December 2011 (phone interview broadcast live on Roman Midnight Music Podcast Eps #38)
Brooklyn's August Infinity has an infectious & dynamic pop/alt rock sound with great lyrics that is hard to forget. In 2009 they released Voices Of A Generation followed by a line-up change & the 2010 EP To Whom It May Concern, which received a positive response in the music media. Not long after was another band change that introduced drummer Christina Vitucci & the band rechristening themselves She Said Fire along with releasing the 5 song EP BOOM!.
Bassist Chris Moss & guitarist Peter Strzelecki joined me for an hour on my podcast to discuss the band's music, history & touring. One often hears that there's no good music out there in the new generation of musicians. Being closer to 40 than 30 I'll confess I don't quite feel that the current music scene is my generation nor always my music that I can relate to, but I also don't believe rock is stale & its far from dead. I do believe there's a lot of bland music out there ... but we forgot about a lot of older groups that turned out just as bland music & just because they performed when we were younger & feeling more connected to the music scene doesn't make them better. So, when I hear a new group I think I won't connect with doing something that is anything but bland I get excited. August Infinity is one of these new bands making music worth hearing & it was a pleasure to be able to talk with half of the band. They prove that good music doesn't speak to a particular generation, but to anyone whose listening & interested.
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AJ: Chris, Peter, thank you for joining me & giving me an opportunity to share the music of AUGUST INFINITY.
PETER (guitar): Thank you, it's a pleasure.
CHRIS (bass): Thanks man, really appreciate it.
AJ: First thing I want to do is the basics.
PETER: You mean the bass licks?
CHRIS: No, the basics.
AJ: The basics, you know like building up the chord from a few notes. Would you mind introducing yourselves & say something a little interesting about yourself?
CHRIS: I'm Chris. I'm the bass player. I'm originally from Alabama. I moved to Brooklyn & joined this band.
PETER: I'm Peter. I'm the guitar player. Our singer, his name's Joshua. He could not be with us, unfortunately he had to work tonight. Our drummer, his name's Ian & he didn't really feel like coming.
CHRIS: He's out flirting with chicks & partying all night. He's a drummer.
AJ: It's Friday night, doing what he should be doing, right?
CHRIS: Spreading the good work.
AJ: Didn't you guys recently have a fifth member?
CHRIS: We did. He left like too long ago. He was with us for a little while & then, I guess, he was at a different point in life so he moved on.
PETER: A good friend of mine once said - we all live together, by the way - usually when you start living with people, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, you know. I guess when you have to see someone every single day, like when you have to deal with their dirty dishes in the sink, you know, things change a little bit.
CHRIS: Yeah, you start to hate them as a guitar player. "Yeah, hate you, thanks for the dirty dishes."
PETER: But, seriously, we're also all really good friends & it worked out for the best.
AJ: Peter, I didn't know you guys lived together. You're the first band I've interviewed that does that. How does that effect the music? Every band I've talked to one person has been here & one person has been there. How does it effect being so close to each other?
PETER: In our current living situation, living in NYC & everything, we all have jobs, as you know. It seemed like the most logical choice for us to move in together, because we all have so little free time that if we could just work on a song for 5 minutes in passing while in between one guy doing laundry & the other guy's on his way to work, while here's a quick song idea, we're able to work on songs a little more efficiently that way, I guess. Right?
CHRIS: Yes, it's funny how worked. It's kinda become more of a collaborative effort. It's not like one guy brings something to the table & then everybody works with it. It's more like we're all bringing something to the table at the same time. So, it's worked out really good.
PETER: Like the other day Chris brought a song to the table, he's like "I wrote this song..." We're like, "You know, I've heard that before. I heard you play that in your bedroom last night."
AJ: So it really builds that group cohesiveness on some level.
PETER: We hear everything that goes on between the walls. The walls are very thin.
CHRIS: We hear everything. It's really like the housing quality is cheap but the rent is not.
PETER: Like one time Joshua came into my room & he was like "Dude, I broke up with my girlfriend." I said, "I know, I heard. I heard."
AJ: How would you guys describe to someone who didn't know you the AUGUST INFINITY?
CHRIS: I'd describe it as a modern hard rock band with a little zest of poppy attitude with catchy lyrics. That's exactly how I'd describe it.
AJ: Alright.
CHRIS: I don't know. What would you say, Peter?
