We posted a news story with the stream when you released “Hope,” and it seemed to get a really positive reaction. Why do think people will hate it?
Oh, I’ve been keeping very close tabs on people’s reactions to it, just because it’s everyone in the band’s favorite song that we’ve ever done. Everyone was so stoked on it. We’ve been sitting on it for months, just waiting to release it, and there is massive amounts of positive feedback, but all of the negative feedback—it all says the same thing. It’s almost just like the tagline of kids that are bored on the internet: “Oh, they sold out. This band sold out. This band sold out. This band sold out,” and in actuality, they no idea what that means, nor do they have any higher understanding of the music industry. But, it’s easy to type in on YouTube, you know? Log into your Google account and just type in “sell out” on every video just to see how many thumbs down you can get.

We actually just ran a piece suggesting New Year’s resolutions to bands and fans, and we suggested fans stop using the term “sellout” when they have no idea what that means. There also seems to be this fallacy among kids on the internet where “heavy = good” and everything else automatically sucks. The new songs that you put out I wouldn’t say are heavy, so what do you think the reaction is going to be because of that? What are your thoughts on that general mindset?
I mean, whatever. “Heavy = good.” That’s your preference. Cool. Have it. Go listen to heavy music. Great. I have a whole different rant about the internet and just, overall, the ability that it gives everyone to say what they want without fear of repercussion. It’s very irritating coming from any standpoint of anyone that creates anything: movies, music, any kind of art or any kind of product. You create an app for a phone and people only give it one star just because they couldn’t beat the level in your game, or you create a movie but they didn’t like a scene. Instead of just saying, “Oh, I didn’t like this scene” or whatever, [they say,] “This is the worst movie ever! I heard that guy slept with his sister.” It’s very annoying that the internet gives so-called “fans” of everything just unlimited power without fear of repercussion. Back when I was growing up, if I didn’t like a band, I told my friends I didn’t like a band, and that was it. And if I saw that band, I wouldn’t go up to that band and tell them I didn’t like them. No. They would have beaten the crap out of me, and that would have been that.

But, now, you don’t like a band? Just go dislike every one of their videos and leave negative comments because it does, you know, a lot of good, and it brings a lot of attention to you. It’s just not right. It ruins the reputation of the whole scene of music and the industry when you have a bunch of kids that think they can say whatever they want on the internet for their personal gain. They know when they post anything—“I hate this band. You guys all suck so bad”—like anyone in the band is going to read that and care. They know right off the bat, but they know that some other little kid that loves the band is going to read it, give them attention and start an internet war. It’s just so dumb, and maybe it’s just because reading that, I feel really old. I mean, I’m only 23, so I’m not that old. I just don’t understand why kids get enjoyment out of that.

You spend 30 minutes comment war-ing someone on a YouTube video about how a band sucks. You could have spent that 30 minutes watching bands you like instead. Wouldn’t that make a little more sense? Oh, you don’t like a band? So, instead of wasting your time not liking something, why don’t you spend your time liking the things that you do? It’s just detrimental as a whole because all of the time spent on negativity and not supporting, could be spent on supporting. It could be spent on growing your favorite genre or your favorite band instead of trying to stunt the growth of a band you don’t like.

As far as plans for entering the studio in March, do you have anything in mind yet? Is this the direction you’re going to take?
We’ve already started doing a bunch of demos for our new CD we’re set to go record in March after the Take Action Tour, and I have a lot of ideas in mind as to where we’re going with this CD. I think it’s not only going to be something that all our fans are going to be stoked on, but I guess in the least generic way possible, there should be a little bit of something for every kind of our fans. Because we have fans that really love all the heavy songs and those are their favorites. We have fans that love all the songs with singing, and those are their favorites, and then we have fans that are like, “Oh, I really love the drum work in this song,” or “I really like the guitar work in this song,” so hopefully, we can come up with songs that will please all types of those fans, but most importantly—and not in a selfish way—please us in the band. I think that’s one thing that a lot of fans don’t get: If we’re not happy as a band, we’re not going to put it out. We’re not going to release a song because we think it’s going to be the best and kids are going to buy it and it’s going to be great, and we’re going to win the internet and get a gold record and all of that. No. [Laughs.] We don’t release any music that we’re not all stoked on and not all happy with. That always comes first.