INTERVIEW WITH ALEX MASCARIN OF WE OUTSPOKEN!
Wednesday February 13, 2019
There’s no better way to kick off my return to the world of band interviews and music blogging than by interviewing Canadian punk/rock band We Outspoken, whose 13-track album State Of The Art is set for release on May 17, 2019 through Cyber Tracks (label owned by Jen Abeyta and El Hefe of NOFX), who they have recently signed with!
I got the chance to interview to lead vocalist/ rhythm guitarist, Anthony Mascarin to discuss their journey to this major milestone in their career! Here is the interview:
Congrats on the new record deal! What are 3 major moves you had to make on your journey to getting signed?
AM: Thank you so much. It has been surreal. To be honest, I wouldn’t say that we made moves. For every record that we have done, we have sent it out, got opinions and put out feelers to see if anyone would be interested in working with us. We did the same with this record and we caught the attention of a few companies and had to decide what was the better fit.
I would say it’s more about timing, the right sound, etc. But if I were to pick three moves that brought us to today, I would say:
1. We practice and write songs all the time.
2. We made our own way, booked our own tours and took a leap of faith.
3. We never gave up.
You guys have done a lot of touring over the years. What is your favorite part of touring, and your least favorite part?
AM: We love touring. You get locked into a groove with your best friends and you get to see the world. Our favorite part about touring is that we get to see all of our friends again, be it other bands, fans, or family.
Our least favorite part is how fast we are in and out of cities. Sometimes it nice to have a few days in one particular city, but our schedules are so hectic.
Touring for long periods of time can be mentally taxing. How do you stay centered and focused?
AM: Good question! Touring is not glamorous. It is emotionally exhausting at times, and can wear you down if you are not use to it or not prepared. What helps us is that we are all going through it together. We can tell if one of us is not having a great day on the road. The important things are communication, space, and LOTS OF SLEEP. I can’t stress this enough.
We used to sleep on floors, share beds- we would take whatever we could get. After a while, you find that the schedule is so hectic that you need a good night’s sleep to deal with performing and traveling, as it plays a big part on your mood.
What has been the toughest hurdle you had to overcome to get to this point in your career, and how did you overcome it?
AM: We are still jumping over hurdles! Ha! I would say the hardest thing is to keep going. It takes real strength to do what we do. Looking back, what we have accomplished has pushed us to this point, and that is what has kept us going.
We also love songwriting, so if we are not touring we can be in the studio or at each other’s houses, coming up with ideas. Especially when we finish a new record- we can’t wait to play the songs live!
With your busy schedules, how do you balance your work life and personal life?
AM: Scheduling. We know when we record, we know when we tour, so we know where we can fit in our personal life. We are in control of the when and where, so it’s easy to fit everything in.
If a restaurant were to name a burger after the band, what would be in it?
AM: Lettuce, Mayo, Ketchup and hot peppers!
Any tour hacks you would like to share?
AM: Always carry those Tide travel packs. You can do laundry anywhere. This saved us countless hours.
Any shout-outs?
AM: Thank you Krystal for another great interview!
Thank you, Anthony for your time! Always a pleasure!
For upcoming We Outspoken tour dates near you, get social! Give these guys a follow on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram