The band came into the scene back in March of last year with their demo ‘Atlas’, releasing an EP titled ‘Movetur’ in October of the same year. This latest show comes fresh off their latest release ‘Silhouettes’, a sonic tribute to Savannah music venues, both past and present.

Be forewarned, however, these two had a really great sense of humor and it shows through pretty clearly here.

Kush at SCAD Radio: How would you describe your music to other people?

Adam Jenkins of Between Symmetries: I would say we’re indie alternative.

Michael Britt of Between Symmetries: Yeah, for sure, but with an emo twinge. We hate ourselves, but it’s not that whiny. It’s more ironic. We know we hate ourselves and we love it. [laugh]

Kush: What song would you say serves as a good entry point into your music?

Michael: I like “Morningwood” but that’s just me. Our single off of [Silhouettes] was “The Furnace” and there’s a music video for that, so that might help. Otherwise, it’s just kinda…like, on Bandcamp. [laughs]

Adam: I think I like “The Jinx” the most.

Michael: Oh yeah, “The Jinx” is top for sure. The whole album is good, honestly….No it’s not, it’s trash. [laugh]

Adam: Yeah, it’s not really that good. [laugh]

Michael: No, I’m joking, I would say look up “The Furnace”. Ben Bush shot it while on tour and it was a lot of fun.

K: So how would you say the Savannah music scene differs from the rest of the country?

A: I would say, honestly it’s the feeling of family. Everywhere you go, It just feels like you know everybody. Like, nobody makes you feel like a stranger. Sometimes you go to shows in, like, New York or something and people won’t say anything to you, but you go to a show here and someone will talk to you for sure.

M: It’s small enough, like, you could count all the venues on two hands. But it’s still big enough that you don’t feel like you’re just playing for 5 of your friends every night. But I love it, it’s a good middle ground.

Ashton at SCAD Radio: Would you say that some of these ideas work their way into “Silhouettes”?

A: Oh, for sure. It was an idea that came up at a time where it really needed to be executed because we wanted to try to bring attention to what we have, both with venues that are still around and some that aren’t. That’s why, honestly, if you listen to the record, it almost sounds like one single song because it just shows the connection between these places.

M: Each venue has, like a vibe, like the type of music they bring in obviously. Like “The Jinx” is heavier, so that’s the heaviest song. Oh, and Bomb Shelter! Shouts out to KYLE, like, we tried to do our best KYLE impression. Like, KYLE is the best. Easily the greatest band to ever come out of Savannah. I know Baroness came out of Savannah, and I do love them….but KYLE though.

K: I know the band hasn’t been around for a huge amount of time, but how long would you say the band has evolved over time?

A: We’ve grown a lot. We turned ourselves from s–t to s–t with, like sprinkles. [laughs]

M: Yeah, we’ve gotten at least a little bit better. [laughs]

A: Nah, but we’re a lot more true to ourselves now. I think before we would try to make stuff that we’ve, like, heard before. But now, I think this is the most honest type of music we’re playing and we’re having a lot of fun doing it. I mean, we’ve only been together for something like 19-20 months.

K: Do you guys have hobbies outside of music that you would say contribute to you musically?

A: Strangely enough, my main hobby is probably surfing the dark parts of the internet.

M: Well, I’d like to think that’s everyone!

A: And YouTube too, I Youtube religiously. Other than that? I like to come across weird bands that, like, no one knows and I really vibe with. I try to incorporate a lot of that into my own songwriting, I think. That’s how I found Cloakroom, and their, like, my favorite band now.

M: Oh yeah! Cloakroom is great!

K: Just to close things out. Who are you excited to see today?

A and M together: Microwave! Yeah!

A: Their new album is so good. “Lighterless” is an incredible song. Honestly, the whole album is just mind-blowingly good. All of their music is just so relatable, and it’s just so good. I envy them. Their one of my influences for sure.

M: Tides of Man is super sick too. They’re, like, super focused on jam stuff and kinda mathy. I really dig their sound.

K: Well, that’s about it from me. Thanks so much guys!

M: No, thank you man! It was really great.

A: Seriously, thank you guys so much!

Stay tuned to scadradio.org for more interviews and music news.

