 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ::Interviews:: |
 |
|
| review & interview content, as well as web site graphics & design, copywrite 2003-2004 Euphonia Online. use of materials granted only with reasonable purposes. |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
| interviewed by robby sumner |
|
 |
Tyler Florence - Vocals Justin Florence - Guitar Eric Stead - Guitar Kyle Brown - Bass, Vocals Brent Nunn - Drums |
|
| Interview with Tyler and Kyle October 13th, 2003 |
| E: My Former Self has slowly but strongly made a name for itself inside the local scene. What do you believe deserves the credit for getting you where you are? Tyler: Well, first of all... hard work. Dedication, faith. Kyle: We all believe that the ones who need the most credit are the fans. We just do what we want to do and have fun, and they just seem to like it, so it works out. E: What is it that you really get out of playing your music? Kyle: There's this huge adrenaline rush we get when we're playing... and I look out and see people singing and moving to a piece of work that we put our heart, soul, blood and guts into. Tyler: Also... I enjoy playing our music so much because I get to relate to everyone, and they can relate to me through our lyrics. All the pain and happiness that goes on in life can be shared, and it unites us all. E: What are some of the ways you try to relate your music to your life and the lives of those who listen? Kyle: I don't really think we try; it's mostly natural. Tyler is the one who mostly writes the lyrics. I help occasionally. But what goes on in his head is his own thing. I think we just try to tell a story, or give a warning, or share an opinion. How they take it is up to them. Tyler: Yeah, Kyle basically summed it up in a nice little package. E: What do you think is your least favorite thing about the current music scene? Tyler: Oooo, well... Kyle: This is my thing. I feel that music isn't appreciated the way it should be. Music needs to be loved because it's music. It doesn't matter who's playing it. It seems to have been sucked up by image. Which is cool, I guess... it makes it easy on the ears and on the eyes if there's an image. But these days you don't need to be good-looking, so I, personally, am getting happier, because people are focusing on how someone plays. I am not, however, happy with the lack of patience people have for music. There's too much tunnel vision--if something sounds good, enjoy it. People hate things because it's not their "style." It's music. And music is my style. E: That was very eloquent. Tyler: Yes, I have a tear in my eye. E: Tyler, besides being a fellow band member in MFS, guitarist Justin Florence is also your brother. What is it like to work with a direct family member within the group? Tyler: Well... *Laughs* First of all, it's pretty cool sharing something I love with my own brother. Sometimes it's really hard, because we are so close in age... we argue so much, and we both want to do things our own different ways. All in all, we handle things pretty well, and we work really well together. Living together forces us to share our ideas with each other. Really, we're all brothers in the end--we're all about Unity. E: How do all the members of the band come together to create the greater whole of MFS? Tyler: We all have our own individual styles and unique personalities and goals. Kyle: It's kind of like... Love Lasagna. Justin and I make up the noodle, and start with the basics. Tyler adds the sauce with his own unique, savory words that make a mouth water. Brent is sort of the spice. Or the parmesan cheese. Adding a unique flavor: Himself. Eric is the cottage cheese. Or a meatball. Without Eric, it wouldn't be whole. E: Is there any predetermined genre you work to base your music around, or do you integrate the various styles that have influenced each of you? Kyle: At first it was sort of, "Let's write something fun," which ended up poppy. But now we just write what we feel. And if it ends up poppy, or emo, or... I don't know... country, well that's just what we felt. Tyler: We basically write what we want to listen to. Kyle: Yeah. E: At the start of your career, what did you set out to achieve as a band? Do you feel as though you've gotten closer to that goal? Tyler: Well, for me... I personally wanted to make music my life, and make it my career. I just want to play music for the rest of my life, and if it takes me to playing shows locally, or, let's say being on TRL, I will be happy. I feel I've reached my goal for the most part. Still, touring is my next big goal. I want to tour forever. Kyle: I think we've come far, but we still have a long way. We still need to tour, which, I agree, I want to do forever. I was born for it. But as long as I can live my life okay making music... I want to do it forever. E: What do you think is your most important or impressive achievement to date? Tyler: I think we can both agree on selling out the Campbell Gaslighter. Kyle: And playing with Hidden In Plain View, from Drive-Thru. Tyler: Yeah... playing with a Drive-Thru band was totally important for me because of my dream of one day being on Drive-Thru Records. It seems like such a tight family, and that's what it's all about. E: Well, that's all I have for you guys. Thanks a lot--your enthusiasm's appreciated. Tyler: Well thank you so much for the interview. We had fun. |