Tour Diary/Photo Gallery: The Color Morale's Garret Rapp on his sinus infections and convictions

The Color Morale are currently out with August Burns Red, Of Mice & Men and the Overseer across the U.S., Frontman Garret Rapp is giving AltPress.com an inside look at tour life with the band. For the second installment, Rapp shares his convictions about standing up for what he believes in within a gimmick-filled music scene. He also sent us another batch of photos he's collected while out on the road.

I'm sitting in Bakersfield, California trying my best to recover from a bad sinus infection and fever I have had the last couple days. I'm still working on a big video update for you all that I'll have done by the end of tour. I've included some more pictures I've collected this week. This tour has been a blast and only continues to get better as we travel. I'm so thankful for the growth of this band and its supporters. I really feel as though those who support our band are truly a part of it. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I haven't met someone and shared a connection because of our band in some way. It's so humbling to experience something so powerful. 

In continuation from last week, I'm so thankful for being reaffirmed in the purpose of what I'm doing in this band. I was just reading a blog that my good friend Telle Smith from The Word Alive wrote today, and I couldn't agree more.

“Every night, I step on stage and give it all.  I vibe for 30 minutes with my four brothers and sweat, no, bleed for this band.  This isn't our hobby or even job, it's our life.”  I, too, have been watching countless bands grow off of gimmicks lately, and I agree it's time to stand up and speak my mind about the change I want to see. It's time to be the change I want to see and work harder than I thought I could. I will speak up about this on the 3rd record we are currently finishing up writing.  This tour I have spent all evening at our merch table, sharing and creating moments with so many of you. As a vocalist, it's very demanding, but I wouldn't have it any other way. This is where I belong, and I belong there to be the voice and heartbeat of another. If my voice is weak, I will speak louder with my heart. 

To all of you that come and pay your hard earned money to see our band play, thank you. I appreciate you, and I will work harder for you.  All of the tweets, messages, sing-a-longs, tattoos, connections: they have a reason.  Know Hope, our third album, is going to have a great purpose, and we are prepared to fulfill it as you have chosen us to. 

In closing, no sinus infection or fever will ever keep me silenced from what my heart beats to say.