The post Interview with Between Symmetries appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Me and the Trinity has been one of the big names in Savannah metalcore since their first EP, The Devil’s House, came out in 2011.

Me and the Trinity hasn’t played for a while, but their reunion set at A.U.R.A. Fest promises to be something to see.

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Kush at SCAD Radio: For those who haven’t heard of you, what song serves as the best entry point into your music?

Timothy Burnsed of Me and the Trinity: We’ve kind of changed a lot over the years. I think we really found a home with the last album that we did. So if somebody wanted to know “Hey what does Me and the Trinity sound like?”, I’d probably point them in the direction of Gown. It’s kind of just raw, chaotic metal. It’s what we ended up honing in on.

Kush: I know it’s been a while for you guys, what have you been up to?

Tim: Well, a lot of us just kind of started working more. [laughs] One of our guys moved up to Atlanta. He’s pursuing a solo music career, doing acoustic music. That’s Logan. I’m really excited for him and what he’s doing up there. One of our other guys is a teacher in Athens, and is getting his graduate degree. We’re all just working and living life. [laughs] I got a dog!

K: What’s it like to be taking the stage for the first time since your farewell show on July 31, 2015?

T: It’s really exciting. I feel like we were all really sad when we said goodbye to the band. We did this really weird, impromptu, pop-up show about 4 or 5 months ago. Just the day before the show, we decided to play. Somebody asked to us to play, let’s just do it. We hadn’t seen each other. We hadn’t practiced or anything like that. So, we just did it. So, we’re going to do one more big show. Really, just say goodbye. In a proper way.

K: Is there one thing in particular that you’ve really missed about performing?

T: Just the act of performing, I guess. I mean, personally, I really enjoy yelling at people. We all felt an emotional connection to the music we were playing. For me, it was my outlet. As the lyricist and vocalist, it was really my outlet to get out whatever I was going through. Really an emotional act for me and the same for everyone else playing the instruments. You know, just one cohesive emo-thon. [laughs]

K: Do you think there will be any new material following the reunion show?

T: We don’t know. We’ve bounced around the idea. We’ve also bounced around the idea of doing a project under a different name. Maybe it could be a continuation of what Me and the Trinity was. There’s a few things up in the air. Whether Me and the Trinity plays another show after this one is just one thing we’re just not sure about. I guess we could be one of those guys that every now and then we’ll release a song or go play a show. Who knows?  I think we’re just going to try and see what happens on February 18th.

K: How would you say the hardcore scene in Savannah differs from the rest of the country?

T: From a lot of the areas we’ve played, when you compare it to Savannah, Savannah is definitely a lot more close-knit. The hardcore community here is definitely an everybody sticks together kind of thing. You just kind of do your thing together. A lot of other places that we’ve been, they do have a hardcore scene, but it just doesn’t seem as close knit. I don’t know, as far as currently and the current state,  to be honest, I haven’t been too involved. I don’t even know what’s going on outside of this festival, for the most part. If it’s anything like I remember, people are just close-knit and more apt to call each other family. I think it’s kind of cool.

K: I know Me and the Trinity happens to draw some influence from He is Legend. What’s it like to be bill as a band that’s made an impact on your music?

T: That’s really exciting. We were all big fans of He is Legend and that kind of came out when we were writing Crux. Some of that kind of weird, chaotic rock just started coming into play and it’s always super exciting when we get to play with bands that we admire and He is Legend is no different. I think maybe it’s a little bit more special now since this is the first show we’ve done in a long time and we get to do it with all these bands that we admire and grew up listening to.

K: Me and the Trinity is known for putting on a great live show. Is there anything you guys do onstage in order to ensure that the performance is high energy?

T: Our bass player, Ryan, was kind of a big part of our live show. The guy was nuts. I don’t know, we just get up and we just have the intention of having fun. Whatever that looks like. I honestly think I may be the most plain one in the band. [laughs] But no, it’s just our goal to have fun and whatever that looks like and if it looks a little silly or if it means we’re going to jump off something or throw something… [laughs] I don’t know. We definitely don’t plan a stage show. We just kind of show up and have fun.

K: And speaking of live show, I know a lot of bands have something that they do right before they take the stage. Do you guys have any sort of pre show routine?

