Beyond Your Scene

New Interview! PEACE MERCUTIO!!!

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:38:58 -0400

BYS has been quiet for a while, but things are finally getting back on track! Our most recent interview is with Seattle’s Peace Mercutio, an amazing alt rock/power pop quartet playing music in the vein of Tooth & Nail stars like Anberlin and Number One Gun. They released their first full length album in the late summer/early fall of 2011, which received noticable recognition from purevolume.com and absolutepunk.net. We were lucky enough to talk with them about their beginnings, the future of the band, a newly announced 6 month tour, and their scene in Seattle. Turns out they’re pretty funny guys, as well! So without further adue, I give you Beyond Your Scene vs. Peace Mercutio. Enjoy!

BYS: Howdy! How are you guys?

PM: Amazing. Better now that you’re here.

BYS: Awwww, thanks! So, let’s start out with who all is in the band, what each person does, and how you guys got your start. Shoot:

PM: There’s 4 of us in the band. Taylor-tots, Danimals, Andy, and David
a.k.a. pants a.k.a. Solomon a.k.a. Winter Dave. Taylor plays drums,
Dan sings and plays guitar, Andy plays guitar and sings, and Dave
plays bass. Dan saved Andy’s life in a mountain climbing incident.
Taylor was a correspondent at the time for CNN there to cover the
story and Dave was a sherpa guide and helped with the successful
rescue. Somehow this led to Peace Mercutio becoming a band. Now let’s
substitute a mountain rescue for living in Milwaukee, WI in 2010, and
Taylor being a CNN correspondent for moving to Seattle in 2010 and
finding him on craigslist, and that’s exactly how it happened.

BYS: Your album Weather The Storm came out about a year ago. In the last
year, how have your responses been to this?

PM: The fun thing about releasing your first album and being a new band is that even a year later people are still hearing us for the first time
and really enjoying the music. We’ve had a ton of positive reviews on
sites like purevolume and lots of awesome reviews from different music
blogs. Lately Dan has been introducing us to a lot of new fans on
Twitter who all seem to like it. We are pretty sure there is at least
one person who hates it, but we haven’t verified that yet.

BYS: You just recorded a video for the first single off of the album,
“Too Close For Comfort.” How have responses been to that specifically,
and tell us about the making of it!

PM: We were lucky enough to work with the talented folks at Owl House and
they made us look really good. The video premiered on
Absolutepunk.net and people have been pretty excited about it. The
idea for the video was to have a summertime backyard bash where we
would play a packed out show in the sunshine. What actually happened
is it rained all day and we had to build a tent out of a 150x100 ft
tarp and some boards. Fortunately, we have amazing friends who braved
the weather and made the video look awesome.

BYS: K, next, I’ve known about you guys for a little over a year now,
and it seems that recently you’ve gained a new label: a pop punk band.
What do you think about this, and how do you classify your music?

PM: We’ve tried to classify ourselves before. At one point the title was
power pop post pop punk alternative, so pop punk is a little easier to
say. A lot of our favorite bands could be called pop punk. We dig
the title quite honestly.

BYS: So, the reason I named this thing “Beyond Your Scene” is because I
personally believe that there is more to life and especially more to a
music scene than the actual music being played. It’s what you do
inside your scene and what the scene does as a community that actually
matters. How does your scene in Seattle either do this or fail to do
this?

PM: Our scene in Seattle is pretty amazing. We have friends in bands like Alabaster, and the Lookout, who aren’t just friends in bands we play
with, but are actual friends. We all hang out a lot and karaoke
together, or BBQ, or whatever and it’s awesome. We all support each
other bands by going to shows, or sharing videos and events on
facebook. We feel really supported in the scene here and love to
support it because of that. We really couldn’t ask for a better group
of bands in our genre here in Seattle.

BYS: You’ve toured twice in the last year, any big tour plans for the next one?

PM: Glad you asked. This is the first official mention of this, but we
are planning a 6-month tour for next summer/fall. We’ll be going all
over the US including places we never toured like the East Coast and
down South. Stay tuned for more details, but this is going to be
huge.

BYS: Besides that, what else can listeners expect from you in the near future?

PM: We have a secret untitled new song that we’ve only played in live
settings so far. It’s one of our favorites and we will be recording
it soon. Sometimes it’s called ‘And That’s How Good Charlotte got
Famous’ and sometimes it’s called ‘Duplex Jig’. Maybe we will have a
contest to let fans name the song. Who knows?!

