Issue #4 - November 2015: 7 Minutes In Heaven

NOV 15 | ISSUE 4

ONLINE MAGAZINE

I I V 7 Minutes In Heaven

Major League | BoyMeetsWorld | Set It Off | Trophy Lungs

Staff:

Carol Simpson

co-founder/editor-in-chief Karina Cordova

co-founder/Photographer Sam Lesser

photographer Sara Ruben

contributor/writer Alexa Frankovitch

photographer/contributor

Contact Us: Email: UnderdogPress2012@gmail.com Website: UnderdogPress.net Issues: Issuu.com/Underdogpress

NOTE: no copyright infringement intended All written material is original. All rights for album artwork and promotional photos used go to their respectful owners.

Letter from the Editor Underdog Press has survived as a magazine for 4 issues now. A year ago when Jacob Lahah presented this idea to me I thoguht it was crazy, but now I can’t imagine Underdog without it. Thank you to anyone who has ever supported our blog, magazine, or contributors.

Get Connected

UnderdogPress.net Facebook.com/UnderdogPress Twitter.com/Underdog_Press Instagram: UnderdogPress

Special thanks to: Major League, Austin Griswold, Set It Off, Cody Carson, Natalie Bisignano, Trophy Lungs, CT House Shows, BoyMeetsWorld, Kelly at Midwest Rising PR, 7 Minutes In Heaven, 40 West Band,

CONTENTS Album Reviews pg. 6 Trophy Lungs pg. 10 BoyMeetsWorld pg. 14 Set It Off pg. 24 7 Minutes In Heaven pg. 30 Major League pg. 36 Gallery pg. 42

CONTENTS:

Album REVIEWS Artist: Cady Groves Album: Dreams EP

Cady Groves is back with a thrilling new EP and it’s available for FREE. The Oklahoma native is bringing back her pop country vibes in a 5 song adventure. Cady Groves’ Dreams EP tells multiple stories through her blatantly honest lyricism.

The first track Caught is simple and endearing. A feel good tune with simple lyrics about getting “caught” with a special someone. The song is a great opener with lighthearted emotions that help balance out the heavy emotions that will come later in the EP.

The title track Dreams has a pre-chorus that makes you want to drive with the windows down enjoying a warm breeze. The song is a little repetitive and the intro sounds similar to Caught, but there is still something special here. The song takes on its own personality eventually. This song is held together by the drums which make it worth dancing to.

Cause I Said No starts simply with vocals and breaks into fast paced vocals with acoustic guitar. This track is full of potential, but the layering of the vocals at certain points brings it down and just makes it sound like a poorly produced mess. It isn’t Groves’ brightest moment. Oil & Water is a mature version of Cady Groves previous Month Of Sundays hits. This ballad is drenched in emotion and lets the lyrics shine through with minimal instrumentation and vocal tricks. “We gave it our all we can’t try any harder/Some people don’t mix they are like oil and water”

Crying Game is the most brutally honest and final song on the record.

It paints a vivid picture of the trials and tribulations Groves has had to face in her life. The song itself isn’t slow sad. A strong representation of her newfound strength to open up about her past struggles and looking forward despite the “crying game” of life.

Cady Groves has come a long way as a performer and is looking to rebuild her following with this EP. The talent and potential are all there for the making of a new country pop starlet. You can pick up the Dreams EP for free on Soundcloud.com/CadyGroves Underdog Press | 6

review by Carol Simpson

Artist: Daisychain.

Album: Keeping You Around

New York band, daisychain, recently released their debut LP titled Keeping You Around. This record features a line up of fun songs with lyrics that seem to express the reality of a relationship between two people – the good times and the hard times. Many of the songs discuss feelings that we all experience at some point. But daisychain take an unusually upbeat approach to all of it, making the whole album easy to listen to.

