Stalemate - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Stalemate. We discussed musical influences, their upcoming split and new song, lyrical inspiration, live shows, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Thank you for the opportunity!
Can you tell me how you started the band for those who may be unfamiliar with it? How did you become interested in music?
The band had actually been practicing for awhile before I joined. Initially Brandon, our guitarist, reached out to one of my homies to try out as the vocalist. My friend thought I would've been a better fit for the group and so he gave my number to the guys. My phone just got blasted with pop punk jams one day by some strangers. I didn't have anything going on so I decided to try out and made the cut. Music has always been a big part of my family so growing up I was rooted in it. I was given a guitar in fourth grade and it's been ongoing since!
What bands or albums are some of your biggest influences?
As a band our biggest influence actually stems from that 2010 to 2013 Warped Tour sound. We all sort of resonate with this era of music: mixing pop punk with hardcore roots. Some bands that I’m personally inspired by would be early Title Fight, Crucial Dudes and Sum 41 to name a few. Though I do have much love and draw inspiration from melodic hardcore bands such as VERSE, Defeater, Have Heart and Comeback Kid.
You have a new song coming out on March 3rd. What can you tell us about it so far?
We have officially announced a four way split with our good friends in Gemelos, The Indecisives and Dry Spell. The mix will be called the Consumer Split “Something for everyone”. Each band will release a single track and the genres will range from Emo Skramz, Mathrock, Skate Punk to Pop Punk. Very excited to be putting this out! The Split will be out March 3rd.
I really like your song “Face to Face”. Can you tell me about writing that song specifically?
I’m glad you liked it! The instrumental for this song was finished prior to me joining so musically I had little input; but lyrically this was the first song I completed after joining. I hadn't done music in a very long time so sitting down and finishing lyrics was incredibly difficult. The song is about how others' perspectives shape you and how one struggles with self-identity. I wrote these lyrics after watching an Instagram video that really resonated with me. Face to Face is my favorite song that we have written, and it's mainly because of what it means to me. Find meaning in who you are, who you want to be and not what people expect you to be.
Is there any chance that you have plans to release any of your music as physical releases such as cassettes, vinyl, or CDs at some point? How important would a physical release be to the band?
I think a physical release would be sick! We’ve talked about it as a group, and have some ideas on how to go about it, but as of now no set plans. We want to make sure we put out something we’re really proud of, and make sure it’s done right. I wouldn’t want to just put out a vinyl or cassette just to do it. I want it to feel like a milestone had been achieved and that we put out some killer tracks to represent us as Stalemate.
I watched the live video you have up from Programme Skate and Sound. It seems like it was a great show. What is your favorite part about playing live and what can people expect from your live show?
It was such a sick show! Definitely one of our favorite spots to play. Honestly the best part of playing a live gig is meeting the community. It’s cool to meet people who are actively keeping the local scene alive, so make friends, hang out and jam to some loud music. People can expect our shows to be full of energy, whether it be headbanging, two stepping or an occasional flying kick.
Aside from the upcoming song in March, do you have plans for any other music releases soon? If so, what can you tell us so far?
We have an unannounced split coming out with no release date yet, but this alongside one more single. After those songs come out we will divert all of our efforts to writing an EP.
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
I really appreciate Sound In The Signals for helping promote smaller bands like us! Last thing I want to end with is, check out the Consumer Split which comes out March 3rd. It’ll release on all streaming platforms. If you're local come down to one of our shows hangout - Juan
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