When creating setlists do wewe cater it towards the tour wewe are on, au play the best songs wewe think Black Veil Brides can showcase?
CC: We do both depending on the tour. If we are on a tour where our set times are shorter we will take out certain songs. On a high-energy tour we want to keep most of our high-energy songs on the setlist. We usually only switch a couple of songs around, so it is primarily the same set, but when it is shorter we take out the less energetic ones.
Black Veil Brides was announced to play Warped Tour 2011 and there was a very polarized reaction in which people loved au hated that decision. Were wewe prepared for that?
Warped Tour is an every siku festival, and we have done some festivals. The band is that way regardless, either wewe upendo us au hate us. As long as wewe are paying attention wewe can talk shit about us, au upendo us and do the whole face paint when wewe onyesha up to shows.
For stuff that like that, I feel it is really beneficial to play in front of other bands mashabiki that normally would not see the show.
They look at us on the internet and judge us kwa our image, au interviews that some of my other band members may au may not have done. Actually seeing the band live is completely different. A lot of people get one notion that we are a certain way and call us derogatory names, but when they actually see the live onyesha and how much energy we have, they kind of say, ‘Oh man I did not even know wewe guys rock out. I thought wewe were just image and glam, and could not play,’ but we have double bass, besi and dueling guitar, gitaa solos. It is actually beneficial to be on stuff like that.
Obviously, there are going to be some people who are really not into us, especially if wewe read the message boards. We take it as a challenge to prove ourselves one way au another and I hope we will make some new fans.
Do wewe think the band gets such a strong hateful reaction kwa some people because they are musically not into Black Veil Brides, au because of your image and it being a judging the book kwa its cover situation?
I think most of it would be a book kwa its cover type of thing. The image obviously is not everyone.
People are not used to it in this siku and age.
Absolutely, but if wewe look at the most hivi karibuni successful bands like Marilyn Manson, and when he came out there was a whole controversy around it. Anyone that has a certain aesthetic they are going for on stage and in picha shoots may rub certain people the wrong way. I think zaidi people hate us because of the way we look than the way we sound.
We can make 55-year-old fans, like when we were playing in Cleveland there was an old biker dude with a USA hat on and kwa the end of the onyesha was telling us we rocked. There is no shabiki too old au too young. As long as they can see us live, we usually win. I wouldn’t say everyone, but I would say the majority of the crowd. The people who were flipping us off at the start kwa the end hate that they are doing this [head nod].
Black Veil Brides songs lean zaidi towards imba than screaming, is that something done consciously, au does it fall into place that way?
It just falls into place. There is definitely a message we want to get out, and that is inner-strength, and unity. We have the Black Veil Bride army, and we are all here for one another. Regardless if we get that through with singing, au screaming it is whatever plays out best for the song.
We did our new record, which comes out in June and I am doing blast beats. We are doing almost death metal stuff, but there might be imba over that.
The record is going to be great. It is half ass-kicking songs, and half very marketable single type songs. As far as singing, it is whatever fits with the song, there does not have to be a certain percentage of imba au screaming. It’s what fits the song best both lyrically and musically.
On the album We Stitch These Wounds there is the song "Carolyn" which is straight singing, will there be strictly imba songs on the sophomore album?
Yeah, absolutely.
Is it going to be zaidi than one song?
Yeah, we actually have a slower ballad-type song which is all singing. There are actually a lot of songs that are all singing. I wouldn’t say there is a great ton of screaming on the new album, but that wasn’t done because of the label switch, it was done because of what we wrote.
wewe evolved?
Yeah, it was what was best for each song. We didn’t go in there like, ‘Oh we have to scream, we have to do this.’ Obviously, we did not want to alienate any mashabiki with the new record, but I am pretty sure they will be pleased with the way it came out. We are all super stoked about it and listen to it all the time.
The vocalist Andy has a really rock imba voice, and musically there are a lot of rock-sounding riffs. Could wewe see Black Veil Brides going in a rock direction down the line?