The album kicks off with a great rock sound on the first track titled The Both of Us. “The both of us are never gonna stop, we’re never gonna part, we’ll be together till we drop, people come and people go, but you’re the one that I’ve been shown is not going anywhere.” Having that feeling that you are with someone you know you want to stick with is one we have all experienced.

Roses is the fourth song on this album. It keeps a great beat throughout and is a fun song about being with someone who is amazing to you.

“You are finer than the finest things I know, when you’re with me I don’t want to let you go” are lyrics that everyone can feel. As soon as you hear it, you think of a certain person in your life that gives you a similar feeling.

This album features an interlude as the fifth track. It starts off slow but gradually adds instruments as the beat picks up and it allows you take step back from the usual sound you hear and allowing you to hear just the instruments behind the lyrics. It’s refreshing.

Track seven, Wait Up, keeps you interested with a bit of a different sound. This one relates to the struggles of being away from someone that you so badly want to be with. As the album comes to a close, Thick Thighs and Where I Want to Be talk about some of the harder stuff like having someone you know isn’t good for you or letting go of someone.

This album creates a relatable theme for the audience. It can be interpreted in any way it applies, but I think it does a good job of including all aspects of a relationship, while keeping an upbeat tone to it. It’s an integration of the pop punk and rock sounds creating a solid album definitely worth a listen. review by Sara Ruben

Underdog Press | 7

Artist: Blessthefall Album: To Those Left Behind

Screamo/rock band, Blessthefall, released a new album titled, To Those Left Behind.

This is a powerful album with a ton of emotion.

You can tell how much work was put into each song and that it came from a personal experience. However, Blessthefall, is rather vague in many of their songs leaving it completely up to audience to determine what it means to them.

And that makes the album even better.

Right off the bat, this album is awesome. The first track, Decayer, kicks it off with a great sound that pulls you in. Walk On Water hits with meaningful lyrics: “You love and you lose, I wish that you knew, that it’s just a lesson you can’t teach.”

The third track, Dead Air, is a strong one lyrically for sure. It’s softer than the previous songs and packed with a powerful message about letting go and moving on. This continues to the next track, Up In Flames, which is definitely one of the best. This song has hard-hitting lyrics saying, “Don’t drag me through your nightmare, don’t tear apart what I am.” In this song, the emotion really comes through, the words matching perfectly with the instrumentals and the way it is sung.

The next two songs both start off very energetic and have messages that are clearly understood. In Against The Waves, you are urged to stay true, “with vultures pulling at you.” In Looking Down From The Edge, it states, “it’s getting hard to understand, why I’m wide awake but barely breathing.” Both of these songs help the audience get in touch with the music as they convey feelings people can relate to.

The title track, To Those Left Behind, is the tenth track on this record.

This song is amazing. It has the perfect mix of clean and unclean vocals, and a strong beat to accompany throughout the song. The wise words to take from this songs are “The past should stay dead.” Departures, softens and slows down to close the album. It took a few listens, but this turns out to be one of the top songs.

This record is absolutely killer in all aspects. It’s face paced, has a balance of heavier and lighter songs, but never boring and leaves you wanting more after each song. Each song has an individual sound with a different meaning, and a lot is left up for interpretation, which allows it to be personal for each listener. There isn’t a bad song on this album.

Underdog Press | 8

review by Sara Ruben

Trophy Lungs

photos and story by Alexa Frankovitch

Self-described as “three intoxicated nerds playing mediocre music in between episodes of The X-Files,” Trophy Lungs is making a splash in the punk rock music scene. With their two-week tour coming to a close, and their newest album, Day Jobs, set to be released in the coming weeks, Kelly McGuire, Kevin Bogart, and Brendan Guerin are riding a pretty great rollercoaster that’s only going up.

“We hit a snag in Indiana, we had some van trouble, which

could have gone way worse. We’re able to finish the tour, which is great,” said Kelly, regarding their current U.S. tour. “Yeah, he put the van up on a lift, and stood underneath and shook a tire, and just kept saying the words ‘this shouldn’t happen. But other than that, the tour has been crazy awesome,’” added Kevin. “We’re alive, and it’s super awesome, and our van has all four wheels.”

