INTERVIEW BY VIVIAN HUA
How would you describe your music? A progressive blend of everything I listen to, basically. We like to incorporate everything all of us listen to into our music. I wouldn’t really call us any kind of band, since we carry elements from many different genres.
So what kind of stuff do you guys listen to? It ranges from metal to really really soft stuff. Some electronica. We listen to country. We listen to a lot of hip-hop - anything with taste, really.
Listening to your type of music, I would assume that people would either really like you or really hate you… do you find this to be true? Yeah, I guess so. Well, if someone gives it a quick listen, it will be really easy for them to say, “I don’t like this,” but all of our songs really have different feels to them, so if they don’t like something, there could be stuff that they’ll be missing out on. So that’s all; it’s their problem if they want to dismiss it.
Do you guys think Seattle is a good scene for your type of music?
Definitely. I think Seattle is very receptive to new sounds and incorporating new sounds into types of music you generally wouldn’t hear that in.
Do you guys get tired when you play sets?
Yeah, we really exert ourselves. Sometimes there isn’t water on the stage, and that’s just a big no-no. Gotta keep hydrated.
How did you guys get signed to EqualVision?
We were talking to them, and they showed interest in us for a while. Basically, the time just came to sign with them. They asked us if we wanted to do a business partnership, and we said yes, because we like that label and a lot of bands on that label.
Did you guys do your recordings by yourselves before?
We did it with this really small budget, and it was friends of the label who recorded it. It cost a lot less, and we didn’t have a lot of time to do all of the things we wanted to do. This time, working with Barrett [Jones] was a really good experience, because he had a lot of great suggestions that we had never even considered. We concentrate a lot on our live show, but never really paid much attention on how we sounded when recording live on a CD.
Do you think this CD captures your live essence better?
Definitely, and we are just represented better. We came through a lot clearer on this CD than we did on the last, and like I said, we got to try a lot of new things.
Like what?
Some keys, some effects stuff, and silly, hidden vocal stuff. The vocal style is almost totally different. We’re excited about it.
Do you have anything else to add?
Thank you for the interview. I don’t really get any. It’s usually either Andrew or Thomas. No one cares about the bass player!
If you are to learn anything from this publication, it should be the idea that some of the best rock music is not simple enough to fall under one subgenre. The Fall of Troy may have screeching vocals, but it would be difficult to call them hardcore. They may have complex, entrancing guitar riffs, but it would be foolish to call them metal. Guitarist Thomas Erak, 20, bassist Tim Ward, 19, and drummer Andrew Forsman, 19, make up The Fall of Troy, a band that is easy for some to write off. Upon first listen, their songs may sound frenzied to the point of noise, but closer inspection will lead one to find that the level of complexity this three-piece band brings is hard to match.
This band from Mukilteo, WA, recently signed with EqualVision Records. Tim tells us about their musical aspirations and expectations for their sophomore album, due out this summer.
How would you describe your music? A progressive blend of everything I listen to, basically. We like to incorporate everything all of us listen to into our music. I wouldn’t really call us any kind of band, since we carry elements from many different genres.
So what kind of stuff do you guys listen to? It ranges from metal to really really soft stuff. Some electronica. We listen to country. We listen to a lot of hip-hop - anything with taste, really.
Listening to your type of music, I would assume that people would either really like you or really hate you… do you find this to be true? Yeah, I guess so. Well, if someone gives it a quick listen, it will be really easy for them to say, “I don’t like this,” but all of our songs really have different feels to them, so if they don’t like something, there could be stuff that they’ll be missing out on. So that’s all; it’s their problem if they want to dismiss it.
Do you guys think Seattle is a good scene for your type of music?
Definitely. I think Seattle is very receptive to new sounds and incorporating new sounds into types of music you generally wouldn’t hear that in.
Do you guys get tired when you play sets?
Yeah, we really exert ourselves. Sometimes there isn’t water on the stage, and that’s just a big no-no. Gotta keep hydrated.
How did you guys get signed to EqualVision?
We were talking to them, and they showed interest in us for a while. Basically, the time just came to sign with them. They asked us if we wanted to do a business partnership, and we said yes, because we like that label and a lot of bands on that label.
Did you guys do your recordings by yourselves before?
We did it with this really small budget, and it was friends of the label who recorded it. It cost a lot less, and we didn’t have a lot of time to do all of the things we wanted to do. This time, working with Barrett [Jones] was a really good experience, because he had a lot of great suggestions that we had never even considered. We concentrate a lot on our live show, but never really paid much attention on how we sounded when recording live on a CD.
Do you think this CD captures your live essence better?
Definitely, and we are just represented better. We came through a lot clearer on this CD than we did on the last, and like I said, we got to try a lot of new things.
Like what?
Some keys, some effects stuff, and silly, hidden vocal stuff. The vocal style is almost totally different. We’re excited about it.
Do you have anything else to add?
Thank you for the interview. I don’t really get any. It’s usually either Andrew or Thomas. No one cares about the bass player!
Anyone who has seen The Fall of Troy live knows that their performances are attention-grabbing and awe-inspiring, with enough energy to knock out a rhinocerous. If The Fall of Troy’s second album can capture the essence of their live sound, they may very well be the next big thing.