BANDCAMP INTERVIEW . . .

For the new fans reading this, why don't you guys tell us a little about yourselves?
Kris: My name is Kris. I'm 24, and I'm the band's drummer.
Matt: Well, we're a pop/punk/rock band from Long Island, New York.

When/how did you guys decide to become a group?
Mike: Matt and Kris started the band last winter, and asked me to join.
Kris: Matt and I formed Bandcamp after leaving our old band, back in early 2002.
Matt: I've been writing for years and the drummer is my brother. We've always played together in previous bands and finally we decided to put the efforts behind my songs. We became Bandcamp in May of 2002.

How did you guys decide on the name, Bandcamp?
Mike: We were going to be starting a Radio Disney summer tour, and we had 3 days to decide on a name for ourselves. With a little help, we came up with it.
Kris: Our friend, Tomas, from the band Diffuser, suggested the name. It was something that just kind of fit us. It eventually stuck, and we liked it.
Matt: Bandcamp came up after throwing around numerous names between the band, the producer and art designer. We decided on it because we felt it described best what we are about, just young, goofy, and love to play music

How long have you guys been performing?
Mike: Almost a year together. All of us have individually been performingfor much longer, though.
Kris: 8 or 9 months now.
Matt: We've all pretty much been performing all of our lives, whether it be solo or in different bands.

Have you ever had any embarrassing stage performances?
Mike: Not really. We've definitely had some shows that didn't go as well as others, but never anything too bad.
Kris: Not really. The only time I could remember anything was when we played the 3rd Ave Street Fair with Simple Plan. I spazzed out and did not play some parts right.
Matt: Not really. We've been pretty fortunate with that, thankfully!

How would you describe your music?
Mike: Pop-punk with blends of rock. Nothing too far off the mainstream, but certainly not the same as everything else.
Kris: Pop-punk rock. We are actually now going to a more rock sound.
Matt: I'd say we're pretty much a straight forward rock band with lots of influences ranging from singer songwriters to even hardcore bands.

What can fans expect to find/experience at your shows?
Mike: We always try to add something new to each show to make it different and fun. Just recently, we've been closing with "Same From You" and turning the breakdown into a sing-along to make the crowd more a part of the show.
Kris: A crowd that really likes our music. We have been so lucky to win over almost all the crowds we play in front of. People seem to have a great time at our shows. Lots of positive energy is a guarantee from our shows.
Matt: Definitely a lot of fun. We always have a great time and try to get the fans involved as much as possible. Warning: If you're within the first 3 rows of people I seem to have this problem that when i sing i give everyone showers. Beware:)

Are you guys going on a big tour anytime soon?
Mike: That would be awesome, but for now, we're just focusing on expanding our fan base.
Kris: Well, we are trying to get some dates on the Warped tour. I'm sure this summmer we will be hitting up some Radio Disney dates up and down the East Coast.
Matt: Right now we're just doing 2-3 shows a month on the East Coast trying to develop the fan base, so by the summer time, hopefully, we can do some touring.

If you guys could tour with any band or singer now, who would it be and why?
Mike: I love Incubus and would love to go on the road with them. They seem like really intelligent and interesting guys, and they put on an unbelievable show every time.
Kris: I would like to tour with No Doubt or Blink 182. I think those audiences would really enjoy our music.
Matt: Hard question. My personal dream tour would be with Costello. I'm a huge Costello freak and it'd be amazing to share the stage with him.

When a show is over, are you guys all hyped up and stuff? Or are you guys exhausted?
Mike: A little of both. When we played the Vanderbilt, it was an incredible experience. Being on stage for a crowd of almost 2,000 people was something I'll never forget. When we got off stage, I was bouncing off the walls. I went up to the skybox to talk to my parents and almost fell asleep up there, because playing was so draining.
Kris: I'm totally burnt after a show. I play my heart out, and all I want to usually do is drink water and relax and chill with fans and friends.
Matt: It depends on the show. Whenever we play a hometown show, we're hyped, because all of our friends are there and stuff so it's a constant party. The out of state shows sometimes kill us, because we travel in the morning, and get there early to set up and do soundcheck. By the time the show has come it's been a long day.

What are your goals/hopes to accomplish with your music?
Mike: Just to have as many people as possible hear our music, come to our shows, and enjoy it all.
Kris: To reach as many people as possible. I want us to be able to get our music out there as best as we can.
Matt: Hopefully, just to reach as many people as possible and develop a nice fan base.

Do you want to stay a smaller group with a bunch of dedicated fans, or do you want to go mainstream (TRL, etc.) and have a huge amount of fans?
Mike: I'm not sure. Playing scene shows for lots of kids that you know is a lot of fun, but who doesn't want to be on the cover of Rolling Stone and have their video on MTV???
Kris: I think that we are a mainstream band, so we want to be in that circle.
Matt: Why not have both? There's no saying we can't have a huge amount of dedicated fans.

You guys are still normal guys, so what do you do for fun?
Mike: I'm in college at SUNY New Paltz, so I have to worry about school work, but I just like to hang out with my friends, play video games, and sports.
Kris: I snowboard, and I'm a big computer geek.
Matt: Always at shows... local shows or major tours. FOOD!

Since being a singer is hard work, do you consider this your full-time job? If not, do you guys have other jobs?
Kris: I work a full-time job at a computer store.
Matt: Full time job, but still a 10th grade high school student.

If in a few years, you guys no longer are singing, what would you do? Would you still want to stay in some area of the music industry?
Mike: I definitely want music to always be a part of my life in some way. If not performing, I want to always be involved with music.
Kris: I would be doing something in the computer industry. Possibly something in the recording studio position.
Matt: In 10 years from now if we still haven't reached a high level of success, we have 70 more to try.

Regardless of what happens in the future, do you think you'll look back on these days as the "good old days"?
Mike: Yes. Practicing, playing shows, and just having fun with the band has been a great experience. We've all grown pretty close, and I think we'll stay that way.
Kris: Yeah. Of course, I would. We have done so many sick things so far that this has been an amazing experience. I hope it goes even further, but if it stopped tomorrow, it would still have been awesome.
Matt: The best is yet to come.

If you had to do EVERYTHING all over again, would you change anything?
Mike: Nothing. We haven't done anything to inhibit our progress as a band, nor to cause problems between the members.
Kris: Not at all. Everything has happened in the band totally naturally. Its been great since day one. Everyone is so supportive of our band. We have made so many amazing friends and fans over the course of this year that I wouldn't trade anything.
Matt: Yes. I wouldn't have allowed our bass player, Mike, to use the walky talkies we take with us in the vans. He thinks he's in the army, when he has it:)

And last, but not least, if you could say anything to the fans reading this now, what would you say?
Mike: Thank you SO MUCH for all of the support. Coming to the shows, sending e-mails, wearing the t-shirts, it's all very much appreciated and we thank you for that!
Kris: Check our website often, [www.bandcampmusic.com], and drop us an email and tell us what's up.
Matt: Thanks for all the support. It is greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work on spreading the word on us Bandcampers.