Last weekend saw Architects headline the Monster Energy Stage at this year’s Slam Dunk Festival. We were lucky enough to hang out with vocalist Sam Carter and bassist Alex Dean just hours before they brought Leeds to it’s knees. We chatted new material, vegan lifestyle and the horror that is internet trolling!
MOSH: Let’s keep things simple to start off with shall we? How are we doing today guys?
S: Yeah we’re alright man, we haven’t been here long. We got here last night but it’s always a headache trying to get everything sorted you you know? Putting all of our stuff together and yeah, but we’re doing good though.
MOSH: So tonight is the first night of the Slam Dunk weekend, how do you psych yourselves up for this three day bender?
S: You gotta learn to pace yourself man, we don’t wanna blow it all out by Wolverhampton. So I think we’re just gonna you know, go and soak it all up a little bit but not go ‘too heavy’. But there’s a lot of bands we wanna check out here today so we’ll be doing a lot of that too.
MOSH: What was your reaction when Slam Dunk approached you to headline the Monster Stage?
S: It was flattering really, cause we did it before but it was really nice to be asked back and have it be a bit bigger than last time as well. But you know we love this festival and we already saw that the line up was amazing, we just didn’t know if it could get any bigger and then we got asked. It’s a really great effort this year, amazing.
MOSH: You must have a bunch of friends here this year, who are you stoked to hang out with over the weekend?
A: Well we just bumped into Deez Nuts, it’ll be great to catch those guys play later. We did a festival with them in Lyon a couple of weeks ago and they’re playing a lot of stuff from their new record which is really cool.
S: Which is amazing by the way! It’s a big step up for them. Um, Stick To Your Guns, Crossfaith, Comeback Kid yeah there’s a lot of bands we know and hang with here.
MOSH: So your latest album Lost Forever // Lost Together was absolutely HUGE over here, what was it like for you having an album that was so popular and successful?
S: It was a bit strange for us really after so long of really slogging it but yeah it was definitely welcomed with open arms, and the whole band were really taken back by it. When you think what has happened this year is really crazy, especially now like, looking back on it all, it kind of feels a bit exhausting because of how much we’ve done. But you know we wouldn’t change any of it and we are looking forward to starting writing, well we already have started writing but yeah we are working on it.
MOSH: That’s a good segway into our next question. The album has been out just over a year now, we are guessing there is some new material in the pipeline?
S: Yeah man, we started doing stuff now, we have this and then South America and then Tom’s gonna..
A: To be fair Tom doesn’t ever stop writing, but I think he already had ideas in his head when we were still in the studio. But he pretty much started working on new material as soon as he got home I think, so we’ve head like a steady stream of ideas from him and its good cause we’ve got a little bit of time off to actually get together and start practising which is always fun.
MOSH: You pride yourselves on writing meaningful lyrics and creating songs with really meaning and a message behind them, like ‘Colony Collapse’ for example. Is it a challenge for you to come up with new songs that still follow this very meaningful structure?
S: I think that it can be, but there is so much in the world that we see and think that needs to be addressed that we could probably talk for days about, because it’s really important. So there’s always something out there, that creates like a strong drive for change you know? I think that we are one of those bands that are just really gonna keep pushing that, keep pushing these ideals that we have. The things that we talk about in our music we are still just as passionate as we were last time, and if those things haven’t changed we’ll keep trying to deliver the same message.
MOSH: So you’re definitely not going to let people forget that these issues in the world still exist?
S: Exactly yeah, we don’t want people to think it was just for a couple of records that we cared about this still. People need to understand that this is our lives we talk about and these issues need to be sorted out now.
MOSH: You’ve been a band for over ten years now, what advice would you give to bands struggling to make it big and thinking of just giving in?
S: Well there’s obviously a lot of bands out there at the moment and it is a really hard industry to get into, but I think the thing I would suggest is just tour! So many people worry about levels and management, forget that just get out there and play.
