Bring Me The Author

n the first-ever edition of Getting to Know, we introduce you to Bring me the Author, an Ontario-based progressive melodic hardcore collective. If you are in an up and coming band that would like to partake in a Getting to Know feature, contact editor@riffyou.com to receive the questionnaire and instructions. Thanks!

Bring-Me-The-Author-1-smallBand Name: Bring me the Author
Band Members: Craig Ireland (vocals), Jordan Busutill (guitar, vocals), Jon Busutill (bass & vocals), Jamie Stieva (guitar, vocals), and Chris Sindrey (drums)
Years Active: One, since March 2013
City of Origin: Hamilton, ON.

Who are you and what do you do?

“Bring me the Author is a progressive melodic hardcore band from Burlington, Ontario. I’m Jamie, and I play guitar and sing.”

In 100 words or less, tell us how your band has gotten to this point.

“As a band, we have worked hard to get our name out there through any means. We really just want people to listen to the music, which is why we give it away free on our webpage – we hope that this may get people to come to a show. We also have been offered a lot of unbelievable support from a lot of others inside music; we are grateful to everyone who has helped spread our name, or put us on a website, or told their friends about us. Without that, that scene support, it can be very difficult.”

What is your latest release and how would you best describe it to someone who hasn’t heard your band?

“Our latest release is a single from our upcoming record. The song is called “Prometheus.” This song, along with another called “The First Time Always Hurts” are what we are calling Act 2 teaser tracks. These songs are meant to bridge the gap between Act 1: Beginning to an End (available for free download from www.bringmetheauthor.com) and our upcoming record. Both these songs are exclusive downloads through www.puregrainaudio.com. “Prometheus” was released December 25th, 2013 and “The First Time Always Hurts” will be released on March 1st, 2014 to celebrate the one year of Act 1. Currently at our shows we are playing Act 1, which was released on March 1st, 2012. To describe the music, we are just that, a Progressive Melodic Hardcore band, we sing, scream, and play fast, technically, upbeat, and with melody.”

When making an album, which aspect of the process do you put the most time into and why?

bring-me-the-author-2-big“With all aspects, (song writing, production and rehearsing) we put about equal time in; we want our songs to be the best they can be so we will take the time to pre-produce a record…taking time to listen to the music, lyrics and vocals. To us, it all starts here, if the song isn’t good, production and rehearsing it is not going to save it. But in that same vein, once we get something that the five of us are proud off, we want it to be represented as best as it can, so we will take time with the production of our music as well. Our most recent songs were recorded by Eric Papky, he is a person we trust who wants to be involved. This helps us, [having] an outside voice to ask the dumb question.

“Same thing with rehearsing, we can’t have a great recording of the music and then play the songs terribly live. Each piece represents us; all three together can define you. Losing sight of one can cause the others to suffer and as a band you may not even be aware of it. We believe in equal attention that starts right from the first moment a song is created.”

What is the best part about your band and why?

“Our song writing, it’s the best because it is, selfishly, for all five of us the reason we are there. We love the music we make, we are proud of the songs. To me personally, why be in a band if you don’t love the music you make? People liking it is an awesome bonus.”

What makes your band unique from the rest?

“Are we unique? We are termed as a ‘progressive melodic hardcore’ band. I think today in the world of heavy music, not playing a seven or eight string guitar in a “djent” riff style band helps to set us apart from other bands out there. We are also a concept band, based around a story I am currently writing. An Act One manuscript is also available with the download. But to me, we are really an amalgamation of the bands I listened to in the early 2000s. So it is hard to say we are unique. I do think we have our take on it…our own sound.”

How does your band survive the challenges of touring/gigging?

“We enjoy playing; it is the chance to get to show everyone what we do as a band. So any of the other parts that come with gigging/touring, we just deal with. We all want to be there and we all want the band to succeed. We do fight as a band, but we try to resolve things more immediately, or we are just honest with each other immediately. That way, things don’t get a chance to fester and grow into something more.”

Would you rather be critically-acclaimed; rich and famous; or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base?