BYS: Rad! Thanks for doing the interview!

PM: You’re welcome. Never ask us to do anything ever again. We’re serious.

Peace Mercutio recently released their first video for a song off of Weather The Storm, Too Close For Comfort. Check that out here.

For more from Peace Mercutio, check them out on facebook at www.facebook.com/peacemercutio.

Absolutepunk.net - Peace Mercutio - Too Close For Comfort

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:53:12 -0400

gingerkicker:

peacemercutio:

Video is up! Here is a direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_sbV9EUlFA
If you’d like to see the story yourself just head over to www.absolutepunk.net and check out the front page for the feature.

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2788962

Thanks to Alex, and Thomas of the Absolutepunk team and special thanks to Brett and Tahna of Owl House Productions

WATCH IT WATCH IT WATCH IT

These are some good friends. Check out their new video please!

NOW ON FACEBOOK.

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 06:39:32 -0400

www.facebook.com/BeyondYourScene

“Like” if you like.

gingerkicker: I seriously think it’s sooo cool that a band of...

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:39:59 -0400

gingerkicker:

I seriously think it’s sooo cool that a band of this popularity would mention me on their facebook page. Seriously - this band features ex members of Make Do and Mend and some of their ex members have gone on to play in Defeater. IT BLOWS MY MIND.

If you HAVEN’T seen the interview yet or you’re NOT FOLLOWING BEYOND YOUR SCENE (which is a blog I started for stuff like this) - you can do both of those things here :D

The Stereo State Interview

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:34:00 -0400

THE STEREO STATE is a five-piece melodic punk band from Massachusetts. Former members of the band have gone on to play with notable acts like DEFEATER, and bass player Pat was formerly in MAKE DO AND MEND. Their new album, Have All My Friends Gone Deaf, has been very favorably received by critics, many of which mention a throwback to 90’s FAT/EPITAPH records that the band more than likely grew up on. Matt from TSS was nice enough to answer some questions about The Stereo State, the future of the band, and what a music scene means to him.

BYS: Thanks for doing this interview! First of all, what is your band called, who all is in it, and how would you classify yourselves?

Matt (TSS): We are The Stereo State, and we’re from Massachusetts. The current line up consists of myself and Gabe Griffin on guitar, my brother Brandon playing drums, Andy Frongillo is the singer, and most recently we’ve added our super good friend Pat “The Cooler” Kelliher on the bass. If I had it my way, people would just consider us a rock and roll band at the end of the day.

BYS: How did y’all start? Where, when, how’d you get here, etc.

Matt: We started as a 5-piece in 2008 when our last bands came to an end. It was Andy, Brandon, Gabe, myself, and Mike Poulin on bass. Mike also plays bass for DEFEATER and they got super busy so he left to focus on that. I eventually decided to play bass and TSS had existed as a 4-piece. We wrote and recorded our first EP and recent full length with that line-up. Pat played bass for MAKE DO AND MEND on their first two EP’s. We met the MDAM guys at one of our first shows and became very good friends. Even after Pat left that band we stayed close friends and he came on the road with us often. He’s a killer player and the best dude, we’re so psyched to have him in this band.

BYS: Your most recent album, Have All My Friends Gone Deaf, has gotten some awesome reviews, including five/five stars on Dying Scene’s user and editor ratings, a 9/10 from Kill Your Scene, and a 77% overall rating fromabsolutepunk.net(which is still pretty good to me). People obviously seem to like it: what was the writing process for the album? And also, who came up with the idea for the artwork?

Matt: The reviews have been flattering, absolutely humbling. We worked extremely hard on this record and to get that kind of feedback is out of this world. Everyone in this band is a songwriter, so we are all VERY involved with the process. I live more than 300 miles away from those guys now so it’s extremely difficult to get together. However, in the 3 months before recording we played every single weekend and wrote songs and tracked demos. It was an extremely difficult and expensive process but it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever done in my life and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

The album title is actually something I came up with during our last band and we shelved the idea. Gabe brought it up as an album title for this record, and it is a perfect fit. I had the basic idea for the artwork in regards to an image and feel of the Motown and older blues records we were brought up on. The main image needed to be someone completely engulfed in their music. I brought these ideas to Matt Bennett at None More Ill (graphic design - http://www.facebook.com/nonemoreill) and he knocked it out the park, as always.

