In an exclusive interview, Andrew Heath of the Mesa-based band, We Are They, talks about performing in Tempe, fan appreciation, and collective pastimes.
[indiessance]There must be venues in California that appreciate how We Are They delivers metal to the masses.
[andrew heath]
Well, I wouldn't say we deliver much metal, but a lot of places that are sceptical of us at first are won over by the end of the show.
[indiessance]
Do you think the touring buzz will ever wear off any time soon?
[andrew heath]
Touring was definitely an experience with the highest of highs and lowest of lows. We're a dysfunctional family, so we can take it. We can't wait to get out there again.
[indiessance]
Which venue gives you the biggest headrush?
[andrew heath]
As for the biggest headrush, that usually depends on crowd response. I'd say our favorite shows have to include The Real Bar in Tempe, Arizona in September of 2006 because we packed a bar meant for about 150 people with 200+. The crowd was louder than we were, it was insane. The venue gave us two encore songs, much to the dismay of the promoters due to time constraints, because the crowd wouldn't stop chanting our name. Another show would be The Ridglea Theater's main stage in Fort Worth, Texas from this last tour. We played an open mic there on our first run through Texas and they invited us back to the main stage on our way back. It was incredible. The crowd loved it and we put on a great show. Ryan was so excited he forgot to put shoes on before the show.
[indiessance]
Have you performed at any total dives?
[andrew heath]
As for dives, we've played in sushi restaurants and even an abandoned building. Anything for a gig.
[indiessance]
The musical style of We Are They is eclectic. Could you help clear up any confusion, by describing the specific sonic ingredients that are combined to make up your music? What special quality or contribution does each member make? What are the main genre additives?
[andrew heath]
Wow. This one's always hard. The band was brought together from try outs, so no one knew each other before it formed. We've all evolved to love many, many different styles of music, so we just play with whatever sounds we like. Tyler will have a cool jam going on an organ and we'll build off of it, or Ryan will make a polka/jazz guitar riff and we'll go with it. Anything that sounds cool or fun to us is what we do. We don't have limitations or a specific kind of formula.
[indiessance]
In-between venues, the yellow line can get long. Travelling like sardines on road trips must get monotonous at times. What does the band do to break the monotony of a long distance? Any favorite DVDs? Do you have a favorite collective pastime?
[andrew heath]
We didn't have ANY luxuries on this last tour, so all we had was a deck of cards and Ipods. We played a lot of card games to pass time and whenever we found a place to stay, we'd watch a movie. The whole band is pretty big fans of the show Lost, so we have all of those on DVD, and we found a cheap movie theater in Florida during the tour to see The Dark Knight when it premiered. Andrew wouldn't let us miss it.
[indiessance]
Had read on the band blog that We Are They and the band's lead singer parted company; that was announced in September. But it takes more than that to make a band with a heavy concentration of talent to fall apart. Has this event actually caused the band to become more cohesive?
[andrew heath]
Yes, indeed. We're working hard to write new material and search for a singer. Andrew and Ryan are trying to see if they have what it takes to fill the slot if we can't find a replacement, but it's been a hard search so far.
[indiessance]
After checking out the We Are They MySpace profile, I get the impression that the band is not taking everything too seriously, and having fun.
[andrew heath]
Oh yeah. We love to convey our sense of humor and fun. We're not trying to be the next group of badasses to come into the music scene and destroy every other band. This is fun for us and we want everyone to know it and to come have fun with us. Even if you hate our music, we'll still hang out with you.
[indiessance]
Also noticed that you all seem to have an appreciative attitude toward your fans. Have your fans been reflecting that appreciation back?
[andrew heath]
Our fans have been great. We appreciate them so much. So many musicians will go out and sign autographs for hours and not look a single kid in the eye. I'd love to sit down and have lunch with every fan we have. I'd love to get to know them. We're here for them, and we'll respond to them as much as possible.
[indiessance]
What are some of the cools things fans have been saying?
[andrew heath]
We've gotten a lot of comments about how we're fun and unique and that's great. That's what we like to hear.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that our band is completely drug and alcohol free. We're not extremists who'll bash you for taking part in said substances, it's just not for us. We feel like it'd be a factor we don't want or need in our lives.
