Hear Me Out
Veronica and Billy Hamilton on Silverstein.
Burlington, Ontario, Canada is home for what warm bodies physically make up Silverstein. But the heart is home for what these five put into it. Touring non-stop, making friends, losing friends, collecting records, eating right, loving, and learning hold no boundaries for their expression. Influences are timeless, direction is limitless, and when already living a dream, but still dreaming, well, that makes their possibilities endless. To become more familiar by ear you can go here: www.silversteinmusic.com and myspace.com/silverstein But to become more familiar by mind, stay here. Read what Billy (bassist of Silverstein) has to say to my stupid questions.
V: Tell us something interesting about each person that makes up Silverstein.
B: Josh likes facial hair. Neil likes video games. Shane likes poker. Paul likes his hair. Billy likes records.
V: Is there a particular message you try to portray to your fans?
B: I think our main message is that terrible things happen in life, but there is always hope that things can change positively. I think our music has always been an expression of the bad times in life, but we always try to show that there is hope for things to get better.
V: Growing up, I'm sure you never thought you'd play to a nearly sold out house of blues or ever dreamed of any height of success you as a band have already reached. What does it feel like? What does it sound like when you hear yourselves?
B: It's definitely a dream come true touring the world, and playing big shows. I don't think any of us really set out to "make it" or anything like that, all of this just sort of happened from consistent touring and hard work. We never try to set the expectations too high for our band, so it's always a natural and gradual growth, that way we never really get let down. It's hard to answer what it sounds like to hear ourselves, mainly because of that gradual growth, I've kind of grown used to hearing us, so it just sounds normal i guess?
V: Musically, if anything, what would you, personally, change about Silverstein's sound? What makes do you find good about it?
B: I think I'd like to go a bit more "punk" with the new record. We're about to start working on new songs, so maybe I'll get my way. I like that we have the dynamics of both heavy and softer stuff.
V: Up the punx!
V: What is in the future for Silverstein (as a band)?
B: To keep touring the world and making music for as long as we're all happy doing it.
V: I think you guys will have a long future then =]. Which will be awesome because then you will have to keep coming back to LA!
V: Nice moustache. Ahahaha.
B: Sadly, i trimmed it down and am back to a scruffy beard.
V: WHAT?! Argh!
V: How did your US tour go? Onto Canada now?!
B: The US tour went great, it was our first time headlining a tour in over 2 years. It was awesome to get to play a full set for our fans, and get back to all of our favorite cities in America. It's always good to go back to places you know to see friends and eat vegan food in every city! We just finished off the leg of shows in Canada, which was amazing because we had 4 great bands (A Wilhelm Scream, The Sleeping, I Am The Avalanche and I Killed the Prom Queen) from different parts of the world, and playing different styles of music, but we all got along like family and really enjoyed playing some small towns locally, and doing a big homecoming show in Toronto.
V: Can you tell us some funny stories?
B: Hmmm, it's always so hard to recall the funniest tour stories on the spot. Let me see if I can think of one that is moderately funny... I really can't think of anything, we're really not that funny. We're pretty lame, actually.
V: I beg to differ!
V: Future tour plans? Warped tour AGAIN?
B: After 10 months of straight touring, we're taking the next 3-4 months off to be at home and to rest and work on new songs, then we'll begin recording in the spring, and back on the road next summer. Sadly, I don't think we'll be able to do the Warped Tour again this year, but hopefully we will be back with a tour that is just as fun and exciting!
V: Infamous question: Any bands on tour with you anywhere. Who would you pick?
B: This is always such a hard question, there are so many bands that I already love to tour with, there's nothing better than touring with bands that are good people and play great music. Some of the bands that we've played with in the past that I'd love to tour with again would be: Strike Anywhere, Rise Against, Motion City Soundtrack, Underoath and Thursday. Bands that we've never toured with, that I would love to play tour with are: Comeback Kid, The Draft, Propagandhi, the Weakerthans, and Alkaline Trio. The all time, top 5, no restrictions list of bands that I'd love to tour with would be Refused, the Beatles, Operation Ivy, Lifetime and Hot Water Music (again).
V: Favorite places to tour? Favorite venues to play?
B: I think by far, we all love Australia the most. It's a gorgeous country, with great people, fun shows, and good food. In America, it's always a treat to get out west to California. I love playing House of Blues venues, too.
V: Venue you've never played but hope to?
B: I hear that the House of Blues in Atlantic City is nice.
V: Place you've never played but want to?
B: Rome, Prague, and New Zealand.
V: Discovering the Waterfront vs. When Broken is Easily Fixed: As far as… recording?
B: I had a much better time recording "Discovering the Waterfront." We got to fly out to southern California, and live there for 2 months. We recorded at Capitol studios in Hollywood, which was incredible, and I think we got to put much more effort and focus into the recording. With "When Broken," we recorded at a local producer's basement studio, and were all living at home, commuting to the studio every day. It was cold, and we kind of rushed to get it done.
V: And what about writing?
B: We definitely spent a lot more time writing DTW. With WBIEF we picked a few songs from our self released EP's and then wrote a few more, and mashed it all into a record. DTW was more of a complete work.
V: Who primarily writes the music/lyrics?
