Interview with Sean

There's a new (and long) interview with Sean!!

Among several questions, we selected the more importants:

So after this tour, are you going to be going out on another tour in the near future?

Right now we’re kind of labeling it like as an indefinite… We’re kind of having a break for a little bit. We’ve been touring for a long time and we don’t know what’s going on with the record label. I think Ryan’s going to move back east, so we’re all just going to take a little bit of a break.

Paper Walls came out last summer. I loved it. I thought it was one of the best records from last year and it should have been huge, but it didn’t really go anywhere. Why do you think that is?

(Laughs.) I don’t know. They’re all theories really. Part of it’s right place, right time. Part of it’s songs. Part of it’s other bands and their songs and whatever. I mean you look at who’s out there and there is musical talent involved, but it’s not like when you’re racing cars or when you’re playing basketball. At the end of the game, there’s a score. This is the better team or the better person or whatever. In music, it’s all subjective. Last year Paramore was fantastic. That girl can sing lights out, they’re young kids and they’re nice guys. I can’t say like we sing better than them or our song is better. It’s all subjective. The powers that be, or the mob and the masses, didn’t take to us as many people took to other artists.

(...)

22.

22, so you’re still maybe in touch with some of those people. But, you know, I’m 28. I’ll be 29 in like 10 days, so 13 years later. Even Ben Harper, who was my oldest friend – my brother and him played soccer – somewhere in the game of life he took a right when I took a left. That’s just kind of what happens.

(...)


To read the entire interview, click here.

Interview with Ryan Key about the hiatus

Exclusive interview with the Yellowcard lead singer Ryan Key.
Zach Fraser.
Date: 04/25/2008 | Section: Arts & Entertainment
Source: Mindy Tucker


Zach Fraser: I know you guys are from Jacksonville and you moved to California and obviously you're in Tampa, so I have to ask. What is it California or Florida?

Ryan Key: Weird, it's kind of like, changing as I get older. Florida now, but we moved to California for a lot of reasons. I mean our first record deal we signed was with a really small label company in Santa Barbara, CA. The guy that owned the label was the guy that worked there. So we sort of felt like we were working pretty hands on, you know, when it comes to the work and the band. So we felt like we should be there and help. Long story short, I also made some friends with a bunch of guys that live in that area while I was in another band in California, which was my second trip out with a band. So, Yellowcard was actually my second band. So, that's kind of why we went out there and then it ended up working out. So we stayed, you know what I mean. So, I kind of enjoyed going home to see my family and kicking back a little bit in Florida.

ZF: I saw you guys in Warped Tour in Georgia this summer and obviously Warped Tour is a big arena. How does it feel to be able to play smaller venues and get back with your fans?

RK: I mean its amazing, dude. You know it's funny. I feel like I would be lying if I said we chose to go play small venues, because we are not selling as much tickets as we used to sell. But in a way that affords me the opportunity to get back to that intimacy which is honestly a very nice, unexpected thing about selling less tickets, you kind of forget what that's like but it is kind of amazing to get back to it. And then combine it with doing it in an acoustic setting. It has really been one of, if not the best tours I have ever been on. I mean we had so much fun. You really just get to hang out with people on the show and on stage. It doesn't have to be quite as structured as far as the songs go on one after the other and how one song goes into another song. It's a little more free. I think the fans have really responded well to it and I'm glad we did it.

ZF: How does it feel to be able to watch, Spill Canvas, Play Radio Play, those are some up and coming bands, if not the best?

RK: I mean obviously Spill Canvas, they're really doing well. I think they are about to go on the proverbial run to the top. I mean, the single they are going to put out next, is just amazing. They are just so talented for how young they are. It's cool they are from South Dakota. Like, who is from South Dakota?

ZF: As this tour is wrapping up, what are your plans for the rest of the year?

RK: You know, you are the first person that has ever asked that in an interview. That's kind of weird. I have to finally answer it. We really don't have any plans. We are calling it an "Indefinite Hiatus." After this tour, so, I don't know. It could be a year, 10 years, or 6 months. It's been an interesting time in this business and our record label. It's just. We kind of need a break. I think it appears everything is ok on its surface but we definitely need a little bit of time to figure out our personal lives. It doesn't have anything to do with turmoil in the band. It's more of a, facing adulthood now, and we can't stay in Neverland forever. You know what I mean. I think we just need a break. Hopefully we will get back to making another record sometime, if not it may be our last but we don't really know. We're just keeping the door open.

ZF: So how's it been, a lot of kids listen to the music and they look at you guys. How's does it feel to be that guy that, to be able to live the dream that most people want?

