7 Minutes in Heaven – Side Effects

By starrymag | October 21, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I would describe our sound as alternative rock.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences? 

 

A) While Fall Out Boy, Green Day and Blink-182 have influenced us all, each member has a unique musical background with influences ranging from modern day metal all the way to Frank Sinatra.

 

Q) What has the fan reaction been to your EP Side Effects?

 

A) The amount of support was overwhelming. We sold over 1,000 copies the first week, placing us at #1 New Alterative Artist and #9 Heat Seekers.

 

Q) What do you think it is about your song “Fireworks” that fans have connected to?

 

A) “Fireworks,” as a song, really captures the desperate emotion that was felt in the year leading up to the EP being written. The song has a very open ending in the sense that it isn’t truly finished and that idea of an ending not being an ending, but the next step towards something better. I think that’s something a lot of people can identify with.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) We are very heavily involved. We’ve also been lucky enough to work with amazing engineers who listen to what we want and empower us to complete each vision as we see it. Ultimately, every melody, note, key and choice to use guitar feedback is our choice.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live 7 Minutes in Heaven performance? 

 

A) If someone were to wander into a 7MIH show, they could expect an energetic and honest experience. We try to create an environment where one not only feels comfortable, but also inspired to find that light and energy inside oneself and apply it to real life. Many people at shows have explained to us how they feel awkward or nervous, but we try to convey that we aren’t cool or hip. We live life the way we’ve decided is right for us. If you can take anything away from our live show it’s that you should never feel bad for being happy.

 

Q) What songs off Side Effects are you looking forward to playing live?

 

A) Personally, getting to play the title track “Side Effects” live is still my favorite thing in the world. However, on this tour we got to add “Ways I Shouldn’t Be” for most tour dates, which is definitely a song lots of 7MIH fans have expressed a desire to hear on past tours. So, getting to fulfill that and see the crowd reaction always gets me excited. We love all of Side Effects, so if anyone is as happy to hear it as we are to play it, that’s more amazing than winning the lottery.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) John O’Callaghan or Jack White!

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to Side Effects?

 

A) If you listen to our EP Side Effects, what we really want you to take away from the record is a sense of hope from the darkest corners of your past. We created the EP to be a perfect loop. So, if you listen to the EP all the way through and restart it, hearing the first track again truly hits you in a different way.  Our writing often deals with aspects of the human condition – feeling a certain way about something and thinking it’s wrong or right and trying to find a place in the world based on those morals and life choices. Side Effects was a backhanded commentary of the year previous to its recording, which we spent most of on the road – dealing with life shattering personal problems from hundreds of miles away with no phone service and no money or certainty that tomorrow would come. Finding hope and happiness is more than just a possibility if you hold true to yourself and the ones you love.

 

Q) Why is social media important for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media has become the only way to connect with fans in a world where consistent touring has become more difficult for a DIY band. Luckily enough, we are able to share music, information and content with fans thousands of miles away that may never have known we existed and when we finally get to those places it’s one of the coolest feelings.

 

Q) What would you like to say to anyone else who is a supporter?

 

A) All we can say is thank you. We understand that everything we do or say may have an impact so we never want to lose that honesty. Life is going to throw you into oncoming traffic and in those moments you must find a balance and choose a direction. In this fight you’re never alone. Everything we do or say has consequences (not always permanent or immediately visible), but it’s up to us to make this a better world. We realize we are all humans that feel, think and act in hopes of a better tomorrow.

 

 

*ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY VOCALIST/GUITARIST TIMMY RASMUSSEN*