The remaining limbs and blood scattered around the world is growing formatting a new species one stronger than your everyday Zombie. This one working in fours, combining a force field so intense and strong nothing can overpower it. Since the formation in 2007 taken parts from various bands both dead and alive, Church for Sinners has arisen from the dead. Bringing the living dead back to life. These four band mates spoke to me about how the band formed and what's in store for the band within the upcoming months, can you survive the intensity within this interview? Read on if you dare!
1. The name of the band Church for Sinners is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?
Andy: There is kind of basically we were scrambling to find a name before our first song we had a song at the time called “Church for Sinners” based on H.P. love craft where it basically was talking about church comprised of church worshipping demonic forces and we took that in a bit of a rush. We’re sick of now, and stuck with it. *Laughs*
Calen: We may call it C.F.S. later on when the new album drops, not too sure yet.
Jay: Now we get mistaken for religious bands.
2. Can you briefly summarize how the band formed and what you do in Church for Sinners?
Andy: Uh yeah I was doing a acoustic show like a folk act in Oregon, and moved up here to be with Ben my brother and we started playing around doing some horror stuff some really dark acoustic stuff and started snowballing. We had 3 or 4 song and Jay was playing in Ben’s old band Graveyard Shirt and as soon as I saw him basically I walked up to him after the show and said “You are in my band now.” So he came in and then pulled in this guy Taylor River City Rebels and he played guitar for a while and then Murf left and now we got a tight line-up.
Ben: We all get along.
3. Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a concept behind the music you create?
Andy: It depends and varies from song to song. I was going through a lot of hard times a divorce and that goes into a lot of the lyrics and rest of it, is basically stupid cheesy horror rock lyrics. The new record has a lot more emotional material on it.
4. Your new album “Making Monsters,” is coming out how has the reactions been thus far? What can fans expect when they listen to your music?
Andy: Basically what we had, about 3 months into the band we only had played one show together. We jumped into the studio with all the money we had and basically threw all of our savings and were flat broke by the end of it and ended up with 7 songs weren’t super happy with how it turned out. Couldn’t really add any back-up vocals or anything like that. For the most part it is what it is.
Calen: Basically to get us on our feet and the new album we’re taking a lot more time with it and is more how we work with each other the songs are more melodic and harmonies, a lot more stuff. The EP sounds like a whole different band. *Laughs*
5. How did this mini tour come about?
Andy: *Laughs* this was an accident our friends Gruesome Boys our label mates we took them out the last time we came out, and they booked a show in Ugene and we didn’t feel like driving 6 hours for one show so we booked the whole mini tour and then they dropped off the one gig they had booked it and then we had to do the whole tour by ourselves. But it’s worked out having a lot of fun, really cool stuff awesome all around.
6. What are the upcoming plans for Church for Sinners for the rest of 2009?
Andy: We’re going into the studio as soon as we get home to finish the record and that’s pretty much it for 2009. Hopefully go out on a European tour and another U.S. tour.
Calen: We don’t like being at home, we like going on tour and meeting new people.
Jay: We’re hoping to tour for two years straight if possible, just tour, tour, tour!
7. How has MYSPACE and the internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the artists?
Andy: In one day this one guy posted at 7 different torrent sites ended up with 2 or 3 times of our sales and it doubled in a day. So ya know it hurts. MySpace has been good and we posted our basement demos and we had 2 labels bidding on us and then Robot Monster signed us before we ever took the stage. That’s when we played with Calabrese since we heard they only come around like once a month.
Calen: If friends go and burn the CD off torrents it doesn’t help can’t really say much.
8. What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?
Andy: *Laughs* be prepared don’t go in without a game plan. That’s how you end up wasting a lot of time.
Jay: Know your producer Chris at Studio 69 is a fucking dick, F.U. just wanted to get that out there.
Andy: We’ve seen so many bands who are cocksuckers refusing to sign things and refusing to talk to their fans. If you’re going to go out there is no reason to be disrespectful. All alone though I noticed the meaner you are the more the fans will react and come closer to the stage. I try to be nice but doesn’t cut it.
Jay: It’s a shitty formula but it works.
9. What bands would you like to tour with?
Andy: We would love to tour with MCR, Alkaline Trio, Iron Maiden, AFI; we’d be willing to tour with anyone.
Jay: As long as we can be on the road, we’d tour with anyone!
10. Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?
Andy: Alkaline Trio is where we picked up a lot of our harmonies and the way we interact with each other. MCR, AFI, there are so many bands all these bands have had a huge impact on us. It’s really hard to pick.
Calen: AFI has been a huge influence since I was younger, my far roots come from Iron Maiden, Guns n Roses anything rock n roll and then these guys got me into MCR, Alkaline Trio.
Jay: I’d have to say a lot of psychobilly, like The Adicts, anything punk.
11. What's your reaction when/if a fan told you a very meaningful statement such as "Your music changed my life?" Has this ever happened to you?
Andy: Oh wow, it’s impossible to react back in the right manner. Calen: You’re welcome.
Jay: It’s kind of hard to take sometimes, its awkward when someone says you’re amazing. It’s like you actually think so? Don’t really know what to say thank you or I’m sorry. If it wasn’t for this band I would be in dirty, dirty places.
12. All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?
Andy: We’re probably the least prepared band before we go on tour. We try to practice but can only do so much we’re dirt poor Ben and I live in our tour van.
Calen: I drink possibly every night.
Jay: *Laughs* the day that we left for tour, pretty much how I prepare is I throw everything into a backpack and take off.
13. Anything else you'd like to add?
Andy: Don’t just listen to stuff on the radio and MTV there are so many bands that are amazing and all the bands on our label are fantastic, like Calabrese people need to come out to more shows and support local music.
Jay: To all the fans that come out to our shows and hopefully continue to come out to our shows.
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