June 6, 2015

June 2015

You may remember Stereo Outcast from a past issue, but this time they are here talking about their brand new album. They have released their single Lightning in a Bottle and the music video is well under way. I am on set with the band currently as they filming the fun times. We asked the band to go through their album, song by song, and explain what they mean to them. Some of their answers may surprise.

Interviewer: Look at you, and just think a few months ago you told me you had no clue when your album was going to be released.
Blaine Anderson (lead guitar and vocals): We like to tease.
Maddie Scott (bass and background vocals): We just happened to be in that mood today. (Laughs)

I: How does it feel to have your album nearing its release?
Derby Johnson (drummer and background vocals): ****ing amazing. Sorry, it just is.
Kyle Lewis (guitar, keyboards, background vocals): We have been counting down the days on a calendar at our apartment.

I: You labeled it as a self-titled album, is there a reason you did that?
BA: Actually we did. Some bands dont do that, but this is truly us. We are putting ourselves out there and people will either hate us or love us.
KL: Plus we have a cool name.
I: I agree with that.

I: We are on the set of your new music video for Lightning in a Bottle. How was that chosen as your single?
MS: We were actually back and forth between two songs for our first single. One was a bit slower, but we wanted to come out with a bang. The other may lead to other territories, so we will see.

I: How about we talk about the songs. The first song on your album is called Somewhere In Neverland, Peter Pan reference?
BA: Yes it is. I was going through some stuff and well we are huge Disney fans. And thought why not.
MS: At the time we were young and were wishing school was over, but we still had that want of staying young forever.
KL: Its that ying and yang.

I: Alright, the next song on your album is Do It 2 Me. I hate to ask, but does it mean what I believe it means?
DJ: Sure does. That is one thanks to Blaines weird feelings. It was written when he first had these feelings towards a certain boy.
BA: Hey, that song was a revelation.
KL: He drove us insane with that song. We wrote it less than 48 hours and sang it at the Band Slam competition we were in the same weekend.

I: Sounds like it was a whirlwind. Has the song changed much since then?
MS: No. I suppose a few chords here and there, but we tend to keep our songs with the authenticity they had when we first wrote them.

I: Who is the song about it?
BA: A special someone.

I: Not naming any names today?
BA: He knows who he is.

I: This Is How We Live is up next, what exactly is the song about?
DJ: Having fun and just living life. We wanted a song on the album like that and we had it in our arsenal, so we popped it on the record.
MS: It did take some convincing actually. The record company was hesitant, but we explained it was an older song of ours and the fans love it.
BA: They go crazy when we sing it. It was a must on the album.

I: I have heard the songs and I loved this next song, Dont Say Goodnight. It has an emotion that I rarely hear in songs, how did this one come about?
KL: We were sitting around one night a few weeks before we were doing a show in Blaines hometown. We wanted to perform a new song and be a surprise for our friends and fans.
DJ: It sort of came about slowly. We worked on it piece by piece.
BA: We never just want to rush through a song and this one just took longer.
MS: He also didnt want to disappoint his dads.
BA: I didnt. (Smiles.)

I: The first time I listened to Already Home, it made me want to listen to it again and again. The emotions of this song was crazy, I noticed it didnt have the same sound as your other songs.
BA: It doesnt. And it wasnt written by these guys either, it was myself and my…Kurt.

I: We have a name now. You premiered the song just months ago with him, correct?
BA: We did. We wrote it together while we were on opposite sides of the country. It is a special song and I pushed to have it on the album.

I: Did your Kurt not want to be on the album?
BA: I talked to him about it, and we agreed the duet between him and I, would stay on that stage in California. We still sing it together at home, but as a band we understood why he wanted to take that step back.

I: Were any of you against the song being on the album?
DJ: At first we were hesitant because of how different it was from the other songs.
MS: And then Blaine left us for the night telling us to just think about it and we would talk about it the following day.
KL: Ultimately we decided to put it on the album, because long distance love is difficult. There are couples out there every day going through it and we thought maybe this song may help a few.
I: How beautiful.

