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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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| Interview with the whole band June 27th, 2004 |
Nick Orsolini - Vocals, Guitar Tim Shemroske - Vocals, Bass Joe Yarbrough - Drums |
| E: First Impression is a band from out of Illinois, an area that is not exactly well known when it comes to turning out bands. How do you think that starting out in a smaller area compares to starting out somewhere like Southern California or New York City? Joe: Well, I think that starting here is a lot harder than it would be if we lived in California or New York, but I mean, it's kind of fun knowing that there aren't many big bands coming out of Chicago, and that we possibly can be one of them. But it provides a challenge and it makes us work a lot harder to get where we want to be. Tim: Getting the right members is difficult. Nick: Hmm... I think starting out in a small town is pretty cool. I mean, it's sort of, like... you can be originators and idols of your town, unlike New York and bigger areas where record labels are around every block. And in big cities, bands start to sound the same--it's kind of boring. But I also agree with Tim--it's really hard to find the right members. E: Do you think that to truly make it on the scene, you'll have to relocate the band sometime in your career? Tim: Of course--you can't put a needle in a haystack and just hope someone finds it... you need to promote it more and show that you are out there. Nick: You need to get out there all over the place and promote. Joe: I honestly don't [think so]; I think that if we bust our asses hard enough, it will pay off in the long run... we just have to try our hardest to get our names out there. Tim said it all. Nick: Yeah, I'll agree on that. E: Starting out as young as you are, what advantages do you think you have over bands who form at a later age? Nick: Starting off young definitely has its advantages. Joe: Yes, definitely. Nick: I mean, I started guitar at a young age, and when the time came for being in a band, it was like I was prepared for it or something. We definitely have time to "wow" people and show them that even though we're young, we can still be as good as a band who's in their 20's or something. Tim: An advantage I would have to say is that if we do turn out to suck, we still have much more of our lives to get back on the track. Joe: We have more time to promote ourselves, and more time to get better--it's not like we are thirty and now starting a band to get big--it gives us some time to figure out how a band works... what it takes to keep it all together. Nick: And when we are at that older age, we will have so much experience as a band--and as individuals--that our music should make people dance on their way to their car or something. Joe: And in the end, it's all in all three friends pulling together to overcome the impossible. Nick: Exactly. Joe: With the help of the best manager in the world. Nick: I'll just elaborate on what Tim was saying, also... being kind of young, it's like... we are being pressured into what we want to do with our lives, all through high school. And you really can't tell someone, "I wanna be a rockstar"--they'll laugh in your face. So we can still get our lives back on track and do other things if the band doesn't come out as successful as our intentions were. Joe: Kind of like Nick is saying... it also gives us time for back-up plans. Nick: Exactly. E: What sort of goals have been set for the band's future? Nick: Gosh... what goals haven't been set? Joe: Yeah, really. Nick: We are always trying to improve ourselves, for one. I mean, that's like the biggest goal we have, in my opinion. It's like... we always will sit there when writing and go, "Okay--how can I make this better?" Joe: We've pretty much set them all, after looking at bands like Blink-182 in awe and looking up at them... we just sit back and dream up every band's dream. Nick: Yeah--getting big, signing to a label... I think it would be really cool to play a big event like the Warped Tour, because you have so many kids who are already in bands or aspiring to be in a band or just there for the love of the music. Joe: I'd say our main goal would be selling out a huge show with tons of people who love us and can sing along to our every word--that'd be awesome. Nick: Also, as a personal goal for me, I would love to have a signature guitar made... I am such a geek with this. I love my guitars and I just wish I could have them made publicly. Yeah, playing shows where the fans sing is really cool... and to sell out a big venue would be ultimate. That would about do it for me. I mean, after something like that, I'd never stop playing with my band. Another cool goal would be, like... if a kid I don't know told me that because of my music, I changed his perspective on music, and what he likes and so forth. I mean, we are inspired by a lot of bands to do a thing like this, and to have someone look up to me someday and say that I inspired them to be in a band... what more could you ask for? That's a total sense of achievement for me. Tim: I just want to make it in a musical career... having someone come up to me and ask what I do for a living, and being able to answer "You should know!" Just kidding. Nick: Yeah, it would be a time like that when you can say "I live a rockstar career," and no one will laugh at you. That would be cool. Joe: I think that the coolest thing would be that I am able to play a show every night in front of a sold-out crowd, and making a living off of it. Nick: Definitely. I want to be bigger than Puff Daddy, too. Joe: Straight up. Nick: I don't know if that's wrong or something... but seriously, the guy is everywhere. Joe: *Laughs* Yeah. He does have a point. E: What early signs have shown you that the band will be able to achieve its dreams? Tim: Compliments and money. Nick: Well, I would say our luck, for one... we've been in and our of crappy bands that don't go anywhere, and with this band, we all just found exactly what we needed in each other. It was the perfect thing... and a lot of bands around here don't go very far after being together for about a year, but we actually have. I mean, we have fans, and [we] play shows all the time... released a full-length album and an EP. Joe: We have all gotten along great--it's like we were made for each other, our music flows with each other... we always get along... it's like one big happy family. Nick: Also, we sometimes get Instant Messages from random people telling us that we are really good... that's a kickass feeling. Joe: Yeah, definitely. Nick: We've never gotten in one fight--not one. And, as Joe said, our music flows. When writing a song, it's like... we know exactly what each other is thinking, and everything turns out ten-thousand times better than we expected. Also, our PureVolume numbers rise every day, so we know we have fans out there who listen to us all the time. I would have to say that crowd participation in shows has increased, too. Joe: