The Trademark Interview

SUBSTREAM MAGAZINE INTERVIEW

Describe your band in one sentence.

Riley- The Trademark to me is a like tidal wave, if you are in it's vicinity it will encompass, engulf, and overpower you... The Trademark will make you wet.

Drew- The Trademark is an in-your-face rock n' roll band, and that's pretty much all there is to know!

Natty- The Trademark is like eating a piece of chocolate cake while the ants in my pants make me dance to the rockingest party ever.

Mat- Ready to rule the world!

Now describe it however you want.

Riley- This band has so much drive and so much passion behind everything we do that it tends to suck you in. This band is everything to us. The Trademark in itself has become like my alter ego, when I talk about The Trademark it feels like I am talking about a part of myself and i think the other guys and our wives would agree, haha....

Drew- It's hard to describe your own band, because you don't want to sell yourself short. On the other hand, you don't want to talk a big game and not deliver. When people ask me this question, I just tell them that we are a kick ass rock band, and then let them categorize us how they feel. It really doesn't matter what "we" feel anyway. Kids are gonna make their own assumptions and evaluations regardless. I find it's best to be broad in your description, and then blow them away with a crazy bass solo! Eh?

Natty- Typically when someone asks me this I ask them to tell me what they think so I don't set up some kind of preconception in their head that's hard to overcome. Kids these days!

Mat- Good, solid rock and roll. It's something that everyone can find enjoyable, and get into.

How long have you been doing this?

Riley- I have been into music my whole life, but i decided to make it my life in 6th grade... so I've had lot of practice to perfect it.

Drew- long enough to discover and meet most of the pitfalls and hard times that every independent touring band goes through, but not long enough to have paid all our " dues" I guess! I think the rock Gods need to see a little more blood and sweat before they deem our sacrifice worthy. Riley, my older brother and I have been playing music and writing music since i was in the 6th grade. As for The trademark, we have been under that guise for about 6 years now.

Natty- I think about 6 years now. One long party! And by party I mean playing lots of shows and practicing punctuated by playing video games!

Mat- About a year with the band but, I've been writing songs and loved music my whole life.

Any past projects?

Riley- Though this band has had the same name for like 6 years i cut those 6 years into 4 different bands because of all the changes and improvements we have made to it along the way.

Drew- There were a few bands not worth mentioning before The Trademark. lets just say I went through the typical pop- punk phase, into the angst filled angry stage shortly after. With all of my past projects, they all feel to me like The Trademark. Every band I have been in has been with Riley. With a constant like him in my musical career, it honestly feels like one band the whole time.

Natty- We've done a few self produced EPs and a full length (This Island Earth), but what we are most excited about is a 5 song project we just completed with one of our favorite producers, Jim Wirt. We were stoked to work with such a legend and especially someone who has done some of our favorite albums (Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, Letter Kills, Incubus, etc.)!

Mat- Several, but the trademark is all you need to know. These are the jams I love to play.

How many shows have you played so far?

Riley- Feels like a million... but I would say it is probably a few hundred shows which isn't too bad haha.
honestly every show we play feels like a first show, sure we play our instruments a little better but the excitement of playing our songs to new people is always a rush.

Drew- I try and save flyers from every show we play, and I probably have about 400 flyers, which I would guess is a little more than half. The sad part is that I can honestly remember only 10 or so of those shows off the top of my head. They all really blur together into one memory of long drives, and smelly dives.

Natty- Several hundred I would guess at this point. When you have as much fun on stage as we do (even if the crowd doesn't!) it all tends to blur together a bit as a whole quantity.

Mat- I am not sure, a lot though. It's what I live to do.


What's on your guys' playlist?

Riley- a lot of bands... ill get on kicks of only listening to one c.d. over and over but here is a list of my favorites:
acceptance, alkaline trio, as cities burn, the beatles, the bled, brand new,bright eyes,copeland, the cure, cursive, death cab for cutie, the doors, elliot smith, fingers cut megamachine, gatsby's american dream, the international drive, jacks mannequin, john mayer, johnny cash, the killers, oh sleeper, refused, rilo kiley, saves the day, tegan and sarah, terminal, thrice, tokyo police club, underoath, a wilhelm scream

Drew- right now I'm listening to gatsbys American dream, a wilhelm scream, saves the day,copeland, alkaline trio, Regina spektor, I'm also really into the police and tom petty right now. Classics never die!

Natty- I am listening to a lot of The Academy Is, Copeland, Cursive, Brand New, Phoenix, Cut Copy, Thrice, and Underoath.

Mat- Oh sleeper, copeland, thrice, underoath, as cities burn

What are you guys up to creatively?

Riley- writing. I love writing its probably my favorite part of being in this band, though playing shows is pretty fun toooo. I think our shows are pretty in themselves pretty creative...

Drew- as of right now, we are in a writing phase that seems to put out the best song we've ever written, right after writing what we thought was our best song. I really feel like we are hitting our stride and coming up with some of the most rocking, catchy, and melodic stuff we have ever done!

Natty- I do all of the bands visual stuff, so merch, signs, web stuff, so I always have something creative to do. Between that and my job designing skate bags I am covered creatively!

Mat- Writing some amazing new songs. I can't wait to practice every morning I wake up because the songs are so good.

Ultimate goals?

Riley- as long as I can keep writing and playing music I will be more than happy.

Drew- I just want to be able to tour 24/7 and not have to come home to find a crappy job to pay off debt incurred on tour. If I could live in a van all year long with these 3 dudes and not have to ever come home, my life would be complete.

Natty- I'd like to see the band be able to be a full time job with salary and benefits! At the very least, continuing to see rad kids that can rock out with us coming out to shows.

Mat- To not have a nine to five. I want to travel and see the world with the band and, make a living just recording and touring.