Little Rocker Media

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?

There For Tomorrow

There For Tomorrow

LIttle Rocker Media- If you could just introduce yourselves and your role in the band…

Maika Maile- I’m Maika Maile and I sing and play guitar.

Jay Enriquez- I’m Jay and I play bass.

Chris Kamrada- I’m Chris and I play the drums.

Christian Climer- I’m Christian and I play guitar.

LRM-So, you guys are from Orlando, right?

All-Yeah!

LRM- Orlando is known mostly for Disney and boy-bands. How do you break that mold?

Kamrada-Do it better. [Laughs] Well, we’re not a boy-band, first off. We’re kids, you can tell that grew up around tourists just cause we know everything about them. My dad and Maika’s dad both worked for Disney and, you know, its just something we’ve grown up around and we’re used to.

LRM- So, you guys are professional tourists when you play in different cities?

Kamrada- [Laughs] Oh yeah, we know how to cut it.

Climer- Sometimes, not all the time. Sometimes we get a little lost.





LRM- How does the scene in Orlando differ from other places like Tampa, St Petersburg, Jacksonville?

Maile-Orlando is like…well you know we grew up there and the scene has bee detrimental to the development of our band since we were like, thirteen. So, I think we have a lot more loyal fans there. Its hard to say because Florida for a while has seen us all grow. We just love Florida in general.

Kamrada- I think the scene in Orlando, just to add on to that, is pretty similar to most of the other cities and scenes that we see and hear about because its always changing and always growing. Kids are listening to knew music and it just kind of goes with the trends but there will always be those elements that stick in the city; whether its hardcore, hip-hop. That goes for wherever you are around the country.

LRM- James Paul Wisner [New Found Glory, Dashboard Confessional, and Under Oath] has said that you were one of the most talented bands he has worked with. What was it like working with him?

Maile- It was great. He’s a good friend of ours now, and we’re excited to go back into the studio with him. Our relationship with him is awesome, and he’s a great, hard worker.

LRM- How did you guys hook up with him?

Maile- His drum-tech saw us at this random show at The Social [venue in Orlando] we played and he was just, like, ‘Yo…’ And it was just a perfect time and I think meant to be because at that time we were kind of debating on who to go with to record an EP. So, his tech was all ‘Yo! You’ve GOT to go to James Wisner.’  We were fans of James’ work for a while and we got in contact with him through that.

LRM- The video for ‘Pages’ is amazing. How did you come up with the concept.

All-Thank you…

Maile- It was simple, really. We just wanted to make sure that just our faces and the band as a group were shown, and it came across very…bluntly, I guess is the word?  Basically, just us performing and just pictures of the past.

Kamrada- We just knew it was going to be something we could pull off and it was going to look good in the end and kids were going to understand it.

LRM- The ‘No More Room To Breathe’ video came across that you guys were turning your back on college to pursue your dream. Do you regret not going to college?

All- NO. Not at all

Maile- No, because we’d all be doing some bullshit job to earn a little bit of money…if we even had a job at this point the way the economy is…I don’t know if any of us would know what to do.This is what we want to do. We don’t need to go to school for it.

LRM- For those who haven’t been to a There For Tomorrow show, what can they expect?

Maile- Uh…fun, energy…

Climer- Interaction

Maile-..interaction, like a group feeling.

Kamrada- Definitely get to meet us. It’s always on a personal level. We try and make it that way. If kids know our songs it makes it that much better, because there is even more of a connection. They understand what we’re doing, and why were doing it, and why we are up there.

LRM- You’re all still so young. You’re average age is barely that of a legal drinking age…

All- [Laughs] yeah…

LRM-…With so much room to grow, where do you see you guys this time next year?

Maile-Wow… We’re really excited for 2009. We’re going to keep touring. We’re going to be releasing a full length [tentative release date June 2009] and we’re really looking to make a mark in music history with it. There’s no telling. There never is. We see progression, that’s what we see.

LRM- Is there someone you want to work with that you haven’t yet?

Maile- Like, production?

LRM- Production or guest vocals…

Maile-Um….we’re not huge on guest appearances on albums…

Climer- Unless it was Michael Jackson.

Kamrada- Or Dave Grohl. Dave Grohl would be sick.

Enriquez- Would you let him play drums on a track?

