Date: August 21, 2008
Band Members: Elan (Guitar) and Spencer (Keys) 

Could you introduce yourself to For The Sound readers?
Elan: I am Elan and I play guitar.
Spencer: And I am Spencer, and I play the keys.

First off, congratulations on the release of your first LP! How did writing and recording Used and Abused compare to the process for the two EP’s prior to the full length?
Elan: Well we weren’t actually a part of the first EP, and he [Spencer] wasn’t a part of the second EP either.  The first EP that I did, Punch Your Lights Out was a much shorter process.  We just stayed for a few days and we had all the songs ready to go.  This process was definitely a lot longer.  Full length.  We went in and wrote about 24 songs just to pick and choose going between studioa.  So it was much longer and it was a lot, I guess, more challenging to kind and push ourselves.  But it turned out really good. We’re really excited about it.  

How did you guys end up meeting?  How had the line up changed over the years?
Elan: Well, neither of us were original members.  Andrew, Marvin, and Nico started playing in like middle school together and they just started a band and a couple of the guitarists quit after the first EP was written.  And then Andy joined and he knew me and I joined.  Andy knew Spencer so after our first keyboardist quit he joined.  

How did you two know each other? You and Andy?
Elan: Just mutual friends, just hanging out with different people we just hung out a lot and became friends.

Last time you were interviewed by For The Sound, by Lianne Alutto, the band shared a couple of New Year’s Resolutions that had been made.  Do you remember what those resolutions were?
Elan: I probably said something along the lines of eating more healthy and trying to be more active.

Yep, exactly! How is that working out, have you kept up with it?
Elan: It is actually working out pretty good!

Was that a band effort or was that a personal goal?
Elan:I think it is just a challenge in general when you are on tour.  
Spencer: Yeah, it’s something for all of us really.  
Elan: It is just hard because of the convenience of the eating fast food.  It is just so overwhelming and it is just hard to be active when you are sitting in a van all day driving around.  I mean besides the show, you have to be able to do other stuff.

What other stuff did you start doing?
Elan: I started skateboarding more.  And just doing that has been awesome.  Like when we get to venues I will just ride around for awhile and that’s fun. Definitely makes me sweat.  
Spencer: And we bought a Frisbee the other day haha!
Elan: Yeah we bought a Frisbee and we are just trying to go around and be a little more active you know, have fun, be adventurous!

The other resolution had been to be on the road constantly touring and promoting the new album – so congratulations on definitely accomplishing that! Have you added any more goals for the rest of the year?
Elan: No, for now it is just the same thing.  Stay active, eat well, and keep touring.  

I read that you were originally supposed to play on the Warped Tour this summer, but later dropped off to play on the Cute Is What We Aim For tour.  How did that decision come about/what was the defining decision based on?  
Spencer: We couldn’t get all the dates on Warped Tour, we only got a couple weeks or something like that…?
Elan: No, we were gonna do, I think it was a month and a half of the tour or something, and Warped Tour is just like really…

Had you guys done Warped Tour before?
Spencer: We had done a show in Chicago, just one date.
Elan: But basically we had to make a decision based on how much it was going to cost to go on Warped Tour compared to the Cute tour.  Just basically turned out that the Cute tour was better for us and that we could be on it longer.  It turned out to be a really good tour.  

Yeah, I went - It was really good!
Elan: So we are very glad about that.  We weren’t very happy that we had to miss out on Warped Tour, but the dates were conflicting and we were trying to figure out a way to do part of each but it just didn’t work out.  

What were some of the highlights of the Rotation Tour (with Cute Is What We Aim For)?
Elan: The tour. Highlights. Gosh. Every night was so great. We had a great time on this tour.  A crazy places we played was in Milkwaukee.  It was this big…what is it called...
Spencer: It was called the Eagles Club
Elan: I think it was the Eagles Lounge.   It was this huge building that was apparently, if Hitler was to eventually take over the United States, this was the building he wanted to be his “White House.”

Yeah right!
Elan: Yeah, so kinda creepy!  So we went to it and its kind of like...
Spencer: There is a pool in the basement.  
Elan: It looks like there is like blood on the walls and stuff.
Elan: But the upstairs is awesome!  It is huge and the back lounge has like cool lava lamps everywhere and like bushes. It was really eerie.  And we went downstairs and we got all creeped out and heard these crazy noises.  And right across the street from there…is the Ambassador Hotel where Jeffery Dahmer killed people.

Wow, really great area guys haha, I’m glad you enjoyed that so much haha.
Elan: Haha no it was just an experience, definitely an interesting and creepy place to be at!

What is the funniest or the weirdest thing to ever happen on tour?
Elan: The last night was pretty ridiculous.  The last night of tour?
Spencer: Oh yeah.
Elan: At the end of everybody’s set we would all get on stage. Like Powerspace.  Right when their last song started, people started taking one drum piece away at a time.  So at the end of it was just like a high hat and a snare.  It was really funny and we all ended up just being like shirtless and wearing booty shorts and pouring water on each other.  We were all just being really crazy on stage jumping around.

Where was that?
Elan: Columbus, Ohio
Spencer: And then we had an overnight drive to do right after that. That was pretty brutal!

Back home?
Elan: No, to New York to do a bunch of press and then to come out and start this tour. With no sleep haha. We just hopped right on.  

