WHITE NOISE ZINE ISSUE 15 - SILVERSTEIN, SILENT PLANET, HEARTSUPPORT, TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH + MORE!

Issue 15 // August 2017

SILVERSTEIN

+ Silent Planet + HeartSupport + Too Close to Touch + MORE!

White Noise (noun) - A steady, unobtrusive sound, as an electronically produced drone or the sound of rain, used to mask or obliterate unwanted sounds.

S TA F F / / August Co-Founder - Art Director Crisanne Glasser Co-Founder - Features Editor Danielle Gittleman Contributing Writers Casey Wolfe, Gianluca D’Elia, Danielle Gittleman, Emily Klingman, Nicole Cortese Contributing Photographers Sheri Berman, Alyssa Kromelis, Crisanne Glasser, Sam Polonsky, Dani Sacco, Ryan Pugh

Hello everyone!

Welcome to this year’s Vans Warped Tour issue! We’re so excited to bring you some exclusives with Silverstein, To Close Too Touch, and Silent Planet. We even had the chance to chat with HeartSupport about what they do to help those in need.

We have an absolutely massive photo spread showing your favorite Warped bands in action over the summer.

Last but not least, we have some reviews of releases from Warped bands — Silverstein, Our Last Night, CKY, and Sworn In. We have a jam packed issue for you guys and we hope you enjoy it all — we certainly had a lot of fun putting it all together.

CONTENTS Silent Planet

4

Hawking

8

Silverstein

10

Varsity Week

14

HeartSupport

16

Vans Warped Tour Photo Gallery

22

Too Close to Touch

34

Album Reviews

38

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feeling the music

SILENT PLANET ARE BREAKING PAST THE WALL AGAINST HARD TOPICS AND ARE HERE TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT MUSIC HELPS MAKE HARD THINGS OK. Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photos by Crisanne Glasser

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etalcore rockers Silent Planet have been steadily making a name for themselves. With songs about personal and important issues like depression, being bipolar, and PTSD, the dudes of Silent Planet finally brought their songs to the Vans Warped Tour, and are paving their own way in the music industry.

“Five years ago we went on our first tour and this nomadic lifestyle started for me,” said vocalist Garrett Russell. “Being able to be apart of Warped Tour is crazy. If you would have told me five years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. I know that sounds cliché, but like, I think anyone would maybe say that on this tour that’s newer to Warped Tour.

This is all crazy for us.”

It’s been about a year since the band has released Everything Was Sound, and it’s been a crazy ride since their fans have gotten their hands on the record. “I think that people are getting into it. We’ve played more songs this time around and people seem to like that. If anything, if people are like, ‘why didn’t you play this song?’ it’s probably from the new record,

which is probably a good sign.

We’re already doing like, four newer songs and three from the old record and people still want more from the new record.

That’s really encouraging,” said Russell. “Our 2014 release we love, so the fact that people embrace the 2016 one so much is really encouraging. I think that every artist has that fear that people will always just want their old stuff. That’s fine to an extent, but you have to accept that about 25% of your listening base will always like your old stuff. It’s a push and pull, I definitely don’t blame anyone for wanting the old stuff.”

Silent Planet uses their songs to discuss important topics that usually have a stigma surrounding them.

Russell notes that many people have approached him and expressed how much these songs have meant to them.

“I’ve met a lot of veterans through our song ‘Panic Room,’ that’s about PTSD and a few times I’ve heard veterans say things along the lines of, ‘You just kind of summed up the last few years of my life,’ or like, ’that song expresses what I’ve tried to express’ and that’s

something that surprises me because I’m not a veteran.

The song was written directly based on what I’ve been told by a veteran, and I think that his bravery is why that song is able to hit home to some degree,” explained Russell. “We’ve been playing ‘Nervosa’ and it’s a song about eating disorders. Talking to people who have gone through eating disorders, and contrary to what a lot of people think, it’s not always teenage girls who have them — it can be 30 year old men who are sort of just whispering about it because society doesn’t have a place for 30 year old men with eating disorders. I think those moments are the most proud because that’s when I know there’s a reason why I’m doing this. That’s when I feel the real purpose in the drive to be doing this.”

Russell knows how much of an impact that his music makes on people, and how making that music makes a mark on his own life. “It feels holy. My tradition is the Christian tradition, I guess more specifically the Jesus tradition and if something is holy that means it’s set apart, and those

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encounters — they feel holy. I usually try to write them down and really remember them because they feel so holy. It’s humbling to know myself and know my many flaws and that I’m being used for something despite the things that I’m going through. I try to open up about being diagnosed bipolar and things like that,” he said. “Music is a language. It makes us feel things that normal language wouldn’t normally make us feel.