B: Shane writes all of the lyrics, and some of the music himself. Neil writes the rest of the music and usually collaborates with Josh on his guitar ideas, and then Paul and I jam the ideas out with them and form it into a song.
V: Which song are you most proud of?
B: I really like the song "Always and Never." For the longest time, that song was a riff that Josh and Neil would play in sound check, and it almost annoyed me after hearing it so much. After sitting down as a band and jamming out that riff, we really pulled it together and did some cool rhythmic things to keep it interesting. It's one of my favorite songs to play for sure.
V: What makes you happy about being a contribution to Silverstein?
B: I guess just being able to play music for a living. I've always been a huge fan of music, and being able to be apart of something that kids enjoy, and get up there and play every day is really special.
V: Despite a recent release, are there already plans for more?
B: Yes! We recently released an album, but it was like a collection of our older material, and some live and acoustic tracks, so it doesn't really count. We just got home and are about to move into a practice space to start writing for a new album, which should be ready late next summer!
V: Who are some of your band's influences?
B: Grade, The Get Up Kids, Elliott, Knapsack, Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate, Refused, Lifetime, NoFX, Saves the Day, Cave In, etc.
V: What about your personal influences?
B: Hot Water Music, Strike Anywhere, Alkaline Trio, Pedro the Lion, Owen, Kid Dynamite, The Weakerthans, Against Me! And the bands listed above. Positivity, friendship, and struggle, as well.
V: Tell us about your record collection. dun dun dun.
|
|
| |
 |
|
photo: our very own emma. what a horrible photo haha.
|
B: I have about 1200 records, mostly indie/hardcore/punk/emo records from the 90's and on. I'm working on completing my Hot Water Music collection, and having every single pressing of release, on every color, including test pressings. I also collect copies of the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds", and have big collections by The Get Up Kids, Against Me!, Braid, Jawbreaker, Pedro the Lion and Strike Anywhere.
V: Impressive!
V: Describe YOUR lifestyle in five words.
B: Vegan, drug-free, sleep, records, internet.
V: Describe your band mate's lifestyles in five words.
B: Paul - straight edge, vegetarian, business, myspace, cookies. Shane - vegan, poker, front man, record label, questions. Neil - beer, weed, girls, video games, guitar. Josh - beer, weed, vegan, healthy, party!
V: What would you be listening to on your own time?
B: i could list bands for days, but lately I've been really into: Jets to Brazil Brand New Attack in Black Knapsack The Smashing Pumpkins Kid Dynamite Jawbreaker Refused Heavens Owen
V: If you could put yourself with some of your favorite musicians, who would you choose? What kind of music would you play? What would you name your band?
B: I'd put myself on bass with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) on guitar / vocals, Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) singing, Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football, Cap'n Jazz) on drums / vocals, and Dr. Dan Yemin (Lifetime, Paint it Black, Kid Dynamite) on guitar / vocals, and we'd be called "Veterans" (which is the name of the band my friend Joe Foster and I want to start) and we'd sound something like all those bands combined.
V: What do all of you do in your spare time?
B: With the little time we have at home, we try to spend as much of it with our friends and loved ones. I go to a lot of shows to see friends bands, and bands I like when I can when I'm home, but I know some of the other guys try to stay away from shows all together when not on tour (show overload). On tour, we hang out and party with friends and other bands on the tour. A few of us are into poker, and we'll get a good game going on the bus every now and then. I personally keep to myself a lot on tour, read, watch movies, talk on the phone and internet, and sleep.
V: Tattoo envy. Tell us about your tattoos.
B: I have a bunch of tattoos, most of which have a lot of meaning behind them, and a few that are in memory of friends that I have lost. My left forearm has a pin up girl holding a shovel that says "pretty girls make graves", which is a song by the smiths, but also a very true statement. I also have a tattoo that is a key with a heart shaped lock that says "keep your heart", which is the name of the new Loved Ones album, but also has a personal message for me. On my left shoulder I have a gramophone tattoo that has the Refused lyrics "freedom through your stereo". I have the band's Bayside's bird logo on my left arm as well, with the Hot Water Music lyrics "I hope you're still signing loud", in memory of my friend John Beatz, who passed away in a van accident last fall. I have a tattoo of an alligator wearing a fanny pack, saying "cho, guy!", which are all inside jokes in memory of my best friend Nicholas who passed away with cancer this summer. I also have a tattoo of the salt girl from a Jawbreaker t-shirt that says "when it pains it roars". I have "the music" and "the misery" on my wrists, which is from the movie high fidelity. Just below that I also have "rest assured, the pain will fade", another Hot Water Music lyric. I have the Grade lyrics "triumph over tragedy" on my chest. I also have a banner that says "stay positive" on my arm, and little ones on my ankles that say "home sick", both of which I got matching tattoos with a couple of close friends. I'm still working on a half sleeve of a ship wreck on my right arm that (sorta) says "no regrets, no looking back at sinking ships", another Hot Water Music piece. Ugh, so many tattoos. I think lastly I have a sketch of two children hugging, from the Shel Silverstein poem "hug-o-war", which is about how the world would be a better place if people hugged instead of fought.
V: All of which are well done, jerk! =)
V: But of course... who are your favorite godsgirls?
B: Veronica, duh!
V: (He's obviously playing friendsies… hahaha!)
