Earlier this week I was l lucky enough to sit down and chat one on one with Mike Carden, guitarist for the popular indie-rock band The Academy Is . Currently headlining the Sleeping with Giants tour with Armor for Sleep and Cobra Starship , Mike took some time out to talk to me about the band and their future plans.
TM: Since the release of your newest CD, Santi, you’ve been touring like crazy. When are you finally going to take some time off? Write more, or maybe just take a break?
MC: Yea we are writing a bit on the road now. We kind of went to that phase of the band which is a bit different for us, so we are getting a bit done over here. But we are going to take December off, we need to take that off completely. We’ve had a few offers of one offs but we just want to get back home and hang out for a while and I think in January we are going to come together. There are a few tours and options, I think the way things are going with the songs we can make a new record in early spring, very possible. If not, maybe one more tour. We like what are doing now. I think with the industry and the band that’s what we’ve been doing the last four years and I think it’s kind of paid off.
TM: Your newest record was produced by acclaimed producer and musician Butch Walker. How was it like working with him?
MC: Butch was great. We are all fans of his solo stuff, and I’ve been going to see him play for these last few years now. Working with him was great. We had a good relationship before hand so we got into the studio and banged it out relatively fast. He’s good. He understood what was happening and the touring we’ve done, and how the industry has changed. I guess we didn’t change too much of how it already began, but he was definitely a positive force and a good vibe in the studio.
TM: So what’s in your CD player right now?
MC: I got the new Jimmy Eat World album, and I love that. We got Cobra Starship on the tour now, so as they were mixing their record I got to hear some tracks, and I like that record. Still listening to a lot of Pumpkins still. A lot of smashing pumpkins in the dressing room. I’ve been listening to a lot of Placebo. That’s a band that in America didn’t translate when I was a kid, and I don’t know why. But when we went over seas before this current tour, and we were in some of the territories where they do very well. I wasn’t even aware of how big they were. I kind of went back and put all the records on. So ive been listening to that quite a bit. Its nice to get into a band that has a full catalog and you can just really get into it. And I still love The Replacements, they are still playing on my iPod.
TM: So those were the bands you like. Are there any bands out now that you truly hate?
MC: I don’t listen to anything I hate. The bad stuff I just don’t pay attention to. Music like Foriegner, Journey and Styx I just stay away from. I don’t like any of that stuff. I guess Nickelback I’m not too fond off. Hate is a strong word, I don’t know those individuals, but as far as their music I don’t think the bands the kind that young people should be introduced to.
TM: Tomorrow night is Halloween and you’ll be playing a show at the Webster Theater in Hartford. Any costume ideas? Are you guys going to come out dressed as anything?
MC: We were in New York yesterday so we all went all out and bought a few things. I think we only played a few times with the full-fledged everybody dressed up. I think the guitar techs actually did everyone and they have these ridiculous costumes so we definitely have to up the ante just because the ball was set pretty high with the crew.
TM: Sleeping with Giants tour has so many great bands on it. What would be your dream line up for a tour? What bands would you love to play with?
MC: We’ve been trying with Jacks Mannequin. We’ve toured with Something Corporate and we love Andrew a lot, we are trying to wait for him to get done with his new record so we can do something. I wouldn’t say that’s a dream line up but it’s definitely something we are interested in. We’ve been keeping in touch with the guys from Panic at the Disco and they are working on their new record so we’ve been trying to see if our touring schedules can work out possibly. I obviously have favorites to tour with. I love Gym Class Heroes and id love to tour with them again. Jimmy Eat World is one of those bands I would love to go out with at some point. They seem very relevant and they always were. As my taste has changed and developed over time, they have always stayed a soft spot in my heart.
TM: You’ve guys have toured everywhere. What is your favorite place to play? What was the coolest place you’ve ever been to on tour?
MC: Japan’s definitely a trip and a half. If I could I’d go back there three, four times a year. I love Japan, I love the culture. Its very hard to explain this to someone who hasn’t been there, but its definitely worth doing, especially in a band. We’ve been very fortunate and very lucky to be able to do some of the things that we have done. While we’ve criss crossed the States so many times, that when you get the opportunity to go to Singapore and Australia its definitely a different way of touring. In the States we don’t do a lot of site seeing, but there we are just like any other tourist going to see all of the attractions. When we get to do that and play music on top of it, its all been great.
TM: Do you have any advice for all those up and coming bands looking for their shot at fame?
MC: Yea it’s interesting, the music climate is different now with how things work. I get asked this question a lot. With our particular band so much as been worked from a web angle, and kind of building a following. We’ve gotten now some moderate success with some of the bigger things, for example with Fuse who has embarrassed the band, and MTVU has always been there. Even now MTV is finally coming on board and saying they like what you are doing. Its all for good reason. I guess when I was younger you assumed that if you were on one of these shows then everything has worked itself out, and that’s not really not the case. Its clearly not the case anymore when people are finding their own music either through friends or through blogs and instant messaging. I guess I would stay with that. Obviously with touring live music is still in my opinion still booming. People are still coming out to shows when there is nothing as much as a computer and the internet, its so cool how you can waste some time and find out a lot about bands and everything else. But there is something about coming to a show and seeing the band play live. I think if bands do a bit of both, building their following, using all the tools that are pretty awesome out there right now, you can market yourself and develop a fan base. I guess I would shy away from labels and stuff like that, because I don’t think they are going to be too relative in a few years. You have a lot of power in your hands, a lot of technology that makes it real easy for someone to get their stuff out there. If your music is good enough people will definitely listen to it.
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