I: The next song is your single, Lightning In A Bottle. Where in the world did that come from?
KL: Its a saying and we loved it as soon as we heard it. I think it was Maddies grandmother who said when we were visiting once. The rest flowed quite easily.
DJ: Some of the parts were difficult in the song music wise though, the ending where everything slows down and you hear the wind and rain, that was just a touch of some artistic skills we have.
BA: (Laughs) When you listen to different parts of the songs its sort of telling different stories as well. Its an awesome song.

I: Ever Enough is the song on the next album, can you explain the song a bit?
KL: It was written after Maddie and I were going through some stuff. We had a rough patch for a few weeks and finally we said we needed to take a break from the band and focus on one another.
MS: It was a difficult decision for us, but we approached these two and asked for two weeks off. We went home and visited our families. A few long talks later, and we were back in New York.

I: Were you two worried they were going to quit the band?
BA: The first initial reaction was yes, but after we talked a bit, we realized they did need this. Family and friends come first, so we said take as long as you need.
DJ: I have known these two forever and I knew if they told they needed two weeks, then they were going to come back in two weeks. Its just how they work.

I: You all have such a close relationship. Can you tell me about your next song, Never Be What You Want.
MS: This comes from some past relationship troubles between Blaine and Derby.
BA: The both of us didnt have the greatest luck in love when we were in high school.
DJ: I know they talk about girls having to change for boys, but it goes the other way around too. One day, Maddie and Kyle sat me down telling me I just had to be myself.
BA: I wasnt so lucky high school, but they set me straight when I came to New York.

I: You two are the like the Yodas for relationship advice.
BA: Star Wars fan you are.
KL: Khan lives!
BA: Shut up.

I: Stay is a strange song placement for me. I liked the song, but its a song you wouldnt normally hear on an album like this.
BA: It is not at all. The song came about one night when we were sitting around having a night in.
MS: There wasnt any process to it. We just started jamming and it came out.
KL: We loved it and recorded it at our apartment that night.
DJ: We played it for Blaines sis, Rachel, and Kurt that night. We knew it had to be on the album.

I: The next song One Night is a crazy song about a crazy night. Did this song talk about any prior experiences?
KL: Our entire college life, no Im kidding. It was a theme of a party we were at once, one night. We were inspired like no other. Rachel (Blaines sister) took out her phone and started asking people what they would do if they one night to live. Some of their answers are in the song, just a bit skewed. It was so much fun to write that one.
MS: It was a different process too. We had never done something like that before. We want to do it again.

I: The last song on the album is titled For Always, Forever.
BA: Yes it is. We know life as musicians is not as stable as other jobs, so we wanted to put our mark on the world and end with this song if we never get another chance.

I: Do you not think you will make another album?
DJ: We have no clue, we would be honored, but hey sh—stuff happens.
KL: Its about our journey to here and we still have those memories, but we are stronger now and wiser as well.
BA: Its a song with metaphors in it. I said the fans will have fun with that one.

I: How do you all feel now that your album is being released?
BA: Nervous.
DJ: Relieved.
MS: Happy.
KL: All of that at once.

I: Are you more anxious about the fans reactions or the critics who will open up your world?
BA: Gosh, I havent even thought about it. The fans know some of the songs, but yeah I dont know.
MS: I think if critics like it or not it will be great exposure for us. Its not a sound for everyone, but if everyone liked the same thing then we wouldnt have the amazing music we have today.
BA: Thats what I always say.
DJ: And he tells us often.
BA: I do.

I: I wanted to wish you four the best luck and I hope you have monumental success.
BA: How nice of you, it is always a pleasure.
DJ: Since you asked last time, I need to ask. Are you single?
MS: We dont know him anymore.
KL: Disowned.
DJ: Hey!

Stereo Outcasts new self titled album is dropping in stores on July 21, 2015. You can pre-order the CD from their website and pick up their single Lightning in a Bottle on iTunes now.