Monday, November 2, 2009

Getting down with A Skylight Drive!

"I want to hear you call my name for the first or the last time" is just a bit of the musical genius I have heard from six of the most personable, hilarious and just plain awesome boys in the alternative music scene. A Skylit Drive, other wise known as Jag, Nick, Corey, Joey, Kyle and Brian are quickly becoming one of the heaviest hitters in the screamo music game today, especially with their latest release "Adelphia" and are still some of the most humble people I know and I was lucky enough to have the chance to sit down with them recently on the tour they just finished out with Senses Fail, Closure in Moscow and FACT.

I last saw them on Warped Tour in Montreal, and definitely enjoyed their live set. Just coming off the release of their latest album, Adelphia, the band was on fire and put on a great show. They come from Lodi, California and have several albums under their belts. Currently they can be found on the road in Europe with past touring buddies Dance Gavin Dance and are playing some California shows to round out the year.

Everything was on the table in this interview including how they believe their latest album effort is doing, how awesome their tour manager is and their favorite acts to hit the road with. The requirements? You have to like partying and don't take Jag's corn dogs. Read on for more!
So last time I talked to you guys, we were at Warped Tour. Have you already gone to Europe, or is that after this?
Joey: No, it's after this.
Nick: Are we on right now?
Yes.
Nick: So this is the real deal. We're going after this tour. Hopefully.

Do you guys know who you're going with on this tour?
Brian: We're going with Dance, Gavin, Da-a-a-a-nce.
Joey: We don't really like them though.
Brian: They're terrible musicians.
That's really really sweet of you.
Brian: I'm just joking!
Jag: Yeah, they fart on our pillows.

I know the tour is just starting but how has it been so far?
Brian: Fantabulous.
Corey: Dooing
Brian: Corey says its been dooing.

You guys released Adelphia in June. How has it been going so far?

Nick: I think more and more time goes on, like more people are starting to get down with it. I think at first not everybody was on the Adelphia train.
Joey: It's like Christian Bale movies. The first time you watch it, you kind of think it sucks but you just keep watching it over and over again. Oh this might rule, or it might not.
Nick: Not that everyone didn't like it right away, I'm not really sure. Just maybe we're progressing, the tours were going on have been awesome, more and more kids are coming out. It's really sweet!
Brian: Totally sweet bro.
Joey: Bill Murray sweet.
Brian: You can quote Joey on that one.


Who are you some of your influences?
Corey: Oprah Winfrey.
Joey: He watches Oprah a lot. I'm really into Maury because I think he has a real talk show. Yeah I used to watch Ricki Lake every night at like two in the morning.
Brian: Montell Williams.
Joey: Brian likes more of the african influences.






Who would be your top three acts to tour with?
Brian: Closure in Moscow
Who you're already on tour with.
Brian: Who we're already on tour with.
Joey: Breathe Carolina.
Nick: Yeah we've toured with them. We can check both off them off the list.
Corey: I think we're down to tour with anybody, anyone that's cool and fun. Or who likes to party.
Joey: I really like fact actually too because they don't speak english.
Not at all?
Nick: That's not the only reason we like them.
Joey: Yeah. They're really funny though, all they say is the same two sentences.
Jag: We can't really like repeat what they do know. We haven't been the best influence on their English. We'll start teaching them nicer things through out the tour.
Joey: We're starting them out small.
Jag: How to rowl up the crowd, have to say curse words and everything.
Where are they from?
Nick: Japan.
Joey: They're all in their thirties but they look like there twelve years old.
Jag: They're seriously all thirty and they look like they're sixteen. It's all that rice.

What's your favorite part of touring?
Jag: Just playing.
Brian: Kids coming out, the reaction from the crowd.
Joey: Nick hurts himself usually every night on stage.
Brian: Yeah, he has a black eye right now. He did that all on his own.
What did you do?
Nick: I tried to make up a cool story of what had happened but I couldn't think of anything so i'll tell it to you straight because I like you, you're cool, we could be friends and stuff. I was throwing my guitar around, trying to look cool, went to take it off and I ended up just smacking myself right in the face and the whole crowd went "oh!" at the same time.
You should really make something up!

Jag: Then there was almost the time he died on Warped Tour. He almost tripped over a box. We're up like nine feet, he tries to jump over a box, almost falls over.
Joey: There were probably a thousand kids there and they all just went "wooo!"
Nick: And then on this tour, the first night, I fell really heard, I wiped out.
First night.
Jag: He made it look cool though.
Nick: I did.
Joey: By hitting a security guard in the face.
Nick: Well see that wasn't the cool part. I made it look like I was trying to jump into the crowd.


What's the craziest thing a fan has ever given you?
Jag: Someone gave me-
Nick: What kind of fan are you thinking of? There have been some weird things...
Brian: One time, these girls gave us clay dolls of each and everyone of us at Warped Tour.
Nick: They were like real action figures.
Brian: Yeah, we like have a skylight action figure.
Jag: It was the highlight of my life.
Brian: I totally played with mine for like a long time.
Joey: We couldn't figure out which ones were Nick and Joey though.


What are you addicted to?
Joey: I'm addicted to having fun.
Joey and Brian: Yeah, we're addicted to partying.
Brian: That's for the record.
Joey: Dancing also.
Corey: Herbs like Paprika and oregano.
Brian: We actually don't do drugs. We try to stay away from all the hard shit just you know cause cause it just messes up your body and your mind.
Joey: We just know a lot of people that have gone down that path..and they're all in this band.
Nick: I'm too good looking for that.



If you had a million dollars, what would you buy?
Brian: House, party house or a yacht, a party yacht. That could be a house. I would buy like a bunch of movies, dvds, video games, that kind of stuff.
Nick: I would buy world peace.
Brian: What if you could really buy that? That would be awesome.

What's your favorite treat?
Joey: Just being with my friends on the road.
Brian: Yeah, hey that's a good answer. That's a good treat. Just being around friends.
Nick: Joey thinks we're friends.
Brian: And our driver Chad.
Jag: Chad's awesome.Look how good looking he is?
So you guys don't have to drive the rv at all, you can just sleep.
Brian: Yeah he's pretty good looking. He's awesome.
Jag: Nobody lights up your life like Chad.
Corey: He's a good babysitter.
Chad (the bus driver): I'll tickle you before I tuck you in or I'll just tickle you or make you one of Jag's corn dogs when he's not around.
Jag: Yeah I heard about that. I was going to talk to you about that later. Not just one but two!

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You can catch the boys on tour in two days around Europe with Dance Gavin Dance, and at a few home state shows in California to round out the year. Also, You can find "Adelphia" along with their other albums all on itunes and check out their tunes on their myspace.





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