Bands come and go some go for good, while others come back, others just remains in an unknown state of mind, it's no telling as to how it will turn out for them. In this particular case Extra Large Kids now known as Design the Skyline, who formed in 2007, released demos, got signed to Victory Records, released videos and a debut full-length album "Nevaeh" and later follow-up single "Death Gaze", all was well for these guys, they even went on the road playing shows and touring here and there. But then things changed and the band split in 2013 not knowing on if they would return or not.... But of course they would one year later in 2014 posts were made about them returning with all new music, shows, and much more coming soon! Drummer new comer Christian Smith discusses about the band's return, the new music, and plans ahead!
1. First off, who are you, and what do you do in the band?
Christian: My name's Christian, and I play drums.
2. You guys died in 2013 then resurrected in 2014, so can you give those a rundown on why the band ended and why is the band back together?
Christian: Well, I wasn't in the band at the time. But from what I've heard, the guys kind just wanted to explore other opportunities and do their own thing for a while. As far as the band being back together now, I just feel as if that we as a collective unit have more to say with Design the Skyline that we couldn't necessarily express with our other projects. I think it's generally a cathartic motive.
3. Why do you think bands tend to do this sort of thing, say they're done for good then months to years later come back to life?
Christian: Because music is both a spiritual and emotional thing and sometimes, the platform that you are currently on isn't the most appropriate outlet for those specific feelings. I've been in several different bands over the course of my musical adventure, and they have all represented and expressed different things. And sometimes, in retrospect, you find the time to band together once more to once again express those specific emotions.
4. How does it feel to you guys as a band and to the fan base you've created to be back?
Christian: I think it's feels great, both to us AND our fans. We as a group are at an all-time high in regards to our morale and excitement, and the fans have all been showing their support day in, day out. We missed playing with one another, and they missed the music.
5. You guys have gone from 7 members to 4 members, will you be bringing back the full band as 7 or sticking to the low count?
Christian: I think we'll be sticking with the latter, at least for now. The problem with having 7 members in one band is that there are just too many cooks in the kitchen. And although it's nice to have a constant flow of ideas and suggestions, an overabundance of such could also create tension and hinder the general growth of what we as a band would like to accomplish. We have talked about adding to the depth of the band, but I don't think we'd ever go back to having 7 members, at least not in the near future.
6. Since your formation way back when, you've gone through line-up changes, now only Azure and Ryan remain as "original" members, will any other originals be coming back?
Christian: Some of the old guys have reached out to us, so maybe. But at the end of the day, it's a decision that we will have to make as a band. So I can't say yes, but I can't say no either.
7. You released your debut album "Nevaeh" under Victory Records, are you still signed to that label or will you be flying solo for future material?
Christian: Currently, we are not affiliated with Victory Records or any other label, so we're flying solo for now.
8. Besides that album, you were planning on releasing a follow-up and had gone as far as release a single called "Deathgaze", will that single be seen on the upcoming album?
Christian: We all love "Deathgaze" and it is one of my personal favorites. However, we haven't made a decision on what will and won't be on the album yet. So maybe! We're still figuring out what will make the cut.
9. Will this new album, be that follow-up release that never saw the light of day?
Christian: No. We both as a band and as people have changed since the last time we were together. What you hear on this album is in all likelihood completely different than what we would've done the last time around, at least in my eyes.
10. How will this new material sound, will it sick to the "Deathgaze" style or "Nevaeh" style or take a step into another direction?
Christian: Personally, it is completely different than what we did on Navaeh, as well as "Deathgaze". It's much more out-of-the-box and not as confined as our previous material. I definitely think that it has some similar elements, But overall, we're painting a completely different picture this time around. And we're all really excited for the kids to hear it!
11.What's the story behind "Re:Birth"? Will there be a video accompanying it?
Christian: The story behind "Re:Birth" is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: we have been reborn. This is a new chapter for the band, and we are very adamant about expressing that. And yeah, a video of sorts is almost complete will be released VERY soon.
12. Have you decided on what this album will become, like the title, album artwork, whether it will be a concept or not, surprises or special guests producer, mixer etc.
Christian: The album will be titled Re:Birth. Like I previously stated, we really wanted to express and push to our fans that this is indeed a new beginning for us, and the concept of the album will be true to that regard. As far as special guests are concerned, there are definitely some artists that we want to collaborate with, but I can't say who because nothing is set in stone yet. As far as a producer is concerned, we have been recording with a guy who will be doing the entire album. Once the single is released, all of that information will be available.
13. When can we expect to see the new album to be released?
Christian: Right now, we are aiming to have the whole album out by March or April of 2015, so definitely around that time period.
14. How about shows and touring, what are the plans for that department if anything?
Christian: In March, we'll be embarking on an East Coast tour with Neurotic November and Vanity Strikes. We have a West Coast tour in April as well with a band we're really excited to tour with, but we're still putting the final touches on that one, so everyone should definitely be on the lookout for that announcement.
15. What will 2015 have in-store for you guys that we can expect to see?
Christian: A complete REBIRTH haha. We are looking to get right back on the horse with tons of new content and tours. It's going to be an amazing year!
16. Anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Christian: Thank you so much for your continued support! Your unwavering allegiance to this band and the music we have created together is undoubtedly humbling and amazing to us. We hold each and everyone of you in the highest regard and can't wait for you all to hear what we've been creating. We look forward to seeing all of your amazing faces at a venue near you REALLY soon!
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