Vans Warped Tour 2009: Interview – Dance Gavin Dance

The past is the past to the members of Dance Gavin Dance as playing shows and entertaining crowds is the ultimate priority. According to their guitarists and drummer, so is letting music seep out of their veins on its own.

Photo Cred: Joshua Khan

You guys have released a solid third full-length album that’s been given positive reviews and attracted new fans. How do you feel about the release of Happiness?

Will Swan: I’d say we’re pretty happy about Happiness. We just love writing, so every time a record comes out we are happy about it because it’s something we’ve done better.

Is there anything you guys wished you could have done more/less of on the record?

Zac Garren: I wish we could have rapped a little more.

Matt Mingus: I’m really glad the way it turned out, like it’s better in my mind. It also still leaves room for the next album.

Will: Anytime there is something wrong or something we need to improve, there’s always the next record to fix that which makes you anticipate it even more.

How’s the reception of new songs from crowds been so far on Warped Tour?

Matt: Great dude, great. The kids are diggin’ it and everyone’s having fun while we’re playing.

Zac: Well even if we suck we can’t leave.

Will: All tours are like that shit, but nah, we’ve had fun for sure.

When it comes to Happiness, the music definitely has a more polished experimental sound to it. Was this something you guys wanted to achieve?

Zac: Well, we kind of just went with it and wrote it.

Will: Exactly, it just happened to turn out that way.

Matt: One thing I think we were trying to achieve is to make it a little bit more funky.

Will: We also tried to make it a little bit more versatile, in terms of everything, and I think we did a pretty good job with that. Like I didn’t have any goals to like make the record seem a little bit funky, but it did turn out that way because that’s the mood we were in.

Did you want to make the album sound completely different from the self-titled one?

Will: No, I think it’s a mistake to make yourself sound like something. Its better to just let the music come out on its own.

Zac: Yeah, we don’t plan to stick out. We just write about what feels good and whatever happens happens.

Do you have any big plans or goals for the near future?

Matt: Non-stop touring.

Will: Yeah, just touring everywhere. It would be great to just be able to get out there and tour in a lot of different countries.

The band’s been through so many lineup changes its hard to say who you guys are exactly. Now, at this very moment, who is Dance Gavin Dance?

Matt: Wow, who is Dance Gavin Dance? Matt, Will, Zac, Tim and Kurt! (laughs)

Will: I don’t really sit around and ponder about that too much! Dance Gavin Dance is Dance Gavin Dance.

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