Interview with Forever The Sickest Kids
Forever The Sickest Kids are a Dallas-based six-man band (Austin Bello, bass & vocals; Kyle Burns, drums; Jonathan Cook, vocals; Kent Garrison, keyboards; Marc Stewart, guitar and Caleb Turman, guitar & vocals).
Their new six-track album ‘The Weekend: Friday’ (the first of three mini albums – the other two mini-albums ‘The Weekend: Saturday’ and The Weekend: Sunday’ set to be released in the spring and summer of 2010) and single ‘She Likes (Bittersweet Love)’ are being released in March/April with the video for ‘She Likes (Bittersweet Love) to be released on 29th March.
The band finished the UK tour with You Me At Six and We The Kings last night at Brixton Academy and on Friday 19th March I was lucky enough to catch up with Caleb and Marc in their tour bus before the show to talk about the tour and their plans for the rest of the year.
Sylvie: Hi guys, how has the tour been?
Caleb: Awful. (Laughs) No, it’s been really really amazing so far, we only have one more show. Tomorrow’s our last show we actually have two including tonight but it’s been incredible and I honestly wish we could keep going.
Sylvie: Are you looking forward to playing Brixton Academy?
Marc: We’ve never played there before but we’ve heard a lot of good things about it.
Caleb: And I don’t think we’ve ever played in a big venue, like we’ve played to large crowds but never inside a proper venue.
Sylvie: Do you do anything specific before a gig to warm up?
Caleb: Yeah, we usually get in a circle and pray, get some stretches in and make sure we’re all on the same page and then we put all our hands in together and we come up with a sacred word for the day, which has to sum up the entire day then we all chant it together and that usually pumps us up and gets us ready to play.
Sylvie: What words have you had so far?
Marc: it’s kinda private…we could probably share one
Caleb: Spicy Salami was one we used
Marc: Spicy salami was two days ago
Caleb: That was really exciting
Marc: That was a good one
Caleb: We had bombs over Bagdad and then we had guitarzin(sp?)
Marc: Guitarzin’s the original guitarinsharzin is the full word, we used the shortened version
Sylvie: Is there a specific song you like to play live?
Caleb: I really like Phone Call. We were talking about this earlier, I don’t necessarily know if the crowd enjoys it as much as I do, but I know it’s one of the band’s favourite just to play ‘cause it’s unique.
Sylvie: Is there much of a difference between the American and UK fans?
Caleb: I’d say so
Marc: A little bit yeah. I think the bigger thing over here is like rock & mosh and in the States it’s more like crowd surfing and singing
Caleb: I actually prefer the crowds over here, not saying I don’t love the states or anything, but at one point in every show thus far this tour there’s been a huge circle pit and that’s like my dream.
Sylvie: Is there a time when you write your lyrics, or do you just write them whenever you think of something that might work?
Caleb: Pretty sporadic, it varies from song to song. We don’t ever say 3:30 come up with an idea, we usually just have a few ideas and bring it to the whole band and get it going.
Sylvie: Have you written anything for the next two albums?
Marc: The second one, Saturday is already done and I think we have a couple potentials for Sunday but we definitely want to take the time and take each one as their own individual thing
Caleb: I think that’s what’s exciting about have a three part album is that we can take each record at its own pace and they can all have their own separate vibe instead of cramming all of it in one.
Sylvie: What are your plans for the rest of this year?
Marc: When we go back home we’re gonna go record Saturday and then after that we will be going to Brazil and then getting on the Bamboozle Roadshow in the Sates with Boys like Girls, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Third Eye Blind a lot of bands and then I’m not sure, but we’ll be doing a lot more touring this year.
Sylvie: If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you’d be doing?
Caleb: If we weren’t in this band? I’d probably be trying to be in a band like this band
Marc: I’d probably manage a Zoo
Caleb: I’d probably be an animal activist and try to set the animals free from the Zoo.
Sylvie: And finally, if you had the opportunity to collaborate with any musician, who would it be?
Caleb: Bob Dylan
Marc: Good question…maybe Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line.
Sylvie: Thanks for your time, good luck with the gig tonight
Both: Thanks
‘Do or Die’ is from their first of three mini albums which is out in the UK on March 29th.
Download the mp3 from here – http://bit.ly/cJdvXF
www.myspace.com/foreverthesickestkids
Recent Talk