Sleeping With Sirens released their fifth studio album Gossip late last year and ever since Australian fans have patiently been waiting for the boys to get back to the land down under. With not much longer to wait April 2018 will see the band return kicking off their Aussie headline tour in Sydney. We caught up with guitarist Nick Martin ahead of the tour to talk about the new album and educate him on the shoey craze in Australia.
SCENEzine
It’s around six months from your newest album Gossip being released. Looking back are you stoked with how it all turned out?
Nick Martin
Yeah, I’m very stoked it’s funny you bring that up because this morning my guitar tech posted something online from when he was in Nashville with us when we first started recording Gossip in the studio, that was a year ago. So, it was pretty crazy this morning just reminiscing on all of that and where we are from then until now. It’s extremely gratifying and very humbling and it almost reinvigorates me with this album being out and being able to tour on it. There’s still songs from the album that we haven’t started playing live that we are going to do once we get to Australia. So, the album is really exciting to me still and something that I’m very proud of.
SCENEzine
I feel that although Gossip was a departure from the heavier early sound the albums gets better with every listen. Do you think that’s what makes a great album when it becomes more likeable every time you hear it?
Nick Martin
Absolutely! We went into the release of the album after we were done recording it knowing it was a departure from previous albums. I think that our album before Madness was a great bridge that bridged the gap between Feel and Gossip. It’s just a natural progression, we love rock and heavy music but at this point in our lives, this is the art that came out of where we are at personally. It’s not about what kind of music we listen to it’s about the emotion of Kellin’s lyrics and how to properly convey that. Definitely, it’s not as heavy as previous works but we still consider ourselves a rock band. When you come to see us live we still love playing the heavy jams and going crazy on stage. It’s awesome to be in a band where we can create so many different vibes and emotions and be able to convey that through so many different channels. I think it’s hard for bands to be able to achieve that and I’m proud of our band and being able to do something like that. It keeps us on our toes and fresh and constantly pushing ourselves as artists.
SCENEzine
I was blown by just how good “Legends” sounds done acoustically. Were you also amazed at just how good that one translates acoustically?
Nick Martin
Yeah, what was great about working on Gossip is that throughout the process of recording we realised we can almost play all of Gossip acoustically if we wanted to. Even some of the heavier songs. “Legends” was definitely a song that translated really well acoustically it’s probably the song Kellin and I play most when we do radio shows and acoustic shows. The lyrical content really comes across in a strong way and it’s really fun to play acoustically. I’m stoked that you enjoy it just as much as us.
SCENEzine
Do you have any memories of filming the “Cheers” video or is that a little blurry?
Nick Martin
(laughs) What’s funny is that it got a little blurry towards the end. The story behind it is that we were in New York and we ended up filming for five or six hours. I think a lot of people think that we partied the whole time but we actually didn’t. We had a drink when we first started and thought we were going to party for hours and film it but actually, the majority of the night was roaming the city and we weren’t drinking at all. So there was no partying until the very end when we went to a karaoke bar and all of a sudden the director brought in all this sake and beer it changed the whole vibe. We had a lot of fun shooting that it was a very real characterisation of us when you put us into a karaoke room with alcohol involved.
SCENEzine
Speaking of drinking there’s a new craze in Australia where fans will yell out do a shoey to bands. Are you aware of this?
Nick Martin
No, explain it to me?
SCENEzine
Basically, after the crowd yells out do a shoey then a band member will pour a beer into their shoe and chug the beer from their shoe.
Nick Martin
(laughs) I have never heard of this but I guarantee you when we get off the phone I’m texting the rest of my band and letting them know about this. They are going to be 100% down and stoked if they get called out to do this on stage. Let that be a warning to everyone that comes to our shows that if they yell that at us I can guarantee that someone in my band is absolutely going to do that on stage. It sounds equal parts disgusting and equal parts pretty awesome.
SCENEzine
Do you have a favourite Australian memory from any previous visits?
Nick Martin
Yeah after a show where I think we were in Melbourne we went to an after party it wasn’t that it got crazy and everyone was having way too many drinks it was legit hangs. We met so many awesome people. We felt so welcome I remember after that night everyone in the band was like I could live here I want to move here because of how amazing the people were and how good the vibes were. My fondest memories of Australia are feeling very welcomed it’s a very beautiful country full of great people.