Yeah, it's a good feeling to know we have fans that don't think we suck. Nick: We've gone from people just kind of staring at us to singing along and moshing and even crowd surfing, once. And the better the crowd is, the better we play--we kind of feed off of the audience. Joe: Yeah, it's a two-way relationship. We work off them, they work off us. Nick: I would just say that on the whole, fans and progress over the time we've been together have shown us that we aren't another pop-rock band--we have something more. Joe: I agree. Nick: Our school recently had a Battle of the Bands, but we are all freshmen at our school... and out of the nine bands there we played 3rd place at the Battle of the Bands. And the other two bands had been in the battle in previous years. We just came out of nowhere and ended up in the top three. That was something that told me we have a chance in a music career. Joe: Lately we are getting more and more exposure... like a radio station in Kentucky has asked us to be part of their nationwide broadcast of smaller pop-punk bands. E: What aspects of the band lifestyle have you found to be your favorite to date? Joe: Well, whenever you hear a band talk about their tour life, they always say how hard it is to go on tour for such a long time. Well... this isn't anything about us--we live in a little town called Addison with nothing to do, and we are going to love touring and being able to be places we have never been before. Plus it gives us something to do all the time. Nick: Yeah, we don't live in a town where you can entertain yourself, really. Addison is really small and boring, and all we ever do is practice or hang out. So I think when the time comes to tour, I'm going to love it. But as of right now, I just look forward to going to practice, because that's when I have the most fun out of the whole day. It's that small amount of time when we just put a bunch of crap together and call it music. Joe: Basically, I see tour life as being a great adventure where anything is possible. Nick: I guess basically, the best part of being in a band and all is it gives us something to do... but not only for now, but to work at and make a career out of. E: What do you think are the strongest parts of the band's music? Tim: It's the pop-ish texture that gets the crowd going. Nick: Yeah, it's not sad, downer music or loud music where you don't know what's going on. I think musically, we are fit for what we do... because Joe is just an amazing drummer, who rocks out like no other. Tim is by far the best bassist I've ever met, and a damn good singer, and he writes amazing lyrics. And how he fits bass is kind of like... a rhythm guitar right there, but with fills and so forth. And the drumming is just craziness--it's technical, and yet can be simple. It's perfect for every song type we have. Joe: And Nick is the best guitarist I have ever seen. He always has something new to add to the band. Nick: I'm not really a lead guitar player, as I am more of a rhythm player myself... but I don't like to stay with one style of guitaring, or use a lot of just plain power chords--I like to put lead parts here and there that just fit the song best. Joe: Basically, I love the music we play--it is exactly what I have always wanted in a band. Nick: Yeah, me too. There isn't one thing I would change about our music... I love it so much, and I hope people out there enjoy it as much as I do. Joe: Same here. Tim: For sure. Nick: I just think we don't have a "strongest" or "stronger" part of our music... it's all strong, and we just try to make it as best as we can, and to the point where it satisfies us and the people we show it to. Joe: Music comes so naturally to us. Nick: Yeah, it does... it helps that we all like the same bands and have the same influences, and no one is like, "Well, let's do this..." and no one else agrees on it. It's total democracy, and it works out so perfectly. Joe: One of us starts something and then it just builds from there. Nick: Yup, that's why there is no stronger part. Because we have all these ideas going at once, and we pick what goes best. Joe: And fit them all together like a big puzzle. E: Is it easy for you all to pick a favorite song? Are your favorite songs to listen to the same as your favorites to play live? Nick: Well, for me personally, my favorite song and my favorite song we play live are actually different. My most favorite songs are the ones I write that are really dear to me, and when I hear them on the album it's like reliving what I was writing about at the time. Tim: I agree with Nick. Nick: But live, it's songs that the crowd loves and sings with the loudest... like "Return to Sender," where the chorus has a pause where the vocals continue and the crowd screams with me and Tim. Joe: The songs I like to play live are only ones that the crowd may get into. Sitting at home, I like to listen to other things--not just a song that is going to get me going. Nick: Yeah, I agree with Joe there... because our live show is fast and fun and really energetic, but we do have some serious songs, and songs that when at home you can sit down and find one to best fit your mood. Joe: Yeah, but live, it's all about having fun. Nick: Definitely. I love playing live--there is no other feeling like it. Joe: And basically making sure that when every person exits that room, they are sitting there going, "Wow, those guys were good." Nick: And sometimes when playing live I just look at Joe or Tim and I just say, "holy sh*t," because I can't believe we've come this far. Joe: Yeah, for sure. Nick: Getting a good first impression on people is always something we want to do. Joe: Every band gets known from their live shows, so we always want to put on a good one, and we pick good songs for the crowd to get into. Nick: Yeah, a live show can make you or break you in my opinion. Joe: Yeah--always want to have your game face on when you take the stage. Nick: But I do like to just listen to the albums sometimes, and just kind of think back to how we had started out and how far we've gotten. Joe: Yeah. It's kind of cool... kind of like watching a little kid grow or something. We started off with nothing. Nick: And I always kind of change my favorite song, because it's like... when you write music, every song should be your favorite song. Otherwise... why did you write it? Joe: Exactly. If you don't like the song, it shouldn't be your song. You have to like what you play, in my opinion. Nick: Mine, too. And when it comes to live shows, I think we will be a band that will always add in an old song just for the hell of it. Joe: For sure. Nick: Even, like, many albums from now... we'll still probably throw in, like, "Drain" or something. Joe: Just for the hell of it. Nick: Because I love what we play, and if it were up to me I would play every single song we ever wrote in front of a crowd. Joe: Same here... but we just can't have all the time in the world, so we are forced to choose. E: Well, you guys definitely show a lot of promise. Best of luck to you. Nick: Thank you. Joe: Gracias. |