The trio has been playing with a variety of bands – some well known, some new to the scene – in everywhere from DIY practice spaces, record shops, and dive bars, like the one we were sitting in.

“This place is pretty rad,” said Kelly as we looked around at the dark, vintage hole-in-the-wall. Old family photos and concert posters coated the walls, antique slot machines and pinball games glowed in the corner, and the guys had queued up a stream of classic rock songs on the record player.

“Basically we’ve played a lot of pretty sketchy places – like this one.”

But beyond dimly lit bars and sweaty Brooklyn basements, Trophy Lungs has big plans on the horizon. “Next year we’re trying to go over to Europe,” said Kelly. “Some dudes across the pond that want to put out a record over there, and then do two weeks over in the UK, which is going to be super awesome. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, even though I’m terrified of flying and will probably have a panic attack.”

And on top of a hit U.S. tour and plans of continuing overseas, the band also has a new album release to be proud of. “This record has been such a long time coming. We’ve been playing some of the songs live, and we streamed two songs before leaving for this tour, and everyone’s loved it so far. We’ve seen some people singing along out there, it’s awesome to see.”

Underdog Press | 11

The band had a hiccup last month with trying to release the album to the public. As a result, they have been offering exclusive merch to audience members who preorder the album throughout the tour. “We’ve literally been sitting on it for over two years, so it’s a huge deal for us.”

While Trophy Lungs was born in Boston, the band members themselves were not.

“Yeah that’s the funny thing, as a band from Boston, none of us are actually from Boston.” Kelly said. “We met in like 2010, 2011. We were all playing in different bands. I had just moved to Boston, these guys were there before that. We were in three different bands that only played shows with each other. And, you know, I poached the cream of the crop. So we were hanging out for a few years before we actually began this band.”

While all three members came from different bands, they have all always shared the same musical influences. “Oh we’re definitely influenced by bands like Blink 182, Dillinger Four, Banner Pilot, but also friends’ bands that we’ve gotten to play with. You know, you just learn from friends how to be a band.” Brendan said.

“You all share the experience of what it’s like being on the road.”

“I think that’s one of the best parts of touring; when you tour you’re playing with new bands or your friends bands, and you can learn from them. You’re in a new city, you’re gauging what the responses are.” Kelly added. “You have your core influences, but I feel like you learn more every time you play a show. There’s Underdog Press | 12

definitely bands where you play with them and you’re like, ‘wow, I’m not that good. But it’s rad to play with those bands because they can push us to be better.”

As Kelly, Kevin, and Brendan continue to climb their way up the ladder, they’re receiving more opportunities for tours and performances. But when it comes to one of the big leagues, like Warped Tour, they find themselves conflicted.

“I think there’s a lot of political issues involving Warped Tour that’s kind of a super bummer. There’s a lot of new acts that womanize a lot of people, and there’s a lot of sexual assault allegations that obviously we do not support.”

Kelly stated.

“Growing up, I went to a lot of Warped Tours, and I think it’s fair to say that those Warped Tours are not the same as these ones. And so I wouldn’t want to take a stance as a band for things we believe in, and then go on a tour just because it’s cool and completely contradict everything we believe in.” Kevin added. “But there’s the other option too. I think it’s really rad to use something like this as a soap box to say, we’re here and we want to vocalize how shitty these things are. So there’s two ways to play it, but it’s such a slippery slope.”

So many bands are beginning to have to make conflicting decisions like this, but as Kelly said “It’s not like they’re beating down our door or anything, so we don’t have to worry about it right now.”

One other thing they don’t need to worry about, but have still thought through: the zombie apocalypse. “Oh, Brendan would die instantly. Like before the apocalypse even starts, as soon as that one monkey is being tested, Brendan has already died.”

The record player had run out of songs, but before they got up to choose a few more, I asked if there was anything they would like to tell their audience.

