HMTV Canada Interviews The Architects

 www.myspace.com/architectsuk 

HMTV Canada: How is your Australian tour going? Have you been able to see the sights and explore while on this tour?

A: Our Australian Tour with Parkway Drive, went really well. For our first time in Australia, we couldn’t t have asked for a better tour, and the reactions from the shows have been great.

HMTV Canada: How did the band like touring with Parkway Drive and August Burns Red? Any funny stories to tell?

A: Touring with Parkway and ABR was real fun. One of the best stories of the tour is when we tried to go body-boarding in Perth and a couple of our guys ended up swimming out way too far and getting called back in by the coast guard while a little further down the beach Sam got stung by a jelly fish!

HMTV Canada: Architects has toured with many great bigger bands but which music venue comes to mind as being the most memorable, funny or crazy?

A: The most memorable venue we’ve ever played was probably a barn in the Austrian hills to about 25 people. Truly mental.

HMTV Canada: With so many tours lined up for 2009 will the band be coming out with a DVD covering live video footage of these tours for the fans?

A: You never know! We’ve recently put up our first youtube.com video in a long time with a bunch of clips from the last year or so which seems to have gone down pretty well, so we might bring out the camera for the rest of this year and see what gets caught on film!

HMTV Canada: Can you tell us the highlights of your recent release Hollow Crown, such as the song tracks and their themes?

A: For us what is really important is playing songs live, so the parts that get the best crowd response or interaction are normally our personal favorites. The end section in Early Grave, the sing a-longs in Follow The Water, or the break-down in Numbers Count For Nothing are nuts live!

HMTV Canada: Can you tell us about the current lineup? Do they share the same influences for their music and do they like to experiment and try new things or ideas with their sound?

A: We all share pretty similar influences when it comes to our music, but recently Tom has gone on a serious Pink Floyd trip so who knows what the newest material will sound like.

HMTV Canada: What inspires the band to write such intense, emotional lyrics? Perhaps relationships or political issues.

A: You’ll have to ask Sam that to really find out, let’s just say he’s a pretty angry guy and chooses to express that with a microphone.

HMTV Canada: I noticed the sound of Hollow Crown packs a brutal punch of pure in your face metal. Were there any challenges to recording this new album?

A: Not really, Sam had to finish a few sections off in the studio but musically we were really prepared when we went into the studio. I think just living together making a record 24/7 and not killing each other was the biggest challenge.

HMTV Canada: Who mixed and mastered Hollow Crown?

A: John Mitchell at Outhouse Studios, who also recorded the record mixed it, then Alan Douches at west west-side studios mastered it.

HMTV Canada: Have you produced any music videos for the tracks off of Hollow Crown?

A: Yes. We have a video out for the first track Early Grave, and we recently filmed one for the song Follow The Water that will be coming out real soon.

HMTV Canada: Of all the albums put out by the band, which one is the collective favorite? Which are you most proud of?

A: Definitely Hollow Crown. In terms of the production, the songs, and what we’ve achieved from it.  It’s our collective favorite.

HMTV Canada: Are you receiving much airplay in the UK? Is metal more mainstream or still an underground genre?

A: It depends what type of metal you play. It is definitely getting bigger and more accessible in the UK. We get a bit of airplay and radio-play etc., but most of our output is online for sure.

A: Take some time off at home to get more of our next record written then hitting the road again in 2010 until we go back to the studio to make our next masterpiece.

HMTV Canada: Any shout outs?

A: Dean the guitar tech and flip the merch dude up in the front of the van!

HMTV Canada: Thank you, Architects, for this interview. I would also like to send thanks to Jerry and Shane of Warm Fuzzy PR and Century Media Records. Horns High you rock.