I think that music as a language is built for a connection. I think that’s why you see people come to conclusions when they listen to music that something like a debate wouldn’t bring him to.”

The amount of thought and care the band has extends much farther than their music.

While on Warped, the guys made a point to make donations to a number of charities throughout the tour.

“We have this shirt that says ‘heal us’ and it kind of lists things like homophobia, racism, sexism, and we’ve probably sold more of that shirt than any other shirt, and we’ve never not toured or anything without that shirt for sale. That shirt I want to have on tour in like, 2020. The point is, it’s just a message. A lot of people like it, some people don’t like it but regardless I’m gonna have it,” explained Russell. “We’ve had it for so long, and people are so stoked on it, that I kind of figured, ‘well a lot of people who would buy that shirt would probably be willing to help us help other

people.’ So we raised the price $5, and we did that so that extra $5 would be designated to different charities every week. Most of the charities are Warped Tour charities.” They’ve made donations to Music Saves Lives, and HeartSupport, to name a few.

Once the summer is over, and Warped has come to an end, the guys of Silent Planet plan to do their own thing, including working on new music. “Our main goal is to really have a great album written,” smiled Russell. “We’ll hopefully put it out next year.

Later half of the year.”

Great things are on the horizon for Silent Planet, and it starts with the fans. “We love you guys. We appreciate ya’ll.”

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HAWKING Interview by Danielle Gittleman // Photo Courtesy of Hawking

WNZ: YOU GUYS RECENTLY RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, DIVERGE, HOW HAS THE RECEPTION BEEN SO FAR? Media reception has been insanely positive which we’re stoked about, just got Alt Press and Kerrang behind the release. Seeing the range of reactions from our fans has been the most interesting though. Our EP was one thing, but Diverge steps in this whole different direction we don’t even really have a suitable label for. Prog-Pop-Alt-Rock? It’s like here’s a big chorus, and then a verse with a subtle revolving polyrhythm underneath that teases now and comes back later as a breakdown, now here’s a dance beat with a guitar solo over it. I reckon some people are still having a hard time labelling us, which is good or bad depending who you ask. At the end of the day people like what they like and if our music tickles you then all the better.

WNZ: WHAT WAS YOUR WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS LIKE? DID YOU HAVE ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD RECORDING YOUR DEBUT? Diverge is not only our first full-length release but also the first album any of us have recorded with a band, so the main challenges had to do with to none of us having any idea what that whole process was supposed to be like. That gave us a lot of freedom though, and either way that’s just growing pains and it’s how you learn to work better together. The record turned out great and we’re stoked.

WNZ: WHAT ARE SOME INSPIRATIONS THAT WENT INTO DIVERGE? As far as other bands — Thrice, Protest The Hero, Saosin, Agent Fresco, Intervals, Polyphia, that kind of sound. Thematically it’s an album about growth, honour, love and fear, more or less.

WNZ: YOU GUYS ARE REALLY BIG ON TOURING, AND HAVE TOURED A LOT THIS

YEAR SO FAR. DO YOU THINK THAT THE CONSTANT TOURING HAS REALLY HELPED YOU CAREER-WISE? Yeah, you’ve just got to be on the road lots these days for people to care, at least if you’re the type of band we are with the type of fans we have. People expect a lot from us. Anyone can make YouTube covers, buy 50k Insta followers and hype themselves up to be an artist. Not to detract from that — if it gets your music out there and that’s what you want then go for it — but touring lots does have a way of separating the truly dedicated acts from the rest, so it’s where we thrive.

WNZ: DO YOU FIND IT HARD BEING ON TOUR FOR SUCH LONG PERIODS OF TIME? HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELVES GOING? No, it’s great. Our main sources of fuel are donairs, good ole fashioned ultra low-sulphur highway diesel and Califia Farms almond milk iced coffee. If something goes wrong, Gorilla Glue. Doesn’t matter what it is. Gorilla Glue.

WNZ: WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT CONSTANTLY TOURING? Looking cool because you eventually give up and just wear your stage clothes everywhere.

Although it does get a little old rolling into small town fast food joints and having everyone stare because you look straight out of The Matrix.

WNZ: WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU GUYS THIS YEAR? We have a live session for our single ‘Catalyst’ coming out soon. It was shot very up-close, so we’re excited to share that because fans are often curious what we’re playing, what shapes and techniques we’re using to get the sound we have, or even just how we look while playing through a tune together. We wanted to let people in and show the 4 of us doing what we do, as opposed to a flashy music video or anything else.

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CHANGING THE TUNE SILVERSTEIN have been nonstop since 2003 with new records and touring. This year they've changed it up and are redefining silverstein.

Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photo by Ryan Pugh

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etting their start back in 2000, Silverstein are no strangers to the Vans Warped Tour or the music scene. Having just released their eighth album, Dead Reflection, the guys are showing no signs of slowing down.

“It’s been like, actually overwhelming, and it’s our eighth record and we’ve had a lot of release dates,” said lead singer Shane Told. “I can remember them all pretty well, but I’ve never had this much response. It’s not just from the fans, but from a lot of my friends too, they’ve kind of reached out and said like, ‘oh shit, I know I’m just your friend or whatever but like, I listened to your record and it’s like really amazing.’ It’s been really really good to feel that. What’s cool is people are like, ‘oh this is my favorite song’ or ‘no this is my favorite song’ and it’s like all over the map. I think that that shows that we made a really cohesive record, a really solid record.”

After making several records, it would be safe to say that the band has found a system that works, and they stick to it. When it came to Dead Reflection, things were approached much differently.

From the writing process, to recording, this album was produced in a completely

different manner. “We did do things differently, I mean even the album artwork is radically different than anything we’ve done before. We worked with a different producer, and we worked in a different studio, we wrote the record in a completely different method. We didn’t even get in the same room to write. We did all of it trading stuff through Dropbox links. I was a little nervous about the idea, but it actually worked out way better because when we get in a room we’re all friends and always together because we’re on tour all of the time and we just fuck around. So when you have that ‘okay we’re sending this at this time’ it was always really focused on what we were doing,” explained Told. “Also, when we went into the studio, we had two weeks of pre-production which is the most we’ve ever done with a producer. And the producer was so much more hands on than we’ve ever had before.

Usually producers kind of trust me to write my vocal melodies and do whatever I want and he was like ‘uhh I have to hear everything that you’re going to do first before we record even a note of this.’ So that kind of lit a fire under my ass and it really pushed me. He was really picky and hands on, which was

a huge part of the record. We changed up some stuff with the way we tune the guitars, that kind of stuff. All in all, it just made for a really strong record.

We also only recorded the songs on the record — there were no b-sides this time which allowed us to focus on those songs.”

Fans were also lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the recording of the album. The guys shot and put out a mini documentary showing fans what they were up to in the studio. “I’m really glad we did it. When I saw it and I watched it a few weeks ago for the first time I was like, ‘huh I wanna hear this record,’ but like, I’ve already obviously heard this record. But like, it made me really wanna hear it. So I think it really served its purpose,” he said. The documentary seemed like a no brainer. The guys of Silverstein were more than happy to connect with their fans on yet another level. “We’ve never been a mysterious band. We’re always going to the merch table after shows and hanging out with the fans. We used to put our email addresses right on our website for people to contact us if they wanted. People write me on social media, I write them back. It’s always been how we

do it and I think this is kind of no exception. For us and our personality, that kind of thing like, works. The closeness to the fans just works for us.”

It’s been ten years since the release of one of the band’s most popular records, Arrivals and Departures. It’s a strange feeling for Told. “It does and it doesn’t [feel like ten years]. It’s weird because I can remember the process so well, and I can picture it in my mind like it was yesterday and I think about where I was at personally and the things that were going on in my life. It feels like a really long time ago when I think about that. The people that were in my life, my friends and my relationships and stuff, I’m just like, I can’t believe it,” said Told.

“It feels like more than ten years ago. When I think about making it, and singing the songs in the studio, the lead up to it coming out, it’s just pretty crazy. It’s gonna keep happening because we put out a record every two years like fucking clockwork.

Every odd year from 2003 to 2017 we’ve put out a record so every two years, it’s gonna be the same thing. In four years when Rescues turns ten, that’s gonna blow my mind.” Whether fans have noticed it or not, Silverstein have developed a schedule when it comes to releasing albums. It keeps them going, and really works for them.

“We’re always working, we haven’t stopped since 2003.

We’re either making a record, or we’re on tour, or we’re writing and that’s it. I think, I’ve had a bit of a rough year personally all of 2016 and knowing that we were going to schedule to record a new record did kind of force me to get out of my funk a little bit. Working on music and writing really did help me,” said Told. “There has been a certain structure in our lives going by that schedule. It’s good because you already know there’s going to be another record coming out in two years so you can start thinking creatively and think of some ideas you wanna try, things you wanna do differently.”

Since the guys have literally just released a brand new album, they’re not stopping anytime soon. Once Warped is over, they’ll be hitting the road yet again. “We’re doing a Canadian tour, we’re doing a fourteen day Germany tour, which is pretty crazy, and then we’re gonna do a UK tour and hopefully come back to tour the US early next year. So, pretty much a world tour, you know?

We’re going everywhere.”

