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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 Dan July 26th, 2004 |
Dan Smyers - Vocals, Guitar Steven Biringer - Vocals, Guitar Matt Colussy - Guitar Dustin Hook - Bass Jim Caliguiri - Drums |
| E: Dan, Transition has been creeping out onto the scene as it is given a greater amount of recognition. Is the greatest number of Transition fans those closest to your hometown, with farther away geographically meaning less fans? Or is it random? Dan: For the most part, I'd like to say the fanbase is random. With the closing of many Pittsburgh clubs, the scene has taken steps backward, and local music has become a rarity. We have done very well with promotion and sales on the West Coast and the southern half of the East Coast. I guess for now I'd like to say our popularity is random. E: How often have you been the headliner at shows you play? Dan: On the road, we have been co-headlining with a band called Hit the Lights from Lima, Ohio. In Pittsburgh, we have supported just about as many national act tours as we have headlined. Our preference when out of town is to be an opener due to the fact that we are first-timers in many of the cities. E: Do you like being part of the main focus more than playing as support for the more seasoned bands? Dan: We prefer being the main focus as opposed to supporting so that we have control of the show and we are left with less pressure placed upon us. Being the headliner also means more friends and family at the show, which is always great. E: Is it more rewarding to play for new listeners or older fans? Dan: I think it's great playing for new people, but it's always beautiful being able to come back and see familiar faces, and having people sing back at you. We understand that we will always be playing for fresh listeners, but we hope to have a majority of them come back. E: How often will the band play a song live before they put it on record? Dan: With the last record we produced, we played the songs live countless times before even going into pre-production. After playing them, we tweaked them around, and even changed them completely to accomodate themselves. We want the songs to be able to feel good live. If we can achieve that, they will feel good recorded. E: Does it take a long time to get everything done in the studio? Dan: It took us an extremely long time in the studio. We spent over four hundred hours recording our full-length album, but only to achieve perfection. We didn't want anything that we would listen to and regret, so we spent as much time as we needed to get what we wanted. E: Has support from a label been a goal for you guys? Dan: It has, but we have reached the point where we almost don't need a label. We work hard enough to get the music out to the people who need to hear it, so who needs someone standing behind you taking your money. E: What sort of stuff do you guys have going on besides the band? Dan: Right now, the band is our only focus, but as the fall time arrives, several of us have high school to tackle, and the others have college and jobs. We spend most of our time on the road, playing shows at home, or practicing, so we are occupied for the most part. E: So do you expect the band to eventually take higher priority over going to college? Dan: Those of us who are in highschool will decide when the time comes. As of now, if things keep going the way that they are going, we will hold off on the college thing until it all slows down. But in two years, anything can happen, so I guess we'll just wait and see. E: How much of the band's progress has gone as you'd expected? Dan: The progress is coming as we thought it would. We have been working extremely hard in the past few months, and finally it's paying off. I wouldn't say that we have progressed an unheard of amount, but more people know the name now than prior to the PureVolume push and album release. E: Do you then look expectantly at the future? Or do you just live for the moment as a group? Dan: As anybody should, we look ahead and wonder what's in store for us. But we are real with ourselves, and know that at any moment this could end, so we don't take anything for granted, and enjoy every second of it. E: How has relationships with other bands helped you reach success? Dan: It's all about relationships. We make friendship one of our main priorities. We try to befriend every band we come in contact with, because you never know who is going to get somewhere and will someday be able to help you out. E: What sort of goals does the band have that don't involve playing music? Dan: I think I can speak for the band as a whole when I say we desire success and happiness. We would all like to be involved in the music industry in some way, shape, or form, so if the band doesn't work out, I'm sure we'll still try to hang in there somehow. E: Well, thanks for answering the questions... anyone left you can think of to thank, or things to say? Dan: No problem! Thanks for having me. Euphonia Online rocks. Keep up the good work! |