He Is We Interview Part 2 (Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly)

Photo by Laura Means 
Link to full photo shoot: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=549891192058&set=a.549891167108.2064135.57701330&theater&closeTheater=1

I recently got to catch up with Rachel and Trevor of He Is We, while they were on tour with The Scene Asthetic, Carter Hulsey and Plug In Stereo....
Check out there latest music video at http://www.youtube.com/user/HeIsWeVEVO

How has the tour been so far?
Trevor: Good, good, good. We just started week two and we just had a couple of days off. Now we are in Atlanta, doing the dirty south, so its exciting!
...and you have tape on your glasses?
Trevor: Yeah, that's the story. I've already broke my glasses, can't find a Lenscrafters, the whole nine yards. Isn't that sad. We went to a five story mall in Baltimore, and they had every store but (a Lenscrafters). I guess people don't wear glasses on the East coast . As long as you know that I'm not trying to be a "trendy hipster," with these....
Last time I talked with you guys, we discussed how you guys started. I wanted to clarify if this project started out, just as a basement project?
Trevor: You could literally say it was a basement project.
Rachel: It was in some one's basement.
How did the songs start circulating originally?
Rachel: We put them up on Myspace, then all these kids were like "oh hey! What's this?" One thing led to another, and it naturally blew up. It's weird. And by "blew up," I mean that it had sixty plays.
Trevor: We were like,"Oh sweet, our parents listened to it 2 times today," so we were up to like 8 plays. Soon after, we had like 400 plays a day and we were like "this is weird." So we kept on making music, and we are pretty much here now.
What kind of advice would you have for newer bands, in terms of connecting to an audience(on and offstage)?
Rachel: Just being honest, and not having a "second persona," if that makes any sense. You are yourself onstage and after you play, go to your merch table and hang out with everybody. Don't be that band that wants to make a grand entrance.
Trevor: I guess the more relate able you can be, and just be yourself. I ate my boogers as a kid, you know? I'm just a normal guy. All of these bands have this ego, where they are hidden and stuff. Rachel and I are everyday kids, so lets hangout and talk about it. There's no reason to have a big head.
What advice would you have for a guy and girl group that is trying to start up?
Rachel: Don't date!
Trevor: You sound like you had a bad experience...
Did you guys try dating at one point?
Rachel: No, I'm just saying that I feel like that is what really complicates bands. There will be a boy and a girls, and they will start to make music, then they are like "you are kind of cute, let's try this." Then they are fighting and making things complicated.
Like Sonny and Cher?
Rachel: Yeah! I would definitely say just have fun with it. Stay friends and don't give yourself a goal. Don't look at it like "hey we want to sell out this coffeehouse by this time." Just make the music and be real with it.
When your new album, My Forever, came out I saw that you were tweeting a great deal about an issue with iTunes. What actually happened?
Trevor: Apparently when it is a holiday, iTunes releases albums a day or two early.
Rachel: Because no one is in the office.
Trevor: It was Thanksgiving week and I just started getting facebook messages saying "I just got your new album!" I figured someone had put it up on LimeWire or something. I remember or parents calling and saying "oh, your CD is up by the way, maybe you should promote it.?"
Rachel: We freaked out. We didn't even have time to be nervous about how we were going to do on our first day. Then boom, its out and we were like "dang it!"
Were you guys surprised with how well it did?
Trevor: Oh, absolutely. We had no expectations at all, whether it be high or low. It just blew us aways.
With songs on the album had been with you guys since the beginning?
Trevor: Some of the songs were re-makes of demos that we had previously released, like "Blame It On the Rain," and others were concepts that we had been working on for a while like "Kiss it All Better." "Prove You Wrong" was a song that we had a couple months prior to recording, and we ended up changing the chorus on it. The rest of the songs were in the studio, on the spot. I feel like if you are under pressure, and you go in with a certain agenda it's too predictable. It's going to turn out the same it you try and break it down to a science. If you are in a situation where you are happy, and not under pressure you will have more natural results.
Rachel: It sounds more real, not like a formula.
Did you guys co-write on this album?
Rachel: They put us in with some co-writers, but we decided that it wasn't for us.
Trevor: In a co-write session, their mindset it to help you write. They are sitting their think of things to fix, rather than guide you along like a producer would. We just decided to get in with producers that we liked and forget the co-writing. Its useless when they keep trying to change your ideas.
Rachel:When we worked with Aaron Sprinkle, he wasn't co-writing but he kind of molded it by saying "let's try this. Let's try that." We are always down with trying things, and we wouldn't be offended if someone asked for us to try something different.
Who are some people that you look up to in terms of stage presence?
Trevor: I get mede fun of for my goofy walk onstage. We all have our signature things that we do onstage, unintentionally. I grew up going to shows, but I never really took notes.
Rachel: I really look up to Nicki Minaj, because her stage presence is very demanding. She's not egotistical, but you look at her and want to listen to what she is saying. She gets you pumped up. I was watching a documentary on her, and she was playing for a huge crowd and all she had were the tracks and a hype man. That's all she had and everyone was freaking out. I looked at that and asked, "why can't I do that? I need to do that!" I need to have more energy and for people to listen to what I have to say, and get stoked on it. So I definitely look up to her.
Perfect day, driving in your car, the windows down what are you listening to?
Rachel: Right now, that would be Eminem's new record ("Recovery").
Trevor: I would be bumping the new Green River Ordinance album. We have also been listening to their acoustic EP "Morning passengers," but I wouldn't say I would listen to it with the windows down because it is kind of depressing and slow. But it is so good, and I would definitely listen to it whether the sun was out, or it was raining.
Rachel: I think I am going to have my first wedding dance to one of their songs.
Trevor: Why don't you just have them play your wedding? I even sent a facebook message to the lead singer yesterday. I never do that, but I was like "dude, I am listening to your cd non-stop. You probably don't know/care who I am, but I just wanted to let you know that I am listening to you all the time while I am on tour." So if he reads this interview, he better get back to me. I'm joking, but seriously...
What do you guys have coming up after this?
Trevor: More touring! the Downtown Fiction Tour with Cady Groves and Amely.