PETER: I was on a date earlier tonight actually, which is kinda funny, & this girl said "What do you guys sound like?" I just shook my head & I said "I don't know ... Just listen to it." That's all I said.
AJ: "I never listen to our stuff. I don't know what we sound like." How did the date go when you gave that answer?
PETER: She said "Alright, word, I'll listen to it."
AJ: Alright.
PETER: I got a call back. Apparently it went well, right?
CHRIS: Yes, apparently, but he's sitting here & not in her bedroom.
AJ: Yeah, well, nudge nudge.
PETER: I told her I had to come here & do this interview.
AJ: Well, as long as she can talk about music she can join us. I'm up for it. A little variety. "By the way, what's your name again?" Would one of you just give me a little insight into how the band got started. I know you guys have this interesting story & I know Chris you came in a little bit later. I know this is a question you get asked all the time, but for my audience that doesn't know you could you fill me in?
CHRIS: It's kinda like a small world kind of thing. I joined the band later on, but Ian & Joshua found each other through a subway station. Joshua used to go busking in the subway stations here in New York & Ian saw him one day, so they started jamming. They had a couple of guys coming in & out. Somehow I auditioned for them & then I joined the band. It's funny because Peter was actually going to audition as the bass player at the same time, but he was on a business trip somewhere & he couldn't do it. So, I ended up getting the part. Then Peter was actually a fan for several months in the crowd. There's a couple of pictures where me & him are both in the crowd at an AUGUST INFINITY show & months later we're all in the band. Our original guitar player quit right after our first album was released. As soon as he quit we like already knew Peter & he just kinda came on board. It's been like that ever since. It's been pretty awesome.
PETER: It's actually kinda funny, because one of the first shows I ever went to ... it was actually the first show Chris had ever played with the band ... I was like dead front center screaming all the words to the songs. After the show Chris came up to me & he's like "Dude, who the fuck are you, man? Like how do you know all the words to all of our songs?" I'm like "I know you guys, man. Me & Ian we're actually going to Budapest on New Years. You guys should all come." So, I was already friends with Ian at the time. I talked to Ian about playing bass for them because I just liked the music so much. By the time I got back from my trip Chris had already gotten the job & I was pretty pissed at all them. I guess it all worked out.
AJ: You got stuck with the lowly bass guitar position.
PETER: Yeah, lowly bass guitar position. On top of that me & Ian had a really awesome time in Europe, so that was pretty cool.
AJ: I've been to Budapest. I know what its like.
PETER: Have you been there on New Years? I mean, come on!
AJ: I lived there.
PETER: Oh really?
AJ: I lived there for a year. My parents were partying on New Years on Andrassy Utca with wine being thrown up in the air on them. I know what it's like.
PETER: You ever been to a little club called Instance?
AJ: I don't remember. It's been years & years.
PETER: Best place I've ever been. It was so awesome I ended up throwing my phone in the river somehow.
AJ: Great ... I'd read the story, what you just said Chris, that here's Peter in the audience. I forgot, Peter, that it was you that I'd had been reading about when I was researching your history. Did the band change any musically when you guys came into it? I mean, Having been a fan or a groupie, if you want to use the word, & then joining in, did you feel like now you were going in a new direction?
PETER: No, I think, when I first joined the band ... I fell in love with it in the first place because I associated with it, first of all, on the musical level. I was really feeling the songs they were coming out with. I thought it was right up my alley. But, just to ensure that it didn't take a vast musical change I remember speaking to Chris, Joshua & Ian, I said, "I really want to just groove on the songs you guys already have for awhile. Just kinda get a feel for playing those before we start writing new ones." Just to kinda ensure that the musical integrity of the group didn't really straying too far from what they originally envisioned, you know. I think we did a pretty good job at that. I think the second record is an extension of the first, where the songs are a little bit more mature as a song, from a songwriting perspective. Maybe a little less in depth as far as from a candy layering perspective, but I think we've approached a more mature spot in our songwriting as a group.
AJ: Excellent. How about musically? Where have you gone?
CHRIS: I think actually it's more of a ... before, the original guitar player was kinda controlling. I can say that now. I don't care whose listening.
AJ: That's alright. Too late.
CHRIS: He was kinda controlling & it was hard to bring new ideas to the table because he would either like it or he wouldn't even like think about it. When Peter came on board I instantly clicked with him & we both have a different way of writing songs, but we both mesh well together. I think it's been for the best the whole time. I really like playing with these guys. Peter & I we get together all the time & jam on guitars & it works out really well.
