Steve Hatch (vocals), Allen Wheeler (lead guitar), Nick Herst (bass), & Taylor Klisiewicz (drums)
THORNE: Thorne here, with the guys from Among The First. You guys are absolutely the first ones that I’m going to interview at Aftershock this weekend. I want to ask you guys to introduce yourselves.
NICK HERST: OK, my name is Nick. I am the bass player for Among The First.
ALLEN WHEELER: I’m Allen. I’m the guitar player.
THORNE: Allen and Nick. Hey, thanks for coming over today. [NICK: absolutely] Let’s get to know you guys first. Tell us a little about the band. Are you guys all married? Single? Kids?
NICK: Well, Allen and I go back a couple of bands at this point. We’ve been in projects on and off for a long time. [ALLEN: yeah!] We started in 2016? [ALLEN: mmhmm] And then, I think we started gigging in early 2017, pretty sure. [ALLEN: yep] As far as – Allen is married.
ALLEN: Kids, everything.
THORNE: Kids, everything, the whole shootin’ match!
ALLEN: The whole nine yards, man.
THORNE: Excellent!
NICK: I have my pit bull.
[LAUGHTER FROM ALL]NICK: Our drummer is single, at the moment.
ALLEN: Yeah, you can’t lock one down.
THORNE: Well, you know it happens! And there are one more of you out there right?
NICK: Yes, Steve (Hatch), that’s our vocalist. He is attached. I don’t – Are they married?
ALLEN: No, they aren’t married. They do have a kid, though.
THORNE: So, you guys are all a family with a pit bull thrown in – for good measure! [BOTH AGREEING] Excellent! All right, having gotten through that, let’s talk about your album. That’s what I’m really interested in. Man! So good, so good! Now you just have the one, right?
NICK: There’s the EP that came out in 2017… [ALLEN: yeah right] and then we just released a new single last Friday (October 4, 2019). [THORNE: yes! We saw that.] The single we released last Friday was called “Fast Asleep.” That is the first track with Steve on vocals.
THORNE: But now you have a different vocalist on “Fast Asleep.” Is that… [NICK: correct] where we’re at?
ALLEN: Yep, absolutely. I mean one thing that we were trying to find someone that had – I wouldn’t use the word, “iconic” voice, just something that kind of separated it from the pack. And it was really hard because we were so use to, and indoctrinated, in hearing Jeremy’s (Hogan) voice. We just needed something that just kind of, you know. It wasn’t the normal thing you heard. Steve definitely has that! He just has this growl, and he’s got this kind of soul behind his voice that you don’t normally hear.
NICK: When he came to the audition, and he stuck out immediately. Yeah, without question, so.
THORNE: What was your guy’s favorite off your EP? What song do you like the best, and why?
NICK: I would say, I mean, “Pariah,” probably got the best reaction overall. [THORNE: I dig that song!] [ALLEN: yeah] It was the song that we released first before we released the EP, and then other than that… I mean the reaction to “Pariah” was insane!
THORNE: Yes! I agree. The same for me too.
NICK: For me, I would say secondary the song, “Talk To Me.”
ALLEN: Yeah, I would have to say that “Pariah” and “Fiend” were mine. Yeah, I just like how those songs just move.
THORNE: Your lead singer from back then is not here, but I felt emotional when I heard “Pariah.” That song really hit me in a very deep place. I could hear the emotion when the singer was singing:
Somebody help me…
NICK: Sure.
THORNE: Knowing him and knowing that time in your lives when you were doing that, when you do your live shows, how do you get that emotion? How do you get that back?
NICK: Yeah, I mean, live is always different than when you are in a studio. In the studio you do take, after take, after take… [THORNE: mmhmm] and then it’s perfect. Live is just about living in the moment, I guess. [ALLEN: yeah, yeah] You feed off the crowd; you feed off of everything!
THORNE: I thought that all the tunes, most of them, were deeply emotional.
ALLEN: I wouldn’t say it was a hundred and twenty percent Jeremy. We had a lot of things we would say we think a song is about and he was at a time where he was very descriptive with his words. He didn’t apologize for anything.
THORNE: Was he part of the writing?
NICK: For the EP, yes.
THORNE: And do either of you write?
NICK: Most of the time the songs come from [ALLEN: me and him] yeah, the two of us. That’s usually where it starts.
THORNE: Would you call yourselves the core of the band?
ALLEN: I would say that, yeah, we were the core of everything and then when we found Taylor (Klisiewicz-Drums); he kinda like molded right to that. You know, but me and him (indicating Nick) have always been a band so we don’t really have, like the, “getting-to-know,” like the “phasing-out.” Sometimes we have all different styles we play, and it seems like we all have similar styles, which always works out well.
NICK: That, and Steve (Hatch – Vocals), he hit the ground running. His first show with us was actually the Aftershock Pre-Party last year! He had been in the band for three weeks? [ALLEN: yeah] Something like that, and we had already started writing with him. We will typically come up with an initial idea for a song and he (Steve) will just fit right in that pocket.
THORNE: So, “Fast Asleep,” that’s a kick-ass listen. I listened to that like, four times today [NICK: thank you] before the interview. I love it! I gotta know a few things, though. [CHUCKLES FROM BOTH – OK] First of all, namely what is your true form? Where is the true form? What is that?