T: You know, not really. We just kind of get together and give each other high fives. And then we just kind of pop up on the stage.

K: What can we expect from Me and the Trinity’s set at A.U.R.A. Fest?

T: You could expect a cool concentration on some older stuff that we haven’t played in a long time. Well all our songs are songs we haven’t played in a long time. [laughs] Songs that, even at the end of our go at it, we hadn’t played in a while. We’re going to be doing a bunch of stuff from our EP, The Golden Life and some other stuff off of the full length before Crux. And we’ll obviously be playing some stuff off of Crux. Basically, a really diverse set for this. I think maybe we’ll be leaning towards some older stuff, for sure.

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You can catch Me and the Trinity’s reunion show at 2017 A.U.R.A. Fest in Savannah, Georgia.

The post SCAD Radio, Me and the Trinity appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Whether you’re a fan of heavy riffs and brutal breakdowns, technical guitar work and melodic vocals, here’s SCAD Radio’s guide to the bands slated to play on February 18, 2017 at the Garden of Ships Of The Sea Maritime Museum.

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Unearth

From Boston, Massachusetts, Unearth is one of the most prolific metalcore bands to ever hit the scene. Their imprint on the genre is unmistakable from August Burns Red to Killswitch Engage to Lamb of God. In fact, the band’s name was coined by their very desire to change the genre and its sound. With a mix of unclean vocals, catchy choruses, and melodic and technical guitarwork, Unearth will be sure to capture listeners of metalcore, hardcore, and everything in between, especially during a live performance.

For Fans Of: August Burns Red, As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada

For a taste: My Will Be Done from 2008’s The March

Zao

This legendary band is credited with being one of the pioneers in the metalcore genre which bridged metal music with hardcore punk. After bursting on the scene in 1995, they released some of the most influential metalcore albums, like 1999’s Liberate te ex Inferis and 2004’s The Funeral of God. Now the band is back with brand new The Well Intentioned Virus after a 5 year hiatus. Be sure to catch Zao if you’re looking for a mix of new music and metalcore classics.

For Fans Of: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Norma Jean

For a taste: Savannah from 1999’s Liberate te ex Inferis

Oh, Sleeper

Comprised of ex-members of Between the Buried and Me, As I Lay Dying, As Cities Burn, and Terminal, Oh, Sleeper is a metalcore act from Ft. Worth, Texas. After releasing 4 full length albums and 2 EPs, Oh, Sleeper is ready to release an independent album after a 4 year break from the studio. Armed with punchy bass, heavy hitting guitar work, intense double bass drumming, and a mix of clean and unclean vocals, Oh, Sleeper is not a band to miss when they are on stage.

For Fans Of: blessthefall, Miss May I, For Today

For a taste: Vices Like Vipers from 2007’s When I Am God

He Is Legend

Starting out in 2003, He is Legend is a band that mixes many different genres to ultimately create their own music style. Although they take influences for Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins and give it an aggressive and faster twist, the band is impossible to nail down to one genre. Right before an American tour with Norma Jean and Capsize, He is Legend brings their music to Savannah at A.U.R.A. Fest.

For Fans Of: A Day to Remember, Dance Gavin Dance, Every Time I Die

For a taste: Eating a Book from 2004’s I Am Hollywood

I Set My Friends On Fire

I Set My Friends On Fire are a fun loving band that employs the use of catchy synth lines and mixes it with the instrumentals and vocal delivery of metalcore to create a genre that is now known as electronicore. The band originally claimed a massive fanbase through the internet, originally through a cover of Crank That by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em. The band later shone through comedy through several collaborations with Youtube comedy sensation Smosh. The band keep showcasing their fun and experimental music and will bring back old school electronicore to Savannah before the release of their new album, Caterpillar Sex.

For Fans Of: Enter Shikari, Attack Attack!, A Skylit Drive

For a taste: Things That Rhyme With Orange from 2008’s You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter

Microwave

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Microwave is set to be the next big thing in the emo revival. They have 2 full length albums and 4 EPs full of deeply personal, but never corny, music which falls somewhere between pop punk and post hardcore. After releasing Much Love in 2016 and touring with bands like The Wonder Years, Motion City Soundtrack, Man Overboard, and most recently Tiny Moving Parts, Microwave is set to take the stage at Savannah’s A.U.R.A. Fest.