PETER: Yeah, the whole process is kinda weird, because Chris writes his riffs in a certain way & I write songs in a different way & then Ian is kinda like a producer in a lot of ways. Though the whole thing he'd be like the puppet master playing with the strings & stuff. So when we go over to his place & just lay down ideas they always just kinda come together. & then at the end of everything Joshua is kinda like the head chef where he says he either likes it or doesn't like it. We can come up with whatever we want, but if he's not feeling it, he's not going to write any awesome vocals to it. It's almost like Joshua's the CEO & we're just trying to please him all the time & trying to write something that he's going to be a part of.
AJ: Does Joshua do all the lyrics or do you guys do lyrics too?
PETER: Joshua does most of them. I'd say like 90 percent of them. There's a lot of times, it might even be the lead hook or chorus or something that he's just stuck on & the song will just sit there on the shelf for months at a time. Then somebody else will say, "You know what, this song is too good to just sit here. Here's a chorus. Now let's just do it." The it'll happen. Sometimes Ian, our drummer, will write the chorus or anyone of us will come up with a chorus. Most of the time it's all Joshua's awesomeness that's in the final product. But, everyone else definitely has input.
CHRIS: Ian has a really good way with words & melodies on top of that. He can just hear it all out. It's funny, when you hear our songs in sketch mode it's really him just saying gibberish with a melody & then eventually the words will come out. It's a funny process, but it works. It totally works.
AJ: Tell me about your new EP To Whom It May Concern.
PETER: Where to start? It's a long story.
AJ: You can come at it from any direction.
CHRIS: I guess we'll start with it in January or February 2010.
PETER: Starts long before that, bro, long before that.
CHRIS: But, that's when Peter first introduced one the riffs to the song "Make You Crazy".
PETER: Before we even started recording the thing.
CHRIS: It was before we started recording & he showed us some of these ideas.
PETER: Back when life was good.
CHRIS: He brought this riff & we were all pretty pumped about it, because it was the first thing he brought on. We just started working with it & working with it & like making up ideas for it. That song we played 100 times live & the vocals changed, the lyrics changed, every single time just about. There's probably videos on youtube of that song of us playing it live & the lyrics are totally different than what they are on the EP. But, it's funny, we spent so much time just writing songs, rehearsing, promoting the band, going on little mini-tours, playing out of town shows & playing big shows, playing shows where like 3 people were there, at the time most of the band had girlfriends ...
PETER: Like really awesome girlfriends, too. Not just like "Oh, I have this girlfriend that sucks." They were like really cool.
CHRIS: But, somehow, I guess about a year ago, it all started crumbling, because we were so bad at time management sometimes.
PETER: It wasn't so much time management. We were all just burning the candle at both ends, you know. We were all working 50 plus a week. We were all putting about 30 to 40 hours a week into the band with promotion, rehearsal, recording, writing, playing shows. I had a girlfriend & I only saw her on Tuesday nights for like 2 hours & we were dating for a year. We all had these long term relationships. They were all really supportive at first & then ... you know ... then it becomes ... It's kinda like the whole concept of living together. We figured we could maximize our time if we all moved into a loft in Brooklyn, because we needed to record this album. Once the songs started to come together we were like we need to record this thing. So, we set up a studio in an apartment in Brooklyn that we all moved into thinking that we could always just be mixing, recording and editing in our spare time. But, in actuality it kinda took all of our heads directly into recording this record and out of whatever relationships we were in. So ... you know.
CHRIS: So, they started crumbling around us & then I guess that's the point when the album became what it is now. It became better.
PETER: It was a weird situation. We started out recording a record & then we all went through these kinda traumatic personal events & the record changed as we were recording it. It initially was not so dark & the subject matter was a lot different. In the process of writing & recording it we all went through these life changes & it kinda captured all of that in the recording process. It's really weird. This EP that we just released is pretty much like the band, our lives, under a microscope for a period of 12 months.
CHRIS: Yeah.
PETER: The song "Some Kind Of Lullaby" is basically like my biography. Basically, how I felt everyday for 6 months straight. The first time I heard that it brought tears to my eyes. I was like, "Joshua, dude, you really nailed everything I was feeling for so long." & it's pretty awesome.
