A few months back, Tranquilizer Radio as the fan base of one of the fastest growing rock acts in the US, Awaken The Empire, some of the most interesting fan questions that would boggling their minds. Somehow during those long days in the studio the band emerged some time later with not only a new album but about ten entertaining answers to everything you wanted to know about ATE.
From asking about their desired super powers, upcoming video, a supporting date with Kill Hannah, and who has the best hair, the following is the highly entertaining responses from Awaken The Empire:
-How did the band first come together? Were there specific people chosen for roles due to their abilities? Was there anyone that turned down being in the band? How long have you been together with this lineup if it has changed?
Damien: I was releasing music on my own, and decided to put together a band to play live shows. (That's the shortened non-overly dramatic version!) Jaymz was one of the first people that I connected with online, and he drove from Colorado to try out for the band. We had an immediate connection, and began searching for other members that fit the style and vibe of what we wanted. Over the last 2 years we have had multiple people that didn't work out for whatever reason. (usually they were unwilling to make this band their entire life) Jaymz and I were introduced to Daryl and Shivan in mid-late 2010 and we have been a solid unit ever since!
-2011 seemed to be a big year for you with the shooting of video, getting signed, several large shows, has anything changed in how you operate as a band due to these successes? How did you first get approached to be signed and was that the moment where you had said "We've made it" or do you feel there is much more progress to be made as you move towards the album release?
Shivan: This year has been amazing for us!
Damien: Yeah, this year has been intense! The biggest change has come from having an amazing label/management team behind us, supporting us. We have been so used to doing everything ourselves, that sometimes it's weird including others in the decision making process for the band. It's all for the best though, because now we have so many resources available to us, and we have the honor of having a team that really believes in us!
Jaymz: Signing with Burn the Records! was definitely a life changing experience. It's something that kind of just materialized and evolved over a period of about 6 months. We are so lucky to be in a situation where we have complete creative control of our careers, and to have a label that really does believe in us.
Damien: I'm not sure if we'll ever feel as if we have "made it" haha. We are so driven, and have so many goals for this band, I don't think any of us are anywhere close to saying that we have reached our destination. For us, the journey is the destination!
-Facebook friends seem to be one of the biggest supporters of the band, all almost 3,800 of them to date. What was the fan base like for the band before you took up residency on FB or was the account always active when you started? Do you feel its easier to market your music with the whole "social media" push of the fan base that they all repost anything you put online? If there weren't the Internet and it was old school style promotion with just fliers do you think you would have broken ground with fans outside California at this point as you have a global following in countries where you haven't even played yet?
Daryl: Facebook is probably the single most important marketing tool we have as a band. We talk to fans on a daily basis, and it's amazing how fast we are growing on there. We're getting close to 11,000 fans now!
Damien: If Facebook didn't exist, I have faith that we still would've been able to make a name for ourselves.... It just would've taken longer, and we might have ended up getting thrown in some kind of secret government facility for our promotional tactics...
-On the same thought...let alone other states are clamoring for shows when fans haven't even seen you play live yet and for the second year in a row, fans are hoping you are on support for Kill Hannah's New Heart for Christmas show. The Kill Hannah fans and especially the Kill Hannah Kollective took a liking to you early on and stepped up to street team for you before there was even much recorded or a video. How do you feel about that? Is there a pressure to satisfy the expectations of such a huge instant audience? Is Kill Hannah aware of your band and how quickly you capitalized on their audience? Will this help you at all in the goal for eventually touring with KH?
Damien: We are beyond honored that so many Kill Hannah fans like what we are doing and support us! I am such a huge Kill Hannah fan, that opening for them in Chicago at NH4X is actually on my bucket list! It's funny, so many bands we meet try to play it cool when amazing things happen to them... We are the opposite. We are fucking dorks and we don't care what anyone thinks about us. I'm a Kill Hannah fan and this is a dream come true for me. I met Mat a couple years ago, and have kept in contact with him ever since. On multiple occasions I have made it totally obvious that I am a fan and that I would LOVE to tour with them! There's also something about Kill Hannah fans... They are the most accepting and loving fans I have ever been around. It really is a huge, amazing family of raccoons.
Daryl: I'm from Chicago, so I can't even begin to say what it means to be able to go home to play a show like New Heart!!
