EXCLUSIVE: Band of Silver Interview

Band of Silver sat down with Stage Right Secrets to discuss their new music, creativity, new hobbies, and more. Read our exclusive Q&A, below.

Can you walk us through the creative process behind “Are We Are We Not”?

We were a bit dry on ideas since we had just come off producing our debut EP, “Always,” and a lot of writing before that.  We tossed some ideas around until our producer and co-writer, Mike Green, asked how things were going with the guy we’d written “Closure” about a few months prior.  I told him we had broken up, but still kept in touch hoping to remain friends.  This gave Mike the idea “Are We Are We Not.”  The situation I was in didn’t really match the topic, but it sounded great in the context of the song.  We decided to make the lyrics about the time before the relationship rather than afterwards to avoid any confusion.

You have some new music planned for this year, do you think the past year with the pandemic and quarantine influenced your creative process at all?

We used the downtime to write and produce a good catalogue of songs.  Initially it was awesome to flesh out a bunch of the ideas I’d had, but once those had been exhausted it became difficult to find new inspiration.  Not a lot of socializing or things going on, mainly just keeping to ourselves and finding new hobbies.  Definitely not great writing material. We still managed with the help of some great co-writers, though.

What did you do to pass the time while stuck at home aside from music?

Alex got to the rank of diamond in Valorant, a competitive online shooting game, and Evan has cleared a number of other video games.  I took up video editing and have watched an unhealthy amount of YouTube videos. 

Living in Nashville, it’s really become this hub for all genres of music. Do you think your location plays a part in your music or vibe?

It definitely has.  We’ve been able to work with a lot of super talented instructors to hone our craft.  The techniques and playing styles we’ve learned from them are very present in our music.

What does the rest of the new music look and sound like?

It’s pretty diverse, but you can still tell it’s us.  We have some up tempo, 80’s rock vibe songs and some moody laid back tunes as well.  We even have Alex singing lead on a few tracks.  All of them have great energy, and I think people will like the topics.

For fans just being introduced to you, what made you each fall in love with music?

When I was in eighth grade, I went on a thrill seeker’s trip to Ohio with some friends from school.  There was going to be an eight hour bus ride so my dad downloaded a playlist for me to listen to on the way there.  It was mainly 80’s rock songs with some emo and pop mixed in.  That was the first time I really listened to music for enjoyment and some of the first songs I fell in love with.

How have your musical influences evolved over time?

I find Alex’s influences kind of hilarious in how diverse they are.  The first band he really got into was The Beach Boys.  Later he had a phase where he listened almost exclusively to Weezer.  In more recent years he’s been influenced by Ozzy Osbourn, Van Halen, Eminem, Drake, Dr. Dre, The Police,  Alan Walker, and most recently Gorillaz.  I used to listen to more modern rock, which I still like, but I’ve since become more of a pop fan.  The first concert we ever saw was Linkin Park back when I was sixteen and Chester was still around.  I then got into Pretty Reckless, Seether, Halestorm, and Theory of a Deadman.  Now my favorite band is Panic at the Disco and I’ve found a new appreciation for pop and alt.

Who is the first artist or band you want to see live once concerts return?

For me, definitely Panic at the Disco.  We’ve seen them live twice already and I can sing along to most every song.  Alex says Gorillaz.  We’ve all wanted to see them live for a long time.