Told has also dabbled a bit in the solo world, forming his project, River Oaks. Now that Dead Reflection is out, he can work more on his solo endeavors. He’ll even be heading out on some solo tour dates in Australia in support

of Hawthorne Heights. “I know people are like, ‘oh well the record’s new’ and yeah, we’ll be playing a lot of shows but in terms of the creative side of things, now we get a break. So, I can take a little more time to work on River Oaks, and writing and hopefully I can put out a full-length album.”

During the next few weeks, the guys of Silverstein are definitely going to be really busy. Told says the band owes it to the fans to allow them to make eight albums and become a successful band over the past seventeen years. “Thank you for noticing the work we put in, and how seriously we really take all of our albums. Putting out eight albums is certainly a feat, but putting out eight albums that we really strongly believe in, pretty much every song we back,” said Told. “Whenever I hear fans say ‘Silverstein can’t write a bad album’ or ‘Silverstein can’t write a bad song’ I feel like something like that is a pretty cool thing to hear. I appreciate that and wanna thank the fans for kind of noticing that we kind of keep the quality control up to par.”

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VARSITY WEEK

Interview by Danielle Gittleman // Photo Courtesy of Varsity Week

WNZ: YOU RECENTLY RELEASED YOUR DEBUT EP, IF YOU ONLY KNEW. HOW HAS THE RECEPTION BEEN SO FAR? It’s been incredible. I think we were all a little surprised to see how many people have picked it up, and also the love we’ve been getting on radio. So many people have been connecting to it and that’s just been the greatest feeling ever.

WNZ: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FINALLY HAVE YOUR DEBUT EP OUT? ‘If You Only Knew’ is an understatement, to be honest. There’s no way for me to describe the feeling, after the sacrifices we and the team made to finally get this thing out!!

WNZ: WHAT’S YOUR WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS LIKE? SINCE THIS WAS YOUR DEBUT, DID YOU RUN INTO ANY ISSUES? Well, it was interesting. We wrote a lot of the songs with our good buddy Jarvis Anderson, and our dear friends Kenny Carkeet and Jim Kaufman produced, while our boy Alex Gozza engineered. It was a dream team. These guys are so good at letting you do whatever you want and expressing yourself, while refining that all into something that eventually sort of becomes “your sound” right under your nose. We also all played all real instruments by hand. The extra time we put in made all the difference.

WNZ: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO SOMEONE WHO HASN’T HEAD YOUR MUSIC? YOU CATEGORIZE YOURSELVES AS ALT POP. CAN YOU ELABORATE? We all come from different musical backgrounds. Some of the guys grew up more on the hardcore/punk rock side of things, while I was more into Jackson, Petty, Prince, TLC, that kinda stuff. So when we mix everything we love together, it tends to have that angsty edge with a ton of classic pop hooks. Naturally. Familiar, cozy, but new and fresh at the same time. We just want share

experiences we can all relate to through music that makes you move to it and never forget it.

WNZ: YOU GUYS GAVE UP A LOT TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO ANYONE WHO IS STRUGGLING TO DO THE SAME? WOULD YOU HAVE DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY? No regrets. I wouldn’t have done a single thing differently. When you literally give up everything you possibly can to your passion... like...everything, you’ll get where you want to be. Whether or not you want to stay there, or whether or not it was everything you imagined it to be, who knows. You will get there though. My only advice is be good to yourself. If you love something, chase it and never stop.

WNZ: DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PLANS TO PLAY ANY SHOWS OR TOUR? WHERE CAN FANS CATCH YOU GUYS? We’re playing a few shows throughout the southwest in August, followed by a great KROQ show at Slide Bar in Fullerton! After that, we have a bunch of stuff coming up… but it’s a little surprise-y. We also always try and do a good job of promoting outside of the reg promoters, so everyone will definitely know where we’re playin’ if they want to come check us out, and they SHOULD!! We absolutely live to play live and connect with anyone who enjoys what we do! Always a blast!!

WNZ: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THOSE INFLUENCES TRANSLATE ONTO YOUR OWN MUSIC? So many. Prince, Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, to TLC, Monica, Biggy, to Yelawolf, NOFX, HAIM, Foster The People, The 1975… .and that’s just me. The list goes on and yes yes yes, all of these artists (plus many more) have played a role in influencing our sound.

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spreading the love HEARTSUPPORT have been toughing it out on the road this summer on Vans Warped Tour spreading the love and a message to fans day in and day out.

Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photos by Crisanne Glasser

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usic brings people together — there’s no denying that. The Vans Warped Tour has become a place where you can lose all of your worries and inhibitions and let go, because you’re surrounded by people who are there for the same reason. The music.

When Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red performs, he gives it everything he has. Like many of his fans, Luhrs uses music to express his feelings and pain. After every performance, Luhrs would meet fans at the band’s merch booth. Here he would hear their own stories of pain, and awful things that they face in their lives.

