Backseat Goodbye

Article By Kari Ludwig of My Pilot Light Webzine:

(MPL:)-refers to MyPilotLight.com interviewer Kari Ludwig
(BG:)refers to Chad Sugg of Backseat Goodbye

The rock and roll dream, as defined by any stereotypical 8 year old boy, is to perform with heavy guitars, punctuated by pyro and tight jeans. Backseat Goodbye, an acoustic side-project of Chad Sugg, guitarist for Hello Runaway, is an outlier to that equation. With beautiful lyrics accompanied by heartfelt melodies, the music that Sugg creates is an expression of his soul. Created in August of 2004, Backseat Goodbye has offered a release from typical college pressures for Sugg, who is the only member of the band.

With a new EP debuting on Poor Boy Records, the music of Backseat Goodbye will reach farther and faster into the masses of people that count themselves among fans of the acoustic genre. The Second Story View EP will contain a new version of "One Away From Three," "Sorry to Interrupt," and its title track, "Second Story View," among others.

His tour kicked off March 5th in Indiana, and will continue through the end of March. The EP comes out March 25th.

(MPL:)How would you explain your music to someone who's never heard it before?
(BG:)Hmm... Well, first I'd tell them they could be listening to something much better, like Bright Eyes, but I'd just say my stuff is a mix of acoustic, indie, and emo, kinda like Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Jack Johnson, Rilo Kiley, and Elliott Smith all combined into one... or something.

(MPL:)Would you say those artists have been your influences? Is there anyone else that has influenced your music?
(BG:)Yeah, all of those artists are HUGE influences. Some of my other influences are Northstar, My Morning Jacket, Dave Matthews, All-Time Quarterback, The Rocket Summer... Wow, the list could go on forever.

(MPL:)You've got an EP coming out on March 25th. What can you tell us about it?
(BG:)Well, first of all I'm really excited for it to be released, and for everyone to hear it! There are going to be seven songs on it, a mix of a few old, and a few that are brand new. It's gonna cost $6 and will be available online at poorboyrock.com. It will be in stores too, but I'm not sure which ones just yet.

(MPL:)How did you choose the title for Second Story View?
(BG:)I had written a song that had a line in it that said, "Second story view, and nobody's home," which is referring to the apartment I live in--I'm on the second floor--and my window that I always look out of when I'm working on songs. I ended up naming the song "Second Story View." It's on the EP, and I really liked how "Second Story View" sounded, so I decided to call the EP that, too.

(MPL:)So you write most of the songs in your apartment? Do you have a set song-writing process? What usually motivates your lyrics?
(BG:)Well I write songs pretty much wherever. I mean, the instrumentals are almost always written in my apartment, but my lyrics I write everywhere, and when I say everywhere, I mean it. Usually I'll be sitting in one of my classes at MTSU and a line will pop in my head, so I'll just write it on the side of the page of notes I'm taking. Later I'll finish the lyrics at the apartment. The overall process is usually I'll write lyrics, then come up with guitar, piano, or whatever to go with it. Usually when you hear a song I've recorded, it was probably recorded right after I got finished writing it, because I write a LOT of songs, probably at least one or two a day. If I don't record them, then I'll forget them. [Laughs] Also, my lyrics are pretty much just motivated from my everyday life, stuff that's happened to me in the past, or stuff I'm worried about for the future...just things like that.

(MPL:)Do you have recording equipment at home, then? What was it like recording the songs for the EP?
(BG:)Yeah, my recording equipment ranges from different things on differents songs. On some of the songs I use an Audix condenser mic through a digital interface that goes to my laptop, and on other songs I've used a $15 Radio Shack mic just plugged straight into my laptop. Then on some songs, like "Think Of Me When The Rain Hits Your Window" from my EP, I just record straight through the crappy laptop mic. I like how the different mics and things can make the "feel" of a song totally different. And I did all of the recording for my EP at my apartment and produced it and everything myself.

(MPL:)Do you feel more accomplished because you can do it all yourself? How do you think you would feel had someone else produced it?
(BG:)Well, I don't know about more accomplished, but it does feel nice to be in control of every aspect of the recording. Actually though, I think I'd feel much better co-producing with an actual "producer," because they actually know what they're doing and all, but no matter what, like if I do get to work with producers in the future, I'll ALWAYS have to play a big part in every concept and part of each song when it comes to producing. I just wouldn't feel comfortable not doing so.

