Interview — Saves the Day

By Tim Posada

Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey
Band members:
Pete Parada-drums
Manny Carrero-bass
David Soloway-guitar
Chris Conley-vocals and guitar

Asking a scene kid to remember a time when Saves the Day weren't around is like asking a vegan to convince a butcher that Boca tastes better than beef. Saves the Day have had a long run, surviving record-label drama, lineup changes, and the label "emo." Now, STD are back on the road with another album on the way. Each Saves the Day album release seems to evoke the same reaction: anxiety. This isn't that "It's the first date. Should I hold her hand?" anxiety, it's the "What will this one sound like? because their albums are always so different. I hope I like it" anxiety. Come April 11, more hearts will be on edge, as their latest installment, SOUND THE ALARM, brightens the dull shelves of corporate and independent stores alike.

After six years, bassist Eben D'Amico left the band, giving way to former Glassjaw bassist Manny Carrero. Add to this a fallout with DreamWorks Records, and the stage was set to create a very interesting drama for the next album. Things began to resolve themselves with the creation of their own one-car garage recording studio (called Electric Ladybug). Then, STD returned to Vagrant Records.

Lead singer Chris Conley talked to SKRATCH about the tour, the new bassist, and he offered some words of wisdom on how to survive.

SKRATCH: How's touring been?
CHRIS: Touring's great, although we've had a lot of technical problems with our equipment; and some of the crew has had some weird injuries. But the shows have been great.

SKRATCH: Is STD pretty good friends with Moneen, considering that you've toured with them before?
CHRIS: We love Moneen. That's why we wanted to tour with them again. They're a great band and good Xbox opponents.

SKRATCH: How about Circa Survive?
CHRIS: We love Circa Survive already, too-such nice guys and a really great band. Musically, this is a great tour for everyone.

SKRATCH: How does it feel to be done recording your latest album?
CHRIS: It's awesome that we're actually finished with it. It was a long process to complete, so it's nice to just be finished, and we're stoked it's finally coming out.

SKRATCH: Were there any memorable moments from recording?
CHRIS: There's always memorable moments, but I think our favorite was when Manny laid down his first bass line and we knew he was the guy. The record was raised up to a whole new level because of him.

SKRATCH: Did you go into making this album with a particular goal or sound?
CHRIS: We never deliberately write anything, which is why each record sounds so different. The songs come out how they come out; we don't force it.

SKRATCH: What was the inspiration behind this album (musically and emotionally)?
CHRIS: The inspiration was just to get back to enjoying playing music together. I think we had gotten burned out from all the touring and the fallout around the last record, and we really just made it a point to make it fun again.

SKRATCH: Can you explain what is meant on the Vagrant Record Website when you say that the band needed to overcome some "demons" to record this album?
CHRIS: I think that it's just like the last question: we just needed to get back to what we started making music for, which was for the love of the music. Certain people in the band had other ideas, and we parted ways with them. We did a lot of soul-searching and went through a lot of songs until we felt like the record was as strong as we knew it could be. It was a long, hard process, but we're overjoyed with the results.

SKRATCH: People have been saying this is your angriest album. Why do you think that is?
CHRIS: I don't know that it's angry. I think people are looking at it the wrong way. It's more about personal frustration and climbing out of a black hole emotionally than it is about anger.

SKRATCH: What was the songwriting process for this album like?
CHRIS: Long and slow and grueling. We had to work through some pretty bad writer's block, and it was a long process. But as the recording kept getting delayed, we kept writing and came up with some of my favorites at the end.

SKRATCH: Can you give some details about how Electric Ladybug came to be?
CHRIS: We just decided that, since we were paying for the record ourselves, we might as well build a studio instead of giving the money to someone else to rent one. Now we can record whenever we want, which has enabled us to make a new acoustic EP for the people at the shows.

SKRATCH: How has it been coming off a major label and back to Vagrant?
CHRIS: We're glad to be back. Every band has to try it on a major label to find out if it's for them or not. Our experience showed us that it wasn't for us.

SKRATCH: What happened with DreamWorks Records?
CHRIS: They bought a record after it was finished and said they loved it, then completely abandoned it three days after it was released, saying that we made the wrong record. Then they were sold a month later. They were worthless.

SKRATCH: How's the new bassist been handling his role?
CHRIS: He's awesome. He fits in perfectly, and it's fun to be on stage with him. He's a great guy, and we can't imagine this record without him.

SKRATCH: You've been around for a while now. What does it take for a band to keep going?
CHRIS: A thick skin. People will love you one day and be happy to hate you the next. You have to just do it for yourself and the love of the music.

Saves the Day will be on tour with Moneen and Circa Survive until early May. Along with their new album, STD also created the BUG SESSION EP, featuring old songs done acoustically, which will only be sold at their shows. For more information on tours and upcoming events, check out their Website (www.savestheday.com), Vagrant Records, or MySpace. To comment on this or any other piece you see in SKRATCH, feel free to e-mail us at speakup@skratchmagazine.com.

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