For Fans Of: Senses Fail, Modern Baseball, Sorority Noise

For a taste: Lighterless from 2016’s Much Love

Tides of Man

Tides of Man is the perfect band for someone craving instrumental and progressive in the vein of post hardcore. While the band originally started out with music akin to Circa Survive, Tides of Man moved to a more instrumental direction following the departure of Tillian Pearson (currently a member of Dance Gavin Dance). The band plays music that sets a heavy mood, but also likes to play with unusual time signatures and sometimes plays some flamboyant riffs that would not seem out of place on a Tiny Moving Parts record. The music fan who appreciates musical prowess would be amiss to skip this performance.

For Fans Of: Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Strawberry Girls

For a taste: Hold Still from 2014’s Young and Courageous

The Bunny The Bear

The Bunny The Bear are one of the largest, and still rising, current electronicore bands. The Bunny The Bear have earned their name and are easily recognizable from their rabbit and bear masks. The band uses programmed electronic elements to back their music and add metalcore elements on top, with the Bunny providing unclean vocals while the Bear provides clean vocals. Be sure to catch The Bunny The Bear if you like to see a high energy performance with experimental music.

For Fans Of: I See Stars, Eskimo Callboy, The Browning

For a taste: Aisle from 2011’s If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say…

SycAmour

SycAmour is a band best described as mixing the theatrics of Panic! At the Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out and the aggressive nature of post hardcore. Currently in the studio recording new material, SycAmour is a band that will be sure to capture the listener with their bright and extensive vocal range, infectious guitar work, and hardcore music accents.

For Fans Of: Circa Survive, Emery, Too Close to Touch

For a taste: Calm Down Juliet (What a Drama Queen) from 2014’s Indulgence: A Saga of Lights

The Funeral Portrait

Atlanta’s The Funeral Portrait is no stranger to Savannah, having performed most recently at the Black Box Theatre. But it’s always a treat to see the band perform as they put on a stunning live performance. The band has been described as theatricore, a mix between something very theatrical and the post hardcore music genre. Be sure to catch The Funeral Portrait to see one of post hardcore’s quickest rising bands.

For Fans Of: Crown the Empire, Escape the Fate, Alesana

For a taste: Casanova (C’est La Vie) from 2014’s For the Dearly Departed

Attalus

Attalus is a post hardcore band reminiscent of those from the mid 2000s, but also seems to use a sound that reminds one of Brand New as well as emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate. With catchy melodies, bright showy guitar work, interesting drum work and unclean vocal accents; Attalus is a band that takes what made music of the mid 2000s so great and puts a fresh spin on it.

For Fans Of: Brand New, Thrice, The Receiving End of Sirens

For a taste: Sirens from 2015’s Into the Sea

Native Suns

Native Suns is a band that works to create a blend between interesting post hardcore instrumentals with vocals similar to Saosin’s Anthony Green or Hands Like Houses’ Trenton Woodley. The band keeps their music interesting by mixing melodic lead vocals, bright guitar playing, and punchy drums and bass. Post hardcore fans are sure to enjoy an atmospheric performance which captures the spirit of the recording when seeing Native Suns at A.U.R.A. Fest.

For Fans Of: Hands Like Houses, Chiodos, Scary Kids Scaring Kids

For a taste: Clockwork from 2015’s Relay.acquire

Me and the Trinity

Me and the Trinity is a straight edge band from Savannah and an old favorite in the local hardcore scene. Me and the Trinity looks to reunite at 2017’s  A.U.R.A. Fest after a breakup in 2015. The band will be bringing all the brutality and hardcore that made them a local back to the stage this February. Hardcore and metalcore fans shouldn’t want to miss the mayhem this band is sure to bring.

For Fans Of: Poison the Well, Silent Planet, I The Breather

For a taste: Gown from 2014’s Crux

Vatican

Vatican is another local act playing this fest. The band has been hugely active, touring all over the southeast region of the United States. Vatican’s music features a more groove metal oriented sound, but with heavy influence from 90s hardcore, 00s metalcore, and more recent death metal. Be sure to catch Vatican ahead of their tour with Heavens Die.