(MPL:)What else can fans expect from you in the upcoming year?
(BG:)Oh wow, a TON of stuff that I'm so stoked about! Look out for a very lengthy, full US tour throughout May/June/July, and I've already started working on my debut full-length that is possibly going to be released in late May. There's more, but they'll just have to wait for that.

(MPL:)I'm sure the fans are stoked too! What have your touring endeavors been like so far? Any memorable experiences yet?
(BG:)I hope the fans are stoked! Wow, that's so crazy, to think that I have fans. Anyway, so far I haven't really toured yet. My first tour actually starts March 5th and goes through March 18th, so no experiences yet, but I'm sure there will be many.


(MPL:)What would be your dream tour? Any bands in particular that you'd want to hit the road with?
(BG:)My dream tour would definitely be a worldwide tour with none other than Bright Eyes...That would just be plain amazing. I also think it'd be cool to tour with Straylight Run, Tilly and the Wall, or Ben Folds.

(MPL:)You're in another band as well. What's the difference between the music you make with Backseat Goodbye and the music you make with Hello Runaway? Do you like one more than the other?
(BG:)There's a big difference when it comes to the two. With Backseat Goodbye I just kinda take a wide open approach and try to mix anything and everything into my music. With Hello Runaway there's still the wide open approach, but it's different because there's collaboration between my band members and I, which makes for its own cool blend I think. Really I wouldn't say that there's one that I like more than the other, they're both awesome in their own ways. With Backseat Goodbye, I can do whatever I want, write whatever I feel, and so on, because it's just me. With Hello Runaway, I get to hang out with two of my best friends, and make "musical magic" with them, and it's awesome. [Laughs.] Either way, I'm making music, and that's what I love to do.

(MPL:)Very cool, very cool. So how do you think the prior experience has helped Backseat Goodbye get off on the right foot?
(BG:)I think it's helped a lot. I think Hello Runaway has been together for a little over 2 years now, or something like that, and I've learned a bunch of different things from being in that band. It's definitely helped with Backseat Goodbye. Backseat Goodbye has turned into sooooooooo much more than I ever thought it would, and I am amazingly pleased with it all. I started Backseat Goodbye out of boredom when I started college last August. Now, I'm signed to a label, about to go on tour, and so much more... It's amazing. I'm so happy with the direction Backseat Goodbye is going in now, and I can only hope things will get better.

(MPL:)Do you think it's important to be close to your fans?
(BG:)YES. I think that's one of the most important parts about being in a band, especially if you want to be successful. Not only that, I really don't see how bands can't be close to their fans. That's stupid. I mean, I WANT to know who's listening to my music, it's awesome knowing that someone likes my stuff and hearing how kids can relate and so on. I try so hard to return every message I get and talk to everyone I can online through AIM and stuff. It's a really cool connection I think, how music can bring people together. So yeah, being close is "muy importante." [Laughs.] Thought I'd show off my terrible Spanish skills from high school...

(MPL:)Is that connection between people the thing that motivates you to keep playing music, or is there something else that you get out of it?
(BG:)The connection is a big part, but I'd have to say that my main motivation is my own personal relief. I mean my music is really the only "release" I have. It's the only way I can truly express myself. Music has become a huge part of my life, and I really hope that I never lose sight of it, because it's such a great thing. I always wonder if I'll still be playing guitar and writing songs when I'm like 80 and sitting in a rocking chair on a porch...that would be so awesome.

(MPL:)Do you have any long-term goals for Backseat Goodbye?
(BG:)Yeah... I'd really like to get signed to a well-known label, like Saddle-Creek or something. That would be cool. Don't get me wrong, Poor Boy Records is awesome, it would just be better for getting my music "out there." I suppose that's another one of my goals, to really get my music out there. I don't necessarily want to be famous or anything, I'd just like for the world to hear my music.

(MPL:)Thanks so much for talking to me. In conclusion, is there anything you'd like to say to the My Pilot Light readers?
(BG:)No no, don't thank me! All I'd really like to say in conclusion is thanks so much to all of my fans, for supporting me and everything. That's so awesome of all of you, and I really appreciate it. Also, check out my cd/ep "Second Story View" if you want, it comes out March 25th! Thanks so much everyone, and of course My Pilot Light rocks! Spread the word about this site, because it's awesome and ran by super cool people! Thanks. I love you all. - MyPilotLight.com Webzine

Who got you interested in playing Accoustic/Rock music?
A little band out of Omaha that a few people might know of... Bright Eyes.