They would thank him for saving their lives with his music. That was when Luhrs knew he had to come up with a safe space for his fans and fans of music in general to come together and work through their pain. HeartSupport was born.

“No metal music fan should ever have to struggle alone,” said fundraising manager John Williford.

“Primarily we focus on self-harm, depression, suicide, anxiety, everything. We do that in two ways, we do festivals out here, where we meet our constituents and we pour love into them, we tell them they shouldn’t be judged, they shouldn’t be condemned. We tell them they’re loved and they’re worth it. We also have a comprehensive online program that takes them from a place desperate and lonely to a place of healing and encouragement.”

HeartSupport allows people to share their stories, of their suffering, of what they’re going

through. There’s no holding back, and things can get real deep real quick. Thousands have shared their stories of pain, and to be quite honest, that could get overwhelming for anyone.

The staff at HeartSupport are trained to handle any curveball thrown at them. “We always try to remember that we personally can’t save anyone,” explained Williford. “We’re all Christian dudes, we believe that Jesus is the path to healing. We try to communicate that to people as much as we can, although our message is for anybody and we don’t judge anybody. That’s something we try to remember when we’re dealing with a multitude of stories that we get every day, and it can be overwhelming. It can start to feel like the weight comes down on you and it’s up to you to save other people. But we have to remember that that’s not our job. Our job is to love on them, tell them that they’re worth it, and to make sure that they know that.”

With all of the pain and suffering shared, there’s so much love and happiness given right back. Williford explained that the team’s greatest joy is seeing someone overcome some of their darkest times. “It’s the joy of my life for sure,” said Williford. “This is my second year on Warped Tour, and I’m getting people coming up to me during the day, that are giving me hugs, that are coming here to see me. And all I did was tell them that here at HeartSupport, we love them and encourage them through whatever it is that they’re going through. There have been people

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coming up to us telling us that they’ve been you!’ back and forth to each other.” With the free from self-harm for over a year because of constant influx of people looking for volunteer HeartSupport.” The organization has seen even opportunities, HeartSupport just started a new greater success stories than that. “I remember way for people to get involved. “We just started a last year — and this is one of my favorite stories new volunteer team called ‘The Pit’ and basically — a girl came up to the tent and said that we text them out a volunteer opportunity every because of HeartSupport and the resources and month like helping us out with a fundraiser the things that we gave her, she decided not to or going on to our message boards and commit suicide,” smiled Williford. “For me, if we anonymously loving on people or even working never do anything else for the rest of our lives, here in the tent.” that is enough. We could shut down the tent, Applications to volunteer at Warped begin way never sell t-shirts, pack it up and go home, but as before the tour starts, and their goal for the tour is long as that person is still walking around alive, simple; spread the word about HeartSupport. “We that’s good enough for me.” intentionally try to meet everyone that we can

Since the organization’s inception, it by drawing them in and engaging with us at the has grown immensely, thanks to Luhrs. And tent. Usually we just are asking people what their Williford notes that HeartSupport wouldn’t be as stories are, what they’ve been through. I make successful as it is without him. Luhrs has gotten it a point to walk up and high five people that other bands involved as well — Silent Planet, have scars on their arms and stuff like that. Many Memphis May Fire, Beartooth, And I Prevail, to people would like to tell their story, and a lot of name a few. And they, too, use their celebrity to people don’t like to tell their story. So we just tell bring awareness to HeartSupport. “We would not them who we are, we give them resources, and be who we are without the bands that we work we want them going home knowing the very least with because the kids are coming to Warped Tour that there’s an organization that cares about them for the bands. They think that the nonprofits are and they can find help. Sometimes that’s all that cool, and that’s nice, but they’re coming here we can do, and at a minimum that’s all that we to see the bands,” said Williford. “The guys on wanna do here.” stage are up there just belting out truth and grace HeartSupport is trying to spread its message and beauty, and they recognize that. For Jake, even further. Recently, the organization has or any of the band guys to get up there and say released, ReWrite, a book on self-harm. that they’ve struggled with self-harm, or suicide,

“We wanted to put out something for or depression is massive because they are the people that self-harm. We did sort of a brief heroes. Without Jake, our message wouldn’t be survey of the self-harm scene and we noticed as strong as it is.” there’s never really been a book written about

