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Rating: What are your main influences?
The influences in our small group vary greatly. From Modest Mouse and The Fall of Troy to Dave Matthews Band and Metallica. Basically, each of us has something personal in terms of musical tastes.
How would you describe your music?
Well, I really don't know how to do it. We don't set any limits, except for the decision to use a classical guitar. I believe that if you look at the songs from The Hope in Forgiving & Giving Up Hope, you’ll notice that each has its own flavor, and it seems that this is something often noticed and attributed to what people call Post Hardcore or Skramz or some other thing. American and Latin American Jazz has been used quite a lot, I hope people start looking into these as they are among our favorites.
How do you compose your songs?
Many bands practice and practice to compose and grow their setlist, but I can say that most of The Hope in Forgiving was written for fun at gatherings between our drummer and guitarist. It was a very relaxed process that didn't require much effort. We simply sat together (me with my classical guitar and Cody with the electric drum) and literally started playing and preparing the parts. Often there is no “Direction.” From here, it's all a jam with the rest of the band, and gradually we feel the song emerging and see if it’s exactly how we want it.
What would you like to communicate with your music?
Many of the lyrics are based on personal experiences, stories, memories, etc., from our singer Eddie. Not much is based on any Punk or political thought. The Hope In Forgiving is truly an album that shows our discontent towards adulthood (all of us were turning eighteen or even younger when we wrote these songs).
Why did you decide to use only the acoustic guitar for the songs?
The acoustic matter wasn’t included in any conscious thought regarding the founding of the group. In fact, we simply kept the instrument from the original Citycop, an indie-folk group formed mostly for fun. There were two of us, with influences from Modest Mouse and Iron and Wine. As we grew and added members, the sound changed and the instrument that once made sense began to lose meaning. It was truly an early example of musical evolution. We didn’t choose to change, it just happened, and here we are.
How is the underground scene in Ohio?
The scene in our little corner of Ohio definitely rocks. There’s a pretty stable place in Ashtabula, called West End 2153. It was a gathering place for local bands, but above all, there were those from Homewrecker (A389 records), Mike from Street Fight, and one of the best, Steve Cray. There are always concerts, and we’ve seen a lot of new faces. The Ashtabula scene is honestly one of the most productive we’ve seen, and we’re proud of our hometown.
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