He Who Fights With Monsters reviews He Is We's new album, "My Forever"

Forever And Ever - The lyrics foreshadow the overlying tone of the record. The emotions one goes through and the rush of loving someone and what you’re willing to do for them and what they mean to you. This song could really go at the beginning or end of the album and be just fine.


All About Us - Aaron's voice mixes all too well with Rachel's in this single. I love the simple guitar that has a great sound throughout. I feel like this song really welcomes people to come and enjoy the rest of their music. It’s a relatable song that’s so catchy it hurts.

Everything You Do - I think this song is what sets He Is We apart from other girl-lead bands nowadays. This song brings out their style a bit more. Songs like these make me love them so much more.

And Run - The vocal hook is funny in a new, fun way. Definitely one of their better songs with more confident lyrics on Rachel’s part. This one could easily be the second single.

Happily Ever After - Beautifully re-done from their first release of the song. This song proves that they were wise to switch to a full band. The keys and slight guitar in the second verse goes a long way in the feel of the song.

Kiss It All Better - I don’t know if this is a dream or something of the past, but this is an emotionally strong track. It’s the emotional climax of the album. The mood shifts drastically from “Happily Ever After” to this one. It’s a sad song of lost love. Metaphor or not, we’ve all been there.

Prove You Wrong - The sad undertones from the previous track are lifted with the beautiful hope of a new love in this one. The lyrics, “Take that leap of faith, if you want to. Don't let that broken heart haunt you. Can you let me try? Tell me it's alright.” show this. It’s a great transitional song especially as we move closer to the end of the album.

Blame It On The Rain - I don’t know how to accurately say what this song doesn’t say for itself. It was one of my favorites from their earlier stuff. They re-did it and completely blew the old one away. Every part of this song is outstanding.

Love Life - This song is determined to bring the mood out of the hurtful past it went through and find love. It’s a love that has got some scars but hope is coming. The fast bridge really makes this song. "I don’t mind a chop or two, but God I love that sound, sound. Thunder of my inner cage so they calm me down, down." Ah, fantastic.

Fall - This is the most mature song out of the bunch. It sounds like it is the final goodbye to a hurtful love. “Let my pride to the side, tear me open look inside. Just to see how many times you’ve really made these eyes cry.” It is a vulnerable ending, and I think a perfect, mature way of ending this fantastic debut record.

-He Who Fights With Monsters

He Is We Interview with Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly

He Is We originally started off as an acoustic project between vocalist Rachel Taylor and guitarist Trevor Kelly. Soon after, the two hit a basement studio and created some demo recordings just for fun, not knowing that they were on to something big. After gaining nationwide touring experience with big bands like Yellowcard and the Rocket Summer, they are set to release their anticipated debut LP. Recently I met with the two founding members of He Is We while they were opening for Bryce Avary, (The Rocket Summer), on his fall acoustic tour. Go pick up their new album, "My Forever," recently released on Universal Motown!