RK: I mean it's amazing dude. I set out to do this and I kind of told myself that there is no way that I was going to stop. There was nobody that was going to tell me that we couldn't do it at the level that we have done it. Having that mentality is the way you do it is when one day you just wake up and realize your there. I mean, I really think this tour has been one of the most influential times of my life in the band. Even though it is sort of the last tour for a long time. Just playing the songs that we have, stripped down, proves to you what a lot of your work is worth to people. You really get to see that you do kind of move people in a way. It's a good feeling. I'm really grateful for everything that we have done. Mistakes and triumphs, I don't have any regrets, I have learned from every single thing we have done the whole way. We have been touring now for eight years now without a break. We stopped to make a record and that's about it. So we learned a lot along the way. You know, I think we have helped a lot of people and changed a lot of people's lives in a good way. That's the stuff you take with you.

ZF: We mentioned Spill Canvas earlier and you think they're about to blow up. So what kind of bands are you listening to now a days?

RK: I don't really listen to, music in the scene, so to speak. I have been listening to a lot of country music, but not like the music they play on the radio. Like Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams with an "R." Yeah, People are always like "really you listen to Bryan Adams." No, Ryan Adams. I always enjoyed that style. I grew up listening to, not listening to, but growing up in that southern style a lot of Jimmy Buffet a lot of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson. My grandpa is a huge Willie Nelson fan. So I was always around that style of music but it wasn't until a couple or years ago that I really discovered it for myself. So I have been diving way back in the Ryan Adams catalog, the old Whisky 500s, all that stuff. I am also into to another country artist named Gillian Welch, she does like really old 20s and 30s, kind a real front porch bang your foot on the floor country music. I love it. After the new Foo Fighters album came out, that was probably the last really big rock record that I really got obsessed with. But the new Weezer record is coming on June 24 and I am sure I will be the first in line to pick that up. I think Ben Folds is working on a record that should come out some point this year. I'm excited for that. He's like my all time favorite song writer and I have never seen him live. I talked to him on the phone once for about two hours for an interview, but I have never met him in person or see him play. Some day I hope. Hopefully when we take some time off I'll be able see his shows.

ZF: You mentioned indefinite hiatus, eight years touring, is there any city in particular you'll look back on and say. "Wow, that was a bunch of great choices to go play."

RK: Yeah for sure man, even down to specific shows and experiences, we took our first trip to South America two years ago right before we started working on Paper Walls. We had never been down there, but apparently our band is massive down there. I mean we didn't really know. We knew our shows were great, but we didn't know at what level. And in August (2006), we went and did our first tour. We went to cities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. The shows were like 5...6,000 people a night. They asked us to come back immediately to play with Fall Out Boy in the festival and 46,000 people showed up to this festival in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I mean we have played these festivals before and it feels like, ok, we are playing the festival and the kids in the front row know your music. But this was like 46,000 people coming to a Yellowcard concert. It was absolutely insane. Fall Out Boy too. As much as Fall Out Boy has blown up here over the last couple of years it was like we were back both on an even keel and co-headlining the show together. It was really awesome, so South America, out of the touring we did was probably the most breath taking experience being on stage with the sheer number of people coming to the show was just mind blowing.

ZF: What are you looking for tonight, UT 5...6,000 students? There has been a lot of buzz around campus about the first major concert. What do you expect out of it?

RK: I hope everyone likes it. I know it's not a full show and I don't want people coming out thinking that it is. It's just like a couple of weeks on the tour even, it took a couple of weeks, before it got on the internet saying, 'we didn't know it was going to be that way.' Everyone seems to enjoy it anyway. I just hope that everyone out there is going to have a good time tonight!

5 questions for Ryan Key

Hi guys!!
After all the rumours about the end of the band, Yellowcard is rocking on the new acoustic tour!
They're playing a lot of songs off One for the Kids, it's being crazyyy!!! The videos we're publishing here are just perfect! *-*

And this week the site DetroitFreePass published an interview with Ryan, the interviewer was Erin Podolsky. Very interesting, read:

Is the band roster different than usual for this tour?
Since the tour's acoustic, it's just going to be Sean Mackin, our violinist; guitarist Ryan Mendez and myself. And then we've hired a cello player - or cellist I guess you would call it. So we're just going over the stuff because we're playing it a little differently than we usually do. And we're also playing quite a few old songs off our first record, "One for the Kids," that we haven't played in probably three or four years. So they need some rehearsing.

What prompted you to do a lo-fi tour this time out?

(Drummer) Longineu Parsons had some stuff going on, and we didn't want to not tour. And we're not going to tour with another drummer, so we wanted to give him the time he needed and we figured it was a good opportunity to do this, something we've always wanted to do. It's kind of nice. It gives it more of the string section feeling, which is a lot like it is on the actual record, so it's good. And our fans have always wanted to see us in this sort of setting, so we just thought, why not throw it together and do it acoustic like this. We're pretty excited about it.

