Reach the Sky on 07-14-2000 by propheci

First off, tell us who you are.
Bob from Reach the Sky. I play drums.

Can you explain how you guys got started? How did you guys meet?
Through the years. All of us in the band have been in different bands in and out of Boston. And as it came to be, these first bands we were in obviously weren't the ones to make it. So it kinda came down to the four people that are in the band now. These are the four that are ready to work, willing to work. And that's how it came about.

Did the four bands ever play together before?
Yes. Very rarely, not much. But here and there.

Which band were you a part of?
I was in a band called Blackbelt. Ian, the singer, was in a band called Reason Enough. And Chris, the guitarist, was in a band called Ink Boys (???)

What bands are your influences?
Oh, man. We got a style from Metallica..to..Sick of It All..to..Led Zeppelin..to..Dave Matthews. It's a big range.

Yeah, I was just listening to your cd today. It's kind of hardcore, but it's kinda punk. How would you define your own music?
I would define it as simple hardcore. But we do put the rock in there. It just kinda lays it back a little bit. We are as aggressive as the music is. We're not all that aggressive.

Yeah, it's kinda fun record.
Yeah. Lay back a little. Just have fun with it. We've been labeled Youth Crew and Old School and all these other sub-scenes of the music scene. But it all comes down to just simple hardcore.

So, how does the band write its songs? Is there a process you guys go through?
Basically, we all have different ideas going on, and when we come into the practice space, we throw them around. Sometimes, one of us can have a whole song done and it works. But it's usually not. Wish it was that easy all the time. It's basically a bunch of different ideas. We come in, we move them around. One day we can have 3 different ideas working together, but the next day if a new idea comes in, we'll take one out and that'll make the song right there. It's not a very long stressful process, but it takes a little time.

What bands have you played with?
I guess when we first started, most the shows were with Blood for Blood, All Out War; those are always good. Madball, you can never not have fun at a Madball show. Some tours we've done..the Boy Sets Fire tour was great. Bigger bands... Dropkick Murphys, they took us out for a little while; that was great. And now we're in the middle of a Misfits tour.

How do you feel about that? Touring with the Misfits?
It's different. I can't really complain about it. We're the first band. There's sold-out crowds every night. We're getting the name and the music out to a lot of different people that we normally wouldn't.

Well, it's not an exact fit that I'd see as hardcore would...
No, it's not. But they're great guys. They're doing that for the hardcore reason. They're like lets get these underground punk bands, hardcore bands out there.

So, going off of that. How do you feel about the hardcore scene? Underground scene? Any changes you'd like to see?
Changes? Not really. It's such a small scene in reality anyways. I don't think there's room for people taking shots at bands for whatever reason. There's no need for that. It's too small as it is. It needs to..should be positive all the time. I think if it were like that, it could become something bigger than it is. I think some these kids think that hardcore is just underground. Sure it is, but it doesn't have to be. It can goto any level that people want it to as long as they don't keep putting stuff down on it. You hear it all the time, like "That band's good, but this person in the band does this.." Who give a shit? It's weird...

Cool. You guys have a split with Buried Alive?
Yes, that should be out July 25th.

Are you guys friends?
Oh, we're best of friends. Back to your touring question, we did a bunch of dates with those guys. And best of friends with those guys.

Were you friends just through the label or...
Actually, they actually in Connecticut. Our singer was there, and it was just through another person where they met. And they just kinda started shootin' the shit. The rest of the band became friends as we played together. Right of that show, we're all on the same page with who we are, what we do, and act like idiots.

What does the band do when it's not doing music? Hold jobs?
As of now, not really. When we were working, I was a caterer for a catering company. I've been in the food business for at least 7 years now. My singer was a paralegal for NBTA, which is the transit system in Boston. Bassist was manager of a newspaper company. The guitarist just kinda worked here and there, various different things. Now that we're touring constantly, no one's working full time. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go back and do some work here and there when I do go home.

Do you plan to tour alot?
Oh, yeah. We've been going since April of this year. We plan on having a new record out by the first of next year. From that on, we hope to tour the whole year through.

So have you guys started recording?
Well, the 2 songs that are coming out on that split with Buried Alive will be on the full length. Those 2 are kinda done. Other than that, we have 4 songs done but not recorded.

When do you plan on going to the studio?
That should be the end of October.

Last question, how do you feel about the MP3 deal?
I think it's a good source to get music. I dunno.

How would you feel if you songs were out there?
I believe our songs are out there, and I really have no problems with it. Especially with the level we're on with the band, whatever way someone can hear our music is fine with me. I think on the other levels up there, I really couldn't tell ya how I feel about it.

That's cool. I guess that'll be the interview.
Alright, some closing comment. That Buried Alive split is definitely coming out July 25th. Look for us on the road constantly all through next year. And a new record should definitely be out in January.