“These guys are idiots, check ‘em out.”

Trophy Lungs’s newest album, Day Jobs, comes out this month. You can find it, along with their EP, No Judgement, at http://trophylungs.bandcamp.com/.

Connect with Trophy Lungs Facebook.com/TrophyLungs Twitter.com/TrophyLungs Instagram: TrophyLungs TrophyLungs.Bandcamp.com

New Album “Day Jobs” Available Now! Underdog Press | 13

Photos and story by Carol Simpson

Underdogs

BoyMee

on the Rise:

etsWorld

“On “Become Someon mature musical

Cincinnati

punk rockers, BoyMeetsWorld, have been on everyone’s radar since releasing their debut full length this summer and spending the entire summer on the Vans Warped Tour. “Become Someone” their debut full length has old school vibes and is helping these rookies make a their mark on the pop punk scene. We caught up with the band at the Hamden, CT date of their co-headlining tour with our cover stars 7 Minutes In Heaven. These guys were full of energy on and off the stage. It’s easy to feel tired and less than positive while on the road, but even after the show the band was in good spirits and excited to interact with their fans.

Frontman, Craig Sulken told us about the writing process for the album. “Sometimes it starts with melody or guitar part so it always varies. Always writing in my head.” Always writing in his head means this debut full length has been a work in progress for some time. “The writing process for the majority of the tracks pretty much began as a bunch of song ideas I’ve been compiling from the past couple of years or so, and just slowly have been working on these songs to make them complete over time.”

Previously the band had been promoting and performing music from their EP, but now BoyMeetsWorld are presenting to the world who they are as a band. “This is our debut full length so it really means a lot to us and we are extremely proud of every track on it. We’ve come such a long way as a band and now we have the album to prove it.”

Proving it. It seems like every pop punk band has to prove themselves to stand out from the cliché bands and the heavy hitters that are changing the scene. BoyMeetsWorld are stepping in the right direction of proving themselves with a record Underdog Press | 16

ne” our songs are more lly.” - Craig Sulken that carries an old school punk vibe. Their stellar record is backed up with an unmatched stage presence. BoyMeetsWorld may not be selling out venues or have a top selling record yet, but they have the heart and talent to get there in no time. Sulken puts their end of the year goal in a simple way by saying they just want to “keep meeting new faces and playing in front of them.”

Connect with BoyMeetsWorld Facebook.com/BoyMeetsWorldBand Twitter.com/OfficialBMWBand Instagram: BoyMeetsWorldBand

New Album “Become Someone” Available Now!

Underdog Press | 17

NEW FOUND GLORY & YELLOWCARD Playstation Theater - 10.24.15 - New York City Photos by Sam Lesser

Set It Of

ff “We truly found ourselves when we put together Duality.”

Florida

band, Set It Off, have been a staple in the alternative scene since their formation in 2008. Their sound has always brought unique elements to punk all while evolving and growing over the years. Cody Carson expressed to us that this something they pride themselves on. Set It Off are a passion driven band that, despite controversy, still emphasize the art.

Their latest release, Duality: Stories Unplugged, was a cultivation of all of their creative talents in an effortless way.

Front man Cody Carson tells us, “I think the most impressive side of the creation of our acoustic EP is how quickly we did these arrangements. They weren’t rushed. They were just genuinely inspired and put together in such a way that we didn’t have to work very hard at it. It came naturally. From rearranging songs that were already in existence to writing the brand-new song ‘Wild Wild World’. It was just full of moments of excitement.”

The ease of making this 6 track EP may have come from the band finding their niche during the making of their Duality full length. “We truly found ourselves when we put together Duality, and we did that by just drawing inspiration from anything we’ve ever listened to. So we are drawing inspiration from oldies from the 60s and 70s, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston from the 80s, pop and R&B from the 90s, and pop rock from the early 2000s...all those eclectic inspirations helped Set It Off become what we are today.”