CHRIS: We really have to give it to Joshua on this one, because at the time he like put himself in all of our shoes. He was going through the same thing, but somehow he was able to capture what we were all going through with his lyrics.
PETER: Yeah, like how he did that. He told me we would all go to work before him & he said, "Before I go to work I walk into each one of your rooms & I just kinda look around. I'm like alright. 'What's this guy's life like?'" "So you look at my stuff, like my dirty laundry, when I'm at work?" He's like, "Yeah, man."
CHRIS: Now I have this image of Joshua like knowing my underwear. This is getting weird. It just really is a sum up of what we were doing in that year, but at the same time the songs are just really awesome. If you listen to the album you can kinda see the transition, like "Make You Crazy" has kinda like this cocky attitude & then "So Long" comes in & its kinda the beginning of things like starting to fall apart.
PETER: "Mother Mary", the way I look at it, it's almost like you're speaking to your own mom like "Hey, mom, I'm going to leave this girl behind because I need to kind pursue my dreams." & then "She Hurts" & "Some Kind Of Lullaby" are like a catharsis where you're left alone & just pondering what you just decided. Kinda deep.
CHRIS: I didn't realize how deep it was until just now.
AJ: Then, I guess, we could go another next step with the title itself, To Whom It May Concern. That could be the girls that got left behind?
PETER: That is actually the last piece that we came up with. I think, was it Joshua that came up with that one?
CHRIS: Yeah, it was Joshua. We had a couple of ideas. We were originally, I think, going to go with one of the song titles & then he brought that to the table & it just made perfect sense at the time, so we stuck with it.
PETER: The whole artwork that we came up with for the EP just all kinda ties that in. We used an old faded photograph for the back to kinda symbolize all the good times that have kinda gone by the wayside, you know.
AJ: Yeah, absolutely. Why did you guys do an EP instead of a full length?
PETER: At first we weren't really sure what we wanted to do, but we figured we had a full band now that we were actually playing out live & the first record they recorded the whole thing before they'd even played any shows. We really just wanted to establish the sound more. We had a full album out that hadn't really been fully promoted, so there wasn't really a need to do another full length.
CHRIS: There are a lot of bands that are starting to do that now. I've read a couple of articles about bands who are planning 15 songs in the next couple years, but they're just going to release them as EP's so they can keep getting content to the fans. I think that's what we kinda wanting to do. We wanted to keep bringing content, keep bringing new ideas to the table. & with itunes & stuff like that it's going back to the days of the 90's where it's all singles & stuff.
AJ: Exactly. I was thinking the same thing. The current EP replaces the loss of the traditional single. It's sort of the modern day single in a way. It gives a little bit to the fans. It keeps a little bit in your treasure chest. You can release something in a year from now or maybe 6 months. Yeah, it seems to be a growing trend.
PETER: I also like the idea of instead of releasing an album every 2 years or so, doing an EP every year. It allows you to evolve. It allows you to keep current a lot more. I think.
AJ: Absolutely. Let's talk a little bit, you guys have been touching upon it, let's talk about you guy's touring. ... Manhattan's Irving Plaza. That is no small venue. No small gig. It's not every local band that gets on that stage. You guys had a packed house headlining there, a record breaking locals only night with a few thousand people. What was it like having a full house at Irving Plaza?
CHRIS: Simply stated, it was pretty amazing. I remember the best moment for me in that show was we were playing the song "Tattoos Of Angels". There's a part where we have the crowd just singing whoas. I remember where we stepped back & stopped singing, but let the crowd keep singing. I could hear the crowd over our guitars on the stage. It was probably the most amazing feeling ever. I looked at Peter & I said, "This is the shit. This is why I'm here. This is why I'm doing this"
AJ: Is that the biggest audience you've played for?
CHRIS: To date, yes.
PETER: Pride Fest.
CHRIS: We played Pride Fest in Milwaukee this summer.
PETER: We opened up for SALT N' PEPA, by the way. Which is kinda crazy. A little name drop there.
AJ: I'm assuming you're referring to the old female rap duo, not some modern band?
PETER: Yeah. They look really good. They look amazing. They had 12 big bouncers that all looked like [NFL star] Michael Vick. I probably would have tried to make a move on one of them.
CHRIS: Only one of them. The other is a lesbian. But, you can go for it. You can try.
