Asking Alexandria – by Whitney Lovett

Photos and Interview by Whitney Lovett
On a recent Sunday I was in Austin, Texas to interview the band members of ASKING ALEXANDRIA who were in town headlining their first American tour . It was barely 2:00 in the afternoon, but from my 14^th floor hotel window I could see fans already lining up in front of Emo’s.  Five hours later when I stepped onto ASKING ALEXANDRIA’s tour bus the line had extended all the way down Sixth Street.

It is not surprising that this metal-core band has such a large fan base given how quickly their name and spread in their short year and a half together as a band. Before becoming the band we know today, ASKING ALEXANDRIA has seen several name and line up changes. In 2003, Ben Bruce (guitar), who at the time was living in Dubai, started the band AMONGST US. After a short run, the band soon changed its name to ASKING ALEXANDRIA and released a full-length album entitled The Irony of Your Perfection. Shortly after, Bruce moved back to England, leaving behind the original band, where he became roommates with Danny Worsnop (singer). Through several friends and bands, the two got in touch with James Cassells (drums) and Cameron Liddell (guitar) who had been playing in a band together, and Sam Bettley (bass) who had gone to college with the two. In 2008, Bruce brought back the band name ASKING ALEXANDRIA, as the five-piece band set off on the road with their new sound and members.

When I finally the guys in the band, they were immediately approachable and likable, and their British accents were both charming and disarming – a good thing because most of what the band had to say was full of crude humor which would normally be off putting but was somehow adorably naughty and hilariously funny when spoken by these lads from Yorkshire, England. While most of what made up our interview was a bit ridiculous these kids definitely fit the role of entertainers to a “T”.

So how did you come up with the name ASKING ALEXANDRIA?

Sam:  Ben was in another band with a different name and the members decided to change the name to ASKING ALEXANDRIA.

Ben:  I should just give you the bullshit reason.

Cameron:  I think you should give the real reason.

Ben:  Well, there really isn’t a reason at all.

Danny:  We just tell lies (laughs).

James:  We’re asking a girl named Alexandria if we can have an orgy with her.

Danny:  And if Alexandria can get in touch with us and give us an answer that would be nice, wherever she may be.

But was it really one of those things where you were just sitting around and said this sounds like a really good band name?

Ben:  Well, I really liked the idea of giving the band a person’s name, and Alexandria flowed nicely off the tongue.  Also, it’s a female name and it’s not too aggressive.

Danny:  Asking Gertrude would be nice.

James:  How about Asking Timothy?

Ben:  And the word “Asking” just seemed to fit well in front of it.

Would you rather people pronounce the name with a hard A or a soft A sound?

Ben:  Phonetically I would like them to pronounce it Awsking Awlexawndria, but the rest of my band says it differently because of where they’re from in England.  I’m down south from London so I have elongated R’s.  They have sharp A’s.  But since I made it up that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be said (laughs).  I’d love it if all the Americans who know us would start saying Awsking Awlexawndria.

Ha Ha. You guys are fun.

Ben:  I’d like to think so, but the fun hasn’t even started yet.  Wait till the lights go off!

James:  Wait till the clothes come off!

Wait, there are no lights in the RV?

Ben:  Then wait till the sun goes down.  You’re still going to be in the RV, right?

Danny:  You don’t mind if we call you “son” do you (everyone laughs)?

So you guys have toured both the UK and the United States….

Ben:  We’re doing a headlining UK tour in December, but we did a tour through Europe prior to that.

So do you prefer European or American audiences?

Ben:  I think the audiences in Europe are fucking amazing.  Just as good as the US, but we’re bigger here in the US than the UK because we’ve toured here so much.

Are the fans crazier here?

Danny:  Yes, but that’s why I like it.

So have you always wanted to be in a band? Has it been a lifelong dream?

Danny:  I’ve always wanted to be a woman.

Ben:  Yeah, Danny’s lifelong dream was to be a professional woman.

So how has touring and extensive traveling affected your personal lives?

Danny:  We don’t have one anymore.

Ben:  We’ve learned to make it feel more real and natural.  We just close our eyes and toss each other off.

Danny:  I was so confused for a second.

Ben:  So it’s kinda nice.

Danny:  I don’t close my eyes.

Ben:  I didn’t know that cause my eyes are closed (laughing).  But in all seriousness, it’s tough at times.  We never fight, but at times there are little discrepancies.

James:  A lot of us after the shows will go home and visit family and friends.

