The Examiner's Interview with Alex!
Hey Monday visited Pomona, CA as part of the Warped Tour. Guitarist Alex Lipshaw took some time out of his busy day to talk about the band's upcoming EP, working for Pete Wentz and how the Warped Tour experience has been.
(Sidenote: this interview, as well as others and a Warped Tour review can be found by clicking here).
Matt Baldwin: I’m here with Alex of Hey Monday
Alex Lipshaw: Hello
M: You guys have a new album coming out in the next couple of weeks here. What can you tell me about the album in terms of the music and the direction and all that?
A: Well actually it’s only an EP. There’s I think only six or eight songs on it. The music is a lot more, a lot of people hate it when we say this, but it’s a lot more mature sounding than our last album. What it is is that it’s the same direction, but we’ve become better musicians and tighter as a band. We’ve grown in the past two years of touring and everything and this is everything that we’ve done put in to music.
M: You mentioned that it’s an EP. I read that it was supposed to be an LP. What happened and what caused the change?
A: Really, it was the label’s idea. They had just some plan where it makes more sense to them and we trust the hell out of them.
M: You guys are with Decaydance (record label owned by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz)?
A: Decaydance and Columbia, yeah.
M: You guys, obviously being on Decaydance and having Cassadee as your singer get a lot of Paramore comparisons. Does that bother you at all, or do you think it’s justified?
A: When it started happening, when people started saying “oh, they sound like Paramore” I was like “that’s a good thing.” and that really is. It’s not that that’s what we’re going for, but I know that they’re a great band, they’re huge and they’re super successful. So if people think that, than thank you. We’re not trying to rip anybody off, but definitely it’s a good thing.
M: Does it ever get crippling to the band in terms of trying to grow. Obviously having a female singer fronting the band you’re going to get those kinds of comparisons. Does it ever feel like maybe that holds you back at all?
A: Honestly, I don’t. Personally have a lot of faith in the band because of the two record labels backing the band. And also deep down our direction is not; we’re not going for Paramore. It really doesn’t bother me.
M: How has it been working for Pete Wentz and his label?
A: It’s just been awesome. Super easy. Nothing has ever been bad. We got to tour with them. It’s been amazing. I love him and I hope he comes today.
M: I know it’s more for Cassadee, but my sister will kill me if I don’t ask this. How did she ending up on "Degrassi" come to be?
A: I think that when you get involved with a legit management company and people that have connections, I guess things like that just start working out.
M: How has Warped Tour been going for you guys?
A: It’s been amazing. I think we have a few more shows. I never thought that I would ever play a Warped Tour, it’s been a dream come true to be able to come here and play the whole thing. It’s been awesome.
M: Who have you been excited to see on the Warped Tour?
A: It’s weird, we’re on this stage called the Altec Lansing Stage with a bunch of hardcore bands. Bands like Attack Attack and White Chapel. For the rest of our career we’re going to be touring with most likely pop bands. Every morning I wake up and make it a point to try and see Bring Me the Horizon and Attack Attack. Parkway Drive as well, they’re from Australia. I don’t even think they know that we like them, but we are super fans.
M: What do you think the diversity of the Warped Tour brings to the overall Warped Tour experience?
A: I look at the people who put it on and they really do think everything out. They want to bring as many people in and have all those people go home happy. I think it’s really genius having all these artists. It’s like a giant festival of random, different kind of music. I personally think that this tour is legendary. I mean, our bus driver, he’s been driving for 35 years or something and the first day of Warped Tour he pulled up and said “I’ve never seen anything like this. There are so many busses here. This is a legendary thing.” I mean, there’s never been a tour that travels the country with this many busses and this many bands until Warped Tour.
M: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Scope out the new cd and you can check out anything you need to know about the band at HeyMondaymusic.com
Hey Monday's new EP, "Beneath It All," will be released August 17th. Visit the above website for more info on Hey Monday.
[Source]
(Sidenote: this interview, as well as others and a Warped Tour review can be found by clicking here).
Matt Baldwin: I’m here with Alex of Hey Monday
Alex Lipshaw: Hello
M: You guys have a new album coming out in the next couple of weeks here. What can you tell me about the album in terms of the music and the direction and all that?
A: Well actually it’s only an EP. There’s I think only six or eight songs on it. The music is a lot more, a lot of people hate it when we say this, but it’s a lot more mature sounding than our last album. What it is is that it’s the same direction, but we’ve become better musicians and tighter as a band. We’ve grown in the past two years of touring and everything and this is everything that we’ve done put in to music.
M: You mentioned that it’s an EP. I read that it was supposed to be an LP. What happened and what caused the change?
A: Really, it was the label’s idea. They had just some plan where it makes more sense to them and we trust the hell out of them.
M: You guys are with Decaydance (record label owned by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz)?
A: Decaydance and Columbia, yeah.
M: You guys, obviously being on Decaydance and having Cassadee as your singer get a lot of Paramore comparisons. Does that bother you at all, or do you think it’s justified?
A: When it started happening, when people started saying “oh, they sound like Paramore” I was like “that’s a good thing.” and that really is. It’s not that that’s what we’re going for, but I know that they’re a great band, they’re huge and they’re super successful. So if people think that, than thank you. We’re not trying to rip anybody off, but definitely it’s a good thing.
M: Does it ever get crippling to the band in terms of trying to grow. Obviously having a female singer fronting the band you’re going to get those kinds of comparisons. Does it ever feel like maybe that holds you back at all?
A: Honestly, I don’t. Personally have a lot of faith in the band because of the two record labels backing the band. And also deep down our direction is not; we’re not going for Paramore. It really doesn’t bother me.
M: How has it been working for Pete Wentz and his label?
A: It’s just been awesome. Super easy. Nothing has ever been bad. We got to tour with them. It’s been amazing. I love him and I hope he comes today.
M: I know it’s more for Cassadee, but my sister will kill me if I don’t ask this. How did she ending up on "Degrassi" come to be?
A: I think that when you get involved with a legit management company and people that have connections, I guess things like that just start working out.
M: How has Warped Tour been going for you guys?
A: It’s been amazing. I think we have a few more shows. I never thought that I would ever play a Warped Tour, it’s been a dream come true to be able to come here and play the whole thing. It’s been awesome.
M: Who have you been excited to see on the Warped Tour?
A: It’s weird, we’re on this stage called the Altec Lansing Stage with a bunch of hardcore bands. Bands like Attack Attack and White Chapel. For the rest of our career we’re going to be touring with most likely pop bands. Every morning I wake up and make it a point to try and see Bring Me the Horizon and Attack Attack. Parkway Drive as well, they’re from Australia. I don’t even think they know that we like them, but we are super fans.
M: What do you think the diversity of the Warped Tour brings to the overall Warped Tour experience?
A: I look at the people who put it on and they really do think everything out. They want to bring as many people in and have all those people go home happy. I think it’s really genius having all these artists. It’s like a giant festival of random, different kind of music. I personally think that this tour is legendary. I mean, our bus driver, he’s been driving for 35 years or something and the first day of Warped Tour he pulled up and said “I’ve never seen anything like this. There are so many busses here. This is a legendary thing.” I mean, there’s never been a tour that travels the country with this many busses and this many bands until Warped Tour.
M: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Scope out the new cd and you can check out anything you need to know about the band at HeyMondaymusic.com
Hey Monday's new EP, "Beneath It All," will be released August 17th. Visit the above website for more info on Hey Monday.
[Source]