As the old saying goes "music soothes the savage beast." When words cannot describe how you're feeling, music does. On March 29, through Smartpunk Records, Blessing A Curse, a heavy swinging metalcore, rap-metal, pop-rock group from Orlando, is going to rock the music world, when their album Waste comes out. To give fans a sneak peek as to what will be on the album, the group released a single that is titled the same as the album, "Waste." In this piece, the in your face tempo will make you think twice about ever crossing these guys, or looking at them sideways. "Waste" is a song dedicated to the feelings of worry, stress, anxiety, and tension, and how that can consume you, and how you interact with those around you when you're in that state of mind. This album will not only take your ears on a journey but your emotions as well.
Brie Coder: Guys, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed. I know since your album is about to drop in three weeks, there are a lot of things you have to finish up doing.
Joshy Singer: It's our pleasure!
Brie: Please introduce yourself, what role you have in the band, and one activity you enjoy doing when you're not busy making music and or touring.
Joshy: I'm Joshy Singer, I do the mouth noises, and in my spare time, I like reading about conspiracy theories, going to the gym and spending time with my wife, Tay, and my cat, JB.
Ronnie Mitchell plays bass/screams, likes football (Go Dolphins), workin' out and drinkin' beer. Pedro Rentas plays drums, brews his own beer at home, likes spending time with his 1-year-old daughter, Mila, and his girlfriend, Taylor. Jordan Crain plays rhythm guitar, likes lifeguarding, spending time with his girlfriend, Miranda, and playing video games. Brandon Swanson plays lead guitar, likes spending time with his girlfriend, Ally, and their dog, Bella.
Brie: With Waste about to come out in three weeks, how are you feeling about your new content and how the fans will react to this new album?
Joshy: We feel good about it! It's the heaviest, grungiest, and most honest, miserable shit we've ever written and we think our listeners will really be able to connect with it.
Brie: The single "Waste" has so many elements going on in the song, that it really pumps you up when you listen to it. What made you guys decide to record a song that focuses on the tougher emotions that a person goes through (worry, stress, anxiety, and tension)?
Joshy: Those are pretty much the only emotions I felt during the entire writing process of this album hahaha. Life is kind of always kicking my ass at any given point in time, so it felt really natural and refreshing to be able to write lyrics for a song that instrumentally matched how I felt internally.
Brie: Was there a certain theme you guys were going for when you were writing and recording the album?
Joshy: I think with our first album we were more concerned with the album telling a story from start to finish and having a theme. With Waste, we just wanted to write a cohesive collection of angry songs that describe everything we've been through in the last two years.
Brie: Another single off your new album, "Rat Race," has some rap-metal going on, which adds some very exciting elements into the song. As a group, is it your goal to expand your musical elements to bring in more fans and what they like?
Joshy: I think while that's definitely something we always hope will happen with every song we write, it's not necessarily what fuels the sound of any given song during the writing process. I'm heavily influenced by rap and hip-hop in general and that's what I listen to more of on a daily basis, so I'm always trying to incorporate more of a rap-based flow into a lot of the scream patterns we write.
Brie: I read that some bands who have influenced you all are Slipknot, Of Mice & Men and Ice Nine Kills. How to do you guys incorporate what they've brought forth in their musical careers into your music?
Joshy: Slipknot is just one of the best bands of all time, man. Corey Taylor was so ahead of his time with his vocal style, and every member of that band just brings so much energy and originality to what they do, so that's something we always strive to bring to the table with our writing style. Of Mice & Men have always been one of my favorite bands, Aaron Pauley has so much real emotion in his voice, and the same can be said for Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills. I love their whole horror movie-inspired aesthetic, they're one of the most creative bands in the metal scene right now. We would be honored to tour with any of these bands.
Brie: It looks like you'll be having a record release show in your hometown the day the album is released. How excited are you guys to be in your hometown to promote your new album?
Joshy: We're pretty excited, it should be a good time. Soundbar is the first venue we ever played at as a band so it feels right to have our record release show there.
Brie: Speaking of touring, we all know that every artist has that one crazy story from their journey on the road. What would you say was the craziest tour moment of your guys' career?
Joshy: Probably getting pulled over by cops in Germany on our first European tour ever. We were opening up for The Browning, and on our way driving out of Amsterdam after playing Haarlem we got pulled over at 3 A.M. for no reason by like four cop cars all at once and they all made us get out of our van, searched it and patted us down. They didn't find anything illegal so there was nothing they could do, but it was definitely a nerve-wracking experience. Brie: Finally, are there any statements, plugs, random facts, or words of wisdom you'd like to leave with our readers and your supporters? Joshy: The first week of sales determines everything for a band after their album is released! What tours we can get on, how much we get paid every night etc. So if you want to support us, the absolute most helpful way to do it is to pre-order or buy our album between now until Friday, April 5th at www.smartpunkshop.com (we have CDs for $5 and Vinyl for $15!), but if money's tight then streaming our album on Spotify or apple music helps too! Follow us on Instagram/Twitter (@BlessingACurse) and tell us what city you want us to come play in!
e. Abby Lane Taylor