For Fans Of: Zao, Cattle Decapitation, I Declare War

For a taste: Barely Breathing from 2015’s Drowning the Apathy Inside

Be sure to visit A.U.R.A. Fest on February 18, 2017 for food trucks, cold craft brews, and, of course, some of rock and metal’s finest.

The post AURA Fest 2017 Pre-Show Preview appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Vatican is a crushing straight-edge act that combine the visceral emotional content, vocal delivery and brutal intensity of metal and hardcore music.

Vatican shares the stage with bands Unearth, Zao, He is Legend and more at this February’s 2017 A.U.R.A. Fest right here in Savannah, GA at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

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Kush at SCAD Radio: How would you describe Vatican’s music to someone who has never listened to your music before?

Nolan Mobley of Vatican: We were actually a band before this. We were playing some softer hardcore music. And then we had a lot of member changes. And I think that the members that were left all wanted to make a metal band in the style of the early 2000s music. The first EP didn’t even come out sounding like that, it sounds more metal. Which I’m totally fine with. Now we’ve got almost an entirely new lineup from when Vatican started, except for me and the singer. So at this point, it’s more just metal.  We’ve been sitting on a ton of new songs that we’ll be playing at A.U.R.A. Fest. And we just released like two newer songs on a split EP. And we’ve just been trying to do the same style but try out new things. Softer parts. Singing parts. Stuff that we usually wouldn’t incorporate. But, yeah, now I would say just straightforward metal/hardcore type band.

Kush: Yeah, absolutely. I’ve been listening to your music quite a bit over the past couple days and I’m noticing a nice mix between hardcore and metalcore elements, but I’m also noticing some black metal and death metal as well.

Nolan: Our drummer Josian (Josian Benkert-Solo) is actually obsessed with death metal. He’s actually doing a death metal side project with our bassist. And I think all of us have pretty different tastes in music. So, when that all comes together, it makes what we have, which is cool.

K: And would you say that there is a particular best song to serve as an entry point into your music?

N: I think our most popular one is Paingod, which among friends that we met across the country has taken on a life of its own. The beginning melody is almost funny for me to hear anymore. A lot of people say it’s a great song, so I would say it’s a good starting point.

K: I know you guys take a lot of influence from Zao, so what’s it like to be performing on the same bill as a band that has had an impact on your music?

N: Actually, I think we wanted to rip off that style of music without ripping it off too hard when we first started. I think some of that shows regardless. When our singer found out — he actually works at the place where the event will be. He works security there and his boss is like “Oh yeah we’re going to have an event here in February with your kind of music,” and he starts listing off bands. So then we heard Zao and Unearth, and that was just weird in and of itself, that it would even be happening at his job. And then we played a show that Tim Walls had booked, and he asked us a couple months later, if we wanted to play. So just playing in Savannah at our singer’s job with Zao is probably the weirdest, coolest thing that could happen.

K: I know your new single, Paingod, is about a struggle with depression. Is this song based off your own experiences with depression?

N: It’s actually our singer’s. I don’t want to misinterpret his lyrics or anything. He lost his father when he was young. So, I think it’s battling with depression. He tried to overcome that and find a positive at the end of it somehow.

K: Are there plans to release an EP or full length in the near future?

N: Yeah. We just streamed a few new songs that are going to be coming out on a 4-way split EP through Bitter Melody Records. That’ll be on a 12-inch vinyl, which is our first big physical release which is really cool. We’ve been sitting on an entire full length for a couple months now. We’re going to tour at the end of this month, right after A.U.R.A. Fest, actually, through the beginning of March up and down the east coast. And then the plan is, maybe a month later, go record the full length and hopefully somebody will have interest in putting that out. And if not, we’ll just self-fund it and put it out ourselves. We’ve had songs done. Some of the songs have been done for over a year now. Like a quarter of the songs have been done for that long. So, we’ve just been sitting on them for a super long time. And now I think we finally have everything together, the way we want it. We’re ready to just record it and put it out as soon as possible.

K: You guys are an incredibly hardworking band. You guys have constantly been touring and playing shows. So, what would you say are the biggest misconceptions about hardcore bands that are on the road today?

