We caught up with Thieves and Villains to find out how their new album release has gone, what they think about Twitter and more!!
Read the interview below the jump.
Your album, South America, dropped on August 3rd on Victory Records, how has the response been to this release so far?
It feels good, it’s kinda just been catching on the way we wanted to, just like word of mouth and promotion from people pull it off. It’s been going the way we want it to where the people that seem to like it, they get it and they really really enjoy it and they’ve just been really into it in a way where it’s felt like they like it more than just something you just throw on in your car like background music. The response has been like passionate from people; it’s been nice to see from like people, it’s gotten good reviews and all our friends and peers and fans all like it. It’s been going well, we can’t complain, more people have started coming to the shows so yeah everything’s going great, we’re really happy with how the response has been.
How do you guys feel you’ve changed the band between your album 2 years ago and then South America now?
It’s just growing up! The first record came out a little after we started, like we started the band and we got signed and we were putting together the 1st record before we had even been a band for a year, and there was a lot of pressure and stuff and we were worried. I don’t know, we didn’t get to stretch out as much as we’d have liked to, our lineup wasn’t really what it should have been but on this record it’s just kind of like us finally settling into place and really just like finding who we want to be and the right people to work with and play with. It’s definitely really different but I guess this time around it just sounds more like a band who’s kind of found who they are.
For the readers who haven’t listened to you guys before, how would you categorize your sound into a couple genres?
The typical ones would be like Indie, Rock, Pop, and Alternative. There’s elements that are compared to Weezer…I don’t know it’s just kinda like rock! Kind of like the Indie, Pop, Rock world!
How do you feel the music industry has changed since the invention of Twitter, Facebook etc.? Obviously you get to stay connected to your fans, but what are other pros and cons of these sites?
It’s made being in a band kind of like reality television. It’s interesting to have that because like when I was a kid I would have loved to have been able to follow bands that I loved on Twitter and stuff. But I mean it’s certainly not like I’m missing out, I mean I’m a fan and I follow all of my favorite artists right now. It’s really cool, it just makes it so personal and for that reason I guess it’s a pro and a con. It is personal in the sense that like it can really make a fan base get tired of the artist but at the same time I think it takes some of the mystery out of things. When I was 15, that band I liked, they were just mysterious gods to me, but now it’s like ‘Well I can follow that dude on Twitter!” For better or for worse it humanizes people and it can take the mystery out but as a whole I don’t mind it, I enjoy that aspect to like see what people are up to.
What has been the best memory that you’ve had on tour?
Probably the first time we went to New Mexico when the band started in 2007. We ended up staying with the promoter of the show after the show, he was a really cool guy, and we went back to his house and as soon as I walked in his door 10 kids ran up to me that were at the show and they started grilling me about like every little element of my old band and about like all the bands from my area. I just remember thinking in that moment that it was really cool how this could be my first time in a place really far away from home but people are completely connected to what I’ve been doing thanks to the power of the internet and spreading word of mouth music. That had to be the coolest memory, just being in New Mexico and just coming across random people you’ve never met that are totally familiar with anything you’ve ever done musically like was very cool and interesting to me. That was a pretty cool memory to me, just realizing how music can spread.
What are your plans for the near future? You’re currently touring with Victory In Numbers and Bright and Early, then with The Scenic. What’s going on after those tours end?
That was actually only like 3 days, it was just completed. Other than that we were on tour all summer headlining, and we’re home for a week and we’re about to go on tour with our label mates, they’re called The Scenic. After that we’re going on tour with Just Surrender. We’ll be doing a left coast tour after that then any other tours after that will be announced. We’ll be touring nonstop, like I said we’ve only given ourselves, this is our first break of 9 days since June.
What would you like to let the readers of The Back-Pocket Believers know? Any news you want to let people know?
I would just say if you do know who we are, thank you very much for your support, and if you don’t please check us out. The response to the new record South America has been great and it’s just an honest rock record and we’re just trying to do something a little creative so if you’re looking for something like that I think you’d appreciate it. It’s out now, in all the normal places, iTunes, FYE and its actually in every Hollister now, which is really cool.