You've done a lot now with MySpace and iTunes. Why?

MySpace is something that while we were making our second record for Capitol, it sort of exploded on the music scene. We were so focused on making that record that we kind of missed the MySpace boat when it sailed. So we spent a lot of time getting ready for "Paper Walls" working on MySpace and answering messages. We did a series of Webisodes leading up to ("Paper Walls") letting the fans into the studio with us and that was really fun for both us and them. We've tried to catch up the best we can. iTunes is what it is, and I want to say at least people are buying music again somewhat. Doing the record, it was a cool thing; it's a new concept of releasing these digital-only albums. It's cool to be a part of it. I'm not exactly sure that's what the new medium of record sales is going to be, but it's cool to stay on the forefront of whatever that is going to be.

Do you have an iPod?

I do have an iPod. I have LimeWire on my computer but only because there was a song that I could not find on iTunes.

Yeah, right. Nice try, wise guy.

I've downloaded one song illegally probably in the last eight years! When Napster came out, we all did it for like five seconds, but then when we realized what it was doing, we as musicians said, "We should probably not do this." But a couple of months ago, I was looking for this certain song, and I couldn't find it. I'll admit my guilt in doing that. It was actually this Tracy Chapman song that a girlfriend of mine and I were into in high school; it was like this epic breakup-I'll-wait-for-you song called "The Promise." And I hadn't heard it, and we were talking about it, so I was like, "Oh I'm going to download that because I haven't listened to it since I was 16." But I couldn't find it, so I went on and illegally swapped it. Sorry, Tracy Chapman, like you care.

Pete's last interview on Yellowcard

The virtual magazine Confrot Magazine, focused on world music and entertainment, has exclusively published one of the last Pete's interviews before his departure in October.

The chat between him, Sean and Vanessa (the interviewer) was during the Canada tour last September.

They talked about bands like Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Nickelback, etc, about the Yellowcard's carreer, their favs on Paper Walls, musical influences, the meaning of the X symbol (represents the five members of the band together), and much more.

Besides, the magazine published some unique pictures of that tour, soooo cool!!

It was a super fun chat! It worths to take a look!!

Click here to read it.

Real Men Play Violins

Denver local site has recently interviewed Sean Mackin. It was a very interesting chat, so read it below.

By Brian Campbell

OK, sell over two million copies of your debut record, check. Overcome dismal and disappointing record sales with your follow up, check. Bounce back and release a mature, smart sounding record, check. Be adored by millions and millions of fans worldwide, check.

Granted that doesn't sound like a normal checklist for a band, but that's the checklist that Yellowcard followed. Their debut Ocean Avenue completely owned the industry then their fans seemed forget about their follow up Lights and Sounds, even though they sold half a million copies of it. Paper Walls is their latest and most mature record to date and the new(er) sound definitely perked my ears, so I need to get some questions answered.

I caught up with violinist/backing vocalist Sean Macklin in order to put my mind at ease with all my pressing questions.

Something I really wanted to start out and ask about Paper Walls, is that it sounds a lot more mature. Did the songwriting change at all from your last record (Lights and Sounds) to Paper Walls?

No, actually we kind of followed the same program we had on Lights and Sounds and Ocean Avenue. I think maybe the maturation that you hear was within the band. We feel like Paper Walls is our finest Yellowcard sound to offer and we really feel more comfortable in our skin. I think that every record it sort of like a little dot on the timeline. It is really easy for an artist to watch their career from there, so kind of what we offer from Paper Walls sonically is we took sort of that energy, that melody and the things that we were good at from Ocean Avenue and we coupled them with sort of the sonic evolution and that sharpened rock edge we had with Lights and Sounds and we sort of pasted it together & what you have is the best Yellowcard sound to date.

Would it then be safe to say that the maturation of the sound can be attributed to Yellowcard’s evolution as musicians, and not anything with the songwriting?

No I think that you are right, it is more as musicians and people too. We have always worn our heart on our sleeve and told our stories as life happened to us. It is more Yellowcard at 26, 27 then 21, or, 23, 24.

Would it be safe to say that Paper Walls would be bringing Yellowcard as a band in a new direction musically?

I think that it would be safe to say that with each record we stretch the Yellowcard boundaries and of course we don’t really want to do everything exactly the same. We want to have something different to offer our audience with each record, but I think also Paper Walls, one of the underlying themes is that we really wanted to have fun. We just wanted to write a Yellowcard record that was fun. We didn’t have any pressure to follow up two million record sales on our debut record, and you know, no one was sitting there saying, ‘you guys only sold 500,000 copies of your last record.’ It was just a time for us to be ourselves and really appreciate the opportunity we have and that is to be able to write and album and release on a major label, then be able to tour and support that for the next year or two.