Set It Off aren’t just passionate about their own tunes.

Cody Carson eagerly supports another band well known for their ever-changing sound. “I’m really excited to give the new Bring Me The Horizon record a full listen. I have nothing but respect for the band in the way they have evolved. They have big things ahead of them and I wish them the best.”

Underdog Press | 26

If you have had Duality and Duality: Stories Unplugged on repeat since their respective releases don’t worry, Set It Off will be working on new music early next year! “Hopefully by the end of the year we will have written the best songs Set It Off has ever put together. We plan to hit the studio early next year.” Carson explained to us as Set It Off’s end of year goal. Until then be sure to also pay attention to their YouTube channel. They will be releasing several videos in the future.

Story by Carol Simpson Photos by Sam Lesser

Underdog Press | 27

7 Minutes In Heaven AMBITIOUS PUNK

“You have to stay relevant

and satisfy the people that are listening to you and want more of you.”

7 Minutes In Heaven. No, not the game you used to

play in middle school, but an up and coming pop-punk band from Chicago, IL paving their way through their local scene and beyond.

This trio has been on the road and in the studio non-stop for much of 2015. Their hard work is finally coming to a head with their recently released single I’m Okay and their highly anticipated new EP which is set to be released soon.

Since their debut full length The Statement dropped, 7 Minutes In Heaven have travelled around the country playing with bands like Metro Station, SayWeCanFlyy, Set It Off, and so many more. The band attributes their steady triumphs recently to their presence on social media. “Online is definitely a huge factor for us. Especially since that is like the new way to promote yourself in a massive sense.” vocalist and bassist, Alex Rogers tells us. “We have this core fan base of people that have been there for a while and you keep growing. It’s [by] word of mouth. That’s the only true successful promotional tool.” Guitarist/Vocalist Timmy Rasmussen adds, “You have to stay relevant, I guess, and satisfy the people that are listening to you and want more of you. Touring and going out and doing smaller tours has helped us progress naturally.”

It’s clear that this is still a learning process for these three guys.

One important thing they are still learning to balance is staying true to themselves while still satisfying the needs of their loyal followers. Timmy describes it as a learning process. “It’s hard. We’re still trying to figure that out. It’s like we’re trying to find a way to put ourselves first and make ourselves happy before we can try and please other people and that is such a fine line.”

Despite trying to not cross that very fine line they feel they’re headed in the right direction. Part of 7 Minutes In Heaven’s satisfying Underdog Press | 31

fans agenda includes being easily accessible to their fans. They find being out there meeting and talking to their audience as an essential piece for their puzzle. One major downside to this accessibility is losing their personal space at times while on the road and even while at home sometimes. “In this scene specifically that is definitely a difficult thing. We don’t have a bus or a bandwagon to go hide away on. We have friends. We want to hang out and talk to people, but there’s definitely a point where, at least when I’m home, where I want to hang out with the people that I haven’t seen in a while or I just want to have my own alone time. Whether it be online or in person you still have people that want something from you for whatever reason. Honestly, it’s learning how to say no and having people understand that. You almost have to go person by person”

Even with issues of accessibility, the high cost of touring, and creating new content, 7MIH remain dedicated to the “bigger picture.”

Alex explained it as, “The drive. That’s really what it comes down to in the end. If something isn’t really working. I think that’s what keeps us going. It has been working. It’s something we have been real about Underdog Press | 32

and it really is us. I’ve seen bands end because they stopped being real and it’s in addition to, we’re all fucking broke. We’re not making a profit off of this band, but we keep doing it. We’re on the road. It’s doing stuff constantly”

“Doing stuff” constantly includes ending the year with a new EP. Once our interview topic shifted to new music 7 Minutes In Heaven were visibly excited once we began talking about release dates and their plans for the rest of 2015. 7 Minutes In Heaven’s ambition shined through with their goals and expectations for this EP. While they’re ambitious, they also demonstrated humble character when we spoke about their expectations and hopes for this EP. “We’re really proud of the music we just did. This is the best music that has been written and put out. Who knows what is going to happen when we drop the single and put the EP out. Honestly, it’ll probably flop.” As an end of the year goal Timmy hopes to make it into the charts, “I want to get into the Heatseekers [chart] with this release”.

