Author: Lucy Out Loud Staff

Interview with: Sweet Hollow Drive

> Introductions:
HEY thank you so much for allowing us to do this, ill try to fill everything out as accurately as i possibly can, my name is rob nolan and usually im the one you’ll find ‘overtweeting’ on twitter hahah

> Who’s who?
Rob (thats me!) twitter/guitar/synth,
Danny Ms/Fb/Drums,
Alex Vox/Bass,
Mikey Guitar/Vox

> How old are all of you?
Rob 23/Danny 21/Alex 22/Mikey 21

> How did you guys get started?
We were all members of a Ska/Punk band that started in 2004. After a while Danny/Alex/Mikey were jamming and went through a few line-ups before inviting Rob into the band as the ska band dispersed. this has been the line-up since the summer of 2007

> Were any of you in previous bands?
All of us actually have had numerous side projects and previous bands,
Rob: the sarcastics, simply marvelous, three piece suit, easy tiger, and good august.
Alex: one fight later/grandpa circus, three piece suit, and hes currently also in the band The Woods Themselves.
Danny: supermarket sushi, blackbook romance, and three piece suit.
Mikey: one fight later/grandpa circus, three piece suit, and the sanford goodbye.

> For the people that didn’t catch my question to you guys on New Music Inferno, how did you come up with the name Sweet Hollow Drive?
it was actually based on the “haunted road” on long island ‘Sweet Hollow Road’ the drive in it symbolizes the times spent throwing Frisbees around and hanging out/bonding and such.

> How long have you guys been a band?
this band has been together since 2006 though the current lineup has existed since 2007

Music Portion:
> What bands would you compare yourself to?
i could say that we’re an easy transition for fans of Jimmy Eat World or even Mae, our first album shows so much diversity though that it can really be enjoyed by just about anyone, at least if for only one or two tracks. even though we know deep down inside you that the rest of the album grows on you 😉 hahah

> What are some of your musical influences as a band?
we take influence from just about every band we see perform or listen to, its rough to pinpoint something like that. we try to keep things organic as possible while taking what we’ve learned and applying it to it. some times it works and some times it doesnt but thats what practice is for and i hope it has served us well.

> How would you describe your sound?
if i had a time limit (hahaha) id say we’re an Ambient Pop/Alternative Rock

> What was the first song you guys wrote together?
hahaha its funny to think about but together as this current line up, they said “okay rob we’ve practiced a few old songs now lets see what we can do with this new ‘thing’ that we cant seem to get past…” *playing me the intro to combo meals* and almost instantly after they finished i played the same chord over and over, and i was like yea that could work for a verse. Danny goes “are you kidding?!?! we were working on this for like weeks now and he just does that!? im not complaining its awesome, just funny” hahaha it was a really good moment.

> What inspired you guys to write The Last Time?
hmmmm Musically? the fact that dannys basement is tuned to an E chord it just made the intro that mikey and i were writing sound like an epic space travel. we were feeling very ambient at the time.

> Which song is your favorite to perform live and why?
hmm i think we love the songs that everyone helps us sing back with. it sounds amazing to stop singing for a second and actually hear everyone sing it back to you… its quite tingly feeling haha 😀

> Why did you guys come up with the name We’re Not in Toto Anymore, Kansas as a song title?
haha it was something i (rob) used to say all the time. i was a strange child 🙂

> Which song is most meaningful to you and why?
hmm we have a song called For a Lack of Better Words, it was written about a friend of ours who ended his own life and i think that song has lyrics with a lot of direct meaning and raw emotion, and with it we do also encourage anyone who’s felt like hurting themselves to seek help cause there are people out there who will even just talk to you and do their best to help you. this includes us 100%

> Do you guys write your songs off of personal experiences or whatever happens, happens?
ill say its half and half, but its a good mixture between the two.

> What song by any other musician do you wish you would have written?
i could imagine that anyone of us would wish to have written any of the classic songs by The Beatles.

> How did you guys come up with the name of your new EP: “Stop Drop and Eggroll”?
hahaha we were trying out some new ideas for songs and mikey went to the bathroom, he came back and said “hey i have a great idea for a song name ‘if youre on fire, stop drop and eggroll! what do you think?!?!” and we loved it.