“Dedicated fan base. I would rather play to 200 kids singing the songs back at me than to 15,000 that are all a blur. I want people to enjoy the songs like we do.”

Bring-Me-The-Author-3If you’d have to compare your band to another one out there, living or dead, who would it be and why?

“This is a tricky question, we have gotten some interesting [comparisons] through our short career, but there has always been one we get that we as band have liked: that band is Boys Night Out. First off, I think we immediately get this because Craig is a long haired “ginger” (orange hair), second thing is we are also a concept band – Boys Night Out had a concept album called Trainwreck. We utilize singing and screaming with multiple voices and we have erratic song structure at some points, but we will also follow a formula. We like to keep our songs swingy and up tempo.”

Which band/musician would you like to share many drinks with? What would you talk about?

“For me currently, I would choose Casey Crescenzo (The Receiving End of Sirens, The Dear Hunter). I once argued with him in a bar in Rochester while the Leafs played the Sabres (by argue I mean we shouted across tables about which team was better). I would ask him anything I could think of about his life in music, or how he writes the way he does. But if anything, I would just try to absorb as much as possible [and discuss] the sheer volume of work he has put out. I mean, he wrote a symphony (If it is good, don’t know yet, not released). But with Crescenzo, I’d get him drunk and steal all his secrets.”

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Can you please introduce and tell us more about the band?

Bring me the Author is a Progressive Melodic Hardcore band from Hamilton, Ont.

We just released a new single entitled “Prometheus” ft. Michael Ciccia of Mandroid Echostar, which is available for free download through www.puregrainaudio.com.

We also have our current record Act 1: Beginning to an end up for free download on our web site www.bringmetheauthor.com



What´s the story behind the band´s name? It has anything to do with Bring Me The Horizon?

The band’s name comes directly from the concept, a story I (Jamie) am writing. Our Story centers around the players involved in a game, played out between God and The Devil, once every 1000 years, to mark the start of the game, the author, a character in the story, must be summoned to chronicle all the events of the game. This is his job; no cycle can begin without him. The first lyric heard in the title track of Act 1 (Call to arms I: Beginning to an end) utilizes the lyric “Bring me the Author”.

Originally we were going to go by “The Author” but this posed some problems with others already using this name. So when we registered all our social media and website, we used the handle “Bring me the Author”.

A friend of ours, Rockin Rod, a radio jockey at a local radio station pointed out this fact and joked that we should just use the name Bring me the Author. We liked it, and it stuck.

It really doesn’t have anything to do with Bring me the Horizon. However we are fans of their music. This is a comparison we knew we would get, based on the name alone.



What are your music influences?

We are what I would describe as an amalgamation of music from the early 2000’s. Such as; Coheed and Cambria, Thrice, Brand new, August Burns Red (more current) Boys Night Out.

These would be our main influences. We all like music that is heavy, fast, carries melody and involves both screaming and singing.



Prometheus – can you talk to us more about the track?

Prometheus will be the second track of our upcoming release Act Two: Side A. (Fall 2014).

It is meant as way to bridge the gap between the writing and recording process and is designed to give fans and listeners an idea where we are going sonically.

Conceptually the whole of Act 2 centers around one character known as a Harbinger, and this song marks the beginning of his decent into “madness”.



What was like to work with Michael Ciccia?

Amazing, he was a pleasure to work with, we know him from one of his old bands, and it was literally as easy as a few test messages and he was there. The dude has one of the best voices I have heard live. When he was tracking the vocals, we gave him the rough melody line we had in our heads, and he took it and transformed it into what is on the song. It’s an honor to have him on the track. I know for us as a band it means a lot to us, being large fans of Mandroid.

We love this type of thing, collaboration between bands. How else can we have a “scene” if we don’t want to work with each other? Michael gets that too.



So I am guessing there´s a new material scheduled for ’14, how´s that coming along?

Currently we have recorded two songs, “Prometheus” and another called “The First Time Always Hurts”.