How did you come up with your band name?
It was actually just a couple of words I threw together and ended up liking how it sounded. I literally had a list of others and liked Backseat Goodbye the most.

What other bands have you been in, why did they end or how are they going?
Let's see, I've been in three other bands: the first was a pop-punk band in high school... we played one show (which was our high school's talent show) and we cover NOFX's "Linoleum", the second was an acoustic band that would eventually end up becoming another pop punk band over time, then the last other one was a "darker" pop punk band that played stuff with kind of an Alkaline Trio feel.
All in all though, those bands ended eventually due to either people having to move or lack of interest pretty much.

What venue has been the best to play at?
Well, I really love the Exit/In in Nashville, and also another two places that I love are Wired Coffeehouse in Indiana and Main Street Cafe in Missouri.

Was that your best show of all times?
That's tough to say, but the most memorable is definitely when I was lucky enough to open for my favorite band, The Format, at The End in Nashville, TN. It ended up being a sold out show and a night I'll never forget.

When, Where and How was your first show?
Oh wow, it was in 2004 I believe, in my hometown of Clarksville, TN at a Borders Bookstore.
And well, I don't remember much from it other than the fact that I played a bunch of covers to about 20 people.

How have you seen yourself get better since then?
Well, I can honestly say I've done a complete 360 since then in everything from singing, writing, and just every little thing... because I'm sure I probably was pretty bad back then.

What makes a show the best?
The crowd, to put it simply. I've played shows to hundreds of people that couldn't even compare to how great a show was with just like say 40 kids on a Sunday night in Nebraska.
I mean really, it's the people there that make the show, it's always one of the best parts.

Who do you one day want to play a show with or open for?
Bright Eyes, I would totally cry like a little girl if I had that opportunity.

What makes you strive to be heard?
The fact that I really want to give people what my favorite bands have given me... a breath of fresh air when everything else has gone to hell.

What inspires most of your lyrics?
Every little thing that happens to me and the people around me.

When did you start playing with the thought of publishing your music?
Probably about a year after I started BG.

Where do you wish to be in 5 years?
All over the world still doing what I love.

What do you think its going to take to get there?
I'm a pretty ambitious kid, I mean, I've gotten this far on my own, so hopefully I can keep a good head on my shoulders and keep growing.

Where have you been playing lately and how has your response been?
Wow, it's weird to get to say this, because I never thought it would come true (this wide of a tour that is), but literally just this morning I got back from a few weekend shows in Michigan and Wisconsin, last weekend I was in Missouri, and just a couple of weeks ago I had a week long tour through California.... and the response has been leaving me in awe... I actually sold out a show in Michigan and I had never played there before so other than me having to pinch myself to believe it I'm quite excited about my growing fanbase.

Do you have any upcoming shows?
Yeah, a big benefit show in the town I live in now, Murfreesboro, TN, then in April I've got some scattered dates in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee as of now, and from May through August I will be on the road nonstop hitting pretty much every last state in the US.

Do you have any advice to starting bands?
If you believe in your music, I mean really believe that you have something, and you're willing to pretty much give up parts of your life in some ways to do something you love, then go for it and don't look back.

What is the best thing about music?
It saves lives and brings out the sun when there are nothing but clouds in the sky if you ask me.

What do you want to see happen thru music in the future?
I'm not sure, I think it's still all percieved and still appreciated the right way today.

What are you doing to progress those ideas?
Well, to keep that idea going, I hope to do my own part in making listenable and relatable music.

What other instruments can you play?
I'm decent at gutiar, and I suppose you can say I "dabble" with piano, percussion, and mandolin.

Any funny or interesting stories?
I'll keep this short, but on one of my first ever tours I ended up having my car break down in Philadelphia, then I was left alone in the city by the band that was touring with me, and I ended up sleeping in a firestation. Ha. Good times.... NOT.

What do you think about UFOs?
They are real I'd say, and yeah, I mean that... I was too much of a Tom Delonge dork when I was younger to not believe in aliens.

Do you and work, other than playing music?
I can proudly say that playing music is officially my full on job.

Do your parents like you playing music today?
Yes and no. They don't mind it, but they'd much rather see me focusing more on college, because well, I really don't think they understand that people actually listen to my music. ha.

