EVERY MINUTE CAN KILL
Interview with Trevor (Vocals) and Rich (Guitar)
By Nicholas Pendergast
EVERY MINUTE CAN KILL steps outside the boundaries of heavy metal stereotypes by sticking true to what they define as ‘their sound.’ The New Jersey natives who recently started making noise in the underground scene have been working hard in support of their first two EPs, including Faceless Creature,s which was released as a digital album early this January through Persistent Heart Media. Faceless Creatures includes support from notable figures from the hardcore scene such as the producer Shane Frisby (BURY YOUR DEAD) and mastering from Andrew Wade (A DAY TO REMEMBER.)
What is it about your music that you feel sets it apart from others in the genre?
Trevor: This was probably the first thing we thought about when going into the writing process for our EP and our last single. Not so much just ways to set us apart from others, but finding our sound, something that we enjoyed and that was unique to us as a group. We loved messing around with blues riffs and swing beats, so that is probably one of the first things that might pop out to you when hearing our music. You’ll also notice that our lyrics aren’t a compilation of vague metaphors, but a story where each song is sort of its own chapter, displaying different emotions and with its own moral to it.
Rich: Instead of just injecting our music with chugs and breakdowns, we decided to mix in more vivid and intense licks that push the story line forward. The use of airy, more atmospheric riffs really stand out in the tracks and take you for a ride. At the same time, we like to use really loud and dirty riffs similar to THE CHARIOT or NORMA JEAN.
How did you guys get hooked up with Persistent Heart Media?
We sent our first EP to be reviewed by Lexington Music Press, and Nathaniel ended up picking up that review and essentially told us to “find ourselves,” and we really took that to heart. When our next single came out, we wanted him specifically to hear it so he knew that we respected his feedback, and he ended up really digging our new direction. From that point on, we ended up talking back and forth through the writing of Faceless Creatures, and ended up working together on it.
Rich: We hooked up with PHM after we were reviewed by LMP. Nate was really awesome about helping us with the digital release of the EP and promoting it on PHM’s home page. It’s definitely been a step forward for the band and we hope it helps us open up even more new doors in the future.
How did the band come together?
Trevor: Sometime in Middle School, a few friends and I decided it would be cool to be in a band. None of us played instruments. We wanted to be pop punk, and it was awful. Yet, somehow, that band ended up being EVERY MINUTE CAN KILL. 2010 is the year that we actually became the band we are today, however. Our drummer, Dylan, joined Rich, myself, our guitarist Andy, and our previous bassist, Frank, which finally completed our line-up with competent musicians who each had their own musical backgrounds and tastes that they added to the music. Over time, Frank had to leave the band and our good friend, Danny, filled that role, and it’s been really great working with him since. It’s always been about enjoying ourselves and just creating something that’s our own. We all just love making music and going out and performing it to new people.
Rich: We all went to the same summer camp. I was in the older kids’ group, while Trevor, Andy, and Dylan all were in the little kids’ group. Me and all the older kids used to stuff the youngsters in the trash cans on the third Friday of each month, especially on the humid days. One Friday, when the garbage was over flowing with maggots and trash piss, we were going to can all the kiddies. I went to dump Trevor in the trash and he screamed, “If you don’t do this, you can join my band!” So I hesitated and further questioned his last minute statement, and the rest is history. From this day on, we still call Trevor “Trash Piss Jennings.”
The new EP is called Faceless Creatures. What is that about?
Trevor: Faceless Creatures is a story about a man who’s at a turning point in his life. He’s got a dark past, but he’s found the love of his life and he’s ready to change. At this point, the two characters in his life, his brother from his past and the woman he’s fallen in love with, each try and pull him in different directions. He loses sight of who he is and really breaks down mentally. There are also some loose religious aspects, sort of as if the “devil” is pulling down on him and he’s relying heavily on this “angel” that he’s met. These themes all get blurred and I tried to pass the story on just as clouded and mixed up as it would be in the main character’s head. It’s a lot of fun, and when everyone finally confronts each other, it gets pretty interesting and consequences ensue.
Rich: When we first discussed the story and the meaning behind Faceless Creatures, I wanted to set it in a specific time and have the music reflect the era as well as the emotion in the story. We decided that the story should be set in the late teens-1920’s era to give it a good early 20th century vibe. By doing this, the song paints a picture in the listener’s mind and you can see the story unfold exactly how we first imagined it. As the story goes along, if you pay attention to it, you’ll notice how when the emotion of the song goes in a positive or negative direction that the music trails along with it. All of this extra detail was put in so you are inside of the story along with characters.
How long have you been working on the new album?
Trevor: I think we started one of the songs as early as March of last year, after Purpose was released. We didn’t have the budget to record again anytime soon at that point, so we took things really slowly while we performed shows and promoted our single. We wrote and re-wrote over and over again all the way up until September when we finally were able to get back into a studio and we banged out all four songs in just a couple of days.
Rich: We’ve literally been writing this EP since we released Purpose. Not that we felt “Purpose” had to be one-upped, but we thought we were finding our niche and had to go along with it. This continued up until the week we left for recording. We just wanted the EP to be as perfect as possible and to be able to perform it to the best of our abilities.
What inspires your music?
Trevor: I’ve always liked writing music. I love the feeling you get when you find a really powerful or emotional riff, melody, or just a powerful phrase and it just hits you. I also love the fact that music doesn’t always need to be pleasant. I’m really influenced by bands like THE CHARIOT and even some EVERY TIME I DIE stuff where the music can be really abrasive and harsh at times, and I love to use that influence and mix it into the music when the song calls for it. I also tend to just let the local jazz station play in my car; it’s just fun and interesting and that definitely leaks into the music we play.
Rich: The music that I contribute to this band is influenced by a large number of things. Whether it’s out of anger, stress, happiness or love, it all makes my mind dance and run circles and out comes this stuff. Ever since its release, Red Dead Redemption has played a pretty decent role in my music writing. It might seem really weird, but I really just love to write music that sounds like I’m a woodsman around a campfire with a fiddle, tuned in drop B.
What can people expect from an EVERY MINUTE CAN KILL performance?
Trevor: It gets pretty wild. We try and make it a fun time for everyone. We get crazy, we interact with the crowd, and we do our best to play a little something for everyone so every person gets to enjoy themselves.
Rich: Loud, wild, sweaty, fun, crazy, and sexy.
Do you have anything else you’d like to say?
Trevor: Support poor musicians! (laughs)
Rich: Don’t cook bacon without a shirt on. But on a serious note, stay tuned for all kinds of cool stuff from EVERY MINUTE CAN KILL this year. We’ve got some acoustic plans, some video plans, and hopefully we’ll even be hitting the road soon. Who knows what 2012 will bring us!
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