Send Request - Sound In The Signals Interview

Send Request is a pop punk quartet from Nanticoke, PA. Their energy and sound harkens back to the early pop punk days of the 2000s, but they're definitely putting their modern spin on it. Andrew Blank, the vocalist and guitarist, recently shared with us how a sense of spontaneity is important to their band, how they're becoming more comfortable with balancing everything life throws at them, and who they would like to tour with one day.

First, thanks for the interview.

Andrew: No problem!

I understand that you all are friends since high school. You released your debut EP, Beyond the Ordinary in 2014 and the follow-up Make Your Move in 2015. You just released a video for your song "Anymore". Can you tell us a bit about your background and music for those who may be unfamiliar?

Andrew Blank: Send Request really came to be because we all had to urge to be in a band for various reasons. Derek aspired to start a band and started hinting the idea at me, and at the time I really wanted to begin playing original music. Aron and Jon were soon recruited, and here are to this day. We really aren’t super into the idea of labeling our music as a whole, because it’ll always have a sense of spontaneity to it. All that really matters to us is that the vibe of the song feels right. A few of the songs on Make Your Move were actually written before this band even started. Anyway, all we can really say is that our music will always have guitar, bass and drums!




Which song would you recommend to someone who hasn't heard your music yet? What was the inspiration behind it and why does it represent you the best?

Andrew: I don’t think we’d ever be able to choose a song that “represents” us. The thought of being recognized as “the band with that one song” is always unpleasant. If people dug our new song “Anymore”, they’ll probably like “Comeback Song”, they have similar vibes, plus Comeback is crazy fun live!



You just premiered your new video for "Anymore". You said, "The majority of the song's meaning is about how I started to feel distant from the rest of the band. Everyone started working full-time and we were barely even seeing each other. I knew everyone felt passionate about the band itself, but no one was able to meet up and at the time the complacency frustrated me." This speaks to being young and working your way up in the music industry, which can be hard when balancing everything else. How did you confront this issue and what keeps you inspired?

Andrew: I often think people forget that bands are relationships in themselves. Dealing with time apart under any circumstances is always rough. At the time, everyone but me was hounding away full-time at their jobs while I balanced college and work. We started cutting practices and basically stopped meeting up altogether for a time period. We did however have obligations to plan out a single and push it toward a label that we were in contact with. The connection with the label fell through, but our thoughts on a single didn’t. Anymore was eventually written from the skeleton of another version of the song that felt incomplete. The lyrics were re-written to reflect the situation we were going through. However, the issue did resolve itself; I think more than anything the realization that we’re growing up and can’t meet up EVERY week to practice is becoming more comfortable for us. Don’t get me wrong though, this is only just the beginning of the band’s career, when we have something planned out, we hit it with full force and are always more passionate about it than you can imagine.

What has become easier for the band since you started in 2013? What is harder and how do you deal with it?

Andrew: We have become immensely comfortable around each other, it’s much easier to confront issues now than it was 3 years ago. An unusual amount of groping always seems to happen when we’re together too. Honestly, nothing has really gotten more difficult for us. If anything the most difficult part of being in our band, or any band for that matter, is finding ways to make money to do the things you want to do.

You have a fresh sound, but it also definitely harkens back to the early 2000s, for me. Your guitarist, Derek Holminski has said that era of music is a big influence on the band’s sound, along with some modern bands from the genre, as well. What would be a perfect Send Request tour if you could put bands of the early 2000s pop punk scene and modern bands on it with you?

Andrew: There are so many bands I wish we could tour with! If I had to choose I think a New Found Glory/Neck Deep/Send Request tour would go over really well.

  

You've been together since 2013 and released Beyond the Ordinary in 2014 and Make Your Move in 2015. Can you tell us a bit about the writing and recording process and how that might have changed over time? How do you come up with ideas?

Andrew: Songs ideas have a tendency to float around in my head until I can be near an instrument. Often times I will pitch something to everyone, we’ll elaborate on it and boom, there’s a song. We worked with producer John Franck on both of our last EPs. Though we tracked “Anymore” with him, the song was mixed/mastered by Andrew Wade.

What's next for Send Request? When can fans expect new music and how can they keep up?

Andrew: We always encourage people to come out to the shows because it’s the best way to experience a band you’re into! We have no immediate plans for new music, but we’ll start swinging new ideas around before you know it! If people want to keep up with us they can follow us all over social media.

Thanks for the interview. Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Andrew:  Long live The Trashcan Boiz.

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-L.Burden