It is smart that you said that because for all of the fans that, with Lights and Sounds, wanted you to write another Ocean Avenue. It was smart that you evolved the process without doing much in the same, just like you said.

Well, thank you. Looking back with Lights And Sounds, it was a little different, a little bit of a departure for us. There is a couple schools of thought, like you release the same album or something similar and fans burn out on it and no one remembers you anyway or you do something a little bit different and it shows you have evolution and its something that years down the line that fans of the band, you know, something like Pinkerton was for Weezer or Dookie was for Green Day , it is something that fans can rediscover at their own but it shows the band something totally different that they can do; that they want to do, that they enjoy doing, which is changing things up a little bit and showing evolution and showing growth.

When I first listened to Paper Walls, with how the sound has evolved and how the sound has matured, I really didn’t think it sounded like a Yellowcard record. It sounded smart, it didn’t sound naive, and it didn’t sound as young as Ocean Avenue was, or as young as Underdog was. Just like you said, in today’s music industry, like in the genre you guys play, it really is good to see a band maturing with their third record and not sounding like everyone else does, because there are 514,000 other bands that all sounds the same. That is what I like about Yellowcard, and that’s what really keeps me as a fan. For me it is exciting to see where Yellowcard goes after Paper Walls because you really hit the mail on the head with the sound on Paper Walls.

Wow, thank you very much, that was really kind of you.

What was the process in picking Light Up the Sky as the first single?

It is basically a lot of people shelling out opinions, and then it is majority rules, including the record label, management, and our in our case our booking agent. She is the hero in the Yellowcard corner; she has been there since day one. The idea was, we could have gone with a song called Fighting, which is what we say around here, the MySpace single, something that has the Yellowcard fans, sort of the younger generation in mind where it has that sound and everything to offer. We kind of have thrown a single out there that sounds like Fighting and we could have gone with a big ballady-type song but that really isn’t our style. We wanted to go with more of a mid-tempo rock song, something like everyone but a little different single for Yellowcard. We wanted some sort of growth, some sort of change; we didn’t really want to throw the same sort of thing out there and see if it bounces back or sticks to the wall. Light up the Sky was getting really great response and then NBC came out of nowhere and said ‘hey we have this TV show Heroes.’ Everything is just kind of lining up and in the Yellowcard world, some of it is hard work and some of it is luck, but we will take it wherever we can get it.

How are you personally involved in the songwriting? I know you lend your vocals to a lot of songs, but are you involved in the lyric writing at all?

No I’m actually a very horrible lyric writer. Every time I write something and think, oh this is deep; it is like the roses are red. Ryan gets the lyrics and sings the songs; he tells a really beautiful story. He’s an actor, that is his first talent and he was an English major and was in the BSA program in college and he studied Shakespeare and all these other great story tellers and I don’t really know anybody but Mozart and Beethoven, but they do tell stories all their own, so I kind of focus on the field that I’m in. That’s why we kind of have the greatest team in the world and everyone does their thing and at the end of the day we are Yellowcard.

Do you get the finalized version of the song and then you put the violin to it, or are you actively involved in each piece of the songwriting?

We do it collaboratively for certain songs and we have a few different ways but in the end it really is just the Yellowcard way. In certain songs I really don’t hear a violin so I just sit back and let the song just rhythmically take shape and then sort of lend my two cents like an outside point of view or a produce type view and say ‘like hey, you should arrange it this way, or I like this part,’ while the guys are working on the rhythm part. Ill put the violin part on later once I hear the vocals to make sure I’m not getting in the way or find the right picturesque moment for the violin to sort of have its time to shine. In other songs I hear Ryan play and I immediately pick up the violin and stamp it right and say ‘I hear this right now and I really want to have this moment.’ We are a team, we find the right time for everything. Sometimes Ill get stuck and Ryan will go ‘oh I hear this melody, maybe instead of singing it we should play it on the violin,’ or they will go ‘oh I’m playing this on the guitar, check this out.’ We kind of lend a hand to everyone and that is pretty much the Yellowcard way.

How did you go about joining the band with what you do musically?