We don’t plan, but obviously we have strategic moves we want to place in our careers. We are kind of rocking out, and doing our thing just trying to get our message out there. It even carries out through this new record and we talk about a few new topics. There are definitely some rock songs on the new record.
There is a dirty, almost southern rock [song] with no screaming. The new record definitely has something for everyone. There is the metal technical riffs, and double bass, besi going crazy type songs. Then also, almost anthemia type 1980-ish Crue and KISS from back in the day. We have songs like that, but as far as rock we do whatever and don’t really want to categorize ourselves.
There are so many different categories these days, screamo, emo, post-hardcore, metal, metalcore, and deathcore.
Bands evolve with each album so it’s hard to stick a label on them.
We all have different influences, and per band member all of our musical influences vary. We go from Buckethead to Slipknot to KISS to Motley Crue to Alkaline Trio, we are all over the place. I am into dubstep and trance and everyone is always like, ‘What are wewe doing over there rocking out, oh it’s club CC.’ It’s pretty awesome because everyone has different things they are into.
We all come together and fit it into the band somehow. I don’t think I fit as much trance au dubstep into the band as I would like, but it is what it is. I upendo the final product, it is cool.
For the sophomore album were the songs written specifically for it, au were some leftover songs from the awali album?
They were all written for this album. We obviously have ideas au riffs and place them all together. Jake [Pitts] definitely did a lot of the uandishi musically, as far as the guitar, gitaa stuff. Jinxx even has some very personal songs that he recorded to where he wouldn’t even let us listen to it until the night before we recorded it. He worked really hard on a few songs. They were all meant for the album.
When creating a new album if there are songs not used will they never be released, au do wewe guys save them for something else?
Yeah, it is really strange because we were really pressed for time because we were in the middle of the UK and Japan tour, so we almost didn‘t have time to do the record. Even our manager thought there was no way it would get done. There are one au two songs we recorded for this album that did not make it because we never got a chance to finalize vocals. The muziki is done, but for songs like that, who knows where it is going to be. It might be on an EP, au we might finish vocals in between things and have it as a special feature for a DVD. wewe never know where songs like that will end up.
From the album We Stitch These Wounds, musically what is your inayopendelewa song, and lyrically what is your inayopendelewa song?
Musically, I am zaidi of a live person, and before I joined the band I was doing sessions. Musically live I would say “All Your Hate” because it is really energetic and I get to go off on that one. It is really fun to play. Lyrically, my inayopendelewa would be "Sweet Blasphemy." I remember I would listen to that every night before I went to sleep.
What is something wewe have always wanted to do but have not done yet?
I could go either way and take the high road au the low road, but I’ll choose the high road. I have always wanted to go to Australia and we are actually planning to do some stuff down there very soon.
After Warped?
Yeah, it’s going to be after Warped but I don’t have exact dates yet, but that should be in our future. I have a lot of Marafiki in Sydney and Melbourne. I don’t know if I’ll run into them, but it will just be an experience. Then I can go nyumbani on a map and stick a pin in where I have been.
Do wewe have a map at nyumbani and do that?
My dad does actually. I take pictures on my iPhone and it has this thing where wewe click it and it tells where wewe are. There are all these red pins all over the world which is awesome.
My dad has one of these huge big ukuta maps which has pins everywhere and he kind of keeps track. He is up there in years, so it gives him something to do since he is retired. “How was Japan son?” “It was awesome until that huge earthquake hit.” He has the huge map, it gives him something to do.
What is a song wewe never get sick of hearing?
“Disconnected” kwa Face To Face. For some reason I have loved that song ever since I was in middle school. Throughout the years no matter where I am at in life that is one song I can always relate and connect too. Whenever it comes on that volume goes to ten. That would be one song I never get sick of hearing.
If wewe could see any band au artist see any song live what would it be and why?
As much as I am sick of hearing Nirvana because when I am in L.A. all I hear is Nirvana, but I would upendo to see Kurt Cobain perform any song. That is one I missed out on because I never got to see him while he was with us, au Bradley [Nowell] from Sublime.