This song will be released on March 1st, 2014 to coincide with one year anniversary of Act I: Beginning to an End.

Act II will be split into two, 6-7 song EP’s. Side A & Side B, we are just finishing up writing on Side A, pre production will begin shortly on those songs.

There is also talk of an acoustic EP to help bridge the gap.



Any official release date, title in mind?

Nothing official, we want to get it out by the fall of 2014 that is the date we as a band have unofficially decided on. We like/want to get music to people as much as we can. We don’t want make people wait for 2 years between releases, so we like the idea of breaking up the Acts into Sides. (this way we can release on vinyl and it makes sense)

Our working title so far is Act II: Side A – The Tormented.



Will you be hitting the road this year?

Yup, we will be all over Ontario and hopefully dip into Quebec this year. Being a relatively new band (just under a year) we still need to get out and play, which is what we love about being in a band. We just want people to come to shows and enjoy the songs as much as we do.



How do you guys feel about sharing the stage with Silverstein?

We are super excited about it; I would say they fall into the previously mentioned category of bands from the early 2000’s that influenced us. Its an honor to share the stage with such a successful band. Especially now, with the addition of Paul Rousseau on guitar they have gotten even better. It will be on wild night. Prophets and Mandroid Echostar are also on the bill (yup, we are going to be doing Prometheus with Michael).



What’s happening next in BMTA´s world?

Getting our name out there, playing any show anyone will have us on. Getting ready to record a new EP in the summer, but next is the release of “The First Time Always Hurts” and we have some shows in Toronto, Guelph and Hamilton (Ontario)

- See more at: http://ventsmagazine.com/bring-author/#sthash.6KJULUAw.dpuf - Vents Magazine

The Skinny: We're excited to have teamed up with Hamilton, Ontario-based progressive hardcore band Bring Me The Author to offer this exclusive free download of their hype new track "Prometheus". Designed to offer fans an idea as to where soinically the band are headed on their next release, this song is the first of two teaser tracks (the next being "The First Time Always Hurts on March 1st, 2014) offered exclusively via PureGrainAudio. - Pure Grain Audio

the review url contains a link to a drop box with parts one and two of our interview with Rockin' Rod of the Pit Radio Show. Check him out on twitter for some awesome heavy music @thepitradioshow Rod does great things for bands in the local music scene. Craig, Jon, and Jamie were live in studio answering questions on all things BMTA. Check it out and enjoy - Rockin' Rod (host of The Pit Radio Show CKWR fm 98.5 Kitchener

An interview Jamie did with Pop Vulture Magazine in August. click on the link to read the full article. - Pop Vulture Entertainment (Aug 19, 2013)

The Skinny: "Call to Arms I: Beginning to an End" is a new song from progressive hardcore band Bring Me The Author. The Hamilton, Ontario band is a relatively new construction, featuring veterans of the local scene Jordan Busutill (Maddison), Jon Busutill (The Subterraneans, Maddison), Craig Ireland (Maddision), Chris Sindrey (Aerith), and Jamie Stieva (Aerith). Bring Me The Author had their start as a tribute band to one of the members' favorite rock groups Coheed and Cambria with no real intentions to become an act that wrote its own music. Guitarist Jamie Stieva and drummer Chris Sindrey were working hard at building the reputation of their own band Aerith when through a mutual friend they were introduced to Jordan and his twin brother Jon. The four got to rehearsing and realized that they had musical chemistry which propelled the band forward.

Soon Bring Me The Author was born and since Jordan and Jamie had always had an affection for concept records, the band decided to follow a similar course. Jamie had already developed a concept for a record in the past which was expanded on by Jordan. Together the two of them came up with the story for Act One: Beginning to an End. While rehearsing for the record, the band sought out a lead singer and decided they wanted Craig Ireland the old singer from Maddison. Craig was an immediate fit and in June, 2012 Bring Me The Author began the process of writing Act One: Beginning to an End which lasted roughly six months. The band released the record in March, 2013 and have been on a roll ever since. - Aaron Willschick on Oct 06, 2013 (Puregrain Audio