From The Editor's Floor: Set Your Goals

If you pick up AP 253, you’ll no doubt be enthralled by the story of Bay Area pop-hardcore sextet SET YOUR GOALS chronicled in their feature. But as we soon learned, the band had a whole lot more to say on a whole bunch of topics — so much so that we just couldn’t squeeze it all in. Check out some excerpts from our interview with the band below.



On the surprising success of Mutiny!:

Matt Wilson: “That’s the only reason we’re still doing [the band]. There’s been a party nonstop since, and it’s just been gaining momentum more and more every day. It’s incredible to me that people in the scene loved it-we were all shocked by that-but then on top of that, it’s been three years since it was released, but every tour is still getting better. We’re just riding the wave, so to speak.”

On the pressure to write a follow-up:

Jordan Brown: “The pressure was coming from ourselves and our fanbase, and wanting to deliver an album to people who had supported us for so long, through all of our struggles. The pressure for me, at least, was about being able to pull something out and give these people something back, [because] they’d invested just as much in.”

On first discovering New Found Glory:

MW: “I remember when I was in high school, my friend handed me a New Found Glory CD, and was like, ‘Dude-it’s the guy from Shai Hulud’s other band, and they sell it in the rock section.’ I was blown away. [Laughs.] I fell in love with that record. It was the soundtrack to my summer. I feel like there is a revival of that going on. We’re putting it out there, and we hope that people pick it up.”

On the current state of the pop-rock scene:

JB: “There are the pop bands out there, and they have really catchy songs, but it’s kind of a quick flavor and then there’s nothing left; if I heard the song a couple of years from now, it wouldn’t have the same impact. Then there are the records I grew up with, where still, every time I put them on, I’m like, ‘Holy shit, this feels the same.’”

On forging a friendship with Movielife/I Am The Avalanche frontman Vinnie Caruana:

MW: “I remember when the Movielife were around, me and Jordan would be at every show. Every time they came to the Bay Area, we were there; we just loved that band. It’s so cool being friends with Vinnie today, and we’ve toured with [IATA]. We just shot a video [for ‘This Will Be The Death Of Us’], and [Vinnie] does the guest spot on that song, so he was there with us hanging out. It was really good times. He stayed up till like, 4 a.m. with us… When he came out to Movielife practice [for the Bamboozle shows the band played as Caruana’s backing band], we were playing C-Lo on my kitchen floor every single night. He’s from New York, so we had nothing on him. He’s got that luck. [Laughs.] He was hustling us.”

On performing the “Movielife” shows, at both Bamboozles and in the U.K., as Caruana’s backing band:

JB: “The first show was Bamboozle Left, and I got chills the whole time. I was so proud of all of them up there playing with him. I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. This is such a milestone for us.’ And then just to be able to hear the songs again, and hear Vinnie singing them-because to me, he was the Movielife; he embodied the spirit and personality, and was the interaction to the kids who loved their music-it was awesome to hear his voice and see him get so into it again. What was really cool was the England shows we did-we did two small club shows, both completely sold out-and they appreciated it so much, too, because the Movielife would go there often. So to see them on a huge stage like Bamboozle, and then a small club, it really closed out our Movielife experience right, I think.”

On the never-ending stalemate between Drive-Thru Records and SYG’s buds in IATA, who are in limbo on DTR and can’t move forward to record their new demos (which are gaining lofty praise from all corners) until they are freed, if ever, from their old deal:

MW: “I just think it sucks when a label is doing the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to be doing-it’s holding a band back from progressing. I think it’s just the worst. It’s the worst thing a label could ever do. No label should be in that position, and no band should be in that position.”

On working with producer Mike Green on the new album:

MW: “He was a very different set of ears for us. Brett [Gurewitz, Epitaph head] wanted us to go with a classic ’90s-punk-style producer, but we wanted a producer who’d worked with more pop bands. We know how to do the fast punk thing; we wanted a more polished sound to it. I think Mike was the perfect fit for us. It worked out great. I don’t see how we could’ve done the record with any other producer, and have it turn out as well as it did.”

On life, now that SYG are on the rise:

JB: “This last tour we just finished with New Found, we came home, and for the first time we got enough money that none of us had to work. And when we get back from Australia, I don’t think any of us are going to have to work for those four weeks. I hope it continues to go like that. From what I know, we’re finally out of our merch debt, or very close to it. We’ve finally paid off our vehicle, which we’ve had for the last two years. Everything’s picking up. We got our first royalty check ever, for the Punk Goes Crunk compilation for Fearless. It was our first royalty check. It was cool. It was hopeful. Epitaph wants to help us become a band who can support ourselves financially, and I really hope that it’s going to continue to become more comfortable for us.”

On some of SYG’s more unexpected touring partners:

MW: “We’re very supportive of playing with bands who we may [not] necessarily sound like. It’s something we strive for and are really proud of. We were able to do the Gorilla Biscuits reunion shows. We toured with Lifetime, Saves The Day, Ignite, New Found Glory–some of our favorite bands, who’ve all influenced us. At the same time we can play with heavier bands and softer bands, too. I think as long as you have a dedicated fanbase, they’re not going to abandon you for playing with bands who don’t sound exactly like your band. We’ve been fortunate enough to have really cool fans.”

On sticking together, instead of calling it quits:

JB: “There’s just this chemistry where we can’t disconnect from each other. I think through all the member changes, we’ve come together as this group, even with our manager, who’s become our best friend over these last two years. These people connect on a deeper level than anything having to do with business. We all get what this is really about.”

–As told to Brendan Manley