One of Rise Records latest signees, Like Moths To Flames, have been creating a great deal of buzz in the hardcore communtiy with their new EP "Sweet Talker. I had a chance to speak with guitarist Aaron Evans about the new EP and future plans.Catch them on the Hails and Horns 'Welcome to the Jungle' Tour in April...
How did you guys originally come together and create this project?
Evans: Well Chris and I had talked about starting a band together a few months before both of our old bands broke up. He and I met a year or 2 before because both of our old bands were on the same label. So when those bands fell through we just hit the ground running with LMTF.
What attracted you guys to Rise Records?
Evans: Rise has just always been at the forefront of record labels for our style of music, producing strong bands that do really well for themselves. When the opportunity came about we were all extremely excited to become part of the Rise family. Seeing bands like our friends in Attack Attack and Miss May I doing great for themselves in a short amount of time, we felt like we were in the right place.
Had you completed the “Sweet Talker" EP before signing with Rise?
Evans: Yeah we recorded the EP a few months before signing and had planned to self-release it but Craig Ericson was really excited about the band and wanted to get behind it as soon as possible so he offered to put it out on Rise.
What advice do you have for other DIY bands that are just now starting up?
Evans: Play music for you and enjoy yourself. We started this band and wanted to make music that all of us would enjoy listening to, as well as playing. So we did exactly that and hoped it would catch on. We are really happy with the direction and growth of the band in the past year and really hope it continues. Nothing we do would be possible without the help from everyone who listens to our band and come to shows. So the best advice I can give is to be thankful that you can be in a band and be thankful for any fans you can gain. The music industry is so over saturated with bands that sound the same, so it's really a roll of the dice that your band will "blow up" so just enjoy yourself and the music you play.
How does your newest EP "Sweet Talker" differ from your previous works as a band and from other projects that you have been involved in?
Evans: We took a lot more time on "Sweet Talker" than we did on our past songs we released as a band. As a whole the songs are structured and flow much better than, for instance "Avada Kadavra" or "Death Eaters" (2 demos we put out in early 2010) We grew together as band and figured out what it took to write music that we felt was up to par with other bands of our genre. We hope to step it up a notch more on the full length.
Being Christian guys, how has that impacted your music/lyrics? What made you guys decided to not label yourselves as a "Christian band?"
Evans: Not everyone in the band is Christian so we knew going into it that the band would not be a "Christian band". However we all have our own beliefs and have no problem talking to anyone about it in a one-on-one situation. As far as the band as a whole though, we will never preach from the stage. And well, lyrically Chris wrote much more about his real life situations and much less metaphorically than in his past bands. He just wanted to project the fact that he was pissed off. Ha-ha
How did the writing process unfold for this EP?
Zach our guitar player does a lot of the brainstorming as far as the instruments go. Then he and I will get together to work on making parts fit together and structuring a song. That way when we went to the studio with skeletons of songs it was easy to make everything work while were there.
How was working with Landon Tewers again?
Evans: It was great; he is a close friend to us personally not just as a producer. Landon is a genius when it comes to making stuff happen in a song and we trust and really appreciate his guidance and opinions on our music. When we went to him for our first demo of our song "Dead Routine" he really helped us find our sound as far as getting guitar and bass tones to come out the way we wanted to making parts hit as hard as they could. That was all really just multiplied when we went back for the EP.
Who are some artists/musicians that you are really into right now?
Evans:I personally can go through CD's really quick but one I and everyone in our band can always come back to is Architects "Hollow Crown". We listened to the CD a lot while writing "Sweet Talker". I don't listen to a lot of metal really, I enjoy like poppier stuff. In my opinion Conditions "Fluorescent Youth" was the best CD of 2010 I can listen to that CD on repeat all day.
Who are some people you have looked up to in the past, in terms of stage presence/live performance?
Evans: We recently did a tour with Texas In July and those are some of the best dudes we've ever met. They kill it as band EVERY night. Really, just a good live band from stage presence to the tightness of the band playing as a whole. As far as someone I have always admired, when I was a kid I loved Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy, he never ran out of energy on stage, the guy is nuts.
Any full-length plans in the works?
Evans: We are currently writing for a full length. There are talks of it being released before the end of the year, so keeps your eyes and ears open for that.
What is next on the list for you guys? Touring?
