Check out my interview with VISTA!   And be sure to check out their video at the end!         -graci 

When explaining your music to someone who hasn’t heard it, how do you describe your music?  

Hope: It’s always a huuuuuuuuuge anthem. All of our tracks so far have been insanely upbeat and filled with energy. Booming drums. Pulsing guitars. Thick bass. Lil synths weaved in and out. Dueling vocals with Greg. Elements you would hear in an arena. The goal is to write anthems!

Matt: Bombastic drums, anthemic choruses, driving guitars and bass. Pretty much, in your face rock.

What originally got you into music ?  If there is a story, please share!

Greg: My brother! I remember him showing me the video for MCR’s “Helena” and being like “Whaaat the fuck.” Then I got into Green Day. That was the end of it.

Hope: My dad did! He was a classical jazz guitarist, and I always wanted to be just like him. I kinda just followed him around as a kid, watched everything he was doing, took all kinds of music lessons from him. He’s always been my overall inspiration!

Matt: I’ve always loved music and I remember being like, “Yeah, I want to do that. I want to be on stage.” Truth be told, I had the biggest stage fright as a kid but once I got behind the drum set that fear melted away and I felt invincible.

Do you happen to recall the first time you performed, and can you please tell us about it?

Greg: Yeah, it was a kind of mess I think. We played without a metronome, which isn’t terrible, but if you’re an inexperienced musician it can easily get terrible. So yeah that was… interesting. Haha.

Hope: The first time I ever performed EVER…. I really don’t remember. I’ve been performing since I was 3!

Matt: It was in middle school. I busted my ass to prove to the other two drummers in concert band that I was worthy of playing the set. My first song was Build Me Up Buttercup and it was in the school gymnasium in front of parents and kids. I was petrified but I was also exhilarated.

Do you have a song that means the most to you?  And if so, can you please share the story of that song?

Greg: A lot of songs mean so many things to me. They remind me of times I really listened to them and connect me with that feeling again. It’s mostly like “albums” though. I did this first with The Fall of Troy’s “Doppelganger” after a bad breakup.

Hope: Probably “Numb” by Linkin Park. That was the very first song my dad ever taught me to play on my first electric guitar, my lil Fender Strat baby. I was like 10! Plugging in and playing that song amped up for the first time completely brought me to life.

Matt: Build Me Up Buttercup for the reasons I mentioned above. Other songs have a big staple in my heart like “The Adventure” by Angels and Airwaves that came out when my grandfather was dying of cancer. That was my first real family death I faced. As well as my first break up. And the lost of friendships, the transition of college etc. It came out in a time where I needed hope and it gave me that.

Do you have a song that is your favorite to perform?  And if so, why?

Greg: So far On The Brink is mad fun. Henchmen is coming close though!

Hope: Yo, I’m so stoked to perform “Henchmen” for the first time this week. I will probably collapse afterwards. I usually run out of air during “On The Brink,” so we’ll see how “Henchmen” fares. But yeah, I definitely agree with Greg. I like doing “Dominance” too. It’s that nice little nostalgic piece 🙂

Matt: I said I Hope You Understand at first…but then we’ve been gearing up Henchmen for the Irving Plaza show and I have to say that it’s my fav!

What does your guys’ writing process look like ?  Any funny stories from your last recording session?

Greg: Yeah, towards the end of it I got sick, and I kind of ate nothing but Cheerios that weekend. It was fun.

Hope: He literally bought a family size box of Cheerios and ate only that for every single meal. For three days. Sometimes two bowls at a time.

What is your favorite food to eat while on tour?

Greg: Taco. Bell.

Hope: I don’t know because I don’t eat fast food and I also don’t have any money…. So I just bring my own pre-bought snacks n stuff.

Matt: That’s easy, pizza and peanut butter and jelly. Carb life!

What is something that your fans would be surprised to learn about you?

Greg: I’m not sure. That I can’t eat ketchup and it grosses me out?

Hope: I DON’T LIKE PIZZA. I always get SO much grief for that. But yuck.

Matt: It’s okay Hope, more for me! Haha Hm. A fun fact about me is that I cry during Disney and romantic films. I feel what the characters feel. Big Hero 6 and Toy Story to the Vow and The Notebook I cried like a bitch haha

Hope: BAYMAX.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you guys as a band in 2016 ?

Greg: There have been plenty of moments that have been super funny so far. The time we spend in the car driving can be funny when we just goof off.

Hope: I actually can’t think of one in particular because I laugh a LOT.

Matt: That time Greg drove us to VA and we died of heat exhaustion. Looking back, it was pretty funny.

Hope: It was so hot, oh my god.

What was the best thing that happened to you guys as a band in 2016?

Greg: On Christmas Eve getting the show confirmed with Against The Current. Or getting the mix/master back of Henchmen. Okan, Zack & Ken made that track explode!

Hope: Oh yeah, for sure. Definitely the two best moments. I also really liked our Virginia show in November. That was super sick.

Matt: What Greg said! It was the best day of my life learning about the ATC show. I’ve loved ATC for so long and now look at us opening for them.

What does 2017 look like for you?  What can fans expect to see/hear from you?  

Greg:  2017 is looking good. We are stoked to have just kicked it off with our first show at Irving Plaza with Against The Current. Expect to hear more music. Expect to hear more of us at shows!

Hope: Shooooows, I wanna play a million shows.

Matt: Writing, touring, and meeting as many fans as possible!