BYS: You guys are playing FEST 11 this year, a big punk rock festival in Florida. This is FANTASTIC exposure for your band, as well as a chance to see/meet lots of other rad bands. Have you played/been to the Fest before?

Matt: We are so thrilled to play this year! We’ve never had the opportunity to play before but a few years ago Brandon and I were on tour with HEARTSOUNDS and we got to go to Fest 9 when they played. That weekend was so incredible and the fact that we got invited to play is an honor and a blessing, we’re psyched!

BYS: On the topic of the Fest, who are you most stoked to see?

Matt: This is actually a tough question, hahaha. There are difficult conflicts in a schedule with so many awesome bands. A Wilhelm Scream, Lagwagon, Baroness, Red City Radio, Nothington, Fake Boys, After The Fall, Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, Flatliners, Make Do And Mend, Seahaven, Static Radio, Heartsounds, Banner Pilot, No Trigger…I’m sure there are so many that I’m forgetting right now. If I even see half those bands I’ll be stoked.

BYS: Okay, in your opinion, what role should a local music scene play in one’s local community?

Matt: Wow, good question! I started going to shows in the mid-90’s and punk and hardcore changed my life forever. I was completely attracted to the positivity and sense of community as well as the DIY ethic in the local scene. Not only that but I was going through a very weird phase of my life, but admittedly not much different that most young teens. The music and the scene spoke to me so loud and clear, that was a place for me…the music was a part of me I didn’t even know I was missing. It’s not to say that there was never any bulls*** to deal with, but the good always outweighs the bad. Everyone should do their part to keep it positive. Open minds and an open door to anyone who needs to come in.

BYS: Would you say your band’s local scene accomplishes this? How about where you grew up?

Matt: Well the place I live in Maryland now seems like they had something great at one point and it quickly burnt out. There’s still a lot going on in Baltimore but I don’t get down there half as much as I’d like to. I’m from western Massachusetts and there is certainly an active scene community going on at all times, for better or worse. But as mentioned, I’m a product of that and yes it does accomplish that.

BYS: What has been the source of most conflict - if any - in your local scene?

Matt: Conflict exists just about anywhere, albeit minimal in our scene. Currently there is nothing I care to acknowledge let alone condone. There are always more people doing their part to stay active and positive than not. I often see old friends on the internet whining about “how great things used to be…” and the like. They are sitting around bent out of shape while the rest of us continue to play and book shows, tour, put out records, and do our best to make a difference. It’s a shame they don’t get involved with everything still going on right now, but that’s life.

BYS: What are some cool bands you’re friends with that we should check out, that maybe don’t get the credit they deserve?

Matt: There is no doubt an oversaturation of bands out there today. More often than not the bands are less than mediocre versions of the artists they are trying to emulate and sometimes blatantly rip-off. This alone leaves so many extremely talented bands and songwriters under the radar. The active bands I can think of to recommend include: The Fake Boys, Great Lakes, The Snips, Let Me Run, Raindance, Campaign, Half Hearted Hero, and there are many more. I don’t know him but the most criminally underrated songwriter of our generation is John Moreland, listen to his music (http://johnmoreland.bandcamp.com/).

BYS: What’s next for you guys?

Matt: Right now we are writing more music. We’ve booked some time with Jay Maas at the end of June and we are tracking for a split, as well as a brand new EP this year. We are so psyched on the new material and we’ll be releasing the details soon. We’re touring out to the Midwest next month with Let Me Run as well as heading into Canada to play Pouzza Fest. We’re doing a bunch of regional weekends throughout the year as well as another week or so around Fest in October. We’ve got plans to head to the west coast in the winter. Check our facebook page for updates (http://www.facebook.com/TheStereoState#!/TheStereoState/app_123966167614127)

BYS: Alright, this should be fun…

Pie or Cake?

Matt: Cake, Gabe’s mom ALWAYS has cake!

BYS: PC or Mac?

Matt: PC Ripper.

BYS: Descendents or Black Flag?

Matt: Descendents.

We’d like to thank Matt again for answering these questions. You can listen to THE STEREO STATE’s new album, Have All My Friends Gone Deaf, at thestereostate.bandcamp.com. You can find out more about them on their facebook page www.facebook.com/TheStereoState.

