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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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Alex Rivera - Vocals Adam Camber - Guitar Danny Celis - Guitar Brodie Ruland - Bass Chris Barrett - Drums |
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| Interview with Alex and Chris April 30th, 2004 |
| E: Guys, what elements of the band's style do you think draw in the band's fans? Alex: Well, we're one of those bands that doesn't fit the typical mold of bands out there. Not only are we racially and culturally different, but we are also guys that don't follow your typical punk/emo/hardcore trends. We are who we are. If kids dig that... cool. If not... then, that's cool. I think the music transcends more than the style, though. Chris: We have a way of fusing all types of genres, and an ability to sometimes throw the standard out the window. I think that may be the main attraction. Alex: As far as musically... we are one of those bands that is able to blend different influences and styles to form our own style. I like that we can't get pigeon-holed into a certain sound. E: What about the bands you listen to in your free time--do they tend to sound like SHF? Alex: *Laughs* Not at all. Chris: They vary so much... some do, some don't. We have a hardcore attitude, a punk foundation, emo lyrics, and poppy hooks. It's a union of so many different sounds that it's nothing like the bands we listen to. E: Do you find the band to be in its prime when in the studio or when in concert? Chris: We try to give over 100% in both, or whatever we're doing, so it's a little bit hard to tell. There's nothing like the energy of a live show, but levels are near perfect and so much can be done in to the sound of the music in a studio. Alex: Honestly, we are at a point right now where we are really gelling musically, both live and in the studio. We are in a very fortunate situation where everything that we've been doing lately gets better and better. Live, the energy has gone through the roof. In the studio, the flow of ideas and work has been something that has taken the new songs to the next level. Basically, we love being in this band. Anytime the five of us get together, it's a growing experience which we all enjoy. E: How do you decide what songs to play live at each show? Chris: Mostly by the songs that have the best response or provoke the most energy out of ourselves. Alex: We throw ideas around, change it around, and practice the set in different ways. In the end, our band is a democracy--if the majority decides that one way is better, we go with that, no questions asked. Chris: It's usually decided after songs have been created and played a couple times in a set to see what stays and what goes. E: Are there ever times where you feel as though you're in a frustrating position as a band? Alex: Yeah, I'm not going to lie. We want to help out bands that are friends, but we find ourselves in a situation where we can't. It's so tough. It's also hard to to meet everyone's expectations as a band... you tend to look at yourself with a more critical eye, because you never know when your friends are going to think that you've changed, simply because things are different with the band. Chris: The position is aggravating, but it's those moments of frustration that push you through to the fairytale part of it, which is the reason why you do it. Alex: Like Chris said, it's those moments of frustration when you turn to music and it just makes you understand what you're meant to do. E: How would you relate your music to your everyday life? Chris: I try to relate it to every part of my life. Everywhere I go... everything I do is musical. That's when you know you're truly in love with it--when you can't even escape from it. Alex: For me, music is an extension of my life. My lyrics always mean something for me and always come from someplace I've been. To me, music is a strand of my DNA. I'm nothing without it, and it's nothing without me. I don't think I'd be here without it. Chris: It's just like a marriage, in that your husband or wife frustrates the hell out of you, but you can't get them out of your head all day because you're addicted. E: Would you say that Stars Hide Fire is a significantly different band from when it started out? Alex: Yes. Like I said before, we are gelling musically--we all have a much better understanding of each other, and the music reflects that. The full-length will be the aglomeration and defining record for which the band stands for, is, and will be. I can't pick four other guys that I'd want to share this with. Chris: We're progressed to an incredible amount and are starting to come to a point where a limit is almost non-existant as far as music experimentality. We're forever trying new things. E: In what ways have you worked to make the upcoming release differentiate the band from its previous work, as well as the work of other bands on the scene? Alex: I don't think we've set out to make it different from the previous stuff. But with that said, we have grown as people, and more importantly, as a band. We now really know each other, and when we write, it's like a complete union of all our ideas. We don't set out to be different, or to be the next big band. We are ourselves, and we let the audience define us. Chris: We are more aware of each other's abilities and we can exclamate each other's feelings into the music, rather than just throw a bunch of notes and lyrics together. It's all about making the music feel as good as possible. E: Do you think that a band's lyrics should be blatant in their meaning? Or should they be more vague and more up to the listener's interpretation? Alex: Okay, I'm sure everyone in the band has different views on this. Here's the reality of SHF--we all write different lyrics, they come from different places and [have] different meanings. As the main lyrical writer, I'll tell you straight up--I like to confuse people. I want you to think a song is about something, when in reality it's about something else. Here's why: To me... I want someone to take my lyrics and relate with them. Make them their own. Make them want to have written them. That's what I look for when I read different bands' lyrics. Chris: I think it's standard for people to find their own interpretation of the lyrics. It's a natural reflex for people to find their own personal vision to cling to from the lyrics... create their own picture. E: What factors of being in a band make it all worthwhile? Alex: Honestly, being on tour is fun... we laugh so much. We all have such a good time. It's the camaraderie that we share that makes it all worthwhile. Sharing a common goal with four other guys is a hard thing to find, but once you do, it's a blessing. It's a good feeling to trust someone else with your life, once you realize that everyone has the same goal. Chris: The fans, the fans, the fans. People who take the time out of their already extremely complicated lives to deal with our complications for however long the songs are. There's nothing more amazing than that. E: Well thanks a lot for taking the time to talk. Chris: Thank you. Rock on Euphonia! |