#losing wings

For those out there who haven't heard of Stolas before, could you tell me about how the group came together?

RJ: Sergio was in a band called Inherit the Sky, Jason and Carlo were in The Akashic Record.  He asked them to jam, and three years later [August 2011], they met up with us at his house.  We began writing "Time & the Sun" that day.  By February, we had the Losing Wings EP, followed by a California tour in March.  Sergio had been running a local music showcase called The Garden of Spines out of Yayo Taco, and that became our stomping grounds. 

Between signing with Blue Swan Records, putting out your debut album Living Creatures, and going out on tour to top it all off, 2013 is obviously set to be a busy year for you guys; how are you handling the jam-packed schedule?

RJ: It's hellish, and we're loving all of it.  Living Creatures is still being mixed and mastered, and then it's pressing it up and getting it ready.  Will's been amazing at handling it all for us.  Meanwhile, everybody in Stolas is scrambling to get the money together and the time off to do the tour.  We practice at a banquet hall from 10PM-1AM every night, but that's how it always has been for us.  I'd say the biggest help to our schedule would be Sergio's family; they are the ones that let us practice at their venue, and they helped Sergio get the tour van we have now. 

As I mentioned before, you guys just joined Will Swan's recently founded Blue Swan Records; what led to you signing with the label, and how has the experience collectively been for you as a band so far?

Sergio: I was filling in for Shane in Hail the Sun. He got a really cool job at Ubisoft, right as Hail the Sun got on the Rock Yourself to Sleep Tour. I also became Dance Gavin Dance’s guitar tech/stagehand for that tour. Part of their payment to me was I got my own bunk on their tour bus. It was then that I started talking to Will about music and I showed him Stolas.

Not only are you a part of Blue Swan Records, but you're also managed by Melero Group, the management agency founded by Donovan Melero of Hail the Sun. How did you meet Donovan and begin working with him?

Sergio: I had gotten to know Hail the Sun from booking shows for them here in Las Vegas, and going on tour with them for a few weeks last summer. Stolas had played a few shows with them before. Donny had always talked about doing Melero Group, and he just started on his own, and then asked me if I wanted to book under his company. He’s taken on a lot more bands than I have. I’ve only booked for Stolas, haha.

On February 14th, you're releasing "Medusa", the first single off of Living Creatures; how would you describe the song, and how does it compare to the rest of the album sound-wise?

RJ: Aggressive, abrupt, then suddenly beautiful.  It hits all of the dynamic extremes you'll hear on the album.  Not many of the other songs come at you quite as hard and high energy, though. Kurt's part makes that middle section for me. 

What was the writing process like for Living Creatures considering it was your first go at creating a full-length record?

RJ: Living Creatures was originally a 3-song EP we wanted to release last summer, so we had already compartmentalized the songs and tracked them out before a full length was a prospect. We also wanted to bring the Losing Wings material forward with us.  We spent about a month after Sergio got done with Rock Yourself To Sleep playing through the album track list.  A few of the vocals came together at Pus Cavern, and I think only Donovan's guest vocal part was written beforehand.  We got the album recorded in a week, and we were still adding textures until we left. 

For the upcoming LP, you brought in an all-star cast of five vocalists featuring everyone from Tilian Pearson of Dance Gavin Dance to Cory Lockwood of A Lot Like Birds; what was it like working with so many talented artists?

RJ: Surreal, and very pleasant.  It was like living in a house for a week where bands you love show up and record an album with you.  A Lot Like Birds had a member at the studio every day.  The Speed of Sound In Seawater showed up.  Every singer would walk in, hang with us for a half hour listening to the section we'd picked out, and then he'd lay it down instantly.  They added a lot of color to Living Creatures, but we were very cautious about supplementing that with our own vocals, spoken parts, and letting the music breathe.   I think it all fits together.

After Living Creatures drops and you head out for a West Coast tour, what are your plans for the rest of 2013?

RJ: We're looking at a week of Texas in April as well as a few longer ones toward the summer.  We'll be writing, practicing, and promoting the album.  We'll bust our asses making ends meet and plan another tour. With us, there's always another goal on the horizon, and I think that's going to be touring into the rest of the country. 

Anything else you'd like to add? 

Check out our tour mates, These Colors (www.facebook.com/TheseColorsBand).  They have an EP called “Yucatan” releasing with ours, and they have so much talent throughout their music. 

We're setting up a pre-order for Living Creatures, just keep checking back at www.stolas.bandcamp.com.

For more info:

www.facebook.com/StolasLV