Interviews: Accidental President

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Alternative Rock band Accidental President from Australia. Check out this band and follow them on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

At the time Accidental President was naming the band (mid-2015), the 2016 US election was gearing up. At that time we were discussing the precarious state of the world and how our desire for the band to present a social awareness could perhaps be captured in the name. The name itself was inspired by a font lol - 'accidental presidency' & was tweaked to Accidental President as we liked the concept of someone finding themselves voted into a position of authority who didn't necessarily seek it out. Maybe that would make for a better kind of leader? Maybe someone who really WANTS to be in charge should be disqualified for that very reason? All we know is that now more than ever, the world requires Honesty, Integrity, Respect & selflessness in all of our leaders.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

It’s difficult to know exactly what genre we play tbh, certainly even looking at Spotify’s range of genres there are quite a few that we would fit into, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Gothic Rock, etc & I think it’s for that reason that we have quite a unique sound. There was never a conscious decision to try & fit a certain genre either. We all grew up listening to & being influenced by rock music in general because of the freedom of thought associated with it along with an attraction to more theatrical, progressive, alternative elements associated with a range of rock bands like Sisters of Mercy, Evanescence, Dream Theater, and I guess that’s why we sound like we do!

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

No. AP has always been about the coming together of interested parties to make a certain brand of music over a period of time, some hanging around for a while & some moving on - just like life in general!

4. Each band member's favorite band?

It’s always difficult to pinpoint one band but let’s say,

Dahlia - Evanescence

Dave - Dream Theater

Jimmy - Led Zeppelin

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Anything and Everything, but at the core of the band we’ve always looked to present a social awareness.

6. Where was your last gig?

We actually haven’t gigged since just before Covid - which was at the Crowbar in Sydney supporting Reckless Love & Crosson. We then got into the new album ‘Was it meant to be this way’ which is out in October and such is the current state and varied location of the band that we haven’t brought it all together to gig since. Hopefully, we’ll get out and about on the back of the release as playing LIVE was at the very heart of the origin of the band and the overall feel of the sound. 

7. Where would you like to act?

We’ve certainly paid our dues as a LIVE band playing the Sydney scene in the last few years - across all 4 corners and at all hours, so it would be fantastic to play a bit further afield whether that be Nationally or Internationally. Time will tell!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

We just love to play to receptive audiences, whoever that may be with & always appreciate the opportunity to do so.

9. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

I don’t think any of us have ever suffered from stage fright as such. There are certainly nerves & excitement associated with the build-up to playing LIVE but if you don’t get those then perhaps there’s something missing from the performance, and once you get into it it all takes on a life of its own. I think the tip from us would be to hone in on what exactly is it that you’re doing & why. If you’re setting out to try and impress people then maybe that comes with its own pitfalls, but if it’s coming from a place of authenticity and you believe in what you do, then from a viewpoint of art as expression just go out and play to the best of your ability without worrying too much about what other people think. That goes for playing LIVE, writing, recording & Life in general.

10. What bands have inspired you the most?

2 bands that come to mind because of their commitment to their cause, undeniable quality, cool imagery, and impressive longevity are Iron Maiden and Dream Theater.

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

No comment lol

12. What do you think of your fans?

It’s always difficult to think of yourself as having fans LOL, but I guess that’s a term that comes with the territory so all we’d say is that we love it when our music resonates with people - because we’re music fans as well and we know how special that can be, so we thank each & every one of them for their support.

13. What do you think of our site?

It’s great. We have total respect for anyone who commits to doing something they truly believe in. Breathing the Core demonstrates such an authenticity & commitment to spreading the word about the many similarly like-minded bands across the ‘genre’(s) that we all love and for that, we salute you.

14. Something to add?

Our new album ‘Was it Meant to be This Way?’ is out on October 6th on Wormholedeath Records, currently being promoted by our single ‘Bittersweet’. We’d like to thank everyone who has shown support in getting it to this stage - with a special shout out to Carlo & Naty at Wormholedeath, and we’d encourage everyone who has read this far to go and see what all the fuss is about!