AJ: You guys have been going all over the country doing different shows. What's the touring been like for you & being with other bands?
CHRIS: It's been really good. I really like meeting other bands. I like talking to other bands & seeing what they're doing & how they're going about their process of promoting their stuff & getting their music out there. Really, I just like playing shows in general. Even if it's just 3 people I could care less. I just need to be on that stage playing shows. I could not care less.
PETER: Doing shows on the road is awesome. Being on the road is something we all really enjoy. It's just when it comes down to the business end of things it's stressful. Coming up with, you know, gas budgets & guarantees from promoters & clubs is something nobody really wants to deal with. Unfortunately, the way the music industry has become, it's something that every musician kinda has to deal with.
CHRIS: Funny stories. When we were on our way to Milwaukee to play for Pride Fest we went 400 miles on really bad breaks. I had this technique of using the emergency break at the same time as using the regular break.
AJ: Oh no!
CHRIS: It was a crazy trip. But, we couldn't stop anywhere because we had all these back to back shows. We were finally able to get it fixed in Milwaukee, but by that time the rotors were destroyed. It was like sandpaper & the breaks were making this awful noise every time we stopped.
PETER: Our band hates us.
CHRIS: Our band totally hates us. The heater didn't work last year when we were doing little tours.
PETER: We actually this really awesome pair of snowboard pants that I acquired in like Switzerland or somewhere. You know like astronaut pants that you wear in outer space? When we had to play shows int he winter time whoever was driving, I don't know why but there was a draft coming from where the break pedals are ... you had to suit up to drive the van. Either that or your feet would just go numb. You would get hypothermia if you were driving.
CHRIS: We had to get a hotel one night because our feet were like frozen. Everybody in the band was like frozen. "Alright, we can't do this anymore." But, this was during the blizzard last year & it was like the worst snowstorm ever.
AJ: I remember. I've played in bands just here in town & everybody talks about "When we can leave New York & we can start touring ..." For some bands that happens & for others they never quite get there. What advice would you give to a band that's about to go out on the road for a first time?
PETER: There's no light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone always says: "I'm going to get a record deal, I'm going to get signed, I'm going to go on tour, I'm going to do whatever & things are going to be okay." You're always going to have to have a day job. You're always going to have to deal with a boss. You're always going to have to deal with a lack of sleep. You're going to have to deal with a whole bunch of stuff that nobody wants to deal with. Unfortunately, in this business there's the top .1 of 1% that you get to the level where you're Britney Spears where you have a road crew & a tour & stuff. Bands at our level, even if you want to get on a tour you have to buy on. $50,000 to get on Ozzfest or whatever it is. No one is going to show up at your doorstep & say "Sign this piece of paper & everything is going to be alright." You're always going to have to deal with the hardships. It just depends on how hard you're willing to work & how much you're willing to persevere through it all.
CHRIS: I think one thing I say to bands that are trying to start touring & stuff, is really be nice to the local bands you play with. Stay, listen to their shows, listen to their music & stay till the end of the show. Because, those are the local bands there. You're going to need their help later on. They're going to be the ones to help you out. We're friends with this band in Jersey called SCARLET CARSON & they hooked us up a couple of times & we're working on a big show we're going to do in Jersey with them.
PETER: We're not just saying that we like them because of what Chris just said. We actually do like them.
CHRIS: They're a really good band.
PETER: We love you Santino [Noir].
CHRIS: We love those guys. Their bass player is insane. I'm friends with him. They're actually playing with us this week. We're playing Sullivan Hall here in New York. We're playing with them & this guy Kore Rozzik.
AJ: Yes, Kore is very big in town. Didn't you guys do Korefest?
CHRIS: We're doing Korefest II. That's what we're doing this week.
AJ: Kore Rozzik. You see his name all over in town. He's really big in the local metal & rock community.
PETER: I'll offer a question promotion. If anyone comes to our show & mentions this interview. Aaron, how would you like us to plug the podcast?
AJ: It doesn't matter to me, just plug your music, man.
PETER: Anyone who mentions this interview I will personally buy them a shot & I'll do one with them.
AJ: How can you refuse that deal? Who would not want to get one of the musicians drunk?
PETER: I'm not even talking about a crappy ... I'm talking about Jameson.
CHRIS: Yeah, Jameson's bad.
AJ: The good shit. Excellent, all at Sullivan Hall. But, before that, let's share a very important piece of information that we haven't gotten to yet.