What were some of your favorite bands growing up?
Well, growing up it was all pop punk (when high school began anyways)... some of my favorites were Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, NOFX, Good Charlotte, Sugarcult, Green Day, Sum 41, Box Car Racer, MxPx... then when college rolled around I finally let my musical horizons expand I suppose you can say and I started getting into all kinds of genres.

What would you say to a kid who has no faith in himself?
Hope, if you've got it then hold on to it, and if you don't then just keep looking, you'll find it. Trust me, it's kept me going for years now.

How old were you when starting to play instruments?
I think I was 15 when I started playing guitar.

Have you lost any fans for doing something drastic?
Not that I know of, but I'm not one to make drastic changes or to do anything that might cause that, because really I'm closer to my fans than some may believe.

Everyones music changes over the years, but do you like playing the old stuff?
My style has changed a lot in some ways, but yeah I do still like playing the old stuff.

Anything you would like to say to your fans reading this interview?
Though you all already know it if you read my blogs, I love you all and thank you, and I mean that.

How many tours have you been on and how did they go?
I've been on probably about 7 full tours, and early last year they weren't good at all hardly, but the last 5 have been nothing short of amazing

How does it feel to tour, does anyone come with you?
It's great (and also bad sometimes)... and usually one of my friends will come with me and help with my merch, but I still go out alone sometimes too.

What do you do on the road to keep busy?
Listen to music in the car and sing really loud.

Do you have any advice to bands about to go on their first tour?
Good luck and get ready to have a reality check if you don't already have a fanbase. I don't mean that in a negative way either at all, it's just honestly the complete truth. So many bands think that if you tour you'll have fans... that's not true at all in most cases. It takes hard work to produce a fanbase for yourself... but don't let obstacles get in the way if you believe in your music. Perserverance is definitely key in touring, when you first start at least.

Do you ever find groupies?
Ha, that's a first. I'll just answer that with, yes... I do like girls.

How did you come up with the title of your new album "Good Morning, Sunshine"?
I actually got that title from a song I wrote a while back, and it just seemed to fit with exactly what I was going for on this entire album.

Other songs have gotten some radio play, what happened when you first heard them?
To tell the truth, I still have yet to hear one on the radio.... I always end up just hearing about when it was played, which is still quite amazing to hear.

Do you think this album will get any radio play?
Yes, I'm in the works of getting a bunch of college play and hopefully some satellite radio airplay.

How long did you wait from start to finish making the CD and how did it feel? Well, I have been writing the songs for it for about 3 to four months now, and it took about a week to record.

What do you think about it?
I love it, I have never been more proud of a cd. And I'm not even saying that to hype it up, I just really am proud of it in every way and can't wait to share it all.

Where can we get it?
At my online store (http://store.backseatgoodbye.com) and on iTunes beginning April 17th, also it's going to be available in some Borders Bookstores beginning in April also, along with some indie record stores across the US as well.

What do you want people to get out of listening to "Good Morning, Sunshine"?
A smile and hopefully some sunlight for their rainy days.

Any advice for anyone thinking about making a CD?
Have fun and make sure you make it into something you really like and want others to hear.

Any last words?
Thank you all at BigSmile for doing this, and thank you to any of you reading this, and to all of you who listen to my music. I really can't wait to let you all hear this new cd, and also can't wait to get out on the road for my summer tour so I can see you all! - Big Smile Magazine

Creating an impact on the Internet due to his acoustic-based music on the Myspace and Pure Volume websites, and then impressing the crowd with his live shows, Chad Sugg has been making quite a name for himself all across the country. Citing influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Bright Eyes, Chad has self-released five albums under his moniker Backseat Goodbye, and is well on his way to a sixth effort. A college kid in the town of Murfreesboro, it’s a miracle that this resourceful musician remains so active due to the constant demands of his schooling. We recently spoke with the ubiquitous Mr. Sugg to find out more about Backseat Goodbye.


What made you decide to call your band Backseat Goodbye? Is there any story behind the name at all?
Actually, it was just a couple words I put together that I liked the sound of. There’s really no meaning. I just liked that name the most from the list of names I came up with, and that’s basically it.
Why did you decide not to use your own name for the project?
Honestly, I thought it would sound weird to get up on the stage and say, “Hey, I’m Chad.” Cuz Chad is me and Backseat Goodbye is the music I make – and I wanted something different so I would have my own personal life aside from my music.

