#hungry hands

You’ve been touring and promoting your current EP, Hungry Hands, for the past year and a half. How has the band matured during this time?

A lot has happened for us since Hungry Hands was released. We’ve played with bands I could only dream of playing with, we’ve gotten to tour and make great friends in the process, and also had some line-up changes. I think with all we’ve been through it really helped us come together better as friends and as a band, and [it] also has helped myself find new motivation within writing, what I want my music to reflect and what I’m looking to gain overall as a musician.

What was the recording process for Hungry Hands like? Did you approach anything differently than on your past albums?

The big difference for Hungry Hands, I’d say, is the songs weren’t completely written, in a sense. We had songs written, structures built, but when we finally got into the studio, we we really able to mold the songs into something we were proud of. The same can be said for Still Life and The Death Of Rhythm And Blues, but it was way more prevalent in the recording process for Hungry Hands. There was always someone there with an idea to add to a song, which would lead to someone elaborating on that same idea and so on.

Your live shows produce a raw energy that translates into the EP. How do you manage to capture that energy in your recordings?

My bandmates are literally my best friends. When I’m playing live with these dudes, my adrenaline is shooting through the roof and there’s no judgement. We’re all able to leave our minds and I think that’s the big thing that helps bridge our live performances with our recordings. When we record, we go to our great friend Andy Marshall’s studio and it’s the same feeling as when playing a show. We’re with friends in a non-judgemental, high energy environment, which translates perfectly to our albums.

You’re about to enter into the studio to work on your new album. Do you have any idea the direction you want to take it?

The new album is a big one for us. We’re really shooting for a full-length and we’re definitely on our way there. I’ve always been the type to keep my emotions deep down in my gut and I’ve taken advantage of this album and am really using it to write music to help myself get those emotions out. The new songs rip and still have a very raw, aggressive sound, but all the while, they completely represent the way we approach music and the ideas of coping and being expressive.

Are there any up-and-coming bands you feel your listeners should check out?

Listen to my friends. They’re in Glitterbomb and Stay Wild. They’re both cool bands.

Any last words?

Be excellent to each other.

You can find American Standards’ music on iTunes, and be sure to check out the band on Facebook and Twitter.