PETER: Didn't you say those results were confidential?
CHRIS: Yeah, confidential results.
AJ: Well, then we'll share another important piece of information then. You guys will be somewhat safe. Where can people find out about the AUGUST INFINITY if they go online?
CHRIS: We have our official website www.theaugustinfinity.com.
PETER: If you're an everyday lay person just type in 'the AUGUST INFINITY' on google. We're like the first 97 things that come up.
CHRIS: We're all over google.
AJ: Only the first 97?
PETER: It might be 98 now after this interview.
CHRIS: Yeah, it might be 98 now.
AJ: Okay, there we go, there's that plug.
CHRIS: Yeah. If you google the AUGUST INFINITY literally we're the only thing that pops up for several pages.
PETER: Or youtube the AUGUST INFINITY.
AJ: I would say that, too. You've got to youtube you guys. I've watched your videos & they're fun & they're great.
PETER: Sorry to plug this, but there's a video that was posted of Chris actually french kissing a dog for 3 minutes straight. Pretty funny.
AJ: Thanks, Peter.
CHRIS: Thanks, Peter. There's also the official video for our song "Make You Crazy" it's on there too. If you start youtubing the AUGUST INFINITY that's the first thing that pops up.
PETER: I wonder if people want: the dog or the official video?
AJ: It's a give or take. Who knows. Tell me, Chris, Peter, you guys were sitting in the audience watching this band & now you've been going across the country with it playing songs you maybe once were singing along to. What have you each learned from being in this band?
CHRIS: That's a good question.
AJ: If you learned anything at all.
CHRIS: Actually, for me, I became a way better bass player than I was before. Before I guess I was playing with people who were still good, but there was something lacking. Then I joined this band & these guys had like direction. They had great songwriting skills. For me I had to step up & really become a much better bass player. I've taken that & then I've learned a lot of stuff about the music scene, because I come from a dead music scene in Alabama where everybody either plays Christian music or they want to sound like CREED. That's really one of the reasons why I came to New York, so I could pursue a better & more opportunities. There's more open doors here as far as music is concerned. I think that's one of the things I've taken from it. I've become a much better songwriter.
PETER: For me it's been, ever since day one since I joined this band, it's always ... I've always taken a more reserved approach to the guitar where I could make a record & then play it live & have it sound the same. When I first played with Ian he was pushing me to like layer songs & come up with new ideas that I never would have thought of before. He's really pushed me as a guitar player, which is kinda weird because he's a drummer, but the hat that he wears as kinda producer he's really pushed me to push the envelope as a guitar player. I think that's really cool. I've really come a long way, I think, in my playing & songwriting since I joined.
AJ: It does show. You guys have some great songs that are melodic, they're catchy, they're memorable, you get right into them. From what I can tell & my own experience, you guys probably have a really wide fanbase.
PETER: That's true. We love them all.
CHRIS: It's totally true. We have fans that are in their 30's, their 20's & even teenagers.
PETER: Some of them are really good at faking.
AJ: I'm sure. I actually have someone in a chat window that has a question for you guys. Going by the name of Mickey45, the question is: "Do you guys get really crazy fans ever or groupies?"
PETER: That's definetly true. We had one arrested in our living room about 3 weeks ago, 2 weeks ago.
CHRIS: 3 weeks ago. Something like that. That was Peter's fault. He brought her here.
PETER: It was my fault. I actually thought she was having an episode of ... I didn't know if she was an epileptic or something or she was just crazy. So I called 911. I told the parametics, "I don't know what this girl's doing. She's kinda foaming at the mouth & stuff." So, they said okay, they'd send someone. They send a paramedic & 6 NYPD cops. I'm like "Really? Is that necessary?" So the cops come up with the stretcher. Then she starts throwing punches at the NYPD & the next thing you know they grab her face & shove her face & slam her face into the door & she's getting handcuffed. She wasn't even really wearing any clothes at this point. She's getting hammered on, face down in our living room. At the same time me & the other 5 NYPD officers are just sort of hanging back having a beer, like "is this happening right now?"
AJ: Oh boy.
CHRIS: For the most part like all of our fans have been pretty awesome. There's going to be crazy people & usually the people who are actually crazy don't end up being fans, they just want to be around people basically. They want to draw attention to themselves when they see somebody getting attention.