Campaign Interview

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:22:16 -0400

Campaign is a punk band from Atlanta, GA who is making quite a name for themselves by the spirit of DIY promotion. If you like No Idea bands like Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike, or Leatherface, i.e. “beard-core,” these guys are for you. 2012 is looking to be a great year for the band, as they are currently working on a new record and are already scheduled to be playing the second annual TREASURE FEST and FEST 11. Their singer Josh was kind enough to have a few words with me last December (yeah, this interview’s old - still good though!). Check out all of their stuff and DOWNLOAD it for FREE at www.itlikestoparty.com. Go “like” them at www.facebook.com/wearethecampaign

BYS: So first of all, what is your band called, who all is in it, and how
would you classify yourselves?

Josh: Our band is called Campaign. It is Zac, Russ, Alan, York, and
me. We play punk rock.

BYS: How/where did you guys start, when, etc.

Josh: We have all been friends for most of our lives but we have been
playing in Campaign together since 2009.

BYS: You recently played Fest 10, a giant punk rock festival in Florida.
How was it? Any exciting stories?

Josh: It was a total honor to be a part of Fest 10. We got to see so
many rad bands and hang out with friends of ours who live all over the
world. All of the shows were great and all of the kids there were
having an excellent time. I didn’t see any fights at any of the shows
and I didn’t see or hear about any clashes with the law. One of my
favorite Fest stories involves a Fest tattoo our bass player Russ got
on Saturday night.

BYS: In your opinion, what role should a music scene play in one’s local community?

Josh: This is a good question. I think it is crucial for a local music
scene to be both an outlet for creative expression and a place to go
have a fun time. I started going to punk shows in Atlanta around 16
years ago. I was so blown away by the community within the punk scene.
Even at that young age I knew my life would never be the same. Punk
rock shows gave me a place to go and kept me out of trouble. I was
able to see bands, learn about different political beliefs, hang out
of with my friends, and vent my adolescent rage by dancing in the pit
and going off.

The local music scene should also be a creative outlet for everyone
including the younger kids. I remember being amazed by the lack of any
type of division between the bands and the crowd. It was truly music
by the kids for the kids. Seeing people not much older than me playing
music and having fun at local shows really inspired me. After I’d been
going to shows for a while I remember talking to my friend Evan and
saying “hey man, I think we could do that.” We put a band together and
were fortunate to be part of a scene that let us play shows when we
were young and just getting started.

BYS: (Continuing from #4), do you feel the music scene where you guys are
from accomplished this?

Josh: I definitely feel like it accomplished that. Atlanta is a great
city for music and there is always a lot going on. I consider myself
lucky to have grown up in such a great scene.

BYS: What has been your experience with people of differing beliefs in
“your” scene (the one you started in or the one you’re currently
involved in)? I.e. Have you experienced or seen conflicts with
liberals and conservatives, or atheists and people who believe in God?
Is there room for those of different beliefs in your scene, such as
these? (This question comes from my experience as a Christian in my
own music scene. I’ve never really had any trouble, and I get along
with most everyone just fine, but I feel that other places there would
be more conflict between people of different beliefs)

Josh: Honestly I’ve never really seen much conflict like that within
the music scene. Everyone I know just wants to have a good time when
they go to a show.

BYS: What’s next for you guys?

Josh: We are going to release a couple of new songs sometime in the
next few weeks. We are also going to release a new EP in early 2012.

BYS: What release should someone who’s never heard of your band go check out?

Josh: Start with our newest stuff and work your way back. It is all
available for free online.

BYS: Any bands you guys are good friends with who we should check out?

Josh: Some Mistakes, Banquets, and Marine Electric just to name a few.

BYS: Ok real quick…
cats or dogs:

Josh: Dogs.

BYS: Black Flag or Descendents:

Josh: I can’t pick just one of those bands! Those
bands are both too important to me.

BYS: Pizza or burgers:

Josh: Burgers.

Beyond Your Scene

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:53:00 -0400

A lot of kids get involved in their music scenes because it gives them a place to go when they don’t fit in with anyone else. Making those connections is important. Personally, this idea of giving a home to the homeless, so to speak, it is where I feel my life should be at all times.

The concept of going “Beyond Your Scene” is that, in my strong opinion, music is not what life is about. Loving people, caring for the needy, loving God - to me, as a Christian and a musician, this is what life is about. This is where hope is found.

Right now, this is just a place to read some cool band interviews. But hopefully, people are somehow encouraged to live by something beyond themselves - beyond their scenes.

“Live your life for those that you love” - Relient K

- Rob