Eastscene had the chance to sit down and have a quick chat with Underoath frontman, Spencer Chamberlain on Thursday, March 19th.
EASTSCENE: So you guys have gradually gotten harder since They’re Only Chasing Safety, is that a pattern that you’re going to continue to make?
CHAMBERLAIN: Probably. I found that once we got through writing Define The Great Line, it kind of was where we found our niche and I guess it’s just going to progress from there. It’ll be more on the style of the last two records.
EASTSCENE: Being a Christian band, is it ever difficult to maintain that state of mind while out on the road?
CHAMBERLAIN: No, it’s just like being at home. We’re not perfect dudes anyway, no one is. The same things you struggle with at home, you’ll struggle with on the road.
EASTSCENE: I read that your lyrics aren’t about religion, just you guys are as individuals, but they’re about daily struggles. Are they all struggles that you’ve all been through?
CHAMBERLAIN: It’s mostly me, I just write about myself.
EASTSCENE: Do you think that being an openly Christian band affects your fan base at all?
CHAMBERLAIN: They seem to support it. It probably could affect them, and I’m sure it does in a negative way, but for the most part, we’re open minded people, and we don’t force anything on anyone. We don’t expect them to feel the way that we do because they listen to our music. It’s just something that we stand for. It’s like a straight edge band, you don’t have to be straight edge to like them.
EASTSCENE: What has been your favourite record so far that you’ve made, either lyrically or musically, or both?
CHAMBERLAIN: The newest one.
EASTSCENE: Do you guys have any rituals? Like, before the show, or on every tour..
CHAMBERLAIN: Not really. Well.. kind of. We do one of those huddle hand things, you know? And as soon as the intro starts, we all high five each other, so I guess that’s kind of a ritual.
EASTSCENE: I saw on your myspace that you guys donated Tim [McTague]‘s guitar pedals to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, what inspired you guys to get involved with that?
CHAMBERLAIN: Someone just brought it up, I think it was Chris [Dudley]‘s brother, and we were just like “Yeah, cool. We’ll do it.”
EASTSCENE: How does it feel to be back in Canada? Are your fans supportive here?
CHAMBERLAIN: Yeah, it was pretty cold when we first got here, like minus 30. So I kind of don’t want to come back here in the winter.
EASTSCENE: It’s been a while since you guys have been back here..
CHAMBERLAIN: Yeah, yeah.
EASTSCENE: You guys also played in South America for the first time this past december.. What was it like to play in front of a new crowd?
CHAMBERLAIN: It was really awesome, probably my favourite tour we’ve ever done.
EASTSCENE: Well, you don’t hear of that often, bands going to South America to play..
CHAMBERLAIN: Yeah, it was unbelievable. A great experience.
EASTSCENE: Do you guys have any unexpected hotspots? Like, places you’ve been that you weren’t expecting to be as popular?
CHAMBERLAIN: South America, South Africa was pretty surprising.
EASTSCENE: What is your biggest accomplishment with this band, or your proudest moment?
CHAMBERLAIN: I guess the writing and recording of the new record.
EASTSCENE: Was this record like, a monumental one for all of you?
CHAMBERLAIN: Well, I think that every new record we write will be our favourite one and be the most proud of it. We don’t try to redo something that’s been done before, like radios and labels want us to, we just try to be a better band, so everytime we release a record, we feel pretty good about it.
EASTSCENE: How important are sites like myspace and purevolume to you guys?
CHAMBERLAIN: I think it’s pretty important nowadays. Everyone’s all over the internet, so I think it’s a pretty detrimental thing.
EASTSCENE: Do you think that the music business has changed?
CHAMBERLAIN: Absolutely. There is no music business. Bands don’t sell records anymore, or make money anymore.
EASTSCENE: So, you guys are on warped tour this year, and because of what happened a few years back, were you at all hesistant on signing on to do it this year?
CHAMBERLAIN: No! Not at all.
EASTSCENE: So, my last question… I read online that Chris had said that Define The Great Line means that you just have to find that line and the way to live your life. What’s that line for you, either personally or as a band?
CHAMBERLAIN: It’s like, being a better person, or at least trying to be a better person. I would like to believe that everyone wants to be a better person than they are, you know, as a human being. So it’s kind of like striving to be better, and do better, and helping people out. It’s just all sorts of things to be a better man.
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