Still Remains

Putting their town on the map. It’s a goal of nearly any performer looking to progress from their small hometown to the big time. For the Grand Rapids emotional-hardcore act Still Remains, it’s quickly becoming a reality. Having paid their dues for years in the Michigan hardcore scene, the band (currently consisting of vocalist T.J. Miller, guitarist Jordan Whelan, bassist Evan Willey, keyboardist Zach Roth, drummer A.J. Barrette and guitarist/vocalist Mike Church) is on the verge of releasing their first national full-length album, Of Love and Lunacy (May 3), on Roadrunner Records. Regardless, Still Remains continues to retain its individual identity, one more representative of Grand Rapids’ heavier sounds than most of the area artists who have had a chance at the national stage. Or international stage; with a European installment of the recent Road Rage Tour taking Still Remains overseas this month, get ready for the group to put Grand Rapids on the map by traveling all over it. Recoil got a hold of Whelan in between Road Rages to learn more on the love and lunacy of making it in modern metal.

Recoil: How different was the recording experience for Of Love and Lunacy from anything you’ve ever done before? Were you able to do everything you wanted to in creating that album?
Jordan Whelan: Working with GGGarth and everyone at the studio was amazing; it was a totally new experience for us. We went from recording and mixing our EP, If Love Was Born To Die, in six days to spending a total of two months recording and mixing Of Love And Lunacy. Even with GGGarth producing the record I really feel as if we had as much creative control as we needed.

R: How well prepared did you feel going into that experience after recording and releasing material on your own?
JW: I was really nervous. The whole plane ride [to the studio] I was going through our songs over and over again in my head. During the two weeks of pre-production I tried to make sure I knew every riff down to a tee. When it came down to it, though, I had three weeks to track all of the guitars. It was very tedious, but all three weeks were definitely needed.

R: How do you think you’ve grown as musicians with the new album?
JW: I think we have finally found what Still Remains is to us. We finally have a vision of where we want to take this band musically and are so excited to share our CD with the world. It’s something we’re very proud of.

R: Looking back, how have your experiences in other Grand Rapids’ bands, as well as the Grand Rapids music scene, influenced the music you make now?
JW: I really think if it weren’t for ex-Grand Rapids bands like Ruin of the Poor, Unition, Branded Truth, to name a few, we wouldn’t be playing the music we are today. I first started going to shows and looked up to all of those bands so much, which in turn started me in playing the music that I do.

R: How do you think you were able to make it out of Grand Rapids and expand your career? What things did you do along the way to help make Still Remains stand out?
JW: I remember when I used to go to the Michigan Hardcore web page and get the e-mail addresses to every single venue I could. I would send out so many e-mails to bands and venues. We wanted to play anywhere and everywhere and it never mattered how much we got paid or if we got paid at all. It’s amazing how much can be done through e-mails and the Internet these days.

R: What would you say makes your sound stand out now from other hardcore metal bands?
JW: I think that some of the main driving forces behind Still Remains are not only our great guitar riffs [laughs], but our combination of metal, keyboards and vocal hooks. The hardest questions to answer are the ones that try to get you to talk up your own band [laughs].

R: In a previous piece we ran on the band, you all emphasized just how much each member of Still Remains retains their individual tastes and influences when creating material as a whole. How much has that attitude been retained as your lineup has changed and as you’ve gotten more and different opportunities with Roadrunner?
JW: I think everyone in the band is still able to throw their own spin on the things as far as the music goes. Musically, most of the record was written by Zachary and myself, but it’s not like we bring the material to the band and say, ‘This is how it is.’ Any material that anyone writes is brought before everyone and is always up for change. It’s a group-oriented process.

R: What was it like shooting your first video for “The Worst Is Yet To Come?” What can you tell us about the concept, feel or look of the video?
JW: At first the shoot was kind of awkward to tell you the truth. Rocking out as hard as you can when you’re not really playing gives you a weird feeling [laughs], but as the day went on we had so much fun with it! It was a pretty surreal experience showing up to the shoot and seeing a crew of twenty-five people ready for us to jam. But the video was shot in a desert area with a back drop of an old, burned down house. The concept of the video follows the theme of the song, and is about desperation. I actually just saw the first draft of the video yesterday and am pumped about it.

R: You also recently completed the Road Rage Tour. What was that whole experience like? Was it anything like what you expected of a tour that size?
JW: Road Rage was everything I expected and more. Showing up to venues we had never played with a hundred or so kids standing in line two hours before the show even started is an amazing feeling. We had so much fun and can’t wait to move it on over to Europe. We had such a great time getting to know all of our new friends in The Agony Scene, 3 Inches Of Blood and Trivium.

R: That will be your first European tour, right? Have any of you had the chance to travel in Europe before and what are you looking forward to?
JW: A.J. Barrette, our new drummer, has been over once before, but he never had the chance to travel, so it will be a new experience for all of us. I’m really looking forward to experiencing new cultures and playing to new faces. I’m also really looking forward to touring in a bus. We already miss hanging out with guys from the Road Rage Tour and are looking forward to hitting the road with them again.

May 2005