E: Shane, you've been singing for Valencia... you guys released your album This Could Be a Possibility last year, and since then, the community of fans that were drawn to it have catapulted you to widespread recognition�to the point where you've ousted The Academy Is... and Motion City Soundtrack in Spin.com's polls and you're in the running for Band of the Year. So level with me... when you were first laying your tracks for Possibility, did you know all this was going to follow?
Shane: Hell no, I never imagined we could have grown such an amazing fan base. It�s not super large by any means, but the kids truly do care about us and our songs. Just as much as they care about us, we care about them. We have always been about giving back to the kids that support us and making sure they know that they aren�t just fans, they are friends first. The tracks for the CD are all extremely personal songs in my life and it was a span of about two years that accumulated the feelings and words for these songs. One reason I think this CD took off is because there are so many people that can relate to the feelings that I had, which I put into the songs. As for the Spin.com thing, we have just been constantly asking people who enjoy our music to give a fair vote, but still vote. Thankfully enough a large amount of votes have gone towards us, which we are all extremely stoked about! Go to www.spin.com/bandoftheyear and give a vote to who you think should win!
E: You've sung in other bands in the past... is the writing process for vocals a lot different for a new band, or are you simply doing what you always do, set to different music? Is the change between bands the same sensation as the change between tracks, when it comes time to write?
Shane: Good question. It�s weird� when you�re in bands with different people, there�s so much variation in writing styles. Like for instance, with Attracted to Miss and Spring Victory I played guitar, and it was so much of a different way of writing melodies. Yet for Valencia, it�s just me singing and all the focus is on melody rather than music. For a few of the songs on the Valencia record, I wrote the music, melody, and lyrics on an acoustic guitar. Then we would take the structures� I wrote on the acoustic and produced them better and turned them into Valencia. Each member added his feeling to the song, which is what gives us that sense of chemistry. But for the songs where the music was completely made up in practice by all of us the focus on my part was on melody. Not to mention all three bands were different styles; ATM was a lot faster and harder� same with Spring Victory. So I suppose the short answer to that question is yes and no. Vocally, I�m just doing what feels right, and what I feel.
E: Because you demo so many Valencia records on acoustic guitar, how would you explain the way this process works when you need to expand it into a full band?
Shane: Well, I bring the song to practice, I show them the ins and outs and share my ideas with where I feel the song going, then all of the other dudes give input and ideas for different transitions, chords, leads, etc. It�s a teamwork kind of thing� we just experiment with different parts until we find the perfect fit. It can be very strenuous sometimes when you feel like you have the perfect idea and none of the other guys like it, but it�s all about compromise. Maybe you�ll be able to use that particular part some other time. It�s a lot of give and take and trying to remember to have fun and make sure we are passionate about what were playing. That�s just for the songs I write by myself... we come up with a lot of songs at practice too, where they jam certain things out and structure them.
E: How many songs do you think you'll have written acoustically that will actually go on the next record? How many won't?
Shane: It all depends, hopefully 2 or 3 of the new ones I have that I like the most. I don�t really mind which ones do and don�t. I have an acoustic side project called Promise of Redemption, so if they don�t make the cut then it�s all good; I can always just use them as material for POR. As for how many will and won�t, it all depends on how good they are and how many I have, so its kind of hard to answer that question. I just want everyone to be involved with the songs to the point where they are putting themselves into the song. That�s all I really care about, is making it passionate.
E: Is there anything about the rest of your band that you think has helped to carry your words and ideas so far?
Shane: They�re all super nice dudes that care so much about this band as a unit, so we are all working super hard at what we�re doing. They�re all super hardworking, inspirational, and nice dudes that care so much about this band as a unit and the music we create. We are all working super hard at what we�re doing and we all put in our own inspirations into our individual instruments or place in the band. But other than that, my personal lyrics and ideas are inspired mostly by life in general and nature, etc.�things that make me think!
E: Do you think your record sales correlate well with your concert turnouts?
Shane: I keep seeing more and more kids coming out to the shows as the album sales go up and it blows my mind every time� especially when we go to places we�ve never played before and we see kids singing along. So I feel that if a kid attaches himself/herself to your music and in turn become passionate about it, they will find a way to come out and sing along with you and get into it. I know because I was one of those kids! *Laughs*
E: Being on the East Coast, has the weather had any sort of factor in your music?
Shane: Yeah�nature has a big role in my inspiration and lyrics. When you think about it, weather plays a huge part in people�s everyday moods and mood swings. If it�s sunny, I might be more inclined to write a song that is optimistic because sunshine to me is a positive thing and� I dunno� I�m weird like that. I guess I have a lot of lyrics about stuff like that in the songs on the album. Some people might not understand them, but I will explain anything to anyone if they just ask!
E: Do you think that the rest of 2006 is going to be a huge departure from 2005 for you as a band? Musically and in terms of where you go in your career?
Shane: I think that 2006 is going to be a roller coaster of different things. First off, we have already begun writing for our next album and the music and energy is awesome, and it�s making us all excited. I have been demoing songs acoustically that I�ve been writing and I am stoked about those. So musically, things will be awesome. As far as where we go in our career, it really depends on the luck of the draw, things like if we get asked to do awesome tours, or eventually sell a lot more CDs as the year goes on. I certainly hope to make a career out of this. I know Rob from I-Surrender [Records] is working his ass off for us, our best friend in the world/booking agent Maggie is also busting her ass for us, and we�re working our asses off. So if the right things happen at the right time, we will certainly be good to go! As of now, our focus is on touring and writing, so other than that, who knows?
E: Do you feel a lot of pressure to make sure your follow-up album is as impressive as the album that got you to where you are? Or is it more relaxed, knowing the listener base is already established?
Shane: Well, I feel some pressure, seeing as how this first album was the best thing that we have ever written. I also think that it�s harder going into the second CD because people are going to be looking to see if the first album was a fluke or not. But I think if we stay true to ourselves and not forget we are in the band for the music anyways and just do our thing, then everything will turn out right. I just want to write what I feel. It may sound corny or whatever, but that�s why I�m in the band� not to go searching for fame or money, but just because it�s pretty much the only thing that makes me feel amazing (besides snowboarding). So I just hope that people will have open ears.
E: Thanks so much! |