Kamrada- I mean..sure…yeah…

LRM- You guys are all over MtvU as opposed to MTV and MTV2. Do you prefer being on the “underground” channel as opposed to mainstream?

Climer- I think its actually helped us. I think if they would have just thrown us on MTV everyone would have been like…

Enriquez- “Who the hell is this?”

Climer- Exactly. I think actually being on MTVU and starting there is really what jump started our year. Having so much success with the video and then being nominated for a Woodie Award and then actually winning that award, was just….I don’t know. I think I can speak on behalf of all of us and say how these past six months have been amazing. Like, holy crap. Its been like a whirl-wind.

Maile- Our game plan has always been to do it ourselves. We love the ‘indie’ kind of route, making a steady build. We cant just leap onto MTV without going on MTV-U. That’s why we’ve done EPs instead of putting an album out right away. You just have to take things one step at a time. If its meant to happen, it will happen.

Kamrada- It’s about going upwards, not just trying to skip everything.

LRM- You mentioned you received the Breaking Woodie award, and you guys looked genuinely excited, and surprised when you won. You were up against Hopeless Records label-mates All Time Low.

All-Yes.

LRM- It wasn’t like ‘oh, we got this in the bag.’

All- No, not at all.

Kamrada- I think we were all in excitement-shock. It was like…this whole time, the whole trip was us expecting All Time Low to win, and we were really going to support them. And to win that, and to walk away with that was just..exciting and shocking. To have that kind  of support from fans and MTVU and all the other bands like Boys Like Girls, All Time Low and We The Kings. Travis from We The Kings hit me up right after we won it and was like ‘Congrats.’ and just to feel love like that from everyone we’ve met through this was incredible.

LRM- Are All Time Low super jealous you guys won?

All-[Laughs] No way…

Climer- They have a great career. You know, after the award show we all went to this after-party and even they said ‘if anybody deserved to win that, it as you guys’ meaning us. They are already doing a lot of things, and it was like the perfect thing for us, they said. They aren’t mad at all.

LRM- In an interview, you guys said you have a lot of metal influences. What bands do you look up to?

Maile- I started playing guitar solely because of Metallica and that got me into everything else. Right now, we look up to general rock band legends of the past couple of decades. Not really like, old, classic-rock stuff but bands like The Foo Fighters and bands like that.

Kamrada- We just love genuine Rock and Roll. There are so many songs out there through the 70s, 80s and 90s that you will never, ever forget. I think people look past that kind of music these days and I think that’s something we want to bring back.



LRM- But everyone is so quick to categorize any band that wears tight pants, and parts their hair on the side into the ‘emo’ category.

All- [groans] We’re not emo. Not pop-punk.

Maile- We’re none of that shit. We’re just a lot more genuine than bands our age. Hopefully musicianship and the importance of that will be brought back soon, and will come out of the dark. Cheap-fame is so easy to do, we don’t find that appealing at all.

Kamrada- If you were to categorize us into a particular genre it would be alternative-rock. It’s the most appropriate.

LRM- Could you tell us about the new album?

Maile- There are a lot of songs that are definately from the heart.

Climer- I would say the new stuff, they are more of my favorite songs that we’ve ever done.

Maile- The old songs…we were just younger. We’re grown up now, and have more to say…

LRM- What is your opinion on the State of The Union of Music?

Climer/Maile- There are a few bright lights…

Kamrada- We’re just not too stoked on a lot of the music coming out these days. I think, with that said, we’re kind of happy, because it gives us as an indie band a more distinctive sound. We can shine and do something that isn’t over produced and already been done before. We can be more respected in our age-group and genre. We’re all admit it that we’re all over the vocator pop and the auto-tune. There is time for there to be some sort of change for real musicians and the people who can actually sit down and write a real song get credit for it.

LRM-Is the Internet helping or hurting music?

All- Both.

Kamrada- I think kids these days are spoiled. You can see about a band on-line and know everything about them in a few clicks. There are gossip communities online that can either help or hurt a kid’s decision on if they want to go to a show. A lot of the band fan-encounters online are really hurting kids going to shows and meeting a band, because of what they read. They could really like that band, but get upset over what they read.

Climer- But, on the opposite side, its really cool because they can connect.

Maile- The Internet kinda kills the aura of the bands. Back in the day, if someone saw Jim Morrison, they would probably pass out and die. But nowadays, you can see everything about these stars and know every detail on their lives. Its hard. You have to take it for what it is. Without the Internet, we wouldn’t be where we are right now.

