The band has been around for 10 years, after all these
years what have you learned from each other being in this band?
I think the biggest thing you learn when you spend this much
time with people is how to realize what bugs your friends and how they can bug
you. The trick is learning how to keep yourselves in check and how to catch
those quirks before they can become something else.
You
are currently in the studio working with Brian Fallon on your upcoming EP, how
did this relationship come about?
Brian and the Gaslight guys all came up in the same places
in new Jersey that we're from. We're fortunate enough to share some of the same
dives like The Court Tavern and the Asbury Lanes, and even more importantly we
share a lot of the same friends that call those places home. Over the last
couple of years we've played with Gaslight as well as some solo shows with
Brian and it's great to be able to be friends with musicians who are on the
same wavelength as you and also happen to be some of the most solid people
around.
What
has it been like working with him?
It was honestly one of the most productive and relatively seamless
studio experiences I've ever had. Brian really puts everything he has into a
project and he showed nothing short of that with us. We were able to be completely honest with our opinions and
really work together on creating the best record we possibly could. I can also
say we all learned a lot of things from him that we'll be taking with us for
future recordings.
Being from
New Jersey and the legacy that Jersey bands have – Springsteen, Southside
Johnny, Bouncing Souls, Gaslight Anthem, Thursday, and so many others. How do
The Scandals uphold the legacy of Jersey rock?
I think the one thing that you can say about Jersey bands is
that they write about real things. They write about things they know, things
they've seen, places they've been, and people they've met. I've always loved
that about Jersey bands. When I write a song I like to think about it as a
documentation of the particular place and time that I'm occupying. New Jersey
will always play a role in those kinds of visuals.
What is it like to be recording in the Red Bull
Studios New York? How did this blossom?
Working at Red Bull Studios New York has been great. We've had a blast working with the engineers
and crew and they've been vital to how smooth this process went. We're grateful
to be a part of the Red Bull Sound Select program and they've been supporting
our band in many ways over the last year and change. One of the benefits has
been the ability to utilize what Red Bull Studios
New York has to offer. The Sound Select family's been amazing to us
and they're definitely all on our Christmas card list this year.
It has been said that you spend more time in the van than
in your own beds. What has the open road taught you?
The road's taught me a lot of things. It's taught me how to pack light, how
to sleep sitting up, how to ration food, and I've gotten better at Tetris with
every van pack we do. But, most importantly I've learned that there's
absolutely nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing.
You have a
cult like following in the tri-state area, when you go out and do a show in
another state with new faces, what is that experience like?
Playing close to home is always a blast because the shows
just keep getting better. Every time we play in New Jersey the energy gets
crazier and we absolutely love that. But there's something special about
showing up to a place you've never been, playing in front of people who have
never heard a second of your music, and then winning them over by the end of
it. It's even better when those people come back to see you the next time
you're in their area.
What is next for The
Scandals?
We're playing some great end of the year shows with I Am the
Avalanche at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on Dec. 26th, and The Stone Pony with The
Bouncing Souls on Dec. 27th. After that we'll be booking some short east coast
runs leading up to our tour with The Gaslight Anthem in February. Within that
time we'll hopefully know what we'll be doing in terms of releasing our new EP
and then by May we'll be back in Europe. We can't wait to see what 2015 is
going to be like.
After 10
years together, what has been the best thing about being in this band?
The best things about being in this band are the people I've
met because of it. If it all ended tomorrow I would be left with some of the
best friends I could ever ask for. Whether they're from Jersey, Boston, DC,
California, or Germany, I'm grateful for all of them and they've left a huge
impact on my songwriting and my life in general and it all stems from music.
Nothing can beat that.
Since you are on the road so much, what is one thing you
cannot leave home without?
I personally never leave home without a camera. I'm always
the one filming or taking pictures and I'm always happy I did when I get back
home. That, and heavy doses of Vitamin C.