A: I think it’s important for bands to actually write what they want to write as well, because I think when you see a band that are just playing some contrived stuff, because they think it will do well. It’s very obvious when that material just isn’t what that band actually want to make you know?
MOSH: You’ve toured all over the planet already, where that one place that you just have to keep going back to?
S: Australia always, I always leave Australia sad to be honest.
A: Yeah we are never there for long enough really, cause there’s only so may cities that you can actually go to on line an A market tour.
S: But the people and their reactions, they’re just so kind. We have so many friends there as well and I think thats also such a big attraction to keep going back.
A: Alternative music as well, particularly heavy music is just BIG over there. That’s why bands like Parkway Drive and The Amity Affliction have done so well for themselves, because they start out over their and the people love them.
S: I think they’re just doing it right with like UNFD, the label that we are on with Amity and all those other bands. They’re doing it right, they are all just lovely people it’s not just this massive record company that just love themselves. They’re all fucking wicked and it’s just think really, organic place for heavy music to grow and do well.
MOSH: Absolutely man. We’re guessing you’ve had your fair share of weird fan encounters on your travels?
S: *Sigh*, Yes. There’s always a few people that just take it a little bit too far. But you know, you just have to realise that these people get excited, and they see you all the time on like TV in pictures or whatever.
MOSH: You’re very much celebrities to all those people out there
S: I think to some people, maybe that like your band. They keep looking at stuff and get really excited to see or meet you or whatever. I think some people emotions just ride a little high when they meet people like us. It’s always like at the end of a show someone comes over shouting: “Oh great show!” And they slap you on the back, because of all the adrenaline they have you just have to grit your teeth and be like: “yep.. thanks man… ow”. But most people are always really nice that come to our shows, we don’t really have many trolls which is good.
MOSH: Lucky you! Some bands have LOADS!
A: Yeah we’ve managed to get away with that!
MOSH: You must be able to sleep easier at night knowing that you don’t have millions of people trashing you online?
A: To be honest I think if people did, you just have to laugh at it really. As if someone is feeling the need to slag off people they don’t know on the internet, and just really be an arsehole to them, their life just must really be missing something if thats how they get their kicks.
MOSH: So, you guys are all vegan. Is it true that vegans have some kind of biological superpower?
S: *laughs* Yeah we’re doing alright like.
A: We have this where we have lower cholesterol *laughs*
S: Yeah we have lower cholesterol and it’s a bit harder to put on weight!
MOSH: Lucky…
S: You can manage it though man, to be honest it’s really easy. It’s just something that we feel is like the right decision, for us. Not that we would ever push anybody else onto it, but we always recommend it to people.
A: If we ever get trolled it’s because of that actually! It’s never really to do with the music it’s more like: “You fucking hippies! Stop trying to push your vegan bullshit on us.”
S: If anyone calls me a Hippy, I’m just like cheers man, I’ll take that as a compliment
MOSH: When you’re not touring and playing shows, what do you do to chill out? How do you relax?
S: Well we all live in Brighton now, Ali lives like ten minutes around the corner from me. We’ll probably just hang out most days, grab a coffee and my girlfriend is a chef and she’s always making like cakes and shit. We’ll play football like two times a week.
MOSH: What does your girlfriend specialise in cooking?
S: Just vegan food man, me and Ali just reap the rewards basically.
MOSH: You’ve really talked me into trying vegan food, give me a dish to test out!
S: Tofu scramble is always a good one!
A: Yeah that’s always a good breakfast
S: It’s delicious if it’s done right man. There’s actually a really nice vegetarian cafe in town actually that we just went to today.
A: Roots and something? Something that rhymed. Anyway look it up it’s got a nice little arcade it was a really nice place.
MOSH: So to sign off, what would you like to say to everybody who’s coming out to hang with Architects this weekend?
S: Thanks for the support, sorry if we are a bit shot. We’ve been on tour for two years!
A: *Laughs* The North are in for a good one tonight man don’t you worry!
MOSH: Thanks very much guys, see you on the floor tonight!
S: No worries at all man, my absolute pleasure.
