Therefore I Am are a band from Boston, MA and are some of most down to earth people I have met. They are a band who is made from real thoughts and real concerns. Their guitar player, Travis, was nice enough to answer some questions I had for him. Please pick up their album, The Sound of Human Lives.
Q. Who makes up Therefore I Am?
A. We are 5 average dudes from Boston, MA.
Q. How old is everyone?
A. We actually have a eclectic band as far as age goes. Brian is 28, Chris is 27, Alex is 25, and both Jim and myself are 23.
Q. How did the band get it’s name?
A. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the band when the name was chosen. They actually pulled it out of thin air and dug the way it sounded. In the past few years, we have grown into “Therefore I Am” so to speak. To me personally, playing music is an all-time thing. I do it because I have do it. I will not be at peace without it. For me, I play in a touring band: Therefore I Am.
Q. What can we expect from TSOHL?
A. Our band is made up of 5 people with very different tastes in music, but for the most part we all grew up listening to hardcore and punk. I feel that it shows through a lot on this album. We took everything we like about the music we grew up listening to and made it our own. I’d say you can expect aggressive vocals, pretty guitar lines, solid drum beats, and honest lyrics. Take a listen!
Q. How has EVR helped TIA get to the next level?
A. Equal Vision changed my life at a very young age. Before I even knew why a record label was important or what a record label even was, I knew that any album with the black and white EVR logo was a solid buy. We were all ecstatic when they expressed interest in us. Equal Vision helped us out enough just by letting us into the family. I couldn’t say enough positive things about them.
Q. How was the video shoot?
A. The shoot was a good time! I’m not sure if you’ve ever been onset for a video shoot, but it gets very tedious and very repetitive. In that respect, it was very tiring but I think we all had a lot of fun. The video concept was just us playing a live show. We really wanted to capture a show and let people know that the crowd is as much of a part of our band as we are. I’m stoked to let the world see it!
Q. What can we expect from Therefore I Am live, and what do you want fans to take away from the show?
A. Brian and I were joking the other night about how we want people to leave knowing who our influences are (laughs). I think we’re just trying to do our best as a band to show people that there is no difference between us except for the fact that we’re on a stage. People put too much weight in other human beings because after all, we are all just human.
Q. Who are the bands you would do anything to tour with?
A. (laughs) I’m not so sure there are any bands that I would do “anything to tour with”… but I would really enjoy touring with Saves the Day. Maybe Converge although we wouldn’t really fit too well. I think we would fit really well with bands like Polar Bear Club and Crime in Stereo.
Q. Where does Therefore I Am reside in today’s music scene?
A. We’re just 5 dudes playing aggressive rock & roll!
Q. What bands did you listen to growing up?
A. I grew up listening to pop-punk. I think my first favorite bands were Nofx and Blink 182. From there, I reached out to bands like New Found Glory and Fenix TX. Eventually, I got into Saves the Day, Braid, Thursday etc., and from there I back tracked and got into their influences which lead me into a world of old school screamo and hardcore. This is how I found some of my favorite bands, and I encourage anyone reading this to open up their favorite band’s album and check their “thank you” section. Go through the list of bands they thanked and check a few of them out. You might find your new favorite band!
Q. What got you your start in music? When did you know it was what you wanted to do with your life?
My friend Jack’s older brother, Charlie, played guitar. Charlie was the coolest dude we knew and from there I really wanted to play in a band. When I was 10 or 11, I asked my dad for a drum kit; and he bought me a peavey raptor electric guitar. It was cheaper and quieter than a drum kit. I don’t really remember ever ever not wanting to play music.
Q. What bands would you want to reunite for a comeback tour in 2010?
A. At the Drive-In, definitely! I also wish Have Heart wasn’t breaking up. I also wish we would be home in time to catch their last show. I would love to see The Receiving End of Sirens get back together. They were an all time favorite. Also, It would be rad to see Jawbreaker live. Champion, American Nightmare, Murder City Devils, Pixies… So many bands!
Q. What are your thoughts on illegal downloading, and what is the effect of it on Therefore I Am?
A. Downloading our music is like slapping the sandwich out of our mouths. I understand that everyone is broke and no one can afford to buy music but chances are, the 5 of us make way less money than anyone that listens to our band. It is tricky because ultimately, I want people to listen to our music at any cost. If you buy the CD however, you get that added piece of artwork that we put our time into making.
