The Orphan The Poet – Terrible Things

By starrymag | July 6, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) That’s a tough one. I want to say that it is loud, rock music. It’s kind of weird and loud. I know that is a vague description, but that is kind of why I like it. It doesn’t lead you too far into one thing.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Good question! I want to say that they are bands that are the reasons you first get into music. They are bands that you are grew up listening to always have some influence on you. It’s cool to give credit to bands that first made you want to get into music. With this new EP, I want to say – It’s crazy and I don’t know why I feel weird saying this, but I just got into the band Mayday Parade. I know they have been around for so long, but I just never listened to them. Hearing some of the stuff they have done, they are a really good band. I feel like I wrote them off as a band that teenage girls like. I like them and I think they have been a big influence. Just cool straightforward rock n roll is where I’m at now.

Q) You have the track “Terrible Things” out now. How are fans connecting with the song?

A) We had a bunch of people coming up to us saying, “This song is so cool!” I think it is enough of an open ended song that someone can either take it as a fun song, just something to jump up and down to or they can read into the lyrics. I have had someone come up to me and say, “This song means this to me,” and I’m like, “Oh! That’s so cool.” To another person, it might not mean that at all. What is cool about “Terrible Things” is that if you want to put meaning in it you have that or it can be a feel good rock song. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. I think that’s what has been really fun for fans with that track.

Q) How does the video play into the message into the song or was it just a fun time for you guys to be robots?

A) I don’t think there is necessarily a narrative connection or a story connection to it. I want to think there is a vibe connection. The song itself kind of exudes this fun, rock n’ roll with a little bit of aggression to it. It is interesting because in terms of the lyrics it sets up this vibe. When we are brainstorming video ideas, we had a few that we were kicking around. Nothing was really selling us. I think when you hear that idea (be it an idea for a song or an idea for a video) when it grabs you in the gut you know it. You know when it is right. When we were developing this robotic, video game idea for the video we were like, “That’s it! That captures the idea and the vibe.” We just thought when were envisioning it that we could hear this song and story coming together in one identity. I think that’s what it inspired that to for sure be for the video.

Q) How did you come to partner with Bloody Disgusting to premiere the song?

A) Good question. We have an amazing publicist (Hayley, shout out to you!). She told us it was a cool video, but it might appeal to those into the sci-fi horror movie filmmaker scene. That is new territory for us. We were asked if we were familiar with the website Bloody Disgusting and I was like, “Yeah, I’m on that website basically every day.” That was all the validation we needed. It was cool to step into that world with our project. It has been really, really cool.

Q) What was it like working with engineer Nick Ingram?

A) Nick was great. This was a project that we had recorded in a less traditional way for us. What I mean by that is, we are from Ohio and we signed on to work with this guy Machine. Due to scheduling problems and logistical things, we had to physically go to the studio to record it and then Machine did all the bells and whistles. So, we were looking for an engineer to work with us. He had worked with some of our friends and he had a great studio and a great space. Nick was great. He kept us on a tight schedule. We came in and recorded 9-5 every day. I’m a guy who doesn’t like to record at like 2am. That’s ridiculous. I hate singing that late at night. It blows my voice out. Nick was very organized. He really helped us that we were getting the files to Machine when we needed to.

Q) And you felt comfortable speaking up about your sound?

A) Yeah. It was pretty cool just because typically when we have done anything in the past it was always sitting in the room with one guy who was the producer and the engineer. He wore every hat, which can be cool, but in this scenario we were looking at Machine as more of the producer/mixer/final touch guy. Nick’s sole job was to sit down with us in the room and make sure we were giving technically good performances and making sure we tuned this guitar and used that guitar. So, it was kind of cool to be able to work with him. For some people who aren’t familiar with the recording process, that is kind of like a big studio deal where you have one guy pushing buttons and then you have another guy would edit the stuff and then another guy would mix the stuff. So, there are like thirty people who work on something like that! However, in our music, it is typically like one guy. The fact we got to expand that personnel was cool. It was just a different process for us and for the theme in general.

Q) Why did you decide to release a behind the scenes look at “Terrible Things?”