It was completely organic, it wasn’t like a marketing ploy, or like something a local band would want to do to be different. We went to an art school and we had dancers and actors and creative writers; we all went to high school together and we are all musicians and all artistic in our own way. I was friends with one of the founding members, Ben Harper, I was a member of the circle of friends that was Yellowcard, that sort of circle of friends that would drink beer on the weekends and hang out at our parent’s house when they were out of town. We would try and stay out of trouble, then out of that circle of friends, Yellowcard was conceived. Ben and I played acoustic folk guitar/violin stuff on the side and then he was like ‘hey we have this one song,’ then I played a show with them, then recorded that song and actually another song and then after that recording we got such a positive response from the local scene that they were like ‘hey maybe you could play on this song and I started being at band practice writing other songs and playing on other parts of songs.’ Once Ryan joined the band he taught me how to sing and with being a violinist my pitch was pretty solid and it kind of has always evolved. It was just a creative environment like an art school and so what we do today, that’s how my job was inked in Yellowcard.

Do you have a favorite song off of Paper Walls and then do you have a different favorite song to play live at shows?

Sure, as you know all of our songs are like my children so I love each song equally. If I had to pick, I like the song Shrink the World. We haven’t played it live yet, and it has been getting really great response but it is not like the standout. I think that song really has everything he have to offer, sort of like a Fighting type of song but a little more in your face. I think right now it is being overlooked a bit because there is some shock value to other songs on the album but I think people will discover it a little bit later on in the record cycle and I think between the melody and the in your face guitar and violin, you know LP just brings so much girth to the table with the drums, it is a really good song, really well put together. Then, a song I really like performing live, I like Light Up the Sky, I think that song has so many different moods and its such a new song for us, it is really awesome to see how the crowd reacts to the songs. We give a lot of attention to our audience and they give a lot back, so to see what the audience goes through during the song is really exciting for me.

It’s crazy to me that you said Light up the Sky because for some reason, in the back of my mind, I had pegged Breathing. I don’t know why, maybe it is because it’s my favorite Yellowcard song. It was just a guess.

Believe and Breathing off of Ocean Avenue are definitely my two favorite songs to play. Believe is really hard but it has such a meaningful message that it always moves me as well as I see things happen in the audience and the reaction is always amazing, but Breathing is just that straight forward, like man what song do you want to start out with, lets start out with this one because it is such freakin’ crowd pleaser.

Now that everyone is full acclimated to Paper Walls, what kind of fall tour can we expect?

Right now we are focused with bringing the same piledrive to the face that we brought in the previous years. We are just kind of mixing up the song list and repertoire, playing a lot of songs maybe we haven’t played before and play some new songs, and just really give everyone something to take with them. That’s really the most important thing. We are going to be in really good company, we are playing with Sum 41 then with Blue October, and it just gives us the opportunity to get out there and say hi to everyone and remind everyone why we like doing this. I think you will be able to see that energy on stage and it will basically infect the entire venue when we come to town.

Are you guys headlining, or is Sum 41 headlining?

It’s written as co-headlining, but I think we have sort of bowed to them and given them the last spot. They sold a few more record than us and it is just really cool to play with a band that we haven’t played with yet and they have always been working hard and have always been working hard, and so to join forces and really come out and hang out with the crowd is really cool. They are going to be closing the shows.

Did you get a chance to pick the openers or did Sum 41 pick then? Did you get a chance to talk to them about that?

I don’t really know. That is one of those magical behind the scenes, Sum 41 booking agent, Yellowcard manager/booking agent thing that happens, I really don’t even know who is playing those shows with us. It could be something totally cool, I don’t even know, but that is just how it played out to me.

Was it a conscious decision, after you released Paper Walls, that you didn’t go out and do the whole Warped Tour this year?

We did half of it this year, and then had to go out of the country. Everything was good, we have such a great relationship with Kevin Lyman and the Warped Tour and it was just really cool of them to show us a little love and get us out of the gates and get things started with Paper Walls. We went over to Japan and Australia, it just we are having a great and we are really enjoying it.

It looks like that is all the time we have. Thanks so much for talking to me.

Thank you for your time, it was a great time talking to you.

Snowboard-Revolution.com

Click here to watch the interview.

Sean on the site Swanktrendz

by Christine Albrecht

Thank you for agreeing to talk with Swanktrendz ezine. I was looking forward to meeting you as I have a few questions regarding your ability to sing, play violin, and do back flips, all with apparent ease.

Well, I am not sure about the ease part.

Who generally deals with media interviews?

Ryan and I share them equally. We split the duty, either together or apart. I am really looking forward to playing this venue I feel really good about tonight. Vancouver's been a tough town to sell a lot of tickets, so we want to make sure we give them their money's worth.

It is interesting that you were chosen to open for Nickelback. I wouldn’t say your sound is similar, yet you do complement each other.

Thank you. We do have a solid core fan base who come out to our shows, but we certainly are not breaking into the thousands like Nickelback, so this will be an interesting experience.

