This year's final interview features our UK buddies, Who's Driving? Bear's Driving! The band is gearing up to release their split with Massachusetts' Challenges, while also working on their debut full-length. Below is my chat with Aj, the band's guitarist, where we discuss all of the above and more! Click the Read More… link to read the interview.
Could you state your name and role in the band?
Aj: Hi, my name is Aj and I am the guitarist for Who's Driving? Bear's Driving!
First things first, how did you guys get together and how was the band name chosen?
Aj: Ah see I always like questions about our origin, cause it's really cool for me but really uninteresting for everyone else haha. Basically in February 2009 I had started to need a creative outlet from my old band and had started writing some strange songs, which had a hint of pop-punk to them. I'd previously been in a band with Scott (Allen, Vocals) called Lost and Found, playing some Ska/Pop-Punk and we'd always said we'd like to work together again. So I sent him the first song I'd finished called Alex Flies Spaceships. He loved the idea of being in a band, we then basically decided to text Tommy (Flynn, Ex-Bassist), Sykesy (Tom, ex-drummer) both were up for joining. We put a status on Facebook for a synth player and Scott's brother Grant (Allen, Synth) replied. We were stoked within 24 hours we had a line-up for the band. The original guitarist I wanted was Billy (Bromley, Ex-Guitarist) but he was tied up with State Of The Enemy so we went through a couple of guitarists before eventually Billy was freed up and joined. Scott came up with the name as it was based on a quote from Kevin Smith's Clerks cartoon series.
Almost a year ago the band released the There's No Easy Way To Say This... EP with several exciting announcements made since. What've been some other of the biggest highlights for the band throughout the year?
Aj: It depresses me that it's been nearly a year and we still haven't put the new release out haha! We've had an amazing year, two highlights are playing the Camden Underworld with the boys in Living With Lions and April's tour. But the biggest highlight by a long way was the video release show last month, that was the first time we really felt people were feeling for our songs the same way we do.
Among these announcements was the signing with Hang Tight Records - how did you guys get involved with the label and how has the experience been so far?
Aj: We hate it Joe is horrible haha joking! Basically Joe stalked us for a while leaving love notes and chocolates outside the bear cave until eventually we decided that he was a suitable mate… but on a serious note Joe is an absolutely sound guy. We had some bad experience with labels and were really avoiding it but after speaking to him we realised we were on the same page and he has let us have full creative control over not only the music but the direction the releases go in etc.. I mean we are a bunch of tarts really and love doing our own artwork etc.. so that was a big thing for us.
The band also has an upcoming split with Challenges, out in mid-January - tell us how the idea came about; did Challenges contact you or vice versa?
Aj: Well this comes back to Joe (Hurst, Hang Tight Records) really. He gets very excited about working with bands across seas and he would suggest acts to us to do splits with, when he mentioned Challenges we had already veto'd a couple of others so were not sure what to expect. We had a listen and the music was great, I then exchanged some e-mails with their management/label overseas and them as well and once we realised that all the guys involved were as great as the music it was a no brainer.
A music video for the new song Sympathy was also recently released. Let me just say the video came out great and I was thoroughly impressed. What was it like filming the video? The ending also indicates there may be a follow-up?
Aj: Thanks a lot! We love it! If there is one man we owe anything to more than any it is Chris Phillips (director). He has done every music video that the band, and my bands before hand, have ever done. The filming experience was awesome and a total laugh, I think Scott had the best day as he had a hired girlfriend for the day haha! Chris is amazing at what he does and is of the same mentality as us so it was just a pleasure to work with him. Oh yes there is definitely going to be a follow up, we're just trying to pick the best date to start filming it!
Earlier in the year it was also mentioned that the songs for the split would be taken off the band's upcoming full-length album. How far into the writing and recording processes are you at the moment? When could we roughly expect a release?
Aj: This is really exciting for all of us, some of us have been in bands for over 10 years now and none of us have recorded a full length. In terms of how far into the process, we tend to demo songs as soon as they are written and then do better quality pre-production demoes before we go into the studio. Right now we have 3 songs demo'd, 2 awaiting to be demo'd and about 5 others we are part way through writing. It doesn't look like the split tracks are going to be on the Album anymore, not because they aren't good enough but because the tracks we are writing now are stronger. We're looking to go back in the studio to record the full length over summer, so expect an early fall release. With a single coming out probably Spring before that.
The band has also gone through numerous line-up changes over the past few months - how much has this affected the general progress of the band?
Aj: I'm glad this has come up really because I think people get the impress we are band whores or not easy to work with. First off let me be 100% honest the guys in the band are the easiest guys to work with in the world, I on the other hand am a nightmare I demand a massive amount of commitment and also like things done in very particular way. So any clashes had are with me not the others. In terms of progress, this is going to sound a bit weird, it's not set us back at all but it may have stopped us doing as much as we like. The new members have been amazing, some of the stuff we are writing I never would have come up with so it's so fresh.
How would you describe the band's sound to a first-time listener? What would you say are your most predominant musical influences?
Aj: My Japanese friend Yoshi says it best, Pop-Punk with the Synth! We wear our influences on our sleeves The Wonder Years, The Starting Line, Hit The Lights.
Are there any other particular plans the band hopes to achieve next year?
Aj: We're hoping to go across seas next year and would love to play some of the smaller festivals over here!
Thanks for doing this, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Aj: Yeah I want to thank you guys and all the other blogs and sites who have give us endless support over the last nearly 3 years! You guys have kept us in the public eye where larger publications have considered us not big enough! So thank you!
Exclusive: Life On The Sideline EP announcement, music video premiere
Since releasing Honesty Is A Dying Breed two years ago, Life On The Sideline has remained active on the road and is now ready to unveil its upcoming EP, Never Settle. To kick things off, we're premiering the music video for the band's new single, "Echo", which tells the sad story of a young girl reminiscing times spent with her deceased partner. While not a pop punk song per se, it's as catchy as one with an infectious chorus that you'll inevitably get stuck in your head. The band's sound could be compared to that of Transit's and The Early November's. Fans can pre-order the EP on iTunes and CD here, before it's released on June 7th. […]
