*So, Soul Control just got signed to Bridge 9 records, so this interview is a little outdated for my zine. I decided to give you a free bee. Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks Issue # 2 comes out in a few more weeks. Get Stoked!
Jim (Soul Control) Interview
Me: So, you guys just recently got a new singer. What exactly happened with that?
Jim: We got back from Europe, and our old singer Matt let us know that he had a lot of stuff going on and he wouldn’t be able to tour that much. So, we said ok, and we based our summer tours around what was going to be his schedule, but then, along with getting a promotion he wanted at work, he also got excepted into a masters program at school. So, he was going to be working 40 hours a week, and taking masters classes at night, and he just couldn’t do it. And getting his masters, and getting that promotion all kind of went together into getting this one job he really wanted, so that’s just something he had to do, so he needed to leave. And that was really about it. It was no bad blood or anything like that. We were bummed when he left, but we understood why he had to.
Me: Talk about the new seven inches.
Jim: It’s four one song seven inches. It was just a weird idea I had. When Rory joined the band, I had already been thinking about doing it, and I ran it by him. He said he was into it, and the rest of the band was into it, and then it was actually Josh from a band called Lie and Wait, from Texas, it was his idea to make all the covers form one picture. So, that’s his fault for being so artsy fartsy. We just hadn’t put anything out in a while, and we could’ve done one seven inch, but we kind of wanted to do something a little different and cool, or that was cool to us. We didn’t know if anyone else would like it. So, we did it and it’s been working. Two of them have already sold out, and the other two are almost gone. So, it went over better than we thought it would.
Me: I heard that Poison The Well already copied the idea.
Jim: I don’t know if they knew they copied it, but they definitely are doing the same exact thing. It was probably about a month after we announced ours, and there was an announcement that they we’re doing three seven inches with interlocking covers that form a secret image, and, I don’t know, that was kind of weird. But, my old band toured with them, so I kind of know two of those dudes. I don’t know if they know we did it, but we’re both currently doing the same thing.
Me: How are kids reacting to the new songs?
Jim: Really…really…they like them (laughs). It’s going over really well surprisingly. You know, the demo, everyone said we sounded like burn, then the next thing everyone said we sound like Quicksand, and this stuff doesn’t sound like either, so we didn’t know what people we’re going to think, but it’s going over really well. We played in Central America, and kids knew those songs better than the old stuff, and it was weird having them, in between songs, yell new songs, like “oh play this one,” so that was cool, and we’ve played four shows so far on this tour and the new songs are actually getting the better reactions than the new songs. That feels good, because that’s what we want. Obviously we want people to be into the newer stuff. We’ll never stop playing old stuff though.
Me: How was Central America?
Jim: It was the best shows I’ve ever played, in any band I’ve ever been in. Costa Rica was cool. They don’t get many bands there, and it was a weird vibe, and a big stage, and smoke machines and stuff (laughs), but kids we’re really cool, and we got to play with Bane at that show. And then we took a twenty one hour bus straight to El Salvador and once we got there we played El Salvador twice and Guatemala twice, and those four shows were completely, just nuts. I think we were like the fourth or fifth hardcore band that had been to that part, and they just appreciate you coming. Like, the minute they hear your coming, they learn every word to every song. They knew every word, even to the new four songs, that weren’t even…they didn’t even have them on vinyl yet. They knew all the words, they went crazy, they hang out all the time, they take to explore, and they all put you up at their houses and their whole family cooks for you, and it was just an amazing part of the world, and the shows were amazing, too.
Me: Are there any plans for a full-length?
Jim: The thing with us and a full-length is, we keep promising one, and we just end up not wanting to do it. We’re writing songs now. We we’re thinking of doing another seven inch, just because we prefer EPs. We don’t have a label right now, so, if we ended up signing with someone that would really want a full-length, and that was really going to push a full-length, then we’d probably sit down and write one, but we’re kind of having fun just rolling along, just doing our own thing. We’re not looking to do anything specific. We write three songs and we can go record with Jay up in Boston…record three songs and put them out, that’s kind of how we’re rolling right now, but if we sign with someone, we’ll probably do a full-length.
Me: So you’re not signed with the labels that put out the seven inches? It was just like a one time thing?
Jim: Yea, yea. Rivalry…that’s done, and the four labels that did the seven inches were all just people we knew that had smaller labels that were doing cool stuff, and we figured, let’s just do something with them. It’s good for their label, and it’s cool for us.
Me: So, you guys are out for seven weeks?
Jim: Yea
Me: How’s the tour going so far?
Jim: The shows have been good. It’s the fifth day. On the third day, our radiator blew up, so we missed the Richmond show. Cost us $600, but we got through it and we only had to miss one show, which was cool. But, like I said it’s day five our of fifty so (laughs), you’ll have to ask me again, maybe in a few weeks and I’ll have more of an update. But, there are a lot of shows coming.
Me: Where exactly are you going? Just all over?
Jim: We’re doing a weird…it’s like a smile pattern, to try and avoid as much snow as possible, because, it’s hard to tour in the winter, but we didn’t want to not tour. So, we’re going down the east coast through Texas, Arizona, up California into the Northwest, and then, back down the same way but playing different places. The only place we’re playing twice is Portland, because that’s the only place in Oregon to play, but every show is in a different and I think it will work out. It should be alright.
Me: If you could tour with any band, past, or present: who would it be?
Jim: Oh…huh. I’m going to do the cheese ball answer and say I Rise and Like Wolves. And Lie and Wait. Those three bands, because touring with big bands is cool. It’s awesome to play to a lot of people, but touring with your friends is a whole different experience, and it’s really fun, and especially something like a seven week tour, like if you’re with a bunch of people that your friends with, you’re going to stay sane, and that’s way more important than playing to a ton of people. So, we’d rather tour with our friends like those three bands, and some bands from back home. But yea, tour with friends. That’s who I pick.
Me: If you could change anything about the current hardcore scene what would it be?
Jim: I’d like more shows kind of like this. Where it can be a bunch of different styles and everyone gets along. It’s kind of what we do in Providence. Between Sean from Verse, and our singer Rory, and the guys from Drop Dead who does the Armageddon Record shop, we all do shows there really mixed, and it goes over really well, and then we all go and tour, and it’s not the same everywhere else, and we wish it could be. Back home we could play the same show as Ramming Speed, and Lemuria, but that’s because it’s a fest here. At home, we’ll just do a basement show with bands like that. I like playing with different kinds of bands because we’re not a typical hardcore band, but we like playing to punk kids. I would just like to see more of that, like mixed genres on bills.
Me: Shout outs?
Jim: Uh…let’s see. Everyone should listen to Like Wolves.
Me: You’re touring with them right?
Jim: Yea, we split up in a couple of days, but they’re awesome. They’re young dudes, and they rule, and you should listen to them. Yea, that’s about it. Listen to Like Wolves (laughs).