Now Sean, obviously - since Yellowcard's inception - there has been a huge buzz about you playing the violin in a rock, formerly punk, band. And, I understand, you were brought up in a classical and jazz environment. So how did you come to marry the two genres?

Yep, I was brought up on classical, with a little more jazz added when I went to high school. I started doing some some improv with the violin and then began a little more of the rock side, but I had been classically trained from the age of six. So I could venture out, yet always return to the classics.

Is this career what you were leaning towards?

No. Actually I never thought I would be doing anything in music, except on an outside scale. I always thought I would be a music teacher at middle school or high school and that would provide my musical outlet.

Too bad you didn't. Canada and the US are starved for music teachers.

Yes, Music education is really a sad thing at present. But, back to my musical direction - it wasn't until I met the group of friends (who would go on to become Yellowcard) that I started playing music and playing different musical styles. I started writing songs, being part of the band, and all along we were really close friends

That makes me wonder - because the fellows in the band are so close - and together constantly -how did you survive this long? The relationship is akin to family and don’t you find you treat your band mates worse than you would an outsider?

There are definitely roots of family involved. You start from there because you are intertwined so tightly, and you know how to push each other's buttons. It can be horrible some times, especially if someone decides to force an issue. Nowadays, we have gotten better at separating issues. It's hard when financial, business, and music are all intertwined.

I've noticed that you have been around for almost as long as the drummer, Longineu. So, that means you could write the Yellowcard Book. You've got all the dirt on everyone, and you have seen all the personalities evolve as the line-ups change.

Well, there wouldn’t be much to write.

I was reading that the CD Light and Sound received many high scores from various online reviewers. Alternative Press (amongst others) rated it 5 out of 5. That must be extremely satisfying and validating for you as you wrote and arranged all the strings, except one.

No, I wrote all of them.

All of them? I have heard that you didn't do the intro to track 8 The Waiting Game.

No. The melody in the song is what Pete thought of, and then we wrote the song together. I arranged the strings.

That is pretty impressive.

I am trying. Like any band from Aerosmith to ... anyone today - they always have string arrangements in their music. I think it is a big point of pride that we are able to do all the arranging 'in house'. Arrangement and orchestration can be done solely by us, and if it falls under the Violin Player's job, I'll do it. Anything we offer on our records we can offer in a live show.

Great segueway - I wanted to ask how difficult is it to transfer your studio music/sound to a live show? I have heard that more and more artists are relying on autotune to perfect their voices - is this the same for the instrument playing?

We definitely shy away from the use of effects and/or outside influences in our music. We have always prided ourselves on being the band that can do it live. Of course fatigue and emotion can come into play during our live shows, and we can make mistakes. But we really embrace just being a band and being out there, creating music, for our audience. There are different technological advances that help say, the Britney Spears in life; but we still have integrity and we are going to be the hardest working band. And yes, we are going to make mistakes.

I would think the fans appreciate that (if you make mistakes as then they know it isn't lip/music synched.)

We pride ourselves on the relationship that we have with our fans and audience, rather than going up and pressing play. Sure if we lip synched, it would sound exactly like the record and it would look like us... But we can't interact with the audience then.

I have heard that you are one of the hardest working bands - with regards to maintaining your myspace site, keeping connected, writing back to fans- in today's industry. Given your present level of success, you do not even have to maintain this fan feedback anymore. So why do it?

Keeping connected and up to date with myspace.com is becoming more and more difficult, but it is very important to us. Bottom line, we would not be here if it weren’t for the fans. There are a million bands out there who these people can support, and they have chosen us. We try to thank and give kudos to our fans for allowing us to live like this.

With regards to the musical progression of the band... I have two sets of notes, pre Ryan Key and post Ryan. When Ryan is speaking of the band, during interviews, he generally refers to the music done since 2000, and not anything from the beginning of Yellowcard - 1997. Is that in keeping with the music, too? You don’t play any songs that are pre Ryan Key?

We don’t play anything prior to Ryan Key's music in Yellowcard because the earlier stuff was written by Todd Clarry and Ben Dobson and it's more out of respect than anything because it is their music. When Ryan Key joined, he started with just guitar and Todd was singing. After Todd left, Ryan just stepped into/took over the singing as well. He also taught me how to sing.

I've noticed you are coming to forefront, more and more, with your vocals. I guess there won't be any more back flips from you if you have to expend all your energy on playing and singing?

I still try to get them in there, once in awhile.

I wanted to ask who the publicity ideas-mind is behind all your publicity events/decisions? You played the Warped Tour, yet followed some of the Warped shows with impromptu gigs in school cafeterias. Yellowcard was playing in parking lots, and you were - and still are while on tour - participating in radio contests. You are everywhere! It appears to be a fan friendly, savvy, cleverly marketed, publicity plan.