A) I think we knew when we were making that video that we might have bitten off a little bit more than we can chew. We’re a band that comes to the table with a big idea and if no one is going to help us make this idea, we’re just going to say “Screw it,” and do it ourselves. So, we definitely had a lot of help on that video. We had some amazing friends that came on board and we couldn’t have done it without them. It kind of occurred to us during filming that we hadn’t done this before so there might be some ridiculousness happening on set that we needed to document. At the very least, it would be interesting to see it put altogether. So, we had a couple cameras running the whole time behind the scenes to document the process and the trials and tribulations of having filming the video. We thought it would be interesting and people would enjoy that. At the very least, it was something we could look back on and say, “Man, why did we try to do all that? That was too much!” [laughs] Hopefully, it is a fun video for everyone to watch.

Q) Is there a favorite song you enjoy performing live the most?

A) This is a two tier answer. My favorite one to perform live is probably “Terrible Things” because people seem to have the most fun with it. The one that I really just like as a song is “Bombs Away.” That song is a little bit harder to play the way the lyrics come and the riffs on that one. I like that as a song. It’s just harder to play live and I think that “terrible things” is the one that people get most into.

Q) What can fans expect from a live The Orphan The Poet show?

A) We try to be weird and loud, just like how we described the music. We try to be energetic. If we’re not having fun, then I didn’t think anyone in the room is having fun. That’s just kind of how playing music goes. We had a show in Columbus, Ohio and in the middle of the song and I looked at Jake and said, “I’m going to kiss you.” And I just kissed him on the lips! I just felt compelled to get weird with it. He was like, “Okay.” He just took it and danced it off. Sometimes you just have to do that. We try to have fun with it and try to laugh. I think there was a time in the band where we would get upset if someone messed up. We were too uptight about it, but now we laugh about it. I just think everyone is going to have a good time. I think that’s our approach.

Q) The band is very active on social media. How do you come up with the entertaining things you tweet?

A) I have no idea. Jake [Floyd] is great! Jake is a guy who is if he doesn’t have someone to talk to or text in that moment he is going to find someone he can connect with. He’s a social butterfly who loves to connect and make up these random things. They are gifs from his favorite show “One Tree Hill” or “The Office.” He just scours the internet for the weirdest stuff. So, hopefully people love those weird things. I want to think that at least 50/50 of the time people like it. [laughs]

Q) What do you think when you log on and see what Jake has tweeted?

A) It’s always a surprise! [laughs] But it is cool. Social media is awesome for our band because it allows us to get to know the people who come to our shows on a one-to-one basis. So, I think it is awesome. We are all into social media, but having Jake take hold of it and own it is awesome. Even when he is sharing weird stuff, that’s cool. People like to laugh and I like to laugh. I like to log in and see weird stuff he sent people. I think it is hilarious. So, I can only think he is making people wanting to check us out.

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

A) I think social media is this mainstay of our culture now. Before, I remember way back in the day before there were major cell phones, you could text message and slowly but surely people caught on to that. Now, it is just the normal way people talk to each other. Since that is how in this society people normally talk to each other, we as a band and a brand have to engage people on that level. It’s just the way things are and for a band to ignore that is not smart. So, I think we’re just trying to look at things and see how fans like to be interacted with. That’s what we’re going to do! We’re going to send them “One Tree Hill” gifs.

Q) Is there anything else you want fans to be sure to know about your EP Terrible Things?

A) Well, good question. I would like to think that people listen to it as an EP. I hope people know that we tried really hard. We always work hard at what we do and we’re so proud of it. Mainly, I just want to know what they think of it. If they are grooving to it and like it, tell me. If they don’t like it, even though it’s going to hurt my ego, tell me. Regardless of how someone reacts to it, I definitely always want fans to reach out to us and talk to us and tweet weird things at us. That’s just what keeps us going.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

A) Please come out to our shows! The biggest thing for us as a band is touring. It’s how we live and die. Tweeting about us is step one. Listen to us on Spotify, that’s cool. If that gets you invested in the family aspect of our band, that’s what we wanted. At the end of the day, bands can only support what they are doing with people coming out to their shows and buying tickets or merchandise. We love any support fans give us, but at the end of the day come see us live. That’s how we can keep making music.

All Questions Answered By David Eselgroth (Vocals/Guitar)