Alex went one step further, “I want to break like top 50 in Billboard on the first day.”

7 Minutes In Heaven are only looking forward, but when asked what they would tell their 10 year old selves if they could they all agreed on one thing, that they couldn’t believe that they are where they are right now. Be on the lookout for 7 Minutes In Heaven and their new EP. Their ambition, positive attitudes, and friendly personalities will propel them far past the Chicago local scene.

Story + Photos by Carol Simpson

Connect with 7 Minutes In Heaven Facebook.com/7MIHBand Twitter.com/7MIHBand Instagram: 7MIHBand 7MIH.com

New Single “I’m Okay” Available Now! Underdog Press | 36

Major League From touring across North America, to getting stranded kilometers across the Canadian border, Major League has been on a wild ride over the past few weeks. And with half of a tour left, plus plans for a new album, it’s about to get even wilder.

photos and story by Alexa Frankovitch

“Well, we could be better,” were the first words out of Brian Joyce’s

mouth as we stood in the grimy, narrow back alley between the formerchurch-turned-concert-venue and a shabby McDonald’s.

“Well, I woke up with no voice yesterday. We have no idea how it happened. I was fine all week, and then yesterday right before the first day of the tour I woke up whispering. So last night Matt sang for me, and we only did five songs. And then yesterday when we were doing sound check, our trailer got into a hit-and-run, so now we have no trailer.”

In the following weeks, their problems have only amplified, with their remaining vehicle breaking down, leaving all four band members and their equipment stranded in Canada for a few days. But amid the chaos, the quartet has remained wildly humble, taking the rest of the tour one step at a time, while keeping big plans on the horizon.

Born in 2009 of a collective love of alternative music, Brian Joyce, Nick Trask, Luke Smartnick, Kyle Bell, and Matt Chila have had their ups and downs, from being signed to No Sleep records in 2012 to vocalist Nick Trask stepping down in 2014. Today, the remaining four have traveled through several tours together, bringing them to their current stint with Stray from the Path on the Subliminal Criminals Tour.

“We did a tour back in February with Silverstein and Bear Tooth and I kind of thought ‘Ok cool, this is a harder tour, I’m getting a feel for how to tour with these kinds of bands and the type of crowds that they have,’” Brian commented. “But then we got to the first day of this tour and I saw how people reacted to Comeback Kid and Stray from the Path, and I was like ‘Oh my god, this is still so different.’”

“I don’t think we’ve really played to this type of crowd before, especially with the new stuff. And I mean that’s what I kind of think every band should be worried about, getting as much of a diverse fan base as possible,” Matt added.

“We just love touring a making friends. I mean it sounds super cliché, but it’s such an amazing experience. We’ve wanted to travel, we love traveling; even more than just playing music every night, we love being around one another and making friends all over the country. Any opportunity we have to do it, and meet new people through that process, we’ll take any tour.”

Jumping from one electrified tour to another, Major League has not only been on the bill for some pretty major headlining tours, but for the 2015 Vans Warped Tour as well. “Warped Tour is a full time job. I never understood until I did Warped,” Brian said. “Up until then, I always treated this band as my job. We all have our different jobs that we do, but then you get to Warped Tour

Underdog Press | 38

Tour and it’s like ‘Oh my god, I actually have a wake up time.’ I felt like such a legit grown up.”

But beyond constantly touring, Major League is queueing up another big ticket item: releasing a new record. The band plans to take time off after the conclusion of the Subliminal Criminals Tour to begin recording a new album with plans to release it in the spring/summer months of 2016. “The last record was more of a transitional record for us. It was my first time singing on a record,” Brian commented. “It was sort of like us figuring out how to be a band again, but I think we’re all really excited about this next record because now that we found our niche and kind of know ourselves a little better, now we know our playing field.”

