Texas band Waterparks are kicking off 2018 by releasing their second album Entertainment and also heading to the land down under for their first ever Australian tour supporting Arizona rockers The Maine. We caught up with Waterparks vocalist Awsten Knight ahead of the tour to find out more about the band.

SCENEzine
Firstly how was 2017 for you?

Awsten Knight
It was busy. We did our headlining tour earlier in the year. We did UK with All Time Low which were some of the biggest venues that we’ve ever played. We went to Japan, did a full USA tour with All Time Low. Also we finished recoding our second album.

SCENEzine
Was winning Alternative Press best breakthrough artist a bit of a highlight as well?

Awsten Knight
Oh yeah that was tight. It’s hard for me to look back on awards and accomplishments. I’m always thinking what’s next which is kind of a problem people have to tell me to chill sometimes.

SCENEzine
It’s well over a year now since your debut album was released are you stoked with how it all turned out?

Awsten Knight
Yeah it’s weird because so many songs get written. I am constantly doing new things. There’s a couple of songs where I am like I wish those could of been on the album. I wish we could make more music videos. There’s nothing I would change just things I want to add and do.

SCENEzine
One of our favourites of your first album is the super catchy “stupid for you” was it fun shooting the video for that song?

Awsten Knight
It was fun, we got to pretend to be a boy band which is something that I hope we get to be someday after we stop actually writing our songs and playing instruments.

SCENEzine
Another great Waterparks song is “Gloom Boys”. How did that one come about?

Awsten Knight
Honestly the same way all of our songs have come about pretty much. I’m usually sitting at my desk. The first thing was the beat then all of the demos I do on this Stratocaster I have so I was playing jazz style chords over it. I found four more riffs in the same key, then the vocals came. For that one the instrumental was done before vocals.

SCENEzine
You are kicking off 2018 by touring Australia with The Maine. Have you toured with them much before?

Awsten Knight
We did Warped Tour with them in 2016. I went and talked to the singer and told him that I used to hate him because my girlfiend back when I was 15 had a crush on them. I was like man fuck those guys (laughs).

SCENEzine
Is there anything you want to do in Australia besides play shows?

Awsten Knight
I want to avoid spiders. I want to pat your softest animals. Avoid your plane ride. I want to meet people because there’s a pretty good amount online that are always like when are you coming down here. So it’ll be good to go there and apologise for never being there before.

SCENEzine
Have any of your friends bands told you what to expect in Australia?

Awsten Knight
They say that the shows always go off because tours can’t go out there as easily. So when they do everybody’s just like fuck yeah!

SCENEzine
Has anyone ever confused your bands name on a billboard for an actual Waterpark?

Awsten Knight
That would be fucking amazing but no. Like if somebody showed up to one of our shows with a swimsuit on (laughs). Actually I shouldn’t of said that now people are going to start showing up to our shows in swimsuits. People are going to be weird and I might get in trouble so don’t come in swimsuits, wear clothes.

SCENEzine
Was it a surreal experience getting to work with Benji from Good Charlotte?

Awsten Knight
Yeah that was crazy we met him back in 2015. We just completed our third release with him, I’m excited.

SCENEzine
Has he helped you to become a better songwriter?

Awsten Knight
I think so yeah. It’s nice to have that perspective come in. When I make a demo I listen to it and obsess over it there’s a name for it it’s called demoitis . When you listen to your demos too much and don’t want to change anything. It’s good to have his fresh perspective on things.

SCENEzine
What would you recommend that Australians do in Texas if they ever go?

Awsten Knight
There’s a store that has the best orange juice in the world. You got to get the fresh squeezed not the bottled stuff. It’s so damn good especially when it looks more orange than yellow. I’m getting my OJ cred up right now. Also Texas has great BBQ. Like every two minutes of driving you will see a BBQ place out here.

SCENEzine
Lastly can you tell us a bit about the sound behind the new album?

Awsten Knight
Nothing that we do is ever going to feel like it came from the same era. My goal is to make them sound different. It’s still very much us but bigger with new things we’ve tried that we probably wouldn’t of done otherwise. If you’re not strictly a weird pop punk die hard who’s like if you’re not new found glory you’re shit, then you’ll probably like it.

(interview by Christian Ross)