Were you in any bands prior to Backseat Goodbye, and what made you decide to work solo?
Yes, I was. I’ve been in three or four bands ever since about my sophomore year in high school, and none of those really ever panned out. They were just a bunch of pop/punk bands. When I got to college, I had always wanted to do something solo. The music I was listening to had started to change. I started to listen to more acoustic stuff, and I really liked the sound, and I decided to just go for it. Basically, I was bored in college and decided to go for it.

Do you ever plan on having other band members in the future?
Yes, definitely. I always plan on writing every bit of music for Backseat Goodbye, from the lyrics to the guitar, drums, bass, – every instrument. But I do want to add band members for live shows eventually, when the time seems appropriate. When you’re solo, it’s smarter money-wise when you’re not huge to have just you. But whenever the time seems appropriate, then I’ll add more.

As your plays on Myspace approach one million, how surprised are you by the reaction you’ve received from people online?
I wake up everyday and I’m totally shocked by the amount of plays, messages, anything! It still amazes me everyday. I still have to pinch myself to even know that I’m not dreaming. It’s amazing! I love it!

It seems like a lot of people who have discovered your music are deeply touched by it. How does that make you feel that you’ve got this power to reach people?
That’s honestly one of the things that keeps me going. Because when I was younger and even today, music is what keeps me breathing – it’s what keeps me alive. It honestly got me through hard times in my life. And to bring that to other people is one of the best feelings I could ever get.

You have a lot of song it seems. How many songs do you think you have written?
I can honestly say I’m sitting in front of my laptop right now, and I can tell you that my screen is full of demos and there’s folders full of demos. I can say that I average about two to three full songs a day – it’s honestly an amazing amount. I can’t say that they’re all good or that any of them are good, but I do write a lot of music. I get inspired a lot by everything – and if I feel like writing a song, then why not write one and see what can happen?

How do you have time to be so prolific and attend college?
That is something that I still try to figure out. I’m trying to span my college classes out where I just have classes two days a week, and that way I can tour on the weekends. It’s actually pretty rough, because I still run every single thing that has to do with Backseat Goodbye. And it gets to be a pretty heavy load whenever I have a semester final and 50 packages to send out the next day. But for 2007, I’m taking the first semester off for the first time, and see what I can do for Backseat Goodbye. Then in the fall, I’m going to head back to school and keep doing it the way I’ve been doing it.

What classes are you taking right now?
Right now, my major is geared toward graphic design. I’m still knocking out core classes and taking the usual like psychology and philosophy and English – and a nice little graphic design class here and there – so nothing too special.

Do you design your own covers?
Yes I do. Well, my two newest covers are actually made out of construction paper and I just scanned them to my laptop. And the others are computer designed too.

Have you ever thought about doing album covers for other people?
Yes, I have, and I was going to start up a little graphic design business at the end of 2005, but then Backseat Goodbye started getting a little too busy, and I figured it just interfered too much.

What is life like in Murfreesboro, Tennessee?
It’s just like any other college town. You get home at night, and it could be 1:00AM like last night; and there could be college kids yelling and screaming and drunk off their balconies – and you just sit inside watching TV and it’s a normal night. I figure that any town is the same as any other town.

How do you feel about being compared to such acts as Bright Eyes and The Rocket Summer?
That’s honestly always another shock to me, to even have my music in the same sentence as bands or musicians as great as those. I love it – it’s such as huge compliment – but I still can’t believe it.

Are you a fan of Bob Dylan at all?
I’m a huge fan of Bob Dylan.

If you were invited to participate on a Bob Dylan cover CD, what song would you want to cover by him and why?
I would have to say Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, because that’s just an amazing song if you ask me; I love the lyrics, and his voice is amazing in it, and so is the guitar.

What is a live Backseat Goodbye show like for those who have yet to see you play? I understand people come up and sit on the stage?
Yeah. Backseat Goodbye shows can be random. Pretty much every show except for one, I’ve always played with just me onstage with my acoustic. I like to be very laid back and tell jokes onstage, cuz if you’re gonna play music for someone, you might as well entertain them too and keep ‘em laughing and give them a good time. People feel really comfortable, and I’m fine with people coming onstage and sitting down or standing up – I don’t care – it’s just a good time. I think it’s just a bunch of people getting together, listening to music and enjoying life.