The “demo” songs that you have out right now have been out for about a year now, how did those come together? Was it an actual Ep?
Trevor: Yeah, that is actually a collection of stuff that Rachel and I wrote in a friends basement.
Rachel: We had absolutely no intention of it actually becoming an Ep at the time. To be honest with you, I had no idea what an “Ep” was when we were recording. I had never been in a studio, and didn’t really know anything. When I heard that all of it was going to compiled into an Ep, I had no idea what that meant! Now I do!
You guys have a full-length in the works correct?
Trevor: There is a full-length album, completely done and ready to be released. Dates coming soon!
How long ago did you guys finish up the record?
Trevor: It was finished about two months ago, the recording side of it. Now we are just going through the “red tape,” of signing who gets what. We have just been laying low for these past two months, and putting our full-band set list together. Unfortunately, we did not get to play the full-band set tonight.
Do you have a tour lined up soon after this (Rocket Summer Tour)?
Rachel: Yeah, it is all in the works. We are trying to perfect the whole full-band thing right now. Due to the fact that we are doing an acoustic tour, we haven’t gotten to practice as a full-band yet. I think that we are taking several weeks off…
Trevor: To re-vamp our set and hopefully go back out early next year.
How has this tour been so far?
Trevor: Three days in, sold out every night, you can’t complain! Oh and great food of course!
This project started out with just you two, but how did the other guys come into the picture?
Trevor: To make a long story short, I was in a metal band before I met Rachel. So basically the band was compiled of old metal band buddies and we met Harrision through one of our other buddies. Then, of course, Rachel just came along…
Rachel: We met at work.
Trevor: We like to say eHarmony, but it was actually work.
Rachel: I always tell people that we met there, and they are like “that is so cute!”
I love the Iyaz cover, how did that come about?
Trevor: The real story? Well, let’s just say we owed somebody some merch money and the company owns a little label in Seattle. They said “instead of paying us back for the merch, why don’t you just do a song for our compilation?” To be perfectly honest with you, we aren’t really satisfied with that song…
Rachel: It sounded like me singing Karaoke…
Trevor: We went into the studio and recorded some “scratch” guitar, and then a couple months later we were expecting a call to come back in to finish tracking the rest of the song. Instead of that, they just handed us the finished product. We were like, “you released that?” For some reason, all of the fans like. It.
Yeah, it’s the most popular song on that compilation on iTunes.
Trevor: Which is ridiculous! Ha. We weren’t satisfied with it, but what can you say? Our fans like it!
Rachel: We had fun! I love that song.
Trevor: I love that song too; we just felt that would could have done it more justice. Made it a little bit more acoustic, less karaoke, more us…
Did you guys do SXSW last year?
Trevor: Yeah, we played the PureVolume House with Nevershoutnever, Versaemerge…
I heard a funny story about you changing a tire and then boom! You are in your underwear. Can you elaborate on that?
Trevor: That was our first tour down to L.A. and back, and basically on our way back home we were really excited that we were going to drive through Oregon and get home early to surprise our girlfriends. But of course, the tire blows out on the side of the road. Needless to say, we are broke down, it’s hot and we are on the side of the road. So we all get out of the suburban in our “undies,” and start throwing rocks into a Burger King cup on the side of the road.
Rachel: They were all doing the hard work, and we were just sitting there.
Trevor: Yeah, Rachel and I are sitting there and throwing rocks in cups. I think I won, but it doesn’t have to go on the record.
Rachel: I don’t care.
Trevor: OK. I won then.
So how did the song with Aaron Gillespie (The Almost, formerly of Underoath), come about?
Rachel: Well, one of the producers that we worked with on our new record, Aaron Sprinkle, basically said that Aaron would love to do the song. We were speechless! It was the coolest thing that I have ever experienced. Word got around to him and it worked out.
So who all did you work with on the new album?
Trevor: We had Aaron Sprinkle, who has worked with Anberlin and the Almost, Dan Romer, who worked with Ingrid Michaelson…
Rachel: Completely different producers made it awesome. It wasn’t even about who they worked with, it was more about what type of genre they worked with.
Trevor: Kasey Bates who did Chiodos and MXPX…
Rachel: Yeah, more punk and scream type of stuff…
Trevor: Rach didn’t actually scream so don’t get too excited.
Rachel: No, but it was so cool to be able to work with producers that have worked with so many different genres of music. It wasn’t like “Holy crap, they have worked with so many different artists.” It was more like “They are going to bring so many awesome elements to this record.” We have some pretty interesting songs, that are different because we developed them with that producer and they still have the “He Is We” sound, just with a little edge on each one.