Interview: Thrice

bst interviews thrice by ben gross Recently, site contributor Ben Gross had the opportunity to interview Island Records' own Thrice. The band is famous for weaving punk and hardcore into their own distinct sound. With two well-received releases on Sub City Records, Thrice managed to make a name for themselves, landing them a deal on Island. The guys plan on releasing their newest album, The Artist in the Ambulance, on July 22nd. For now, new material can be heard on a recently released split 7'' with label mates Thursday. This specific interview was conducted in person and through e-mail, with input from the entire band and the answers forwarded by the drummer, Riley Breckenridge. You can catch Thrice at this year's Warped Tour. This interview took place in person and via e-mail; questions were given to the band on may 10th, 2003 and answers were sent back through e-mail a few days after. bst: In five years where do you see yourselves? riley: I have no idea. I don't think any of us really look any further than the day at hand, and the day ahead. Worrying about the future tends to make the present a little rough. bst: Five years ago, what was the biggest challenge as a band? riley: Getting shows, which is probably the biggest obstacle for any band that is just starting out. It's hard to find clubs that will let unknown bands play in front of people. They're afraid of losing money, which makes sense I guess. It's a catch 22. You have to have fans to be able to get a decent show at a decent club, but you have to play shows to gain fans. bst: If you could change one thing about your fans what would it be and why? riley: This doesn't apply to everyone, but it seems like there are a lot of people that seem like they are afraid to like certain styles of music or support a band because they are worried about how it will affect people's perception of them. It leads to a lot of close-mindedness, which is never a good thing. But honestly, there's really nothing I'd want to change about our fans. I think we have some of the most devoted fans around. bst: How important do you think the online community is and why? riley: Very important. It's a good place for fans to bond with people that share an interest in the band, with people all from over the world, and it's a good way for us to keep in touch with people (via ramblings and e-mails). bst: Growing up, did you go to concerts? Who did you see? riley: Yes, lots. I used to see Strung Out play every time they played anywhere within 200 miles of Orange County. And I rarely missed a Bad Religion show. For a long time, I was going to multiple shows a week, seeing bands I loved, and looking for new bands. bst: Did you ever dream that one day people would be coming to see you play live? What concert or what band inspired you to dream this? riley: Not really. I had very meager expectations of this band when we started. The fact that we've gotten this far is totally surreal, and something we are all incredibly grateful for. bst: What has been the biggest challenge with your relationships outside of the band? riley: Keeping them healthy. It's hard to keep in touch with friends and family when you're constantly on tour, let alone have girlfriends or wives (Teppei [guitarist] and Dustin [singer/guitarist]). We were on the road for eight months last year, and this year we'll probably be gone for about 11 months, so it's tough. Every time I get home there are so many people I want to spend time with, it's really hard to balance, when you've got a week off to cram as much quality time with as many people as possible. bst: Do you guys read the online interaction that takes place on your website? riley: Some of it. When we have a chance. bst: With the move to Island Records and your gaining popularity, will you continue to talk to fans and hang out before and after concerts with them? riley: Absolutely. Why would that change? bst: I saw a tour bus outside, is that yours? riley: Yes. It's nice to get some decent rest on tour for once. bst: Do you think the new CD will be labeled as more "mainstream" than your previous CDs? Why? riley: Maybe. There are some more straightforward songs on the new record than anything we've written in the past, which is different for us, but we've never been a band that wants to just write one style of song, and rehash the same old stuff over and over. Our influences are so varied, and some of our favorite bands write songs with simpler structures like The Beatles, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Coldplay, etc. For us to ignore that influence would seem pretty silly. The new record is pretty diverse. For every straightforward song, there's a song that's more progressive than stuff we've done in the past. bst: What are your views on mainstream music? riley: There's some good, and some bad... Just like anything else in life. bst: Along the way who was the biggest help? riley: Our families (especially Dustin's dad for giving us a place to practice, loaning us money for a van, etc.), our friends, our fans, and our manager, Nick. bst: What's the biggest piece of advice you could give a new band trying to make it? riley: Don't give up. Play any and every show you possibly can, and write music that means something to you. Don't worry about what other people are going to think. Music is about creativity, and if you try to channel that creativity in a way that caters to a certain group of people, you are cheating yourself as an artist. Be true to yourself, and if people appreciate your vision and creation, then that's great...and if not, at least you know that you didn't sell yourself short just to make a few picky people happy. bst: What's one of your most memorable shows ever? Why? riley: That's too hard to choose. Any show where people are singing along and appreciating what you do is memorable, whether it's in front of five people or 5,000 people. We feel blessed to be able to do this, and we are extremely grateful for any support we get. listen to thrice thrice official site