SCENEzine
You are bringing along Chase Atlantic for the tour have you played with those guys much before?
Nick Martin
Yeah, Chase Atlantic have become really good friends of ours they are like family. They are managed by the same folks. We’ve taken them out on some of their first tours here in the States. They are really good kids. Sometimes when you bring out younger bands you run into some issues as far as maturity levels and touring etiquette. For whatever reason, they are an anomaly. They are the coolest most down to earth, very humble people to be around. They are a lot of fun to tour with and hang out on a daily basis, we are definitely excited to go over there with them. They can show us around town and where the cool places are to hang.
SCENEzine
Looking beyond Australia are you excited to play Slam Dunk UK with bands like Good Charlotte, Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday?
Nick Martin
Dude it’s going to be so much fun. Those bands that you just listed alone are some of the bands that I grew up on and inspired me. So I will definitely be side of stage watching Jimmy Eat World every single night singing along, having fun and feeling nostalgic. It’s always one of those things where I look back to when I first started doing this and thinking I could never be on that level. I never thought that I could play a show with Jimmy Eat World and Good Charlotte. It’s a very humbling feeling to be able to play shows like that so I’m definitely going to have a lot of fun watching some awesome bands.
SCENEzine
What’s your opinion on Warped Tour ending?
Nick Martin
I kind of felt like it was going to come to an end at some point. It’s sad actually, living in America that’s what I grew up on as a teenager. My first festival I ever went to was Warped Tour I was fifteen years old. Warped Tour changed my life I remember going and seeing Rancid and Blink 182 and I saw Eminem and Pennywise. All these bands that shaped who I am. I remember going there as a kid saying that’s what I want to do I want to be on Warped Tour. That was my dream and being able to play it as many times as I have is definitely part of me. It’s crazy to think that the summers will be different now because that was always a festival that I have gone to even if I wasn’t playing. It’s sad to see it go but I’m sure that it will open up a lot of doors for other festivals and I don’t think Warped tour will necessarily end I think they will still do festivals and shows but it won’t be a full-fledged summer-long tour anymore. I’m interested to see what happens once it’s gone. Kevin Lyman has always been a big supporter of us and myself and my previous bands I wish Warped Tour nothing but the best.
SCENEzine
I’m a big fan of a lot of the previous bands you’ve been in also like Isles and Glaciers, D.R.U.G.S and Cinematic Sunrise. It seems like you gravitate towards being in bands with really unique vocalists?
Nick Martin
First of all, I appreciate you being a fan of my previous work. I don’t think I ever consciously thought like that because those singers have all been people that have reached out to me. It’s a really good question, maybe it’s a subconscious feeling of being drawn to them because I definitely think that every singer I have ever worked with has that it factor. There’s just something about them that you can’t help but pay attention to and as a musician even more so. When you’re in the studio or writing together there’s a spark and you realise wow the person I’m working with is so immensely talented, it flows through them so effortlessly. That’s something that I’ve been a fan of being with Kellin now his ability as a singer and songwriter never ceases to amaze me. I’ve definitely been very fortunate to work with him and all of my other projects. I think I’ve just gotten really lucky, the cards have definitely worked in my favour I am a humble and grateful individual because of that.
SCENEzine
Lastly, although you weren’t in the band back when “If you can’t hang” was recorded what’s the feeling like of playing that song live, seeing the crowd go crazy?
Nick Martin
When I first started playing with Sirens it’s not that I wasn’t a fan of the band but I didn’t really know a whole lot about them. I had kind of heard their music and I had maybe seen part of their set once or twice just through mutual friends I worked with them. So playing with the band was really fresh to me and it was one of those things where when I started learning their songs I was like wow this band is really fucking good. “If you can’t hang” being such a jam, I come from a punk rock world and it was so cool to hear a song that had an edge like that I could play and be a part of. I was equal parts just a fan of the band when I started playing. Playing that song live I was like holy shit kids go apeshit for this song this is so awesome. It was cool being a part of it and trying to add my energy on top of the massive energy that the band put out.
(interview by Christian Ross)
