Straight Up Random

Interview: The Upset Victory

*All questions answered by Spencer Van Der Zee (Bass) and Stephen Campbell (guitar) of The Upset Victory*

Interview:

So you recently signed to Take Over Records, how was that?!

Signing with TakeOver was extremely exciting and were looking forward to being a part of the TakeOver family. It’s just another avenue for getting our music out there!

In your blog, you said your second EP will be pressed & finished in about a week or two. What can the fans be looking forward to on this EP?

The new EP is very different than our old material. You can definitely tell it’s an Upset Victory record, but we raised the bar quite a bit both lyrically and musically.

This summer, you’re actually heading in the studio to start recording a full length record. How will the album be different or similar to the EP?

With a full length we’re pushing ourselves to write the absolute best material possible. On an EP, fans get four or five songs. With a full length, we are making an “album,” in the truest sense of the word. We want it to be one, cohesive masterwork as opposed to a bunch of songs slapped together.

What made you want to be in a band? Was there one instance in particular that any of you remember that made you want to play the instrument you do now and/or sing?

Steve and I can’t speak for everyone else in the band, but basically, we grew up listening to punk and heavy metal. One day we said “hey dude, lets start a band.” Not very romantic, but that’s how it went.

How did you guys meet to form the band? Did you know each other previously?

We all knew each other through previous bands, playing around Cincinnati. When our old band broke up in 2006, Steve called Frank and Frank to set up our first band practice. Jeremy Kramer joined the group in March of 2007.

How long have you been a band together?

About two years.

How did you come up with your name?

Our singer, Frank, came up the name. We all love it. When it comes to writing, where do you gather inspiration from?

Is writing a group process or does one of you in particular write the lyrics?

As far as lyrics go, we draw inspiration from personal experience, literature, philosophy and everything in between. Myself, steve, and our Frank Hammonds write the lyrics and present them to the rest of the band.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, what do you do to overcome it?

We rarely get writers block. If we get stuck, we keep pushing.

Who are your influences, and how have they influenced your sound?

Everyone in the band has really diverse tastes; from strung out to Brian Wilson to iron maiden to the rx bandits and everything in between.

How has the scene in Ohio had an influence on your musical style?

There’s a lot of country and bluegrass around here. We don’t really listen to that too much.

How would you describe your sound?

As far as our new cd, Warren Cooke (president of Takeover records) said we sound like ” a bastard child of motley crue and iron maiden” or something like that. That’s a bit of a stretch, but we’ll take it. We are extremely proud of the first EP, but it was recorded two years ago without Jeremy. The new one is a more accurate and current representation of our sound.

What does your live show consist of?

You have great vocals and awesome guitar riffs; I can imagine it would be real energetic! Our live show is generally pretty explosive. We pour all we have into the show. Shane: Bryan and Josh started the band at school in Oregon. They moved down to LA and we became friends. I joined soon after and then we met Phil at UCLA. Our family and fans have been incredibly supportive… patient! [laughs]

There’s a lot of bands out there, and with the help of MySpace and other networking sites, their music has become more accessible to fans. Do you think sites like these hurt or help bands due to the large inventory of music it creates for the listener?

By and large, myspace helps bands.but It does take away some of the mystery. Back in the day, bands like black sabbath and iron maiden were like gods. you couldn’t just go to a website and find out what bruce dickinsons favorite color was.

What do you feel sets you apart from other bands?

We utilize three guitars, which most bands don’t do. Our lyrics are incredibly thoughtful.

What do you think is the hardest part about being in a band that most people don’t realize?

Funding. Paying for stuff out of pocket is really our only obstacle.

What’s been on your playlist lately?

Spencer - Skeletonwitch, total fury, sigur ros, arsis, a wilhelm scream

Steve - protest the hero (fortress), children of bodom (blooddrunk), story of the year (the black swan).

What’s your guilty pleasure song?

Your love - the outfield

So, can you give SUR readers a peek into the not-so-distant future of The Upset Victory?

By fall, The Upset Victory will have three releases under our belt. We plan on touring in january! August 22nd is our cd release show so if you’re in the area, please come check it out

Where can our readers buy your music?

takeoverdigital.com, itunes and amazon.com will be active very soon or always at shows