Yeah, you guys are going from tour to tour.  Now this is kind of a short tour, right now you are touring with Jonezetta, Dropping Daylight, and Meg & Dia.  What can fans expect for the new Fall tour coming up right after this route?
Elan: Yeah, we have a 10 day break.  We are going to do a headlining tour.  It is like three weeks then we are going to hop on the Family Force Five Tour.

Who else is on both of those tours?
Elan: For the headliner we are going out with us, Brighten, Red Car Wire, and Farewell and then Family Force 5 is them, PlayradioPlay!,and Ultraviolet sound? Is that the name?
Spencer: Yeah!

When does the headline start? It is immediately after this, right?
Spencer: September 16th.

What can people expect to see when they come out to your live show?
Elan: We just like to have a lot of fun.
Spencer: Definitely high energy. Maybe not right now, or tonight haha.  
Elan: But we gave it all tonight.
Spencer: Most nights.
Elan: Well we had a lot of technical difficulties tonight.  
Spencer: We just like to have a lot of fun and make the crowd have the best time they can, cause they came out to have fun.  Or at least hopefully they did. So if we can do that, that’s the best.

And last time I saw you, you were in a cast so it was nice to see you standing on your own moving around. What happened? Why were you in a cast?
Spencer: Um, Elan ran me over with the trailor.

Is that true?
Elan: Yes.

So you are all better now?
Spencer: I got a little limp but I will live.
Elan: Haha shut up.
Spencer: It was the night before our music video shoot for the new one.
Spencer: But I mean, I play the keys so I just sat down for it.
Elan: He forgives me. 

Sounds like there might be a little grudge, I don’t know…!
Spencer: Haha no of course I forgive him.

But I’m glad to see you are doing better and that you’re standing now and your chair isn’t breaking underneath you like in New York.
Spencer: Oh wow you were there for that? That was not cool haha.  

What is your favorite city and favorite venue to play in?  What makes it stand out from other places?
Spencer: City? I like Seattle just because it is home.  
Elan: Yeah, that’s home.  Away from home, I like philly. The kids there just always have such a good time they really know how to make the venue fun.
Spencer: Favorite venue though? Norva.  Norfolk, Virginia.

I’ve heard of it, what makes it so different?
Elan: The green room!
Spencer: The backroom! There is like a hot tub and saunas and like a big pool table, foosball table, ping-pong, there is a basketball court.

A court? Wow.
Elan:Yeah and like racquetball.  Is there a swimming pool too? No I don’t think so.
Spencer: There is just tons of rooms it is nuts and great catering and they just treat you amazing.  It is just good to have that kind of comfort on the road.  It is really relaxed

Is there anyone you have wanted to tour with or play with but haven’t had a chance to yet?
Spencer: Lots!
Elan: Realistically or…?

Both!
Elan: I would like to tour with a million different people.  
Spencer: John Mayer
Elan: Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, So many bands I could list right now.  
Elan: Gatsby’s American Dream
Spencer: Nirvana

Nirvana? Haha you might have some trouble with that one!
Spencer: Why? What? Hahaha
Elan:I think it would be really cool to tour with someone like Paramore or Boys Like Girls.  Someone with a huge status right now.  Shows like that would be crazy. 

Yeah I could see you on a tour like that.  It is cool to see that you are going out again with bands that you have toured with in the past.  It is cool to see you guys all together again.  Who has been your favorite band(s) to tour with? Or most memorable tour overall.
Spencer: I like the Maine. Powerspace.
Elan: Powerspace is hilarious. I really enjoyed hanging out with Cute is What we aim for.  I grew really close to those guys on tour. And My American heart was crazy.
Elan: Brighten.
Spender: Brighten! Incredible.  
Elan: We actually have had amazing opportunities to tour with amazing people.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given or just any words that you try to live by?
Elan:I guess just go with the flow and just live your life.  Just be crazy and be passionate about what you do with your life.  It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are happy and you love what you do.  I guess that is what life is about.  That is why I’m out here.  
Spencer: Nice. Wow.  Go with the flow was good I think I’ll go with that. No let me think.  Let’s come back I might think of something else haha.

What is something about your music or writing/recording process that people might not know? (Songs that got changed, weird places that you have recorded or wrote, people you write about, mistakes, problems, misconceptions on song meanings? Etc.)
Spencer: That it is the best album in the wooorllld.
Elan: Something cool that maybe not a lot of people know is that Martin from Boys Like Girls actually helped Andrew write a couple songs, lyrically.  They brainstormed and put some stuff together.  That was one of the very limited collaborations with another band.  

Does Andrew usually do all the writing? Lyrically?
Elan: Yeah, as far as lyrics he does most of everything.  Sometimes we add.  Musically we all contribute.  

Alright I guess we have to go back to the advice and words to live by. Ready?
Spencer: GO WITH THE FLOW. Hahaha
Elan: My answer was just way too good.
Spencer: Way too good!

Spencer: Always wipe when you get out of the shower.  Otherwise you chaffe a lot throughout the day.  That is good advice.

Who gave you that advice…Or is that your own advice? haha.
Spencer: Marvin gave me that one!
Elan: Oh my god haha

Any last words to our For the Sound readers?
Spencer: Thank you!
Elan: Just tell people to come out and have fun and hang out with us on tour cause that is what it is all about.
Spencer: And go with the flow baby.


A big thank you to Mike Cubillos and Larry for helping set up this interview.  Thank you to Spencer, Elan, and all of Danger Radio for taking the time to do this interview! Check out Danger Radio on their headlining tour this Fall.  Visit their MySpace HERE for upcoming tour dates!