HeartSupport thrives on their dedicated it that isn’t cold, clinical, and sort of medical,” volunteers, too. There’s an immense amount of explained Williford. “A lot of people who self-harm support for the organization and so many people will go to therapy or seek resources online, and are willing to help. “We have tons of volunteers things like that, but what we found is all of those that volunteer for every show. We have to be resources didn’t speak to the personal issues of super selective about who can actually volunteer what they were going through. So our book does because there’s so many of them,” said Williford. not heal anyone, but it takes them through a path “HeartSupport would not be a thing without of understanding why they self-harm, gives them our volunteers. We do a fundraiser every year options for how they can recover, getting them called TourMakers, and it’s to make sure that into a community, whether that’s HeartSupport’s HeartSupport can go on tour. With our volunteers community or anybody else. The book has done we were about to raise over $45,000 in a week really really well and I’m glad. I hope we just get it in April. We wouldn’t be able to even be here into as many people’s hands as we can.” without them. When we get here, they’re thanking ReWrite is one of many things on the us for letting them serve in the tent. You know horizon for HeartSupport. The company is striving it’s a good thing when you’re just shouting ‘thank to go even further when it comes to spreading its 18 http://whitenoisezine.com

message and helping others.

“Our dream is to do our own tour,” said Williford.

“We would love to get the bands that support us and raise the funds to have a HeartSupport tour.

The purpose of the tour would be very simple — to just go around and let everyone know that they are not alone and whatever it is that they’re going through, we’re here. That would be our ultimate goal.”

Music is a powerful tool. Many people use music to cope. Through the power of music, and people calling out for help, HeartSupport was born to be that guiding light that so many people need. The organization urges people to reach out to them.

“Anyone reading, anyone who hears about us, you are not alone in whatever it is you’re going through. We’re here for you.”

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SWORN IN PHOTO BY CRISANNE GLASSER

KNOCKED LOOSE PHOTO BY RYAN PUGH

EMMURE PHOTO BY CRISANNE GLASSER

FIRE FROM THE GODS PHOTO BY RYAN PUGH

SYLAR PHOTO BY CRISANNE GLASSER

ATTILA PHOTO BY RYAN PUGH

FANS COME FIRST TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH HAVE BECOME WARPED TOUR VETERANS AND HAVE ADOPTED A FANS COME FIRST MENTALITY AS A BAND. Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photos by Crisanne Glasser

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ot only is The Vans Warped Tour a coming up on a year since the release. The place for music, it’s a place where response to the record has been incredible, fans can hang out with their idols, and people that and they guys can’t believe it’s been almost a have changed their lives in some way. year already. “It’s very surreal. From the time

The guys of Too Close To Touch embarked we signed and released our first record, we’re on the Vans Warped Tour for the second year in a a brand new band and you have to really prove row. Not only have they looked forward to playing yourself and make your mark on the industry for bigger crowds, but the laid back setting of the and stuff,” said Pierce. “For a while it was like, a tour allowed them to hang out with more fans steady up climb, but never to a point where we than ever. felt it wasn’t working. We were always happy with

“It’s really awesome. We have the everything. Then Haven’t Been Myself came out opportunity to do a signing pretty much every and we’ve toured constantly since then.” day, so we get to see a lot of familiar faces as

“We’ve been so busy since the record well as a lot of newer ones. We always just kind came out that it doesn’t even feel like a year. But of mosey around, so like, if someone sees us at the same time in a weird way it also feels like they’re more than welcome to come up and say it’s been years,” explained Kidd. “We’ve been ‘hi’ or whatever. We’re not shy or standoffish or touring non-stop and I think the longest we’ve anything like that,” said guitarist Thomas Kidd. been home since like, our signing has been

“I like to spend time, rather than shutting maybe like, a month and a half? Two months? ourselves out from the world other than playing We haven’t had a whole lot of time to kind of our set. I like to hang at the merch tent and talk to catch our breaths.” people that come up and stuff. I think that’s what

In fact, the guys really don’t want that fans want. Everyone’s after that real personable downtime. They prefer to keep going and keep experience,” said vocalist Keaton Pierce. “If themselves busy. “It’s cool though because it someone can go home from Warped Tour and be really keeps you grounded,” agreed Pierce. “It’s like, ‘not only did I see my favorite band play, I so easy, when you’re off tour to kind of get caught got to have a good five, ten minute talk with them up in that home lifestyle. Even in our off time about how they’ve changed my life and hear from we’re looking for something to do whether it’s them’ that’s just cool. That’s how music should filming a music video or hitting the studio. It’s cool be. That’s how you form those bonds with fans, to have those opportunities.” and that’s how you make lasting fans when you

Although it’s been nearly a year since the leave a lasting impression because it shows how release of Haven’t Been Myself, Pierce and Kidd much we care about our fans. We wouldn’t be explain that they’re ready to start getting creative doing this if we didn’t have an audience.” again. “We’re always writing. I think once Warped

“It helps when you walk up to someone is over and whatever we do in the fall, we’ll take and they’re not a dick,” laughed Kidd. some time — some actual time, and really focus