Q. What are your thoughts on the music industry as of its current state?
A. I try to just do my own thing and forget about the rest of the world.
Q. Has the music industry changed for you even though you have been a part of it for a relatively short time?
A. I mean it has… our economy does in fact suck and that reflects on the music industry. People just aren’t spending money. Obama says we’re getting better though…
Q. What are your favorite records, movies, and books?
A. I have a lot of each. Saves the Day - “Can’t Slow Down”, Glassjaw - “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence”, Gin Blossoms - “New Miserable Experience”, Jawbreaker - “unfun”… Thrice - “The Illusion of Safety”, Sunny Day Real Estate - “Diary”… Those are the classics. Right now, I’m really into The One A.M. Radio, Ryan Adams, and Rocky Votolato. I really do like a little bit of everything. As far as books go, I love all Kurt Vonnegut. H.P. Lovecraft is a classic if you like tasteful horror stories. There are so many to choose!
Q. If you could have wrote any song in existence, which one do you wish you could have wrote?
A. It’s funny, I hear what I consider to be “perfect” songs all the time and I think, “damn! I wish I wrote this!” but I can’t think of anything right now. I really respect all of Rocky Votolato.. I think if I could be any other type of musician, I would be a singer/songwriter. However, I wasn’t blessed with what you might call a “good” voice.
Q. With Twitter becoming the new way to interact online, what has it done for your band?
A. Twitter is cool. It definitely helped us reach a larger group of kids. Its a really simple way to keep people up to date with the happenings of the band which is really awesome.
Q. The band was on every single day of the 2009 edition of the Vans Warped Tour. Can you give us a run down of what it was like for you being on tour with so much history?
A. For us in particular, it was a lot of work. We did the tour in a van and trailer (like the old days!), so we were up everyday at 7AM, setting up our own tents, finding our street teamers, selling our own merch, and eventually playing for 30 minutes/day in the (sometimes) intense heat. It was also cool hanging out with other musicians you really enjoy and respect. We made a lot of friends on Warped Tour this year. It was a really rad experience, and I can’t wait to do it again!
Q. How has your hometown of Boston treated you since your stint on Warped Tour? As in, is there any local backlash after going from local band to signed act doing national tours?
A. Our fans are the best fans ever. They honestly wish us nothing but the best and we couldn’t ask for more.
Q. For those who are curious, what kind of gear are you using on stage?
A. I use and Orange Rockerverb and a Soldano 4x12. I recently switched from the Line 6 POD to a plethora of pedals. As for a guitar, I play Venture Guitars (http://www.ventureguitars.com). Venture is a custom guitar company I started with a few friends of mine. Check it out sometime, we’re currently building for bands like Boys Like Girls, Alexisonfire, RX Bandits, and Gallows. My Venture is honestly the best guitar I have ever played.
Q. If you could co-write with anyone dead or a live, who would it be and why?
A. Co-write? That really really is a tough one. I’m going to go ahead and say the other 4 members of my band.
Q. How does Therefore I Am go about songwriting?
A. Everyone has a prominent part of the songwriting process. For a lot of the songs on “The Sound of Human Lives”, I made some crummy demos on my computer with fake drums and no vocals and presented it to the rest of the band. At that point, everyone puts their two cents in and we turn the music into something we can call our own.
Q. How has Mike Poorman, the producer for The Sound of Human Lives, influenced your writing process?
A. Poorman is a good friend of ours. One of the best parts about recording with him is that he let us do our own thing. There was no pressure to change any song. He gave his input but never forced it on us. Mike Poorman is a super solid dude.
Q. Who would you want to do to guest vocals on the next Therefore I Am album?
A. Haley from Paramore and Chris from Saves the Day. How rad would that be?!
Q. What are some bands you want people to know about?
A. There are so many! I’d say everyone needs to check out A Loss for Words and Vanna. They are two of our best friends, and we’re taking off with them as soon as this FFTL tour ends. As far as what I listen to lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of the Architects (KCMO), the A.K.A.’s, Bayside, Broadway Calls, and Cave In. Definitely check out those bands!
Q. Where would you have to go for you to say you “made it”?
A. Europe would be awesome. I mean, I already think that in some ways I’ve “made it”. If 16 year old Travis could meet 23 year old Travis, He’d be stoked and think I’m so cool. However, I think I’ll always want a little more.
Q. Are there any shout outs
Last words
A. Thanks to anyone who has ever given us the time of day! We owe you so much!
Check out Venture Guitars!!! (http://www.ventureguitars.com) Jan is the man!