Evans: We have a few shows with our friends in The Color Morale to support them for their sophomore Rise release, then a short run with Oh, Sleeper those are in March and early April. Then in mid April through May we are on the Welcome To The Jungle tour with Upon A Burning Body, The Color Morale and I The Breather. So check out facebook or myspace for the dates and come hang out.
Evans: Well Chris and I had talked about starting a band together a few months before both of our old bands broke up. He and I met a year or 2 before because both of our old bands were on the same label. So when those bands fell through we just hit the ground running with LMTF.
What attracted you guys to Rise Records?
Evans: Rise has just always been at the forefront of record labels for our style of music, producing strong bands that do really well for themselves. When the opportunity came about we were all extremely excited to become part of the Rise family. Seeing bands like our friends in Attack Attack and Miss May I doing great for themselves in a short amount of time, we felt like we were in the right place.
Had you completed the “Sweet Talker" EP before signing with Rise?
Evans: Yeah we recorded the EP a few months before signing and had planned to self-release it but Craig Ericson was really excited about the band and wanted to get behind it as soon as possible so he offered to put it out on Rise.
What advice do you have for other DIY bands that are just now starting up?
Evans: Play music for you and enjoy yourself. We started this band and wanted to make music that all of us would enjoy listening to, as well as playing. So we did exactly that and hoped it would catch on. We are really happy with the direction and growth of the band in the past year and really hope it continues. Nothing we do would be possible without the help from everyone who listens to our band and come to shows. So the best advice I can give is to be thankful that you can be in a band and be thankful for any fans you can gain. The music industry is so over saturated with bands that sound the same, so it's really a roll of the dice that your band will "blow up" so just enjoy yourself and the music you play.
How does your newest EP "Sweet Talker" differ from your previous works as a band and from other projects that you have been involved in?
Evans: We took a lot more time on "Sweet Talker" than we did on our past songs we released as a band. As a whole the songs are structured and flow much better than, for instance "Avada Kadavra" or "Death Eaters" (2 demos we put out in early 2010) We grew together as band and figured out what it took to write music that we felt was up to par with other bands of our genre. We hope to step it up a notch more on the full length.
Being Christian guys, how has that impacted your music/lyrics? What made you guys decided to not label yourselves as a "Christian band?"
Evans: Not everyone in the band is Christian so we knew going into it that the band would not be a "Christian band". However we all have our own beliefs and have no problem talking to anyone about it in a one-on-one situation. As far as the band as a whole though, we will never preach from the stage. And well, lyrically Chris wrote much more about his real life situations and much less metaphorically than in his past bands. He just wanted to project the fact that he was pissed off. Ha-ha
How did the writing process unfold for this EP?
Zach our guitar player does a lot of the brainstorming as far as the instruments go. Then he and I will get together to work on making parts fit together and structuring a song. That way when we went to the studio with skeletons of songs it was easy to make everything work while were there.
How was working with Landon Tewers again?
Evans: It was great; he is a close friend to us personally not just as a producer. Landon is a genius when it comes to making stuff happen in a song and we trust and really appreciate his guidance and opinions on our music. When we went to him for our first demo of our song "Dead Routine" he really helped us find our sound as far as getting guitar and bass tones to come out the way we wanted to making parts hit as hard as they could. That was all really just multiplied when we went back for the EP.
Who are some artists/musicians that you are really into right now?
Evans:I personally can go through CD's really quick but one I and everyone in our band can always come back to is Architects "Hollow Crown". We listened to the CD a lot while writing "Sweet Talker". I don't listen to a lot of metal really, I enjoy like poppier stuff. In my opinion Conditions "Fluorescent Youth" was the best CD of 2010 I can listen to that CD on repeat all day.
Who are some people you have looked up to in the past, in terms of stage presence/live performance?
Evans: We recently did a tour with Texas In July and those are some of the best dudes we've ever met. They kill it as band EVERY night. Really, just a good live band from stage presence to the tightness of the band playing as a whole. As far as someone I have always admired, when I was a kid I loved Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy, he never ran out of energy on stage, the guy is nuts.
Any full-length plans in the works?
Evans: We are currently writing for a full length. There are talks of it being released before the end of the year, so keeps your eyes and ears open for that.
What is next on the list for you guys? Touring?
Evans: We have a few shows with our friends in The Color Morale to support them for their sophomore Rise release, then a short run with Oh, Sleeper those are in March and early April. Then in mid April through May we are on the Welcome To The Jungle tour with Upon A Burning Body, The Color Morale and I The Breather. So check out facebook or myspace for the dates and come hang out.
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