Interviews: Closer To Found

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the  Post-Hardcore  band Closer To Found, from Canada. Check out this band and give them a like on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

Lawrence: We were tossing a few names around and nothing stuck. Closer To Found had been around as one of those options for a long time but we pretty much considered every single other option before considering it. Eventually we were down to our last option which was Closer To Found and we almost immediately embraced it as the right name for the band. All in all it speaks to both of us [Lawrence & Zack] as individuals and to the band as an entity.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Lawrence: Very early on I had no idea what would become of this band in terms of musical style. I have deep musical roots in the Post-Hardcore/Metalcore genres when it comes to musical inspiration but in all my previous music writing endeavors I always had a tendency to be the guy that wrote all the heavy stuff. I entered the song writing process with very few ideas and no musical direction and in a way, I think it was because of those circumstances that the music came out as it did.

Zack: For me, metal allows us the privilege to explore so many different dynamics in music. For as much as metal heads get flack for being "close minded", we're pretty accepting of things fans of other genres might not be. We can sing and scream, and be as heavy or soft as we want to be throughout the course of an entire album, and I find that really liberating creatively. And I find the shows are so much more interactive in the metal/hardcore scene. The fans can scream and sing along with you, dive off the stage, and express themselves physically (within reason of course). That's why I love this scene and can't see myself being in any other type of band.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Lawrence: Zack and I have known each other for quite a few years now. We first met in a previous band that we had together where he did all sorts of vocals and I worked my way around a bass with three of our really good friends. We stayed really good friends after that band and when I started this project he was the first guy I approached to get involved and he was more than happy to.

Ben and I met in the kitchen of a restaurant that we worked at together for a while. I knew he was a really skilled musician because he and a good friend of mine are in another band together and they play some stuff that requires a certain level of skill. I knew we both had common goals when it came to our musical ambitions so I didn't hesitate to offer him a spot when the opportunity arose.

We had the most trouble with finding the right drummer for the band. Yoan approached us to join as our official drummer and thing just clicked with him. His disciplined character really helped him cement himself as the rhythmical backbone to our live performance.

4. Each band member favourite band?

Lawrence: I've been really digging Dance Gavin Dance for a while now so I'm going to have to go with them but I'm suspect to change my mind on the subject at any point.

Zack: Definitely the Dillinger Escape Plan. They just get better and better with each album, and are without a doubt the best live band I’ve ever seen.

Ben: The After Image has been a pretty big constant for me so I'll have to go with them.

Yoan: Right now it's definitely Between The Buried And Me but that could change on a weekly basis.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Lawrence: I definitely think the lack of musical direction that I had set out for myself had helped me go back to my roots to find inspiration. Bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Issues will definitely come into question when we talk about who we think are a good example of what I wanted to achieve as song writers but not really for their riffs or melodies, rather their strong song structures. I'm a sucker for a good song structure and I'd like to think I put that on display in our songs.

Zack: A lot of the lyrical content for the album was inspired by us trying to achieve solace with ourselves, in our personal relationships, and in society in general. We really made it a point on the album to make sure every song had a moment of moving on, where we and the listener can find some peace in whatever negative emotion we may be conveying in the song.

6. Where was your last gig?

Lawrence: We played at Les Foufounes Électriques in Montreal for our album release which was a ton of fun. We were lucky to play with good friends in White Fox Society, Alongside, Sever The Voices, and Great Gardening.

7. Where would you like to act?

Lawrence: I've always wanted to play Warped Tour in its entirety; hopefully we can make that happen. I'm a firm believer in the festival mentality where you can see bands you idolize and at the same time discover new acts you had potentially never heard of.

Zack: I want to play everywhere, from festivals to basements and everything in between!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Zack: In terms of the metal scene, it would be awesome to work with someone like Oli Sykes, Ben Weinman, or Tyler Carter. Being from Montreal, it would be awesome to do something with someone like Alex Erian from Despised Icon. I think it would be cool for our local scene.

9. Whom not?

Zack: Honestly, there’s no one I wouldn’t want to collab with personally. We’re pretty much open to working with anyone!

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Lawrence: When I was a kid I was terrified of the stage. I remember being 6 or 7 and being a finalist for the school spelling bee which meant I had to be up on stage with the four other finalists from my grade and spell in front of the entire school. Safe to say I choked right away and was the first one out. I think that lit a fire inside of me to overcome that fear. I've always hated personal limitations and so just like when I did roofing to overcome my fear of heights, I pushed myself to be on stage to overcome stage fright.

Zack: I've suffered from stage fright as long as I can remember. The best thing to do is to put yourself out there as much as possible, and then just be as prepared as possible. As nervous as I get when I go on stage, I can’t help but just get into it, because I know those songs like the back of my hand. From there on, there's no other choice then to just go all out and be the best you can be!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Lawrence: Like I mentioned before Bring Me The Horizon and Issues are good inspirations for me because of their stellar song structures. Otherwise I think I draw musical inspiration from everything I hear regardless of whether I like it or not. I think our musical style was directed more by deciphering the music I don't like and why over the music I like.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Lawrence: I haven't really come across anything weird yet, I guess that means we've got some pretty good fans!

13. What do you think of your fans?

Lawrence: I think they're awesome. I mean as much as we have made our music accessible it's still difficult to sift through an ocean of bands out there. For that reason we are really grateful for the fans we have.

14. What do you think of our site?

Zack: I think the site is awesome! It's cool to see people help out the scene, and especially up and coming bands. Also, the compilations are great, and have opened up my eyes to a lot of bands I probably never would have heard of. So hats off to you guys!

15. Something to add?

Our debut album Always Just As Lost is officially out so check it out. We are planning on hitting the road in 2017 so keep your eyes open for that. And as always, a big thank you to everyone who supports us.