It’s Gonna Be Hard (When They’re Gone)- Up Close and Personal with Danny Stevens of The Audition
The last time we sat down with Danny Stevens of The Audition was last December, right before the holidays. The Audition were on their way to Los Angeles after the new year to finish their latest album. A few weeks later they were on their way to head over the water to the UK for a short tour with Alkaline Trio. They had also been prepping to head back to Australia for the Australian Soundwave festival.
And we started off right where we ended; Australia. “Australia is such a beautiful place.” says Stevens. “If you ever get to go on vacation anywhere, go there. Wait, if you ever have some extra money to spend and want to go on vacation you should go to Australia.”
Of course on tour with such bands as Jacks Mannequin, New Found Glory, Bayside, Forever The Sickest Kids, and Alkaline Trio chaos and havoc and bound to ensue. It seems everyone is, well, hungry for a nice dish of band beef. “For Soundwave, when you step off stage your beer and your meat platter, or your rider are all in a row of tents and during the day things happen. I think all the bands had food stolen. It’s like one guy steals some food from one of the band and then it goes to hell. Everyone is stealing one another’s food.”
This Tuesday, April 28th The Audition are releasing their third album, conveniently called “Self-Titled Album”. However, the album began streaming online last week, and from there has landed into many clever sceneter’s pockets. We live in an age where MySpace friends and I-Tunes playlists are always at a battle, and hundreds of blogs are devoted to file-sharing and illegal downloading.
“It was Victory’s idea.” Stevens expresses, with a small sigh. “Nowadays with poor record sales and digital downloading anyways it is almost more important to have people talk about the new album than even buy the album itself.” A simple, but realistic concept that is easy to grasp, seeing as almost any album is attainable on the internet nowadays.
Before the interview we tossed the album title around to a few people, fans and foes alike. It was something so simple, and a few may have even remarked that it was “too simple”. This caused the need to pry an answer to why they titled the album “Self-Titled Album”. “Basically, we didn’t want to get that label. You know when you hear a band’s name and automatically stereotype them? For this album, we didn’t want that. We didn’t want to have these songs to be labeled so quickly.”
Out of curiosity, the previous interview and music tastes were brought up. In the last interview we talked about a mutual love of R-n-B, and the new wave of pop-punk bands that were making their rounds on the scene. Danny is a fan of Country, Motown, and R&B as we discovered, and the record was sure to take some of his personal tastes in. The song It’s Gonna Be Hard begins off like a traditional country song.
Wait…the same kids who head-bang on stage and ask for mosh-pits are singing country?
“Well, I write country songs. I was recording that as a country song with my friend, and then I showed it to the guys and they were just all ‘Look we really really really like this song’. It was just a perfect song for the record, and that was how it basically came about.” The Audition is not the first band to delve into the straw-hats and southern drawls. Ironicly, Avenged Sevenfold’s self titled plays host to a twangy “Gunslinger” for the first part of the song, as well as the song “Dear God.”
With more album talk looming, we coyly ask what Stevens’ favorite song is. While most bands will act like a proud parent to each song, unable to pick a favorite Danny is quick with his reply.
“’Los Angeles’. It was the last I wrote for the record; the day before we started tracking drums so we hardly had any rehearsal time with it. I wrote it in like fifteen minutes, and well it really hits home with me.”
The Audition already have two full-lengths under their belt. 2005’s Controversy Loves Company and 2008’s Champion. “I think that this album is just so much more better written than the last two albums. The songs, the music, the melodies, the producers. We stepped up everything so much more for this record. If you are just getting into the band, you will really like it, and if you have been a fan already I think you will dig it just as much.”
If you ARE just getting into the band, do anything but fret, but where the heck have you been? Danny is nicer than us, and has offered suggestions to get all of you started. “Defiantly listen to our single My Temperature is Rising. If you like Bayside, and stuff like that I would try out The Running Man and Sign. Steal. Deliver. If you are into pop and all that stuff, try out Los Angeles, Love With A Motive, and It’s Gonna Be Hard (When I’m Gone). For the people that are into groovy stuff listen to The Way You Move and Over My Head.”
The Audition’s “Self-Titled Album” drops on April 28th, and the boys are heading back to the UK this Monday, April 27th, with Madina Lake. Don’t worry though, the boys will be back to do a short tour with Forever The Sickest Kids, and yet to have any actual summer plans.
“I plan on playing a lot of golf and being outdoors.” Well, they are off to a good start…right?
