Interview with Jasmine Marceau.
We caught up with Against The Current at their ever first Slam Dunk appearance ahead of their set on the Kerrang Stage.
Welcome to your first Slam Dunk! How are you finding it so far?
Chrissy: We got here early like 9am. We did take a scenic drive looking for the merch area to drop off our merch. So we have seen a lot of the grounds, they are so beautiful. It’s like the most beautiful festival I’ve ever seen. I almost felt bad. I was like, wait, we’re gonna destroy it?
You’ve caught Slam Dunk on a beautiful sunny day! You’re set is in a couple of hours. How do you prep to perform?
Will: A little warming up getting loose.
Dan: Yeah, stretching. Now we’re getting old.
Chrissy: Stretches, maybe some yoga, some meditation, some deep breathing.
You’ve gone through a lot of phases musically. Do you feel like your fan base changed at all?
Will: I feel like it’s opened up and become more diverse. Because a lot of people now are like, ‘Hey, I grew up with you guys for like 10 years. Like I was this old when I saw you and now I’m like full on adult.’
Chrissy: Yeah, we’re rock. But like I think a rock that is more widely appealing, if that makes sense. Not it’s niche. So, yeah, it’s helped a bit.
How do you usually go about writing your set lists?
Chrissy: Just scream into our pillows a few times. Yeah, honestly a little of that!
Will: It can be a little challenging.
Chrissy: The headline set wasn’t too bad but the festival set was a bit tough because it’s a shorter setlist. So making sure that we’re getting a little bit of everything. It’s hard to like get every era. Like the fever EP, the way we wrote it comes so well together. Sometimes it’s hard putting things into it.
Broader music industry question, how do you feel about the music industry changing regarding music releases being more single based rather than waiting for EPs and albums? Do you feel like that works for you?
Dan: It has been, so we like that.
Chrissy: I think it just depends on A the artist and B, I just think it’s all storytelling. I think that was the thing people got the most nervous about as things have switched to singles and EPs, the lack of storytelling but I think you can tell a really great story with a single or an EP.
We’ve treated Fever like we would treat any album, and the singles almost as an extension of it. So I just think if you have something to say and you have a world you want to craft around it. It shouldn’t matter if it’s one song or 12 songs or 20 songs.
I want to talk to you about your music videos. Do you think of the concepts while you’re writing the songs?
Chrissy: Is kind floats around in my head! Yeah, it’s not always what it turns out to be, but it’s definitely something while we’re writing the song. I can always kind of imagine like ‘oh I can see this and that’, or at least the tone of it.
You’ve released a couple of singles, does that mean any new music on the near horizon?
Chrissy: Potench! We’re doing a bunch of features right now.
Can’t wait to hear them! You tour a lot, what are your tour must-haves?
Will: Oh, you want fun things?
It can be the boring things too!
Will: Okay, I can do that. Well for me. I definitely need contacts because I can’t be playing with glasses on. Oh my God, I’m obsessed with, this is so boring, lens wipes to clean your glasses, like individual wet wipes. Moustache comb. Yeah, that’s about it for me.
Chrissy: I think as a group we need a green room speaker. Whenever there’s not a speaker, there is pandemonium. We like to listen to music before our set.
Will: Set the vibes.
Chrissy: Yeah I’ve gotten really into that. I like having some music going all day.
Dan: Games console on the bus.
Catch Against The Current on tour, tickets are available now.