Have you started working on your second album?

Ben:  Yes, it’s called “Sex” (laughs).

James:  No, it’s called “Double Penetration”!

Ben:  No, it’s not really.  It’s called Reckless and Relentless.

Cameron:  Oh, how original!

Ben:  But it really is going to be like “Sex’, that’s why I said that.

So when do you think this album will be released?

Ben:  Around Sextember.

Danny:  No, December at Sex O’clock.

Ok, so next question…

Ben:  Sex

Do you actually have any stories behind any of your songs?

Ben:  Yes, we do.  We have a really good one for “Not the American Average.”  Well, I am going to tell you a story.  There was this girl who we were talking to, and she told us that the average size of an American penis is ten inches.  And we were like, “You’re kidding!  In Europe it’s only two inches!”  (everyone laughs).

Danny:  So like we’re average.

Ben:  And we just didn’t believe her, but that’s where the song title comes from.  It’s about some girl Danny slept with.  It’s more extreme…

Danny:  She helped me write it.

Really?

Danny:  Yep, that’s the kind of girl I usually get with.

Ben:  That’s why you can’t get with our interviewer.  She’s lovely.

So you have one music video out for “The Final Episode (Lets Change the Channel)”, right?

Ben:  Yeah, we’re working on our second one now.  It’s for the song “Prophecy.”

At this point the band’s fifteen minute description of what the music video will entail becomes too unbelievable and decadent to even repeat; however, I will disclose that I was invited to play the role of Satan sitting naked in a bathtub prior to being set on fire!  When I question whether any of this video version is true, Ben assures me that he has already received an ok from the “Big Man” himself.

What artists have you been inspired by?

Ben:  We are our biggest influence.

Danny:  But I am our smallest one.

Ben:  We all listen to rock and some of us like blues.

James:  We’re all into Trance, like European Trance.  That’s one thing we all share.

Ben:  There are too many artists to name that have influenced us.  I don’t want to name a bunch of stupid, fucking bands.

Danny:  We’re sick of stupid, shitty bands who suck!

Ben:  Like this one!  Nah, just joking, but there really are too many bands to list.

Here’s a question I want you guys to think about…

Danny:  So we’re supposed to just think about it, or do you want us to answer the question?

Ben:  You want us to answer it telepathically?

I want you to actually answer it. What is your first memory….

Ben:  Being breastfed.

…Of music changing  your life?

Ben:  I have two things.  I have a memory from being really small and my mum would play Elton John songs and I would dance with her.  I’ve been in love with music ever since then.  And then I saw the movie “Grease”…

Danny:  And this ones not a joke.  I wish it was.

Ben:  I used to get a guitar and pretend to play it while watching “Grease.”  I’ve just always been into music.

Sam:  I used to listen to QUEEN religiously.

Why didn’t you guys do a song on the Punk Goes Classic Rock Album?

Ben:  Because we’re going to be doing a song on the next Punk Goes Pop. I can’t tell you which song though.

Do your songs always have a message?

Danny:  Most of the messages are “fuck you!”  Well, not “fuck you” personally.

Ben:  Basically, we’re a band that does what we want to do.  And if someone tells us not to do something, or if we can’t…

Danny:  Then we’ll probably do it!  Even if we weren’t originally planning on doing it we will just because someone told us not to.

Ben:  We’re just joking.  Everyone’s going to think we’re assholes (laughs).

Well, I just think your five funny guys on a bus.

Ben:  We’re on a boat!  At least that’s what the song told me.

How long does it take you…

Ben:  Ten seconds!

…To record a song?

Ben:  Oh, a song.  It takes a few different takes of guitar, a few takes of drums, and a lot of takes of vocals.

Danny:  We take vocals?

Ben:  All in all, about a day.

What about an entire album?

Ben:  We’re in the studio for about two months.

Danny:  But we have to take lots of masturbation breaks (laughs).

Have you fully written and recorded your second album?

Ben:  We’ve recorded most of it as a rough demo.  I personally want to write four or five more songs.  Then we’ll take the best ones so we’ll have a nice choice of what we want on the album.  So we’re very, very close – about 80% finished.

What upcoming albums are you guys excited to play?

Ben:  Your mum (laughs).

Cameron:  Well, we just went awhile without being dicks so we wanted to make up for it with that comment.

Danny:  I’m so stoked for The Whisky!

Ben: The Whisky A-Go-Go in L.A.  It’s legendary!