PETER: It's like "Oh my god, I love the AUGUST INFINITY." But, they don't know any of your songs.
AJ: You just happen to be the band of the moment.
PETER: You just happen to be in a band at all.
CHRIS: That's really what it comes down to.
AJ: "You have a guitar, so do I."
CHRIS: Most of our fans are really awesome.
AJ: What's it like having fans?
CHRIS: It's amazing. Some of them are friends.
PETER: I don't think we really look at them like fans. Ever since day one, the first song we ever played, as we were swelling up the last song Joshua said "Peter's having an after party. Mulberry & Grand. Apartment number 1." Like he invited the entire bar back to our place. If you like the music & you're not going to be a dick or whatever, like we're down to hang out. We've always treated every single one of our fans as friends & vice versa.
CHRIS: It's slowly becoming a community. A lot of our fans are friends with us on facebook personally & then they're also friends with each other. It's a slowly building community of people who have a common goal & that's to help the AUGUST INFINITY to become a bigger band.
PETER: Either that or to get passes.
AJ: Whichever comes first.
CHRIS: Yeah, exactly.
AJ: That's what happens. I follow a few bands & I know other people who do in other states & we connect & share. It does happen like that. The fans create this little network to, you know, help you promote your stuff. It's a funny little thing how it organically grows. That's what should happen. That's what you want to have happen.
PETER: Totally. If you know any cool people feel free to send them our way. Or any bands. We're always happy to hook up with new bands we haven't heard of.
AJ: Absolutely. We're getting near the end of our time together guys. I'm really glad we could hook this up. Chris, you & I have been talking about this for a month. Peter, I'm glad you joined in. I appreciate you taking your Friday night & cutting a date short so you could talk with me.
CHRIS: No problem. I really enjoyed it. This has been really fun.
AJ: Is there anything else you want to share?
CHRIS: We just did a new photo shoot with this guy Chris Owyoung. He works with some amazing bands like LINCOLN PARK, AUGUST BURNS RED & he's even worked with Adele.
PETER: Totally awesome guy, by the way. He did like the DOOBIE BROTHERS & stuff like that. Check out his shots of NO DOUBT.
AJ: Guys, we've got a little something here at the end. I have a caller on the line. I don't know who it is. Caller, hello. Do we have you?
NATALIE (caller): Yeah, I'm here. Hey, I had a question for Peter & Chris.
AJ: Go ahead.
NATALIE: Hey, what was the coolest time you had in Milwaukee & the people that you met?
PETER: Well, there were these 2 chicks that we met out there that were pretty awesome. Audrey & Natalie. They showed us a really awesome time.
CHRIS: They showed us ... I'm pretty sure we're talking to one of them right now?
NATALIE: We miss you guys in Milwaukee, come back.
PETER: I had this pair of pants, like pre-washed jeans, that had a lot of like ink all over them, I guess that's how they came, but I took them to the laundromat one day to get them cleaned & they came back one day & it said "I love soda pop" all over them. That was pretty cool.
NATALIE: That's right. We definitely did that. We're sorry.
PETER: That was a lovely addition to my pants.
CHRIS: Hey, ladies, I love you guys.
NATALIE: Lovely. We hope you make it back to the mid-west very soon.
PETER: Summerfest 2012.
CHRIS: Exactly.
NATALIE: Are you serious? We hope so.
CHRIS: We're working on it.
AJ: Caller, what's your name?
NATALIE: I'm Natalie.
AJ: Natalie, you're going to do something for me. If you're going to call into my show I'm going to put you on the hotplate.
NATALIE: Interesting.
AJ: That's the way I work. We're going to close the show here & wish Peter & Chris a good night & thanks for joining me, but we're going to go out on a song from the new EP. Natalie, I'm sure you know the songs from this EP.
NATALIE: Yes, I do.
AJ: Natalie, I want you to tell us 3 guys what song I should play to close tonight's show.
NATALIE: Tonight you should play "Make You Crazy" by the AUGUST INFINITY.
AJ: You know what? That sounds like a great suggestion. See, that wasn't that bad of a hot seat.
NATALIE: Not at all.
AJ: Natalie, thank you for calling.
NATALIE: Your welcome, bye guys, have fun.
PETER: Bye Natalie, thanks.
AJ: Guys, thank you for joining me tonight & I want to wish you a lot of luck.
PETER: Thanks Aaron, we appreciate it.
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