(Unsigned)
Genre: Metal/Southern Rock akin to Fight Paris or He Is Legend .
Interviewed on: 8/21/08
From: Ajax, Canada
www.myspace.com/manwithtarget
1. How's the tour coming along?
The tour was an incredible experience. We were out for three weeks to the east coast of Canada, and we had the opportunity to meet a lot of really cool people and make some new friends along the way. I think with any experience like touring, there are positive and negatives. Unfortunately, our windows on our new van got smashed twice, and there were a couple of busted shows too. On the other hand though, we were on tour listening to our best friends and one of our favorite bands in Endast, played some really successful shows, and hung out relatively carefree in new places along the east coast. Beyond that, there were always people who were willing to help out to such an unimaginable extent, you can't help but feel fortunate and bewildered by the kindness of people at times. The tour went very well, and we're excited to do it all over again.
2. How has the response to the new album been out on the road?
The response has been pretty good so far! We sold merch at every show, and typically managed to get rid of at least a few new dics too. It was cool to come back to certain towns and have kids know and request the new tracks from us. The new album is only an E.P. though, so it's 6 songs and just shy of half an hour. So instead of boring ourselves blind playing those same six songs everywhere we go, we make sure to keep a few old ones from the last album in the setlist too.
3. You guys hooked up with Nick Zampiello (Converge, Against Me) to master the album, how did that relationship come to?
It was really simple actually. We're good buddies with everyone from I Hate Sally, and they had their album mastered by Nick. They referred us to him and it was as easy as dropping him a quick email and asking when he was free. He gave us a time, and we sent him the files and he took care of the rest. The dude puts out a good product, and has good pricing too. Considering we finance everything ourselves, having reasonable prices for mastering was a pretty sweet deal.
4. You guys were on the cover of Cort Magazine, how did that come about?
A: Well, on our last east coast tour, we stopped at a little music store in Riviere-du-loup, and we were just messing around with the instruments killing time before the gig. That day Dave picked up a Cort guitar and was legitimately surprised about how well it played. So, when we got home, Dave emailed Cort telling them about how much he liked their product. Talks continued, and ultimately we decided that a business relationship with Cort would be a mutually beneficial endeavour, so we did it. Part of the agreement is cross-promotion, and with the new tour and new album they were happy to hook us up with their July cover. It was really cool of them to help us out to such an extent.
5. Any crazy show stories?
Absolutely haha! Firstly, on this last tour, we played an outdoor show on reserve land in New Brunswick at a venue called "Chief's". Not only was there a huge bonfire (made even more awesome by lots of gasoline), but there was hotdogs, corn, beers, burgers, and a huge pit that had a hill next to it (people could slide down this thing in the rain. Awesome). We played another show awhile back for where there was a pit happening in an in-ground swimming pool. One of our buddies busted his nose pretty bad doing flips off things in there and crowd surfing in the water. Plus, there have been other shows where we play to a smaller crowd on a big stage, and we just pull everyone up on stage with us and they hang around my drumkit, the amps; wherever really. Those are the types of shows I prefer - they feel really alive and intimate, and I think everyone has more fun and enjoys the set a little more.
6. What's your thoughts on illegal music downloading?
I don't think any of us mind it really. For us as a band, it doesn't really damage us at this stage of the game. We're just happy to have people listening to us. Plus, once they've listened to us, they're more likely to come out to a show, and buy merch and an actual hard copy of the album there. The reality is that technology has a pretty substantial effect on society, and the internet facilitates things like media piracy. It affects the large-scale corporations much more than it does the indie bands (and those guys make enough money off our hard work anyways, don't they?).
7. What is your favorite song to play live and why?
I think that entirely depends on the night. Most nights, our favorite song is our closer, Hunt For Killer. It's the last track on the new E.P. and it's pretty drawn out and has more of an epic feel than some of our other tunes. By the time we get to the end, there's a great energy in the tune which makes it awesome to play. Another favorite is also on the new disc, called Penngabungan. It's a mix of a number of different styles, like sludgy-metal, funky tapping, and even a ruthless 80's style rap. It's fun to play and goes over surprising well with some crowds; a few crowds have done some cool breakdancing in the middle of the pit, and that's fun to watch for sure.
8. What are you guys currently listening to?
Everything. We've got an awesome and simultaneously awful set of eclectic musical tastes. We listen to everything from Pantera, Opeth, Alien Ant Farm, Johnny Cash, Marilyn Manson, Redman and Method Man, to Fuck The Facts, I Hate Sally, instrumental tunes and jazz. Each of us listens to different stuff, but we all have certain areas that overlap as well. Hopefully it lets us come up with some interesting stuff...that or it turns out awful I guess haha!
9. What's next for Man With Target?
We're finishing up our August dates and then it's time to start writing again!! We're going to work through a number of new tracks, and start pre-production in the jamspace ourselves (Dave does our recordings). Once that's done we'll decide if we're going to do the entire full-length ourselves, or if we'll send it out to others for mixing and mastering or whatever. We've got plans to hit a west coast tour with Endast, and we're hoping to get a few other ones in as well. We're also working on getting a few more companies and endorsers on board with us. We've got a lot of ideas and objectives (like label-shopping and getting a grant for a video), but the primary focus is writing the new record. We're a live band, so obviously we'll be playing shows quite frequently as well.
10. Any shoutouts?
Absolutely! To Endast, Ninja Spy, Fuck the Facts, The almighty Jesus Mullet, EndProgram, Empty Chamber, and our friends formerly of I Hate Sally! All awesome people, great bands, and family as far as we're concerned.
