Concert Crap: First, could you give us a brief history of the band?
David Kleinebreil: I started the band very casually about five years ago in college, after ending a pretty lengthy relationship.. You can only imagine what those songs sounded like. We’ve come a long way. I’m fortunate to have had some (many) talented people play in Never Let This Go along the way. So there is no single “how we met” story, but the guys I’m playing with now have been in other bands I’ve admired along my journey and we all ended up together. I couldn’t be happier.
CC:What bands do you guys look up to?
DK: Yellowcard – The perfect example of genuine people making genuine music. For songwriting, I’d say Jimmy Eat World. For how they treat their fans, definitely The Maine.
Zach Rabago: Nothing But Thieves, Muse, Royal Blood, PVRIS. I’ve always been drawn to music that sounds huge (yuge), and it dramatically affects just about everything I do with music. I try to make my sound as big as I can because of it.
Vic Chan: Jimmy Eat World- I’ve always loved everything about their songwriting and how they’ve been able to persevere throughout the years in the industry. Every Time I Die- a band that made me want to play in a band. Their live show is something I can’t compare to anyone else. Acceptance – one of my all time favorite bands. I’ve been waiting over a decade for the follow up to Phantoms.
CC: David, I saw that your mom has had cancer, has being able to write your new EP Sleepless Nights about that helped you out at all?
DK: Helped is probably an understatement. We’ve been through some tough times in my family the past couple of years. I’ve always turned to music. I think it’s a big reason my mom has been so supportive of my career. She knows what music does for me. I hated leaving her to record the songs themselves, but I felt it was something I needed to do. I don’t think the songs would be the same had I waited; I don’t think they’d be as honest.
CC: What do you guys like to do outside of music?
DK: When Pokemon Go came out, that’s all we would do on tour. As for real hobbies, I know Zach really enjoys doing photography at live shows. I can safely say that Vic and I watch a lot of movies, the only thing we watch more is Family Feud. Approximately 15-20 hours of it during our three weeks in the studio. We found a channel that just played game shows.
CC: What’s the hardest thing about being in a band?
DK: I think it is one of the hardest career choices you can make that doesn’t involve medical school. The music industry is a changing landscape that is highly competitive. It gets expensive and you can’t catch yourself sleeping on the job. You have to make it your goal to work harder and smarter than the thousands of other talented musicians out there at your level.
CC: What would your dream tour lineup be, your band included?
DK: Jimmy Eat World, Acceptance, Nothing But Thieves, and NLTG.
CC: You guys are currently on tour, anything that fans should know about that? Are you playing new songs for Sleepless Nights?
DK: We are playing all of the new songs. This is the perfect chance to see us. We think we’ve created something special and we would love to share it with you all!
CC: I read that your song “Right Now” was on Stan Lee’s “World of Heroes” show, what are your favorite superheroes?
DK: That video release was a very special experience because Marvel has helped me rediscover my favorite superheros, in Robert Downey Jr. and Ryan Reynolds. Iron Man and Deadpool both have the jaded, but deep down good guy qualities, mixed with plenty of humor.
ZR: Spider-Man because Peter Parker was that kid who was kind of an outcast in school, and even though I went to an arts school, I could really relate and connect to that.
VC: I’d say my favorite superhero is definitely Wolverine. The guy is indestructible and just keeps` carrying on. I also grew up loving Batman. Granted, he had the resources, but he showed me that anyone could be a superhero.
All questions answered by David Kleinebreil, Zach Rabago and Vic Chan.
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Post and interview by Madeline Cronin
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