> What should your fans expect from the new EP?
a lot of committed energy to giving everyone what theyve wanted from us. lots of fun bright pop rocking sound, with a twist of heavier sounding moments in the mix.

> What song is your favorite off the EP that you can’t wait for people to listen to?
ALL of them. they’ve all got so much personality of their own yet theyre similar in a way that they’re all really fun not only for us to play, but for everyone to sing along to!

> What was the first cd you bought?
Blink 182: Dude Ranch even though i stole my friends Cheshire Cat cd, SHHH he doesnt know…

> Where did you guys come up with the idea to make a song for every person that donates money to you guys?
i actually heard a while back that Say Anything was doing the same thing but for 50$ and i also heard about Saves The Day doing it as well, i figure we could do it but keep it at a reasonable price. we ask anyone who wants to donate 5$ to email us with a little personal info and we are doing our best to get everyones song done as quick as possible.

> What was your first concert or the most memorable concert you’ve been to?
my most memorable concert was going to the vans warped tour one year when motion city soundtrack wasnt very popular. i was chatting with some guys at the table bragging about how great this band was and when MCS walked on stage i almost fell over when i noticed that it was the guys from the table! i was like 1 of 20 people who were there to watch them… it was such a great performance too.

Fan Questions:
> What do you think sets your music apart from other local bands?(Kate)
im not entirely sure if it sets us apart from other local acts but i think that its that we accept everyone that approaches us and we truly just want to hang out with everyone and have a great time.

> If Sweet Hollow Drive had a theme song, what would it be? (Kate)
the theme music for any icecream truck, but preferably Mr. Softy which is a really big thing on long island.

> What would you do for a klondike bar?
ANYTHING… well … almost. its free though right?! hahaha jk.

> What is your dream burger? (Brandi)
the Loaded Steakhouse Burger from BK oh my goodness, onion rings and potatoes and cheese and bbq sauce, WHY BK?!? WHY DID YOU DISCONTINUE IT!?

> What is your dream pancake? (Brandi)
buttery/syrupy soft and light and wont make me feeling full after im done eating it… so i can have another 😀

> Will you go to ihop with us? (Brandi)
most certainly!

> Can we be friends? (Brandi)
absolutely! hello friend 🙂

> What is your dream job? (Brandi) – or, if you weren’t doing music, what other job would you want to have?
i always wanted to teach ESL in a foreign country… preferably japan.

> If your pants decided to rip, would your knickers match the color of your pants? (Manda)
no probably not lol i love fun colors.

> If you had the chance to do anything without getting caught, what would it be? (Traci)
a huge bank heist! no.. not really.. haha.

> What song do you think is over played, but is still your guilty pleasure?
lady gaga – poker face. i saw her live once… awesome.

> What song is currently stuck in your head?
Lydia – Hospital great song.

> Describe each of your band mates in 3 words.
Mikey is creative, Danny is marketable, Alex is talented.

> When are we going to have another movie night? haha
haha hopefully soon!

> When are we hitting up Sonic and DQ? haha
as soon as we get back to jersey!

>If you were a jellybean what flavor would you be?
Smurf berry 🙂

Favorites:
> Movie?
its a tie between American Psycho and The Room.

> Music Video?
The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star. they can honestly say “yeah, we’re the first at that.”

> Song?
Copeland – When Finally Set Free

> Tv Show?
i dont really watch that much television but i enjoy The Family Guy and Sinfeld

> Place to perform?
West Islip, The Higbie ‘Yes’ Center. the first place i ever performed and i love going back every time.

> Social networking site?
Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/SHDband follow us!

> Cds?
All of my cds by The Beatles, Copeland, and Elvis Costello

> Bands?
The Beatles, Copeland, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Brand New, UnderOath, The Devil Wears Prada, Trophy Scars, and our best friends Nemes.

> Game system and game?
PS3, The Beatles Rockband!

> Place to visit?
Worcester MA.

Who’s Who – band members:
> Best Dressed?
Rob 😀 hahah

> Biggest Flirt?
Danny/Rob

> Loudest?
Mikey can get very loud.

> Quietest:
Alex

> Most talkative?
Mikey

> Most shy?
Mikey

> Biggest nerd?
Danny/Alex

> Funniest?
We’ve got to all be tied for that.