“I’ve seen those people that we forge on figuring out any direction and really figure out those connections with and then next time I see what we want to express,” said Kidd. them out at a show, it’s like they almost lose their The band lives for time in the studio, but timidness. It’s awesome,” explained Pierce. because of constant touring, they haven’t had

Since last year’s Warped Tour, the guys that time in quite a long time and they feel ready have released Haven’t Been Myself, and it’s to get back in there. “Everyone in the band kind http://whitenoisezine.com 35

of works differently, but we all really thrive in the studio,” said Pierce. “Being in that area where we can totally immerse ourselves. We wrote and recorded Haven’t Been Myself in like, six or seven weeks. Going into that, we were trying to write on the road but it was so busy.”

“It’s difficult writing on the road because it’s such a consistent routine. We’ve never had a chance to write on a tour where we’re like, direct support or headlining,” said Kidd. “So that’s another thing too. If you’re playing the two out of four slot or the two out of five slot on a tour, your down time is very quick. Then after you play you’re socializing with fans, hanging out, you don’t wanna disappear after you play. It might be a little bit easier when we’re playing later in the day where it’s kind of like, okay we’ve loaded in so now we have like three hours to kill.”

Although the guys currently aren’t working on any new music, they still just released a new song. They have been featured on the latest installment of Punk Goes Pop, covering Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha’s “In The Name Of Love.”

“That song in particular was pitched to us from our manager and after listening to it and kind of vibing with it for a little bit we just kind of felt like it was a song that kind of sounds like something we would’ve written as far as the subject matter and how it’s structured. So I feel like from there, it just kind of progressed,” said Kidd.

“It’s been a pretty ridiculous response.

We’ve seen some pretty heavy responses from fans and like, bands tweeting us. I don’t really have words for it, I’m just really stoked,” agreed Pierce.

“It’s really crazy because I remember being in school and listening to the Pop Goes Punk albums and now being a part of it is crazy,” said Kidd. “Where we are at the moment, things are very very surreal. It’s very picturesque to what I wanted coming out of high school. It just took like six years to make things happen, I guess.”

Once the chaos that is Warped Tour is over, the guys of Too Close To Touch do plan to slow it down, even for just a little while. “Any down time is just gonna be sleep and rest and just trying to switch gears to see what’s next.

I know we’re trying to do more international things,” said Kidd. “We just did the Slam Dunk Festival, which was our first dipping our toes into international touring. I think we’re really hoping that things work out with that in the next year.

That’s probably going to be one of our focal points other than writing.”

Too Close To Touch are some pretty downto-earth guys that recognize that none of this would be possible without fan support. They’ve made a steady climb up and have many exciting things to look forward to in the future. “Without being cliché, just thank you. From the day this band started, everyone’s had this confidence where we wanted things to go. To dream, like any other artist and then see it actually happen solely because of fan support 100% is surreal,” said Pierce. “So thank you for believing in us and sticking it out with us to this point. It means the world. Like I said not trying to be cliche we would literally be nothing without our fan base. It’s one big heart that we all share.”

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CKY

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The Phoenix

U Words by Emily Klingman

M R

CKY brings blazing guitars and burning drums with their newest album, The Phoenix. Filled with dark undertones and heavy beats, the band brings everything they have to the table. The album is pretty diverse, with plenty of hard rocking tracks, to dancing tracks, to more mid-tempo tracks. And all of them heavy.

The album opens up with “Replaceable,” their current single. It’s definitely the most danceable, with a nice twisted vibe in the track’s hook, centered around a dragged out note in the words ending the lyrics like “attention.” The guitar solo midway through the track is notable as well, giving listeners just a taste of what’s to come in the rest of the tracks.

The tracks “The Other Ones,” “Better Than Get Even,” and “Wiping Off The Dead” are some that stand out, mostly for how the distorted vocals really add to the eeriness of the album. “Head for Breakdown” is on the other end of the spectrum CKY created for themselves on The Phoenix.

It’s one of the more melodic tracks on the album, and the most “ballad” the band gets on it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not just as heavy as the rest of them.

Of the eight tracks on the album, two are a bit less than the rest. The tracks “Unknown Enemy” and “Lies From You” come across just as dark and hard as the rest of them, yet are lacking a bit of spark that makes them stand apart from the others.

Overall I really enjoyed this album. Coming from a band that dates back twenty years, the album has a cool classic hard rock vibe, but it doesn’t feel old. The band’s taken the classic heaviness of the past and spun it to sound fresh. The Phoenix sounded like something I’d already heard before, and loved, so it was like I could rock out to old favorites. As an added bonus, a few of the songs took me right to the middle of a graveyard at midnight on a crisp, October night, something I’m sure the band was working at.

