Jun
29
Mozart Season Interview – June 28, 2008
Nate: There was a list of books that I was going through in my highschool English class, and I thought that name sounded cool. So we named ourselves after the book…and then I actually read the book, and found out that there is an actual musical message behind the name.
Did you always want to be in a band?
Nick: Ever since I saw “Riding in Vans with Boys”, it’s a Blink182/Green Day/Kut U Up tour DVD
Benton: Once I started playing guitar, that was part of it. It was all just, practice guitar riffs and then see if you can do it standing up with stage prescence. The other part was from whenever I would see a hardcore show, I would be all, “Awww! That’s brutal”
Nate: Mines not even a tough answer. I knew I liked performing since I had my first trumpet recital when I was 9
Nick: I have you all beat, I was performing with my bassoon.
What was your inspiration to start your own band?
Nate: I want to clear this up. The way Mozart Season started was, I met Matthew Scarpelli in Guitar Lab during my senior year in highschool. He asked my to go and sing for him and his older brother, Anthony Scarpelli, in their band Seven Days New, then Nick joined, and after that Brannon joined. Then I came up with the name for Mozart Season, and we collectively voted on it, and that is how the band was started. Mozart Season was not started by Matt or Anthony Scarpelli. And Jamies Elsewhere is not a side project from Mozart Season, it never has been. They left the band 3 years ago. I just want to clear up all of that.
Benton: I started a metal band once, it was horrible, but the I knew Nate, and Nate brought me into Mozart Season.
Nick: I played in a Black Metal band once, and I was singing actually.
Nate: Oh yeah! System Of A Down covers! I remember that!
Nick: Yeah, it was pretty sweet.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Benton: Tim McTague – Underoath, Jimmy Paige – Led Zepplin, The Eagles, Dallas Taylor, Anthony Green, and Aaron Weiss – mewithoutYou, Mike Einziger – Incubus.
Chris: Jonny Greenwood- Radiohead, Stephen Carpenter – Deftones
Nate: Dryden Mitchell – Alien Ant Farm, Spencer Chamberlain, TJ Bonnette.
Nick: Thrice, Deftones, Incubus, Miles Davis, DEFINATLY Oh! Sleeper.
What is a main message you try to convey through your music?
Nick: As far as the message goes, we don’t try to preach to anyone through our music, we talk about things we know, that we believe in.
Nate: Me and Chris have been writing a lot about the world and stuff that we see going on.
Chris: Each song has its own feeling, or mood that goes with what it is about.
Benton: In the end its about trying to inspire other kids to start playing music, because that’s what happened to us. You go to a show and are like, “That’s sick! Im gunna go and buy a guitar!”. And then 10 years later, the guy is like blblblbllblblala (**makes shredding guitar noise**)
*A new topic started at this point, about inspiring people through music.
Nick *commenting on what Benton said*: One of the best things that I’ve ever gotten from this band, was when we played at Josh’s house. His little brother and a bunch of kids were there, and their jaws just hit the floor, they were in awe just to see a band play. To me, that is the biggest reward as a musician, just inspiring someone that is impressed with what you do, and inspiring them to pick up an instrument and play music.
Benton: The best time that I remember is when we were in Simi Valley, and we had a girl tell us she didn’t commit suicide, and that our music helped her not commit suicide, and I just gave her a big hug, it was so sick. We went to a party at her house that night to.
Nick: Oh yeah!
Have your fans fully supported you since your reunion? Or did they die away with the old Mozart Season?
Chris: I think those fans just switch around from band to band…I mean, you guys (original band members) influenced a lot of people, but…
Nate: We have alot of loyal fans that have stuck by us, but there are also a lot of people that are really upset with the loss of Joel,, he was such a big part of the band. But were taking a new direction, and some people dig it and some hate it, but the idea is to just build a new fanbase with people that are into Mozart Season now.
Nick: We don’t want to be a band that just changes the style to please that fans, if someone dosent like it, then they don’t like it, but we’re not going to ridicule someone because they don’t like our music.
So your new style of music, its not as depressing, does that mean its more hopeful and uplifting?
Benton: Yes, we have matured a lot as musicians. Before, the songs would mainly be, 1 person pushing the idea to write the song, but not we write more as a band, more than just what everyone else wants. The whole band puts effort forward, not just 1 member forcing it to everyone.
What goals does the band hope to accomplish over the next year?
Benton: We could take over Russia?
Chris: Russia? Maybe like, lower Japan.
Benton: Maybe Korea…
Nate: Well, we will be recording and releasing a new record, in the next 8 or 9 months.
Nick: On the real, we will have an EP by the end of September, because we need to show fans, old and new, what we are about now, and what we have become. We are a completely different band.
Are you planning to tour in the near future?
Nick: We are talking about next spring or next summer.
Benton: Well, we defiantly are not going to try to make a big huge lets-go-to-missouri tour, we have to go further out (of Sacramento) slower.
Nick: Bottom line, all of the West Coast will be seeing up very very soon.
If you could tour with any band, who would it be?
Benton: Underoath, Deftones, and the old Taking Back Sunday lineup playing all old songs.
Nick: Thrice. But seriously, anybody that will play Xbox live, we are down to tour with, plain and simple.
Nate: Underoath, The Vanity Affair, and My Children My Bride, and Oh! Sleeper.
How has being in a band affected you all personally?
Nate: I lost a girlfriend because of it and it was the best thing that ever happened to me!
Benton: Seriously though, it has been the best networking thing ever, I have met a disgusting amount of people. I’ve met so many of my best friends through music. I don’t know who I would be if I wasn’t in a band.
Nate: Being in a band is the most enjoyable, heartbreaking, exciting, difficult thing ever. There are such a range of emotions that I get, from being excited to get to go play with your favorite band ever to being all bummed out from when we get booted off a show because of whatever.
Nick: My answer to this is I have been able to see half of the country from the windows of a van, and do it with 5 of my best friends, and not a lot of people can say they have done that. That’s really cool.
The next question is one that a lot of your fans have asked…Are you guys a “Christian Band”
All: No
Benton: Some of us are Christians, but we do not label ourselves as a Christian band. We don’t feel that we have to label ourselves that way to play our music.
Are there any thoughts you would like to share with your fans?
Nick: Rock on. Thanks for the support.
Benton: I love every single person that has had anything to do with Mozart Season, including the people that have played our music on myspace, put our stuff on their profile, showed up (to a show), bought merch, but most of all, the people that still stick behind us, MAD LOVE.
Nate: I wanna thank, anyone who sent hate mail, whoever started the F*** Mozart Season club on myspace, anyone who has ever hated us and thought that we are the most horrible band or anything because you just made us stronger.
Nick: I wanna thank whoever hacked Guitar Hero and put Prophecies in Kodak on it.
Benton: No, that was Midnight Train To Bellevue
Nick: Oh is it? Ok that’s awesome, I want a copy. And whoever makes videos of themselves pretending to play our music, you guys rule.
Benton: And also, if you got beat on Halo 3 Live, it was probably me, I’m sorry
1 last question. Boxers or briefs?
Nick: Boxer-briefs for sure
Chris: Boxer-briefs
Nate: I’m straight up briefs all the way, well, actually, boxer briefs when I’m playing, but briefs everyday.
Benton: Boxer-briefs til the day I die.
Nate: Wait, not the faggy-bikini briefs though…good briefs.