LRM- Is there anything you guys want to add?

[the band shouts random ideas]

Enriquez- Get off the steps!
Climer- Be on the look out for the new record.
Kamrada- Join the street team.
Maile- Come see us on Warped Tour. We really need street-teamers to rep us on Warped.
Climer- And check out our Buzznet page.
Kamrada- Come hang out.
Climer-…and thank you.
Enriquez- Stay classy.

A Holiday Chat with Danny Stevens from The Audition

By: Amanda Bawarski

Witty, charming, intelligent, and gorgeous are all things girls seem to call modern pop-punk musicians. Currently on a short north-eastern tour The Audition has been called all of these words, and probably some more seeing as they have a fan-base that is willing to follow them where ever they seem to go. However when I got the opportunity to sit down and talk to Michigan native, and lead vocals Danny Stevens I was refreshing dosed with reality, the Chicago scene, R&B, and some news about their last album Champion, and their recent writing. Oh, and did I mention anything about Australian flag boxers?

He found a simple spot where we both sat above from the stage, and the interview, which seemed more like a simple conversation based off of questions began. If you do not know anything about the Audition, I guess it’s time for me to give you a quick summary of the band. Joe Lussa (bassist) and Ryan O’Connor (drummer) started off in suburban Chicago, Illinois with a multi-talented group, releasing an EP called All In Your Head. At this time Bob Morris of The Hush Sound was part of the band, and after the EP was released: the members began to change. Fast forward a little bit and Bob leaves, and Dan enters The Audition to cover as a guitarist. Dan is a young man from Detroit, Michigan who dropped out of school, quit his job, and ran to Chicago after the former lead singer of the Audition, Evo Soria quit back in 2004. Sound ordinary to you? Yeah, I thought so. He found the Chicago scene that everyone always seems to gossip about as “Warm and welcoming.” The band however “Had quite the following as it was before I joined. So it was cool just to come in and do my thing.”

Time progessed, and the Audition finds themselves on tour with some of the biggest ‘emo’ bands out there. Not that they mind because whether it’s Boys Like Girls or 30 Seconds To Mars; the fans are open minded, as well as dedicated to the band; a tight knit following for the band. The internet brings the fans closer to them, but sometimes for the worse. “I think it’s good that you can have a hundred fans in a click of a button, but I think it hurts it as well because…well everyone has a band now.” A laugh, before his opinion on just how close the fans get to the band. “I think it’s detrimental for us, and bands like All Time Low. With myspace, and facebook people feel like they know the band, without even meeting them. So if you see this persona on stage, videos, all over online, and read interviews you almost feel like a friend to that person. If someone is having a bad day and doesn’t want to talk to anyone you are automatically considered an asshole.” However that’s the way it is, and he’s alright with it. “It’s okay, I’m a people person.” he says with a welcoming grin that is seen often throughout the night with his fans. Indeed, he is.

When asked about Champion he feels it’s done great with reviews and all responses, as well as the band’s musical taste. “We just took all the things everyone wanted to write and wrote a record.” The majority of the band is into rap, however Dan enjoys Country, Soul, and R&B. A few artists? Stevie Wonder, Dwele, John Legend, and Ray Charles. The Audition all can find common ground out their love of pop music. As well as a role model for Dan? “I really look up to Jacks Mannequin. I feel that he’s pretty much conquered everything, and that’s pretty awesome.”

So what’s in store for them now?

They have just finished writing some new material, and are going to be heading to the studio this January to finish recording what will be their third record; that has been rumored to be released March 2009. The album is “All the stuff we love from Champion, and all the stuff we love from Controversy”, which should be a great blend for all you older (as well as you younger) Audition fans. “We loved the soculful aspect, and kind of the groovy dancey aspect and blended it together with in your face with hooky, catchy choruses.”

Want to see them soon? Well, if you are in Australia; you are lucky. In late February and early March 2009 they will be part of the Australian Soundwave festival with some familiar names: Jack’s Mannequin, Forever The Sickest Kids, Nine Inch Nails, Minus The Bear, and I Am The Avalanche to name a few. He’s elated to go back to Australia, and when asked about gifts fans have given the band, he laughs. “You have to fly to get to every city in Australia. People found out which flights we were on, and waited at the gate with these silk Australian flag boxer shorts.”