Outside of the direct stage light, bands often rely on social media to make announcements, connect with fans, and keep themselves relevant, and the members of Major League have previously been known for their willingness to share opinions and beliefs via Twitter. But over the last few months, their media output has dwindled down to the bare minimum.

“It was sort of like

us figuring out how to be a band again.�

Underdog Press | 40

previously been known for their willingness to share opinions and beliefs via Twitter. But over the last few months, their media output has dwindled down to the bare minimum.

“We just don’t say anything,” Kyle said. “We say what we want to one another, just get it out.”

And for Brian, “I just stopped caring. I’ve come to realize that my opinion is just so shitty, and it’s not just mine. Everyone’s opinion just sucks, no one has a good opinion about anything. So why even voice it anymore? You’re always going to have someone that’s offended, it doesn’t matter. I could post something and there could be 50 people that agree, and 50 people that hate me for it. It’s damaging either way. Everyone is just so sensitive today. There are certain things like racial slurs and homophobic slurs that need to be gone, it’s 2015, but then once you go beyond that, no matter what you say, someone will always try to find a way to feel like it’s directed towards them and they have to stand up for this mass society of people that are offended by it. It’s just gotten to the point where I post a couple memes now and then and move on with my life.”

But even with the bad-mouthers typically at the head of the reply sections, Major League still took to social media for help when their remaining van broke down. Fans came out of the woodwork and in less than a single day, the guys were able to get back on the road to continue playing for their devoted fans.

“Within the last 24 hours we’ve received an incredible amount of support,” they wrote on their Facebook. “During that time, we’ve exhausted ourselves looking for other options. With the financial support that you have all given us we were able to put everything we had plus your donations into a solution for the time being. We’re starting over from scratch but that’s the price we pay to be able to continue. As said before - we never wanted to be a charity. We never wanted this to be a pity party. We’re doing anything we can to help pay back more than a tee shirt to those who have donated and helped us get on our feet. When the trailer was totaled there were other options.

With this - our only option was money. We could never repay or thank you all enough.

Anyone who has shared a post, bought a shirt, donated a dollar or just wished us well - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I don’t really know what else to say except SEE YOU IN CALGARY SUBLIMINAL CRIMINALS. All our love xoxo.”

The band is now back on the road, intent on finishing the tour as a result of the overflow of support. But regardless of their feedback on social media, Major League still prefers faceto-face communication to anything else. “Our best source of marketing is just touring and talking to people. At this point, that’s just where we feel most comfortable. On the internet, you can’t really come off as sincere, it’s just so hard. If you can just sit down and talk to someone and have a real, legit conversation, I feel like that’s the best way to market. To just connect with people on a human experience level, as opposed to just a mass post.”

On a major, cross-country tour, so many things can happen, but Major League has definitely received worst of it. Between Brian losing his voice at the start, and the band getting stranded just kilometers outside of the United States in the middle, one can only hope that they make it through to the end. But amidst the pandemonium, the band has still managed to remain grounded and true to themselves. “We just want to say a thank you to anybody that supports the band. Whether it’s the other bands, whether it’s the industry, or people, just anyone who allows us to do this. There are bands every day who drop like flies, and we’ve had a million reasons to probably not be a band anymore, but there’s still that one. We still get to play our music.”

Underdog Press | 41

GALL

LERY

Photo by Carol Simpson

REAL FRIENDS

SET IT OFF

Photo by Sam Lesser

Photo by Sam Lesser

HAVE MERCY

YELLOWCARD

Photo by Sam Lesser

Photo by Sam Lesser

TRANSIT

THE VAMP

PS

Photo by Carol Simpson

7 MINUTES

Photo by Sam Lesser

IN HEAVEN

Photo by Carol Simpson

BRIGADES