as playing and the band goes--easily, if not stronger. As far as listening to music... I don't know that it's as strong. Being in a band does some strange things to you. I never really go to shows anymore because it bums me out that I'm not playing. I think I see maybe three shows a year, and it has to be bands that I love. Sean: Unlike Rob, I go to shows all the time and I'll probably never stop. Rob: I don't know how to explain it, but I hold bands to a higher standard than the average person would, because I know about little studio tricks, and I hear bands steal melodies and parts from other bands and themselves. It's just really hard to find something original and good... at least I think, anyway. Sean: As far as playing, I'm much more motivated to learn and practice. Obviously I don't want to embarass myself or the band, but it's just a lot of fun and extremely interesting hearing parts and breaking music down more than I ever have. E: Well the music you guys make is definitely worth listening to. Thanks a lot. Sean: Come check us out on tour. We'll have details on our site soon. And thank you for doing this interview--my first one ever! |