-Speaking recording, not long ago it was mentioned you guys were in the studio in preparation for the album. What can we expect from the album? Does it differ from the material out there from the EP? Are you still currently writing?
Damien: We are actually in the studio right now recording our debut album with producer Erik Ron (Versa Emerge, Panic at the Disco, Get Scared) We recorded The Awakening EP on our own, in my apartment, so definitely expect the production level on the album to be that much bigger and better! We also have so many new tools/resources available to us, and all the time we need to really develop all the songs! We can't even describe how life changing it has been to work with Erik, we are so lucky to have built such a great relationship with him over the last month!
Jaymz: Working with Erik has been an amazing experience! He is really pushing us as musicians and as people. The songs sound so cool, and huge!
Shivan: Everything has been great so far! We are getting a ton of video footage in the studio, and we plan to release behind the scenes videos on a regular basis.
-For awhile you have been posting teasers of The Awakening video. Is there an expected release date at this point? What was the shoot like for this video?
Daryl: We just released the video for The Awakening last week and the response has been overwhelming! The video premiered on AOL's Noisecreep.com and was actually featured on the front page of AOL!!
Damien: Shooting the video was such a cool experience! We had the opportunity to work with one of my favorite directors Chad Michael Ward (Aiden, Combichrist) so it made collaborating on the concept/vibe really easy. We had our overall thoughts on the direction of the video, but we just let him run wild with what he does best!!
-You guys seem fairly close to your fan base at the moment, is that something you learned from watching the behaviors of other bands? Is there ever incident where superfandom becomes a hazard to the profession? If the bands fan base keeps growing at the current rate will it become impossible you think to have the same level of being involved with your fan base someday?
Daryl: We are very close to our fans. It's definitely something that's really important to us, and something we want to never change about our band.
Damien: I'm not sure that we learned how to interact with fans from any band in particular. We have all had the opportunity to meet some of our favorite bands, and it's such an amazing experience when the band is down to earth and appreciative of the love. For us, connecting with fans is a no brainer. They care about our lives so we care about them. It's just about being a good person. We treat people how we wanna be treated... with love and respect.
Jaymz: I hope we will always be able to connect with fans at the level we are now. I'm sure it will get harder as the number of fans grow, but we will always care about every one of them.
-Are there any fan tattoos yet that you are aware of?
Shivan: We have heard from a couple fans that tattoos are in the works, but nothing confirmed as of yet!
-Given most concert goers aren't in a good financial state right now due to the economy do you worry as a musician that will have impact on selling tickets, merchandise, CDs in the near future if this market doesn't pick up? Is the recession making it harder to be in a band right now?
Shivan: The industry is in such a weird state right now. Things are changing on a daily basis. I'm sure we will be/are affected by the current economy, but we can't focus on that. We are here to make music and live our dreams of connecting with fans. Money is secondary at best.
-What can we expect merchandise wise in the future?
Damien: I'm working on some new shirt designs right now, so expect to see some new merch soon! We actually just release a bundle pack for The Awakening SIngle on 12.01.11! It includes a CD single, sticker, signed poster and more!!
Fan questions:
Missy asked: Does having your own stylist help with preparation for shows and appearances? Who has the best hair in the band and what is the median prep time it takes to get everyone beautified for the stage? Does anyone resist the grooming protocol and have to be held down to the chair or anything when having makeup put on our their hair done?
Damien: It's funny, style is such a huge part of our band, but it's not something where we spend a ton of time getting ready. How you see us in photos is pretty much how we dress in real life. I wake up every morning in fucked up eyeliner and some kind of powder all over my clothes. We are the most thrown together styled band on the planet. We are definitely all about being true to ourselves. Our style evolves and changes all the time, but it's always something we are in control of, and create! And I'm gonna say Shivan has the best hair. It's actually healthy. haha
Ozzie asked: Do you need a roadie or otherwise man servant for tours? Whereas he can't drive the tour bus, he offers himself as chef, roadie, support staff, triangle player, and general bitch-work-doer for the band.
Daryl: Not at this point, but definitely maybe in the future!
Name N/A asked: What is your favorite thing about each other? What do you hate most about each other? Do you picture this being a lifetime commitment to this band or will you move onto other projects in a few years?
Damien: I love that none of us have been corrupted by all the emotionless corpses we have to live with in Los Angeles. We all have that empathy stuff inside our brain meats... I actually don't hate anything about the rest of the band... LIFETIME, no matter how it evolves.