N: We’ve had good luck, as far as touring goes. I don’t think we’ve ever come back with a negative, which is weird. We’ve always been able to come back with at least a little bit of money, which keeps things going. Especially this tour we did last spring, we went to California for the first time ever. I’ve never even been to that side of the country so it’s kind of wild. We didn’t spend anything on merch until we got back. I was worried that we would buy too much and not sell enough or just not make enough money. Coming back, we just all had to take 3 and a half weeks off of our jobs. Coming back, we had to start to pay bills and rent and so I was super worried about that. The band came back with a positive, but I think we all struggled to get back on our feet for about a month after that. It’s definitely not easy to tour at all. It’s still a cool vacation in itself, but you’re still working a job basically. You just have to hope that you do well and get enough money to keep doing it after the fact.

K: Are there any major differences between playing a festival and playing something similar to a smaller show, like you did this past January at James Island, SC?

N: I think festivals are a good opportunity to expose yourself to a different audience, especially this one (A.U.R.A. Fest). A lot of the bands are — I hate to use this word — a lot more mainstream. I guess they’re just a little bit more known. So, I don’t expect the same reaction that I would get at playing James Island where people were paying money just to see us and our friend bands. They know what they’re getting into. At a fest, there’s maybe a couple people paying to see us, if any, and the rest are for the rest of the bands. We’re just there to be seen by a different audience that we wouldn’t be seen by otherwise. I am very excited for the sound quality because it’s not very often that any sort of sound engineer does anything for our set. It’s usually just us playing directly out of our amps. So basically it’s new audience. Better sound. Getting to play with cool bands that we all really like. And, hopefully, free food maybe. But it’s going to be a huge, different experience than we are used to.

K: What can we expect from Vatican’s set at 2017 A.U.R.A Fest in Savannah?

N: Our drummer’s actually been out of town for like a month now. So, as soon as he gets back, we’ll be practicing hard. Hopefully, people will see the tightest set that we can play. Lots of new music that will be coming out hopefully this year. Definitely just an entertaining performance, at the very least.

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Be sure to catch Vatican at 2017 A.U.R.A. Fest on February 18, 2017.

The post Interviewing Vatican (the band, not the city) appeared first on SCAD Radio.

SCAD Radio gets on the phone with influential metalcore group Zao’s lead guitarist  Scott Mellinger ahead of their performance at 2017 A.U.R.A Fest in Savannah, GA. 

Zao, who released their first full length album All Else Failed in 1995, are credited as one of the pioneers in the metalcore genre which bridged metal music with hardcore punk. Scott has described Zao as “an extreme metal band with very introspective lyrical content”.

Since their inception in 1993, Zao has released ten full length albums, four EPs and a two-disc DVD documentary, whilst garnering an international fan base. The group are back after a 5-year hiatus with brand new album The Well Intentioned Virus.   

Kush at SCAD Radio: For those who haven’t heard of you, would you say that there is album that serves as a good entry point into Zao’s music?

Scott Mellinger of Zao: To be honest with you, I think the newest one is probably one of the best because it does have little indications of what we’ve done in the past. I mean, I guess our main ‘hit’ record (though I don’t really think we have a ‘hit’ anything). Liberate Te Ex Inferis is the record that I think people point to. Funeral of God is another one that I think people point to. So those two, and this new one as well.

Kush: Alright sounds good, so what are Zao’s plans going into the new year?

Scott: I mean, kinda just staying the course, playing as much as we can. We are in the process of doing some recording so we plan on having something, probably EP size, released by the end of the year. That would then go into funding the next full length album which probably would be out sometime 2018.

K: And I know you guys have been in the scene for a while now, so what would you say are the most exciting things happening in metalcore at the moment?

S: Well, I think there is a resurgence, that I’m seeing, in kind of a DIY ethic that was there when we started. I think a lot of people are seeing – I mean when we kinda bowed out a little bit I think that this music is the closest it’s ever been to the forefront of metal. So some of the bands we toured with back in the day, like Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage, have seen and blossomed into the next wave of metal, like the bands that people look to. I think, though, there’s bands like Code Orange, and even Nails, and some of these other heavy influenced hardcore metal bands are starting to kind of do things their own way and I’m really excited about that.