Sublime with Rome is touring with 311 this summer.
I remember I heard them, I was backstage so I did not really get to see them, but they sounded great with them. I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did, but I thought they sounded great.
But yeah, it would probably have to be Kurt Cobain. He was out there, and I loved his whole I don’t give a shit attitude.
For 2011 Warped Tour will wewe guys be primarily playing songs from the new album, au a mixture of both albums?
Definitely a mixture. We are going to play a few new songs from the new album, but definitely some of the older songs that helped us gain our shabiki base will be played as well. We have not really developed a setlist, but we will get that together in the inayofuata few weeks. Definitely a mixture of both albums.
After Warped Tour any tentative plans?
Tentatively we are out until the end of January.
Really until January 2012?
Yeah, what is it, 2011 [laughs], I don‘t even know anymore. I don’t even want to know where I am going.
I have toured with a few different bands where I always wanted to know where I was going, and when I am going home. This is one time in my life when I am going to let go and take it siku kwa day.
We are doing UK, and a lot of the European festivals, and we are playing Download [Festival], which is another thing I have always wanted to do in my life. Since I was a kid I’ve wanted to play those huge European festivals. We are doing Warped Tour, a headliner overseas, and then states. We are going all over the world and pretty much out until January. It is go, go, go.
When was Black Veil Brides last break?
We have been going every single siku since January 1st. There has not been any days off. When we were off, we were uandishi the album, au working on it. When we were not uandishi the album we were playing overseas.
That seems really rough.
Yeah, but it really helps out that we all get along. We are all brothers, and we are all best friends, so that really helps. Obviously we miss certain things, like people have relationships, and I have mbwa and family I really care about. Obviously, I miss those things that are in my life, but it is not that hard because we upendo this band, we are this band. Every thing we do is Black Veil Brides, and it is really cool because wewe are with all your brothers.
Everyone in the band has a different personality, but we are all best friends. We don’t even have to try and make it work, it just does. It is not as hard as it seems au sounds. When I say, ‘Oh we are out until January,’ it will go kwa like that. We could be in a truck stop broken down in Ttimbuktu but we still make the best of it. The last break will probably have been krisimasi right before New Years. That was a little time off.
I think our last tour before we did this run was at the end of November, beginning of December so we had a few weeks off, like three au four weeks off.
That still does not seem like a substantial amount of time off, but I guess being in a band it might seem like it is.
It is tough because as soon as I get nyumbani I go ‘Man I missed this place. My own bed, my own shower, everything is my rules and I don’t have to be in makeup. I can eat where I want, and when I want,’ but after a couple of weeks wewe get the itch again like, ‘Oh man I am ready to get out of here,’ well for me personally. I’ll be pacing when I first get home, then get into [being home] before being ready to go back out into it.
When wewe are nyumbani on a break, do wewe play the drums for fun?
I have a huge drum set and I hate setting it up when my drum tech is not there, so I’ll go a few days to a week without setting it up, but then I’ll get that itch to play. That is one thing I may take for granted is playing every day. I upendo it, but when I get nyumbani I had been doing it for three months straight and don’t want too, but then three au four days later I’ll want to play some drums. That is never something I really think about on tour, ’Oh I got to play drums,’ it just is life, the job, and my career.
Playing the drums is a work out too.
Oh yeah, absolutely. When I come nyumbani my arms are a different shape from when I left. It definitely takes me a few shows to warm up and get the muscle tone and stamina back. Once I get home, I still have a passion for playing.
wewe could be having a great day, play a onyesha and it gets even better. wewe could be having a terrible day, and especially for me since I’m a drummer, ngoma take all my aggression out and it will turn it all around. I am thankful I chose this path for my life, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Anything else wewe want to add?
Come out and see us on Warped Tour, but don’t throw a bottle at me!
By:Natalie Kuchik, muziki Examiner
April 13, 2011
