Brady Trudeau of Take Cover recently spent some time answering questions from staff writer Jacob Testa, touching on the band’s recent activity, some of their older material, and more. Read on, and stay tuned for a new song from the band on Mind Equals Blown in the near future.
Mind Equals Blown: How has 2011 treated the band so far?
Really great! We’ve been in the studio since the beginning of January working on our debut full length The Dreamer and the Realist. It’s by far the best work we’ve ever made and we are mega stoked to show everyone!
For those who might not have heard any of your music yet, what song would you recommend for them to get a taste of what Take Cover is all about?
I would say “One More Shot.”
Which bands would you say have had the greatest impact on your songwriting?
They are all over the board. We come from a variety of backgrounds, which you can hear in our songs. Some of our biggest ones consist of Acceptance, Fall Out Boy, The All American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday, and Blink-182.
If you had to pick a favorite lyric from one of your songs, what would it be?
It’s hard to put a finger on just one lyric; so many mean so many things to all of us. The new record holds some of all of our favorite lyrics we’ve ever written.
Where does the band’s name come from?
A couple years ago, shortly after we had formed a full line up, we were sitting at Chad (our former bass player)’s house and were watching TV. The AOL unplugged version of “Take Cover” by Acceptance played and being that we were all huge Acceptance fans, we felt that it worked perfectly!
In a video update this past April, you announced a new bassist, Dirty Sean. Can you say a little about who he is and what led to him joining the band?
Dirty Sean and I have been close friends since high school and used to play in a band together. After our old band dismembered, he began to sell merch and managed tours for Four Letter Lie and had been doing that until joining TC. He’s a great musician, a great dude, and adds a lot to the TC puzzle! We’re super stoked to have him in the band!
Your most recent release, the Waiting In The Moment EP, featured two new songs alongside acoustic versions of three older songs. Why did the band decide to do an acoustic EP?
We all are big fans of acoustic music, and since we generally start our song writing process on acoustics, we figured we would show our fans that we can do more than just high energy rock music!
The title track from the EP featured guest vocals from Liz Akhavan. Who is she?
She’s a very talented vocalist and good friend of ours from the cities. Check out her solo stuff! It’s amazing!
Was she a part of the songwriting process, or someone the band had in mind when writing the song?
We wrote a part and immediately heard her voice fitting it!
What was it like featuring guest vocals on one of your songs?
It was great! Having friends join in on the recording process is always tons of fun.
The two new songs from the EP were very effective as acoustic-based tracks. Can we expect to see full-band versions in the future?
No recordings are planned yet, but you may just see a full band version at a show someday…
The band’s debut full-length, The Dreamer And The Realist, is set to be released this summer. Is there a set date yet?
Yes! We are releasing it digitally on July 12th and will be having a CD release show at Station 4 in St Paul on Thursday, July 21st!
Where does the title of the new album come from?
The Dreamer and The Realist‘s title is derived from the challenges involved with pursuing your passion versus what in reality is actually in store for you. It’s about the choices you make and how they pave the way for your journey in life, for better or worse.
What was the approach to recording the album, and how did it compare to the processes of recording your past EPs?
It was a completely different process! The 4 of us that recorded the record were there for every second of the writing process, bouncing ideas off of each other and coming up with different and unique parts for every song! It was a truly amazing experience!
When can fans expect to hear a single?
We will be releasing our first single on June 15th.
There have been a few new songs on your MySpace page since the release of the Waiting In The Moment EP. Are there plans to include those tracks on the new album?
Those tracks are just singles! We are releasing 10 BRAND NEW songs for the record!
Will we see the release of any acoustic versions of songs from the new album?
At this point, that is still undetermined.
In addition to the acoustic EP last January, vocalist Ryan Wickard released an acoustic-based solo EP this past November. What was different about those songs that led to the decision to release them separately from Take Cover?
Ryan had some melodies that he was working on, and just felt that stylistically they wouldn’t mesh with TC, so he recorded them with our good friend Dustin Phillips, and they turned out great!
Which bands have been your favorites to tour with so far?
I don’t think we’ve ever been on a tour where we didn’t enjoy the rest of the bands on it, but I would say our overall favorites have been You, Me, and Everyone We Know, and Quietdrive. They’re some of our best friends to this day, and I can’t say enough good things about them both
Would you rather tour with a band that you’re friends with, or a band that you idolize?
That’s a tough one…I would love to someday share that stage with one of my idols, but nothing beats spending night after night for weeks on end with your best friends!
As an independent band, what is your perspective of the current state of the music industry?
In a world full of free download websites and a bad economy, it’s tough to make it as an independent band. But if you can make enough money to live doing the things you love to do, it’s 100% worth it.
If you could choose any band to hear cover your songs, which band would it be?
Some kind of metal band would be awesome.
What music have you guys been listening to recently?
The Script, One Republic, Hanson, John Mayer, Neon Trees. A whole bunch of stuff.
What can fans expect to see from the band in the coming months?
A new record that will knock your socks off and lots and lots of touring!!
Is there anything else you’d like people to know?
New record drops July 21st! Preorder packs are available at our webstore! See you all on the road late summer/early fall!
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