I mean even for us, we just released our own record, so the internet and some of the social media aspect of it has given some of the bands a little more of a voice than they would have had before. I still think some bands won’t get heard through it. There’s a lot of bands out there, but I think a lot of people are trying to take it and do their own thing with it.

K: And on the other hand, are there any recent trends in metalcore that you’re not a fan of?

S:  Ooh, well, I [laughs] maybe this is because I’m biased because I’m not a good looking dude, but I was a little – you know, it was a little awkward to watch bands play this style of music and kinda put a lot of emphasis on their look. I didn’t necessarily imagine or foresee this style of music accepting that, because I always felt like hardcore really came from punk. And punk was kind of a, you know, shunning of people being a certain way or looking a certain way. It was kind of just for misfits and people that felt like outcasts.

So, yeah, I guess the one trend that surprises me is that there are a lot of bands out there that are under the metalcore, or whatever, moniker and they’re kind of look like – there’s like a look to them? [laughs] Which is a little strange, but whatever man. I’m to each his own. If you like it, do what you got to do. I listen to all kinds of weird s**t, so it doesn’t matter.

K: Absolutely. [laughs] So I know Zao recently came back to making music after a fairly long hiatus and so what were some of the challenges associated with returning after such a long time?

S: I think the biggest one for us, and this is more of a self-imposed one, is that when you come back from any more than a five year thing when you’re a band that’s been around as long as we have, we were really cognizant of not becoming nostalgia, you know? I mean I don’t know if there’s a way to combat that really. The way we felt was the best way to combat that was to release a new record and pour our hearts into it and make it as good as we can so people would recognize that the new is just as good as, if not better than, the old. But we were really, really kind of aware of the chance – because there’s a lot of bands and I don’t poo poo it or anything, like I think it’s great.

There’s some bands coming back and doing reunion tours of records that I love, so I’m like all for it, whatever they want to do. But we’ve always been the kind of band, and the type of people that don’t like to do that. I don’t like to do that. I don’t like to rest on the past and don’t like to use the past as something that could move you forward. I like using the present to move us forward. So, we were more into the idea of writing new material and getting back out there with the strength of the new material.

K: And speaking of the new material, some of the songs on your new album The Well Intentioned Virus come from a very personal space, I’d say. Did this make working on the album any more difficult? Or did it prove to be artistically liberating for you?

S: I think artistically liberating. I think Dan (Daniel Weydant, lead vocals) especially but all of use this band as a catharsis. You know, all of us go through bad things. I’m lucky enough that I found something like playing music  to help me get through some of these tough things. And I use my guitar playing, my songwriting, as kind of a tool to help release some of that sadness, frustration, whatever. I know Dan does the same. It’s cheap therapy for us. [laughs] You know, you could just go in and funnel a lot of that emotion that you have in the writing. And then those songs – it can be tough.

I know for Dan, Dan will write lyrics that are extremely (emotional) and maybe have happened to him at one point in his life. So when he has to revisit that when he’s singing the songs, if you’re not in the right headspace it could put you into maybe a little more depressed state. But I think he looks at it as like his way of getting that emotion out of him and liberating himself on that sadness or whatever it is. So we try to – I think we really do – we really focus on, just, putting all that emotion into something and then releasing it and that’s kind of what helps us through our daily lives, you know?

K: Yeah, absolutely. And I know Zao has gone through a variety of lineup changes over the years since the band’s inception. Has this made it difficult to retain the band’s identity in your opinion?

S: I don’t think so. The one nice thing, because I noticed there’s a lot of bands that go through lineup changes and I really do think the main reason for lineup changes is more of just where people are in their lives. So financial state is really important. If you can’t support yourself or if you can’t give up a 9 to 5 job to do a band, there’s nothing wrong with that. It just, it is what it is. So I think, you know, in Zao’s situation there were times where we were trying to be a full 8 to 9 month touring band and some people couldn’t do that. It just wasn’t viable. We make something, but it’s not enough to support a family, if that was your plan, or if you have a family already or whatever. If people leave the band for some of that situation, I don’t think there was a lot of animosity with people who have left the band.