We have a small amount of creative control but it is a cooperative thing. You have to talk with others to sign it off. Our manager is amazing.

Someone is doing some thing right because you name is heard and seen everywhere since the announcement of touring with Nickelback.

Nickelback is amazing because in an era of selling thousands of songs, they have managed to sell millions. They have at least 8 huge hits, so they are the biggest rock band on the planet. I don’t know how we got picked. Our manager mentioned it and we said that would be great. We want to play to the people that have heard of us, but we are also hoping to reach out to the people that haven't heard of us. Nickelback has been nothing but accommodating to us. We are just excited to be able to play to that many people.

With the beginning of Yellowcard, did you only plan to play a couple of songs?

In 1997 the band was very aggressive, very 'good riddance' punk rock music. With the change of the songwriting after Ryan Key came on board showed how diverse everyone in the band is. We have found parts in every song of the yellowcard song formula for the violin. At first I was part of the band, but more in a 'guest appearance' role. The response was really positive so they said, you’re in and you have got songs you’ve written, so let’s work on them. It’s important for the Yellowcard sound for me to play violin.

How do you maintain your energy level given how frenzied your playing is, on top of stage antics and singing?

My energy level is a reflection of what I get from the crowd. I was used to wearing a tuxedo and playing in an orchestra. Now with having our own show, when it's my turn to play my bit, I stand on that little island I don't have to hold back. It's a relief and it is a lot of fun.

What was a highlight - a big moment where you stopped and thought, you know what? I think we are doing okay.

I am going to say winning the MTV2 awards. We were the underdog. That was a highlight and looking back - we were thinking what the hell were we doing there in the company of all of these people? Another highlight is that we are still here. With the tour for 'Paper Walls', every day I am continually reminded that I get to do this as a living. It's pretty sweet.

Okay fun questions for while on tour. Who’s the messiest on tour?

The messiest - I would say Longineu - he takes out the back lounge like it's his bedroom. Sorry LP.

Who is ridiculously neat?

Ryan Mendez and I share this We seem to both have a little OCD. This is my spot, I know where to find my stuff. Hey who touched my ipod? Why is this over there - I didn’t put it there?

Who is quickest to temper?

For reaction and just being the sharpest is Ryan Key - Good or bad.

Who is most inclined to get a tattoo in every new city?

Longineu, I think. He used to have one artist, but lately he has started to branch out. Ryan only has one artist that he does work with.

Who likes to pester others when he is extremely bored, like a kid brother?

I think I am the most annoying one as I have all this energy. I'll start singing songs or running around heckling people.

Who is the one who generally puts his foot in his mouth without thinking before he speaks?

I don’t know - At this stage of the game we all know how to answer and when to keep our mouths shut.

It is swanktrendz's tradition to allow artists to give a shout out to other lesser know acts. Think of one or more acts who you feel are deserving of some media attention?

Anberline also from Florida - great friends of ours on the warped tour. Cities of tooth and nail. I am looking forward to what they are going to put out.

http://www.myspace.com/anberlin

And one more, too. The Spill Canvas. Neil, our producer, just did their album They are fantastic. The singer has incredible delivery - he sings so beautifully and they're from South Dakota.

http://www.myspace.com/tsc

I'll be sure to note them and I want to thank you for your time, Sean.

You bet, my pleasure

[Interview] Zero Magazine

Yellowcard: They Will Survive
by Robbie Salapuddin

They were one of the biggest mainstream pop-punk bands of the decade. The band had a double-platinum record, won an MTV Video Music Award, continually held the number one spot on TRL, and had headlined Warped Tour. But that was four years ago, and today’s musical palettes prefer much different tastes. The audience has grown, the choices are greater, and the scene has completely changed. But, so have they. After a sophomore slump, loss of a band member, and a career-ending scare, Yellowcard have returned- happier and stronger than ever.

It’s a week until the release of the Florida-based band’s third album Paper Walls, and the entire record was just previewed on MySpace two days earlier. Yellowcard is currently out on Warped Tour in promotion of the latest LP, and the band is incredibly excited to be on the road introducing the new material, explains violinist Sean Mackin over the phone under the New Mexico sun.

“It’s been great, a lot of fun. We haven’t been on Warped Tour in a couple years,” says Mackin.

The last time Yellowcard were on the punk-rock tour, they were poised on the main stage. But now, the quintet of Mackin, vocalist/guitarist Ryan Key, bassist Peter Mosely, guitarist Ryan Mendez, and drummer Longineu Parsons III a.k.a. LP are fixed as a solid second, performing on the main support stages.