Do you ever get stage fright at all, going up there and playing by yourself?
Before I had really found my own sound with Backseat Goodbye – the first few months when I just played one or two shows – I was so nervous, because it still was something that I wasn’t really sure of. But nowadays, it’s just the best feeling in the world and I love it.

Where did you get the idea for the CD title Nightmares Are For Dreamers, and is there any story behind that title?
Actually that title came from one of the first Backseat Goodbye songs I ever wrote. The song is called One Away From Three and it’s on my first EP that I ever released – The White EP. That saying/title is something that I came up with that I thought had a good, deeper meaning. I like for people to take what they want from it, but for me it’s just saying there’s always going to be bad, but there’s always going to be good. Either way, you need to dream and go for what you really believe in.

How quickly did the Christmas EP come about, and what made you decide to record one?
Oh wow, the Christmas EP – that’s a story! I decided I was going to do that on a Wednesday evening and by Friday I had the ten songs fully recorded and released it. And I released it on my website at 12:00AM and it sold out by the time I woke up the next morning at 7:00AM. Actually it had oversold out at 140 copies. I literally couldn’t stand up when I saw that, and basically screamed like a little girl for hours. It was one of the most awe-inspiring things that’s ever happened, and it was just amazing.

It’s awesome you were able to record it in two days!
I think it was probably three days that I recorded it. I just record here in my own apartment. If I really want to get some songs recorded, it’s not too hard. I just press record and go for it.

I was reading on your website where there was a night on tour where you spent the night at a fire station. What happened there?
That was one of the first Backseat Goodbye tour experiences. That was not fun. I went on tour one summer – I met this band in Pennsylvania and it was for their first show of the tour – and we’ll leave that band nameless for certain purposes. We had a show there at The Fire, which is a good little venue up there. They had told me it was going to be a great tour with good promotion. We had got there, and no one was at the show – and we played for the sound guy. Before the show, I had arrived there and my car decided to break down in the middle of a church parking lot in the middle of Philadelphia – and my phone was dead. So I decided to go find the venue – so I walked four blocks and found the venue and the other band hadn’t arrived. So I sat there and waited. They finally got there, and I told them my car broke down, and they were like, “Oh, that’s no good.” So we went and got my car and we pushed it down the hill to the venue and I parked it right there. Then we played the show and it went terrible. But afterwards, they were like, “Hey man, we’re gonna go party in New Jersey with some Victory Records bands. If you wanna come along, then that’s cool – but if not, we gotta go.” And the next night we had a show opening for The Offspring in New York City. They basically just left me there and they said like “Give us a call.” I told them I don’t have a working phone and there’s no payphones around here that are actually working. This area of Philadelphia wasn’t exactly the nicest area I guess you could say. So basically they stranded me in Philadelphia. Luckily there was a fire station right besides the venue, and this guy – and his name was honestly Dan – and I just called him Dan The Fireman – he came out and he looked at my car and figured out it was a battery problem. He was nice enough to say that I could stay the night at the fire station, and I could sleep on the couches if I wanted. So I spent the night there, and the next morning I woke up, got my battery fixed, and then I headed home because I didn’t want to tour with a band that was going to leave me in Philadelphia alone with no way to get to New York. That’s pretty much that story.

You have opened for some impressive bands. What was it like to play a show with Third Eye Blind?
That was a great experience! I got chosen to play a festival this past summer called The Ford Music Festival in Orlando. It was a phenomenal event. Me and one of my friends went, and it was just amazing. It was three nights of music and the list of bands was just endless. I was lucky enough to get chosen to play the main stage. I’ve always been a huge Third Eye Blind fan. I’ve always had great influences from pop music – I’m a sucker for a pop song and they are just an amazing band with great lyrics. They played and I actually opened for a guy on Drive Thru Records called Dave Mellilo and he’s an amazing writer too. It was just an amazing experience to play in the middle of Downtown Orlando, and actually I’m hoping to get to do it again this coming year.

