AIDEN 11.7.06
Jake Davison- Bass
Angel Ibarra- Guitar

Bands that come out of Seattle seem to sound different from all the other bands in their genre. Why do you think that is?
Jake: ‘Cause it rains. [laughs]. Like the whole grunge era happened and I think that had a huge impact on everyone and it musically changed. Seattle’s always been known for grunge.
Angel: Yea. Seattle’s really just an artsy kind of city so everyone tries to be different

In ’04 the band put out a full length debut, played 100+ shows, recorded two music videos, and got signed to Victory Records all while you [Angel] were still in high school. Was it hard to stay focused and finish school while all that was going on?
A: Not really, it was kinda hard. like sometimes the night before we would have a late show and I would have to be at school at 6 in the morning the next day. That was a little rough but other than that… you know I missed some school because of the band but I always did extra work to make up so I guess it was more of a challenge than normal kids going to high school. But it wasn’t impossible you know? I think that anyone that wants to be in a band can totally do it. You just gotta be willing to put more work into it

Was it a shock that you guys won “Best International Newcomer” as the Kerrang ’06 awards when the other nominees were Panic! At The Disco, Wolfmother, Angels and Airwaves, and From First To Last?
A: Yea it was definitely like “what the fuck? Really?”
J: It was a big shock. I don’t think any of us thought we were gonna win that award. It was amazing to see what our fans were doing over there.
A: Yea, were up against so many good bands like you said, Panic! At The Disco, From First To Last and a lot of other great bands. So for us to actually win was definitely surprising.

It says on victoryrecoreds.com that the band started “as more of a fun hobby than an effort to take over the world” did you guys ever expect the band to get so big?
A: It was just me and Jake that started it I think maybe sophomore or junior year and we were like yea we could do this, you know whatever its just something to do and then eventually everyone else joined and yea its crazy. We never even expected to even sell 1,000 records and it was awesome. [mumbles something]
J: We’re still workin’ on it, we’ll see what happens.
A: Yea, we haven’t actually taken over the world yet. We are definitely still working on that though. We’re like fucking Pinkie and the Brain.
J: World domination

Aiden has received criticism because you seem to imitate AFI. Some people opinions are that you are “dishonoring” them. What is your response to that?
J: Umm, I don’t know about imitating them
A: Honestly we get compared to AFI and My Chemical Romance. I don’t think it’s actually ‘cause we sound like them, especially when we first started out because Wil had a devil look and everybody was like “oh he looks like Davey Havok, so he obviously sounds like Davey Havok”
J: Also Davey Havok is wanting to be the misfits ‘cause the misfits…it goes really down the line
A: Yea, you can compare every band to another band. You could be like ‘yea AFI are trying to be the Misfits--’
J: That’s the same thing that happened when they first came out too.
A: Yea, it’s just like you know whatever. People think what they want but I don’t think we sound like either of those bands. I think it’s just ‘cause of the way we look and we definitely aren’t trying to dishonor anybody, I love AFI
J: And if someone does compare us to them it is an honor to us.
A: Honestly we like that band so much its like cool.

Before your first album “Our Gangs Dark Oath” was finished you took it upon yourselves to make about 2000 CD samplers. What compelled you guys to do that?
A: We just wanted to get it out there to everybody. Let people make up their minds for themselves if they liked it or not. We made them and handed them all out and little by little people started to show up at our shows. It was cool. Before we even had a full album there were only like two songs on sampler, uhh “Fifteen” and “Looking Glass Eyes” , kids would come out and sing every word to those two songs. And it was cool and it obviously worked.

People seem to either love your band or hate it with no in-betweens. Why do you think people feel that way?
J: I think in music today there is a lot of people that are really narrow minded about like…they’ll base all their thoughts on an image and they’ll look at a band and not even think about listening to them and I think for somebody to be that judgmental would see our band anyways so it kinda works out in the end. Its fine for me but…I wish so many people weren’t narrowed minded.
A: We’re definitely one of those bands where you love it or hate it. Kind of like black licorice.
Aiden has a cult-like following.

How important do you think it is to connect with your fans?
J: One of the most important things. The only reason we are able to get on stage every night and tour is because of them. If nobody came to shows we wouldn’t be a band.
A: Kids are always coming up to us and be like ‘thank you for coming’ and I'm like ‘uhh thank you. If you didn’t come then [we] couldn’t of come’. Its awesome and we try to market our band as a really accessible band so we always go out to the merch table and are always walking around. We love talk to new people and talking to them.
J: I remember when I went to shows and I would do anything to meet the band and it would be like impossible so I try to make sure I'm not that kind of person.
A: Seriously, a kid meets you and they go home and tell their friends and their like I want to go to the next show ‘cause maybe I can meet them.
J: There a lot of people that hate us and they meet us and their like—
A: And their like ‘…you guys are pretty cool I guess’
J: But they just don’t want to like us so bad.
A: Yea, like I don’t care if they don’t like our music but if people don’t like us as people then they can fuck off ‘cause none of us are assholes or anything like that.
J: Uh, I don’t know I don’t like—
A: Nick’s a little bit of an asshole
J: I'm not going to go bad mouth anyone

Where do you get your inspiration for your look?
J: AFI. Nah, just joking
A: I dunno. Most of our songs are darker side of things I guess? And uh—
J: We wear black because its slimming and we’re all over weight
[both of them laugh]
A: I guess it would be cool to just wear black and some makeup and put on a show and be like—
J: It’s how we feel comfortable
A: You don’t want to see five dudes in t-shirts, you want to see a show
J: Kids go to a show not to listen to a record ‘cause they can sit at home and listen to a record

Is there anything you would like to say to the fans before I go?
A: Thank you so much for all the support
J: Seriously, thank you for coming to our shows and singing all the lyrics and pouring your heart out with us
A: Oh and we just put out a new EP called “Rain In Hell”, make sure you pick that up
J: Oh and we’re also on the Taste of Chaos with The Used
A: So make sure you come out to that and chill