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OUR LAST NIGHT

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Selective Hearing

U Words by Casey Wolfe

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Our Last Night, known more commonly for their rock covers of pop songs, released their latest album, Selective Hearing this summer. True to form, the band tackles real life issues and emotions with songs that build from first verses all the way through choruses.

The album kicks off with “Broken Lives,” an upbeat, yet dark track about getting through “the dark times.” Everyone has something dark to get through, whether it’s a personal issue or problems on a bigger sphere and OLN remind listeners that we will always have that in common.

“Tongue Tied” has added effects of rhythms and echoed vocals that give it a pop music vibe, but the lyrics, heavy guitar and emotive voice of lead singer Trevor Wentworth bring the alternative rock sound back to earth.

“Caught in the Storm” starts with a lighter melody and instrumentals that, if paired with a voice of a different genre, could easily pass as that genre in the best way. It’s versatile, like the music that most OLN fans are accustomed to.

“Ivory Tower” opens with a nearly auto-tuned voice, but quickly turns the tables with aggressive hardcore vocals immediately following. It remains on the punk side of pop-punk for the remainder of the song before slowing down for the next track.

“Common Ground” follows the pattern of smooth aggression that OLN has established throughout their music. Metaphorical lyrics paint a picture of a failing relationship and ultimately, devastation.

Lastly on the album is “Ghost in the Machine.” While it is the possibly the slowest on the album, it lacks nothing in terms of passion and depth. “I’m more than just a ghost in the machine, not just a hollow vessel aimlessly sailing.” Is pretty straightforward, but still has that poetic quality that fans of OLN have come to know and love.

Our Last Night have stayed true to what they know while exploring emotions presented on previous albums a little deeper. Overall, OLN added a slightly darker touch to this album, but did not disappoint.

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SILVERSTEIN

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Dead Reflection

U Words by Nicole Cortese

M R

It’s no secret that Silverstein has been around for almost two decades, equipped with a dedicated following of fans old and new along with a new set of songs to tour with. Dead Reflection marks the second album release since they signed to Rise Records in 2014 and its ninth overall full studio album.

On a first listen, the album has a cohesive, familiar sound that mixes punk, hardcore, and screamo. Something all too familiar for fans since the “My Heroine” era.

It opens with a harder track called “Last Looks.” A fast paced tempo and heavy bass line will have fans headbanging wherever they’re listening - especially while on the road for Van’s Warped Tour. The angsty screaming verses and melodic bridges and choruses are a carefully curated balancing act that combines two staples of their genre. The lyrics fit the tone of the song and address literal self destruction and the want to end the feeling of being lost and hopeless.

Halfway through, the album shifts its tone to nostalgic, pop-punk tunes like “The Afterglow” and “Aquamarine.” Lead singer, Shane Told still has that recognizable voice and comforting pitch that makes the tracks easily recognizable. A personal favorite for both music and lyrics, “The Afterglow” reflects on memories from a previous relationship and how, essentially, everything happens for a reason.

Rounding it out towards the end, “Secret’s Safe” is a deep, emotional rollercoaster that explores the notion of lying to oneself and trying to escape past mistakes. Ironically, this theme is on par with what’s being covered in the media regarding artists in the industry the best way to address deep-seated feelings that are often difficult to share. Anyone who gives it a listen will know they’re not alone in their struggles.

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SWORN IN

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All Smiles

U Words by Gianluca D’Elia

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Sworn In are back with their third studio album, All Smiles. Packed with 11 brand new, exhilarating tracks, All Smiles is filled with classic metalcore moments, but it also takes some great risks that make it stand out.

All Smiles matches its complex, disturbing themes with musical complexity, adding dark, atmospheric sounds and theatrical, soaring melodies.

In the heavy-hitting “Make It Hurt,” the band gives an honest perspective on actively seeking pain — a consistent theme on the album — rather than being the victim. Later on in the album, “Cry Baby” follows up to this track, expressing an enjoyment of misery.

What is most remarkable about All Smiles is the impact of the messages that each track contains. The title track suggests that it’s easy to hide behind a smile while facing deeper issues beneath the surface and not wanting to take care of them. “Mirror Fear” deals with body dysmorphia and anorexia, and addresses the idea of seeing a distorted version of one’s self in the mirror.

The album closes with the more melodic “Closer To Me,” followed by the heavier “Cross My Heart,” perhaps reflecting the inner struggle to find a balance between one’s light and dark sides, to understand one’s self better and not have to hide behind “all smiles.” With a powerful central theme and strong musical variety, “All Smiles” is an insane but beautiful body of work that deserves to be listened to when you’re in your feelings.

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