And really, if you think about the way the band has gone, you had that original incarnation of it that left one member to kind of build it back up again and since that, I mean Zao really hasn’t changed much. I think Dan is big reason for the success Zao got when he had joined the band and I don’t think the band really looked – as long as Dan’s involved, me and Russ (Russ Cogdell, rhythm guitar) have been in it a long time. Even now, with Marty (Marty Lunn, bass) and Jeff (Jeff Gretz, drums), they have been pretty consistent members and are going to be consistent members from here on out. Since 2005, everyone has been pretty stable for probably the longest time of our band. But I still do see the band as a big – with Dan being a one of the biggest parts of it. So, since he’s there, me and Russ, like I’ve said, have been there for a while – I see the band in two phases, sort of. And we’ve been in that second phase for a pretty long time.

K: And do you think that there are any benefits to changing a band’s lineup?

S: I think so. I think that a new member can give you a whole different perspective. That’s one thing always tried to do. You know, any time there’d be somebody new – we’re not the type of people that are real apprehensive about having people have a voice. So, when a new member would come in, we would always be willing and open to hear their ideas to what songs can do and where songs can go. Jeff’s been a huge help. I mean, Jeff, just in his abilities – he is a trained musician. His eclectic style and what he listens to has really helped us trying to move forward as a band.

I think it can reinvigorate you if you have new members that are really excited. They can also kind of put the focus back on the whole of the band. The longer members are in, they start getting their own little ideas and they become insular and stuff. And so, you’ve got this new guy that maybe brings the focus back and “Oh! This is what we’re trying to do as a band!” So, yeah, I think having new members can help.

K: Despite no longer being classified as a “Christian band”, do you feel that the beliefs from your earlier works influence your material in any way?

S: Eh, maybe. Me, personally, I’m an atheist. I’m probably the more that than anyone else in the band. But I know all of us have kind of changed a lot of the viewpoint on that stuff. I think Dan has always, since he’s been in the band, called out the hypocrisies in religion. And, now as he’s gotten older, and a little more open to other things, maybe he’s sort of closed the chapter to that part of his life. He still sees what great there can be in Christianity and religion and what horrible hypocrisy there can be. He still does sing about seeing some of that stuff.

But, at the same time, as a band, that’s the one thing I hope separates us, because there’s a lot of bands out there that don’t have any kind of religious background or they don’t have any or want any religious overtones in their music or any of that stuff and they rally and they fight Christianity, which that’s something we’re never going to do. I mean, I like to have people open minded and as long as they’re cool with the way I am, I’m absolutely cool with the way they are. So, we’re not the type of band that’s ever going to fight Christianity or be against it in any way. And we totally appreciate those type of fans. So, I would say there’s still some. A little bit of it in there.

K: Yeah absolutely. Over the years, I’ve noticed that Zao has had a focus on just open mindedness in general, not just religiously, you know?

S: Yeah, mm hm.

K: It’s just been something you’ve fought for.

S: Yeah, yeah, we’ve always done that, even when Zao was considered – I mean people would call us the Christian band. There’s a lot of intricacies with that. And it wasn’t just black and white for us. Ever. So when Dan would write about it, a lot of the time he would write about it was to call it out. It wasn’t necessarily to be up there and preaching saying you should be this. It was “Hey, you guys are doing this and you’re telling people one thing and doing other things behind closed doors.” So, yeah, we’ve always had that weird fight with it. [laughs]

K: [laughs] And, just to close things out, what can we expect from Zao’s set at Savannah’s A.U.R.A. Fest this coming February?

S: Well, we’re totally understanding of what people like and we do understand that people pay very, very good money to come see a band play songs they remember. So, we’re never not going to play older songs. We’re definitely going to do a lot more new stuff, too. I think the record has been received well enough that we’re really – we’re extremely excited. We love the new songs. We can’t wait to play those. So I think you’re going to still get a good balance of new and old. And yeah, I just think you’re going to see five older dudes up there giving their heart because this is what their heart’s all about. [laughs]

K: [laughs] Alright, awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk.

S: Oh dude, my pleasure.

K: Thank you so much.

S: Yeah, my pleasure dude. Thank you.

Be sure to catch Zao performing at 2017 A.U.R.A Fest in Savannah on February 18, 2017 at the The Gardens of Ships Of The Sea Maritime Museum.

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