NICK: The Ghost Busters Shirt!
[EVERYONE LAUGHING]THORNE: Who you gonna call?
ALLEN: (LAUGHING): Thanks buddy! Constantly calling me out! Uhm, reference to “who you are?” or from the song?
NICK: Right, so it’s basically who you really are without all the crap that gets around you sometimes. You know, like, who you are the way you started. I guess would be the best explanation.
THORNE: There were also lyrics about being abused and betrayed. [ALLEN: yeah] So talk about that song (“Fast Asleep”). Where did it come from? Was it a specific event in someone’s life?
NICK: That song was I think it was pretty personal to Steve. [ALLEN: yeah] I think it has to do with either a friend or multiple friends that he saw going through trials and tribulations, basically.
THORNE: So, I dig the album and I dig the song! Good stuff! [ALLEN: thank you, thank you. NICK: appreciate it.] Are you guys teasing out singles for something bigger coming up?
NICK: Well, right now we have probably, what – a dozen pre-production going on?
ALLEN: Yeah, we got a lot of stuff!
THORNE: Have you stitched something together like a narrative? Or is it just the sort of creative stuff that flowed out and you’ll figure out how to put it together later?
ALLEN: Honestly, it’s the best of both worlds. I think this time around with how we are doing things as a band, and what not. Just it feels that every action that we are making; it feels right.
NICK: That, and just our – the general atmosphere in the entire band, for over a year now, has been very non-forced. The music just kind of happens! You know what I mean? We don’t have to sit down and be like this is what we gotta do…
THORNE: So, something very organic has happened?
NICK: Yeah! Absolutely!
THORNE: I’m getting a sense, and if I’m going somewhere, I shouldn’t go, then let me know. [ALLEN: I’ll do!] I’m getting the sense that maybe your former lead singer was a strong force, and was trying to steer things in a direction?
NICK: Not necessarily. [THORNE: no?] I think that we just – the writing and working relationship is so much more natural with the lineup we have now. [THORNE: yeah.] Uh, it was always – it didn’t ever feel forced, but it felt like we needed it to go specific places. [THORNE: I see.] And now we don’t have that.
THORNE: I didn’t see anything scheduled for you guys on your Facebook page?
NICK: We have a couple things scheduled; they just haven’t been formally announced online.
ALLEN: Yeah, they will get announced here in a couple of weeks. There will probably be four dates possibly? [THORNE: ok.]
NICK: We’re keeping busy. Plus, we’re in production right now.
ALLEN: Yeah, we are trying to like, not play too much, and write more so that…
THORNE: You see that lull, right? You can almost tell when the bands are locking themselves in room writing. [NICK: yep.]
THORNE: Do you guys have a label or are you independent still?
ALLEN: Currently, right now we are independent. We are in some negotiations.
THORNE: It sounds to me that you guys will have one soon! I’m partial to Curtain Call, just saying!
[EVERYONE CHUCKLING]THORNE: Did I see that – Have you been out touring?
NICK: We definitely play in Sacramento quite a bit. We play at Holy Diver, Ace Of Spades; we’ve played a lot of the main venues in the area. We also play out in Reno (Nevada). We’ve played down in the Bay Area a couple of times. I think we are headed, soon to Southern California and Vegas?
ALLEN: We have two days in Southern California and possibly two in Vegas.
THORNE: Where are you going in SoCal?
ALLEN: Uhm, either Chain Reaction, or there is another place. The people that handle that – they do that.
THORNE: So, you must be pumped! You’re at Ace Of Spades tonight on the bill with Motionless In White. How cool is that?
NICK: Absolutely! It’s awesome!
THORNE: Yeah, we’re totally pumped to see them. I think that says something that you guys are on the pre-party. You guys are getting us all warmed up!
NICK: Absolutely!
THORNE: Now, are any of you guys, yourselves going to be attending Aftershock this year?
NICK: I will be there all three days. [THORNE: yeah, we will too.]
ALLEN: yeah me too. So hopefully next year, you’ll see us at Aftershock!
THORNE: That would be fantastic!
ALLEN: That is something that I hope for, let’s just say that. [NICK: yeah, absolutely!]
THORNE: I don’t see why not, man. After hearing the EP, and that song (“Fast Asleep”).
NICK: This is also the second year we have done the pre-party – we did it last year too
THORNE: So, what can we expect to see from your show, tonight, besides great music?
NICK: We got a pretty decent light show tonight, a lot of energy. I’m telling you, when we get on stage, it’s all about interacting with the crowd. We feed off the energy that they put our way. And anytime we play at Ace Of Spades it’s insane. ALLEN: Yeah, it’s gotta be passionate and intense – just raw emotion. When people are going to a show they want to feel what they are seeing, and that’s what we try and do.
Thorne: There’s a lot of high energy rock coming out of this area that’s why I’m not surprised to hear you guys. That was no surprise at all. Well guys I appreciate it, I know you got work to do. (for tonight’s show) We’re going to let you get to it. For BackStage360 I’m Thorne you guys Take Care.
Interview with Among The First