Danny:  Aerosmith started there.  Poison started there.

Ok, So I already know the answer you guys are going to give me for these next question, but…

All:  Sex!

…What goes through your head while performing?

All:  Sex! (laughing)

Danny:  It’s usually the lyrics of the songs for me.

James:  Dee Doo, Dee Doo, Dee Doo, the metronome.

Ben:  Usually its “goddamn it, I’m hot.  I wish I was naked right now.”

Danny:  And I think the same thing, “goddamn it, he’s hot.  I wish he was naked right now.”  Actually, we all think about a hot, sexy naked metronome (laughs.)

So what do you guys really think about when you’re performing?

Ben:  I need a drink of water.

Cameron:  Oh, my legs!

Danny:  When we’re on stage its water, heat, water, heat, what’s the next song?

Sam:  Me and Cam usually have to think about our positions on stage because we move around a lot and we can’t run into each other.

Ben:  What goes through my head is “Oh god, please don’t let Cam sound like shit tonight.”

Danny:  We hope he doesn’t start playing.

Ben:  We hope his amp turns off again.

Danny:  We try to get a lot of free drinks after and a lot of bras thrown onstage.

Really? That happens?

Danny:  Yeah, I have a box full of bras.  Last night I got fifteen.  I have a box full I’ll show you.  One bra I got said “call me” and had a phone number on it.

Did you call?

Danny:  I tried calling from one of my friend’s phones, but they didn’t answer.

What do you guys do on the tour bus while traveling to your next venue?

Danny:  I literally sleep the whole time.

Ben:  We normally listen to music really loud and sing along.  We play video games.  I look at myself naked in the mirror and think to myself…

Danny:  That’s a small penis!

Ben:…whoever’s getting me tonight is lucky.  That’s it (laughs.)

Have you ever had technical difficulties while on stage?

Danny:  Yeah, actually mine turned off during a set.

Your mic?

Ben:  No, his erection (laughs.)  Really, we have technical difficulties most nights.  Like drum pedals breaking, guitar amps turning off.

What do you do when things break?

Danny:  We actually just kick things or pretend we’re another band.

Ben:  No, we have techs who help us out when things break.  Unless it’s something we can’t continue playing without we just keep playing, like if our amps all shut off.

Danny:  Once Cameron’s amp shut off, which was quite nice because he sucks anyway.  Sometimes we have technical difficulties when his amps turn on! (laughs)

Does the band have groupies?

Danny:  Yes, we actually have girls coming to our shows trying to have sex with us and pretending to be interviewing us for a magazine (laughs.)

Do you guys have any crazy fan stories?

Danny:  In El Paso some kid asked me to carve my name into his neck.

Ben:  I have a crazy fan story.  One time a kid told me he thought Danny might have a big penis.

Danny:  I proved them wrong really quick.  I squashed any allegations.

Ben:  That’s like questioning evolution.

Danny:  It’s on Google.

So what…

All:  Sex!

…Do you think….

All:  Sex!

…Sets you apart from other bands?

All:  The Sex!

James:  We’re particularly bad at it. (laughs)

Ben:  I think what sets us apart in all honesty is our simplicity.  We don’t write music like a lot of bands who focus on…

Danny: Talent.

Ben: …trying to make their music sound really hard to play.  Like The Beatles used three fucking chords, but it was stuff people could enjoy and relate to.

Danny:  But we only know three chords!  It’s good that we go for the simplicity since we can’t really play anything too complex. (laughs)

Has being in a band turned out to be everything you imagined?

All:  Yes!

James:  The answer is jousting! (laughs)

Ben:  It’s harder than I thought it would be.  It’s a lot of hard work.  Everyone thinks it’s just a party, but it’s not.

Danny:  We have to wake up when we get to the venue, watch our crew unload our equipment, we have to watch them set up the stage, but we have to do our own sound check.  And then we have to sit around and wait and drink! (laughs)

Ben:  Danny’s just a dick!

Danny:  Yeh, I have to walk around and be a dick all day.

Ben:  Danny never knows what’s going on cause he’s never there.

Ok, one last question. When you guys have some down time how do you blow off steam?

All:  (laughing)

Danny:  That question was perfectly constructed for this band.

(insert your own ideas here of how the band answered the question.)

Ben:  You’re going to mix all our words around and make us sound like…

Danny:  A serious band. (laughs)

Ben:  We’ll never get another interview again!