After the band made Toronto bleed with an astounding set, we got the chance to catch up with singer/guitarist Gregory Dunn and find out more about their artistic sound and what’s next for the New York quartet.
How was the trip across the border?
It was actually very easy. I’ve had a harder time crossing just by myself to visit the country. We were very lucky with that.
How has the tour been for you guys so far?
Amazing. It’s been so surreal. On top of just touring out West, it’s been a dream to perform alongside bands we looked up too. We’ve met a lot of people, and still find it amazing when we meet fans in states we’ve never played before.
Was your show the other night in Toronto a defining moment for the band?
This whole tour has been a defining moment. But yeah, Toronto ruled. It was definitely one of the best shows of this tour – and Canadians are insanely nice. It felt really good helping Moneen this tour and seeing them play as a full band for the first time in almost a week, with our gear, in their hometown was amazing. It felt good to be apart of that.
You have an upcoming one with Straylight Run next month; are you guys big fans?
Hells yeah. All the national tours we’ve been apart of – we’ve been huge “fan boys” of the bands. That never gets old to us. I’m friends with the drummer Will Noon so I’m stoked just to hang with those guys as well. We are also big The Dangerous Summer fans; their last record is awesome. We all sing along to it in the van.
Now in regards to your music, are you planning to release another record anytime soon?
Yes. Once we get home in early November, were going to hit the ground running with writing. We hope to have a new record written by next year. I’m so excited.
What did you think of how people received the Foreword EP? Absolutepunk.net and Alternative Press gave you guys some great reviews.
I was happy. A band like ours crosses a lot of genres and different music niches, so it’s nice to see people accept us and not fight over that stuff. I was nervous as first, as I think it’s certainly a change from the last record. But I’m grateful people liked it. It’s a direction we are hoping to pursue more with the next record.
One media outlet said your sound can easily be compared to Thrice and late Brand New. After hearing both of their new albums, you can definitely see the similarities. Do you guys draw influences from bands like them?
Definitely. They are two very inspiring bands, both musically and aesthetically.
What seems to influence your songwriting the most?
Life. Honestly, it comes in waves. Some months you can’t produce anything you like and some months everything sounds beautiful to you. It’s strange, and I don’t know what it’s contributed from.
Now most of your tracks are longer than your average radio hits. Because of your unique style, how do you guys come about finalizing how long a song should be?
When it feels right. We never purposely intended for the songs to end up that long. It sort of just always happens. It’s actually something we are hoping to work on differently with the next record. Shorter, more concrete, and powerful songs.
The fact your music sounds fresh seems to captivate listeners, especially live. Is this something you guys strive for as a band?
Of course. It’s more so something fresh and captivating to us. It’s weird, because the majority of our favorite bands have broken up, so we have to write music we feel good about. Stuff we would want to listen to isn’t being done right now. I think that contributes a lot to our sound.
Will you ever come back to rock Toronto once again?
Absolutely. We loved playing here. We are planning a string of dates in Canada soon.
you guys rock!