With you self releasing your material and having all the say in what’s going on, just how anxious are you to sign to a record label?
I don’t think that anxious is even a word anymore. Honestly, a few months back before I had self-released my Nightmare Are For Dreamers and, Rain Rain Go Away EP; I would have been totally ecstatic, on the roof, ready to sign with a label. But now, after seeing how much you could do if you really just work your ass off. Major labels or big indie labels – I’d love to have interest from them and I’d love to hear from them and see what they’d wanna give me. And if I found the right deal, then I’d be glad to sign. But I just know that if you self-release your things, you do have pretty much every power to do whatever you want and it’s a great thing. But there’s also the other side – a label has the connections and has the money to back everything. It’s all a win or lose kind of thing. But if a label ever decides to bring me the right deal, I’ll be glad to, but until then I’ll keep trucking on my own.

How strange is it to see the word “Explicit” after many of your songs on I-Tunes?
(Laughs) That’s kind of funny. See, when I write songs, I think I write in a different way than some people. I like to really write straight exactly what I’m thinking and how I want to say it. If you ask me, people cuss a lot. A lot of people are like, “Oh, why do you cuss in your songs?” I’m sorry, but that’s the real world. If you walk outside in the middle of a city, you’re gonna hear some guy cussing some other guy out or something. That’s the way it came out in my head – and music’s not the same if you want to change it. That’s just me and the way I express myself. It is weird seeing that, because it makes me feel like I have some terrible CD; but honestly, I know that my lyrics are pretty happily based – they just have a few cuss words to spark it up and give some little extra meaning and expression to them. When I sing my songs, I want them to feel like they are coming from my heart. I don’t want to sing them like someone else wrote them. So I’m going to write the lyrics exactly how I want them. That’s one of the pretty things about music and how you can make it for yourself – even though sometimes other people don’t agree with it.

Where did you get the idea for the lyrics on Technicolor Eyes?
That song is one of the only songs I had to fool around with the lyrics. Usually I wrote lyrics in 20 minutes and then bam, I’m done. But for that one, I wrote the first verse or two and it sat on my computer for probably two or three months. Later I finally decided that I really liked them, and that I wanted to go for it. I like writing songs where I get to namedrop some of my favorite bands or movies so that maybe some kid will listen to the song and go check them out. I know that I’ve heard a lot of kids that they’ve listened to Tilly And The Wall because of that song. That’s great, because Tilly And The Wall is an amazing band, and I’m more than glad to help them out just from the lyric. But those lyrics are exactly about me and what I like. The main part of the song is you shouldn’t care what other people think. A lot are scared to like certain music because, “Oh, that’s not cool. Why don’t you like this kind of music and blah, blah, blah…” I think that shouldn’t matter. You should just like what you like. The second half of that song is really just a love song about a fake girl that doesn’t really exist – just like all of my other love songs pretty much. (Laughter)

Can you relate to the character Ross on Friends?
(Laughs) That’s really more of an inside joke. One of my ex-girlfriends and I – she got me into that show. It’s pretty much my favorite show. I can say that I’m a proud owner of all the seasons on DVD and I watch them terribly too much. We had this inside joke where we’d be watching it and I’d always make fun of Ross’s laugh – and that’s pretty much it.

How close are you to recording the new CD, and do you have a working title for it yet?
I actually have about 30 songs ready for the new CD. I’ve got the title and the cover art made. It’s pretty much ready to go. I’ve got demos recorded for it – I still have to fully record all the songs. I’m just waiting for a little bit closer to the end of January or February to announce it all. All I know right now is that I want to release it someone near April 17th. I’m still not sure about track listings, because I always release these “EP’s” and they have anywhere from 15-16 songs – and usually EP’s are supposed to have 4-5 songs, but I decided to change that and put as many songs as I want – because I can. So for this one, I’m not sure. I was going to start out with just 10 songs on it, but now I’ve written more that I really like – so it’ll probably end up being another “as many as I could fit on a 70-80 disc as possible” thing. We’ll see how that goes, but I’m honestly really excited for it.

The Highwire Daze Top Ten of the year is being published today, and apparently one of your CD’s on it. How does that make you feel?
That’s – wow! Honestly, it’s always great to be noticed for anything, but that’s pretty great!

Do you have any messages for people in the Los Angeles and Orange County area who might be interested in checking out your music?
I plan on coming to see everyone there this coming March with a great band out of the Arizona and California area that I have to leave nameless for now. But around March get ready, because we’re coming all over Cali! It’s going to be an amazing tour. Also, for my summer tour, I plan on coming out there too. I’m real excited to see what California is all about. I’ve always been told some great stories and I’m ready to make some of my own… - Highwire Daze Magazine