Sing It Loud

Young American pop punk upstarts Sing It Loud have spent the past three years carving a solid reputation for themselves. With the quintet releasing their new album ‘Everything Collide’ recently, Sing It Loud vocalist and guitarist Pat Brown caught up with Killyourstereo to talk about touring, signing with respected record label Epitaph, and the Minneapolis music scene.

G’day mate, just to get things started could you please state your name and role in the band?

My name is Pat Brown and I sing and play guitar in the band.

You guys have got a new album (Everything Collide) hitting stores. How are things going with Sing It Loud at the moment?

They are going better than ever. We released the album on May 11th and we've received a lot of amazing feedback on it. We just did a tour with Motion City Soundtrack and are currently finishing up our tour with Mayday Parade, and we couldn't have asked for better tours to kick off this record cycle with. Having a new album is very refreshing – kind of like a re-birth. 

Sing It Loud are still arguably in its infancy as a band. How would you describe your sound to someone who may be unfamiliar with the group?

Very pop, very rock and very honest. We write the kind of music that we wish was already out there. All of our songs are written about personal experience and we put a lot of time and effort into the meaning behind it all. You can definitely tell when you listen I think.

Can you tell us what the recording process was like in regards to your new album? Was it smooth sailing in comparison to previous recordings or was there much pressure etc.?

It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We chose to do the album with producer/engineer Jordan Schmidt in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One really cool thing about this recording process is we got to record the album song by song. All drums, all bass, all guitar, (and) vocals, then start on the next one. It really helped develop a different personality for each of the songs. We also got to stay in a 3-bedroom condo in downtown Minneapolis for the entire recording process so that was a blast in and of itself.  No distractions.

What can we expect from ‘Everything Collide’?

Many different things, (from) love songs, bitter songs, slow songs, fast songs, songs about different people and being in different places. We’ve grown up together on the road and experienced so many real life situations and it gave us so many things to write about.  

You guys are signed to iconic and respected record label, Epitaph. What has your relationship with the music company been like since Sing It Loud became part of the impressive roster?

Epitaph are our homies. They support us so hard and back everything we do. Brett flew out to see us in our hometown and took us out and right when I met him, I knew that I wanted my home to be Epitaph. Lots of bands will say it sucks to be on a label for whatever reasons they may have but Epitaph is badass and it's an honour to be able to say I’m a part of it.

Is it fair to say being on a label with notable bands like Every Time I Die, Set Your Goals, and New Found Glory forces you to want to better yourselves as musicians in order to achieve (hopefully) a similar level of success?

It is inspiring for sure. When you see bands on the same label that you have listened to since before your band even started, you think, "hey these bands rule and I think that I can do this too."  

Every country, not to mention every city seems to have its own musical styles and for a lack of a better word ‘scene’. What is the current Minneapolis music scene like?

The Minneapolis music scene is fantastic. Bob Dylan, Prince, Motion City Soundtrack, Husker Du, Semisonic, and so many great other bands have came out of Minneapolis. Currently the more new bands I have been stoked on are Take Cover (pop rock, [and] really good friends of ours) and MODSUN (my best friend – he’s an incredible hip hop artist).  I support them for life.

As you said, you guys just finished a tour with Motion City Soundtrack and are now in the process of touring the States with Mayday Parade. What was the MCS tour like? Any interesting tales to share with the KYS readers?

The Motion City Soundtrack tour was great. My favourite part about it was that it was a challenge. Older crowds, markets we don't usually play and personally, for me it was vocally inspiring.  Nick Santino (Rocket to the Moon), Nate Reuss (Fun) and Justin Pierre (MCS) are all incredible singers and it was awesome to watch them every night and learn from them. Cause god knows, I’m still learning.

What was your favourite album of last year, and which one(s) are you most looking forward to this year?

My favourite album of last year was for sure Fun's ‘Aim and Ignite’. I’m really looking forward to MIA's new album and Foo Fighters' album that they're recording.

Any up and coming bands you would like to send a shout out to that people in Australia should check out.

Sparks the Rescue, A Rocket to the Moon and Mayday Parade. (I) want to thank them for being great friends and making this tour one of the best.

If you could pick three bands (past and/or present) to tour with – who would they be?

Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, and Foo Fighters.

What are your plans for the rest of 2010?

We’re going to be going on tour with Every Avenue, The Secret Handshake and Therefore Tomorrow on the ‘Motel 6 Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour’. Also keep your eyes peeled for a new music video soon.

Thanks for the interview Pat.

http://www.myspace.com/singitloud