> Craziest on stage?
Rob/Danny

>Anything else you would like to say or add?
we want to thank everyone who’s donated any sort of money towards us, we”ll be getting all the donation videos up VERY soon and dont forget to preorder our EP for $7.99. it comes with free shipping and a free Limited Edition poster that we will all sign, only 100 posters are available for the preorders.

Interview with: Sing Me Insomnia

Introductions:
Who’s who?
Jared (me) – Vocals/guitar,
Marshall – Vocals/Keys,
Wes – Bass,
Jordan – Drums

How old are all of you?
We’re all 18 except for Marshall, who’s 16.

How did you guys get started?
We started out as an acoustic project with Marshall and I, and we added a couple of our best friends when we decided to go full band!

Were any of you in previous bands?
We were all in a lot of bands before SMI, but nothing that we’re proud of! haha

How did you guys come up with the name Sing Me Insomnia?
We knew we wanted “Sing Me” something, and we just liked the way it sounded haha

Music Portion:
How would you describe your sound?
Energetic, fun, relatable

What are some of your musical influences?
Everything from the Beatles to Taking Back Sunday to We the Kings and All Time Low

Which bands do you think you would be compared to?
It depends on who’s comparing!

What was the first song you guys wrote as a band?
It was a song called “Eyes Are Windows to the Soul”

Thus far, what is your favorite song to perform?
Tip You with a Kiss definitely

Which song is most meaningful to you and why?
Louder than Words, because its about what I’m going through right now with my long distance relationship with my girlfriend.

If Sing Me Insomnia had a theme song, what would it be?
“Party Up In Here”!

Most people would probably say ”if you take one step forward, ill take two. if you say that you need me i’ll save you” is probably one of their favorite lyrics from Tip You With a Kiss by you guys. which line/lyrics is your favorite out of the songs you’ve written?
That line means a lot to me, but I think the most meaningful lines from the EP to us are,
“Hold your tongue, prove them wrong with all the things we do, because actions speak louder than words” – Louder than Words,
“God sent angels from above, and I caught the one I love” – Catching Angels,
“A lie is a lie, no matter if I prefer the false version of you” – Confess,
and “I learned the hard way that first impressions are everything, but the sweat in my hands tells you I don’t know what to say” – The Introduction

How do you guys come up with such creative lyrics such as ”you send more mixed signals than a broken stop light”?
The best lyrics come from songs that are about real experiences instead of just writing a song for the sake of a song. If you sit back and have a good sense of humor about relationship problems, witty lines come much more naturally.

What or who was your inspiration for Catching Angels?
Marshall wrote that one about a relationship with a girl who meant a lot to him, but it didn’t end up the way he wanted it to.

What song by any other musician do you wish you would have written?
Definitely “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Tupac

What should your fans expect from the debut ep?
6 songs that really show what kind of music we love, and the direction that we are going to go in for the rest of our musical careers.

Fun Stuff/Fan Questions:
What is your dream burger? (Brandi)
The Baconator!

Will you go to ihop with us? (Brandi)
Duh! iHop is beast!

What is your dream pancake? (Brandi)
Triple Caramel swirl chocolate pancakes! Yummmm

What is your dream job? (Brandi)
Playing music

What would you do for a klondike bar? (Kate)
Pay $2 at 7-11

If you were a jellybean what flavor would you be? you can be as original as you want.
Burrito flavor! Gotta love chipotle!

What song is currently stuck in your head?
Tell Me Where to Run – Struan Shields

How did you guys come up with the idea for the video of Party Up In Here?
I just made a beat one day and we decided to record lyrics for it and make a video!

Favorites (from Jared’s point of view):
Song?
Right now its “Hey Soul Sister” by Train

Movie?
Right now its Hot Rod

Social networking site?
Myspace

Cd?
Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends

Bands?
Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, We the Kings

Store to shop at?
H&M

Show you’ve been to?
Coldplay!

Game system & game?
Super Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country

Who’s Who – band members:
Loudest?
Wes and Marshall

Craziest on stage?
Jared

Biggest Flirt?
Marshall

Most organized?
Jordan

Biggest Nerd?
Jared

Funniest?
Wes

Most talkative?
Jared and Wes

Best Dressed?
Jordan