Jaymz: My Favorite thing about us is we love to eat and what i hate most about
each other is that when we eat, its not the most healthiest food. i would
love nothing more to have a lifetime commitment to this family (band) and
to music in genernal..(i will let music take me as far as it will allow
me).
Daryl: The fact that we all come from such different backgrounds from all different places of life just amazes me. We all share the same passions. Not just in music but in a lot of things. Our differences make us so unique but we all believe in a lot of the same values. It's how ATE has become what it is. It's turned us into brothers. These guys (and Romina) are my family, I could never turn my back on my family.
Shivan: There are a lot of things that I love about my bandmates, but my favorite attribute about Awaken the Empire would have to be the togetherness we all share. We are like brothers in this band. We all share the same vision and we strive towards it. This is why I do see this as a lifetime commitment. This is the music I want to play and the message I want to spread.
Name N/A also asked: What would your super powers be? Give an example of how you would use powers?
Damien: Immortality! I hate the idea of dying, and I would love to be around when the robot armies overthrow us.
Jaymz: my super power would be the power to heal. So then i could dress up like a
Ninja Turtle and throw oranges at old people. i could then heal them back
up and do it again. (Love you grandma)
Daryl: well my last name is Falconer, so I would definitely be able to fly! Let's just say I would never be late for a show haha.
Shivan: I honestly just want the Iron Man suit....and the Batmobile...
TR staff asked: Do you plan to play Canada anytime in the future and if you come to Toronto would you be willing to do an in-studio interview?
Damien: Definitely!
Hannah Ninjaknees asked: If each of you could be in a different band dead or alive, for one day, who do you choose any why? What would you play? What about your signature style would impact that band. (You can also add fictional bands to this, as seeing I asked another band this question this morning and got back the reply Dr Teeth and The Electric Mayhem from the Muppet show :) )
Damien: I would play rhythm guitar for Nirvana the day they played The Reading festival in England. And they all lived happily ever after... The End.
Jaymz: i would use my vocal skills in Metallica and team up with Hetfield. Maybe
use a little auto tune on the YEEEAAAHH's...
Daryl: I have such an appreciation/passion/love for music that I couldn't picture myself in a different band. There are plenty of bands I would've loved to be apart of that influenced me. But if I did that, would that band have the same effect on me that it has now? Probably not. I like to think of it as if there was no one else more perfect to fill that spot in that band. That's why the bands have influenced me in the way they have.
Shivan: I think I would really enjoy playing with the guys from Tenacious D. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are so talented and funny! I would love to throw some of my spacey guitar tones on their epic masterpieces.
Hannah Ninjaknees: If you could tour anywhere in the world without limitations of money, where do you head first and why?
Damien: Londokyoaris. I would clone myself and go to London, Tokyo and Paris... all at the same time.
Jaymz: I would love to tour North America first, I'm loyal like that ...(Sorry,
Government is watching me)
Daryl: I'm dying to tour anywhere in Europe. I'd love to experience all the different cultures, meet tons of people, and the food! It's always interesting to see how other parts of the world live.
Shivan: I really would love to tour South America. The culture really fascinates me, and the fans are CRAZY!
Hannah Ninjaknees: Given the choice of being a sofa or a moustache, which would you be? Defend your answer.
Damien: Hmmmmmm.... I'm assuming I would have to live as a mustache on someone's actual face.... and that could get really creepy, really fast.... and a sofa...hmmm that could get ugly fast too. I'm gonna say.... Sofa... but it would be in an old haunted castle, and at night all the furniture would come to life and we'd rob people... but then we'd realize that the shopkeepers in the village would have a no shoes, no shirt, no furniture policy, so we'd go back to the castle to just hang out and make out with the lamps.
Jaymz: I'd rather be a mustache. I can't grow one so might as well be one. At
least a mustache would be close to food a lot and i would get styled
everyone once in awhile. being a sofa ...wellll.....
Daryl: Sofa! Cause I'm far more comfortable then a mustache.
Shivan: I will definitely have to go with a sofa. Moustaches scare me. Sofas are comfortable and relaxing. Moustaches are awkward and itchy. That is all.
Check out Awaken The Empire next week with Kill Hannah and Comasoft. Ticket info here.
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