It’s a sloped shift that is likely brought upon by Yellowcard’s troublesome missteps this past year.

Last January saw the release of Lights and Sounds, a far cry from their smash debut Ocean Avenue. The album abandoned the upbeat style that YC’s success was based upon and went for an artsy-er edgier tone. The ambitious set failed to pick up, selling a meek 500, 000 approx. to the 2 million of its predecessor.

Having lost their sound and some of their listeners, the band also lost a member. At around the time Yellowcard finished recording the sophomore disc, founding guitarist Ben Harper left the group due to a “conflict of interest.” Harper is currently heading his own label Takeover Records and was replaced by long-time friend Ryan Mendez, explains Mackin.

“Anytime you lose someone like that, who is a founding member of the band, it’s going to be difficult,” he reveals.

And the difficulties only continued for Yellowcard. In late 2005, Key had developed a nodule on is vocal cords which resulted canceling shows in December before continuing with touring early the next year. Problems persisted however, and Key was diagnosed with a cyst on his vocal cords in April 2006, forcing the band to cancel the rest of their scheduled tours as Key underwent surgery and recovery.

“For the six to eight weeks we were on tour he’d have some problems, and it was really frustrating to have someone so close to you go through something like that. I can only imagine how self-conscious or how aware of his singing he was, cause he was struggling with this ailment all the time,” details Mackin.

“I know he went through all those meetings with doctors and they said, ‘You could lose your voice, you could never sing again.’ And he took that head-on… He’s been really courageous.”

The severe blows faced by the quintet in the last year alone are enough to have any band call it quits, but Yellowcard took their challenging experiences and put them into song.

“After Ryan finally wanted to have surgery and after all the little missteps, we decided [to] go back into the studio and try and come up with something new, and have a new chapter in Yellowcard’s story.”

The obstacles the band faced brought the members closer than ever. Paper Walls is set to be Yellowcard’s triumphant return and illustrates the band’s new breath of strength and hope.

“We got back to being Yellowcard, and got back to collaborating together and really focused on what [the band] does best: the energy, the soaring anthems.” says Mackin, “We took the rock sound we kind of developed on Lights and Sounds and the sonic evolution we’ve come across and blended it together. And just that idea of breaking down the boundaries and coming together really embodies what Yellowcard is for this record.”

Paper Walls is rich with melodic riffs intertwined with smooth string lines, all with the classic Yellowcard formula of pounding energy and open lyrics. The single “Light Up the Sky” is catchy and epic in feel. “Five Becomes Four” as the title suggests, is the emotional and honest release on Harper’s break from the band. The title and closing track “Paper Walls” culminates the bands journey, with vocals beaming ‘Here I am/ still hold on to this dream we had/won’t let go of it… Here I Stand/ won’t turn back again/I won’t leave you/I know how hard it’s been.’

After the height of success and the fall from surprising changes and injuries, Paper Walls brings Yellowcard full circle in their careers and lives. “If Ocean Avenue was one about finding yourself in the world and just chasing your dreams, Lights and Sounds is a story of Yellowcard getting lost, and Paper Walls is of finding yourself again, and really, getting confident and being comfortable in our own skin.”

The new attitude and positive direction brought out the greatest in each of the members. Mendez resurfaced passion into the band and in the recording studio, says Mackin. He also states the third album as having some of his “best string arrangement work.” And after the physical strains, Key is notably stronger, physically and mentally.

“I think you can hear the confidence in his voice on Paper Walls and at the shows. It’s like a cloud has been lifted off of us.”

Despite the pain and turmoil they’ve endured the past few months, it’s apparent that Mackin and the other Yellowcard members wouldn’t take any of it back.

“I’m most proud of the way our band pulled together and relied on one another. It was really inspiring to see the guys in the band working as hard as they did [on this record,] and it really rubbed off on me, and I think the final product is the best of what Yellowcard has to offer.”

Yellowcard is making up for lost time this year by touring continuously, hoping off Warped Tour early to head to Japan, then Australia and Canada before embarking on their longest tour with Blue October, Ozma and Shiny Toy Guns in the fall.

In the end of it all, Mackin isn’t crossing his fingers in hopes for >Paper Walls to break record sales numbers or to top any charts. To him, the band’s goals are already accomplished.

“How the industry is changing and how many bands are out now, I think it’s just a blessing for Yellowcard to still be able to play music everyday... We’ve already done more than we every dreamed we could. It feels really good to be in Yellowcard right now.”

[Interview] Amazon

The online store Amazon has just published a new interview with Yellowcard. In a black and white style and exclusive studio scenes, the five members talk about the recording proccess of the new album Paper Walls.

Click here to watch.