audiopinions

Here at Audiopinions, we like to take the time to actually talk to and get to know the underdogs, the unsigned bands trying to make a future in the music industry. Recently we sat down and had a chat with Dominic from the up-and-coming pop-punk band We Were Kids from Cleveland. They have a new EP releasing soon, and we have a stream of their first single, “St. Louis Blues.”

Read the entire interview and stream “St. Louis Blues” AFTER THE JUMP!

Audiopinons: Tell us who you are, where you’re from, and your position in We Were Kids.

Dominic Sam: Before I start, I want to say thank you from the whole band for your interest in us, Chris! It means the world to us.

Name’s Dominc, Dom, whatever you please. I play guitar, and lead sing in the band. I guess you could say we’re all from the same area. We’re all very close together as far as location goes. We’re about 35-40 minutes outside of Cleveland, OH. Even though we don’t live directly out there, we’re out there frequently, and half of the band is from Cleveland. Home is where the heart is, they say.

What is We Were Kids all about?

As kids, we all grew up listening to pop-punk. It was our thing. It was the best music around to us. Still is if you ask us. If we had a ‘gimmick’, what we’re really going for is to bring you back to when you were a kid. Most of my lyrics tend to surround themselves around topics that happened when I was a teenager/kid. Young love, teenage angst, getting pissed at your parents. It sounds like a Blink-182 approach upon first read, but we approach it differently I feel. It isn’t “Immature”. That’s if we were trying to generate a ‘gimmick’ off of the whole thing.

What we are all about REALLY is playing music, loving the music, loving our fans, bringing a killer live show, and continuously doing it until we are all blue in the face. The experience is what we’re all about.

In a music industry which is filled with more and more recycled sounds, what makes you guys different?

That’s tough to answer, man. In a way, we resemble a lot of bands we love to listen to. There you could find the difference in our sound actually. Justin is always telling me to quit thinking so deeply into carbon copying when writing, because of my voice. He’s right the more and more I think about it. I hear so many bands music that can have similarities in sound, but when you hear the bands singing style it instantly changes your judgment on what makes them stand out above another. Our music isn’t like listening to the same song on a CD the whole CD. Our music has a lot of versatility in guitar work, drum work, vocal work, etc. It just keeps you on your toes wanting more after every track. At least that’s how I feel when trying to rate our music.

You guys have a new EP titled “Family Ties” coming out in a few weeks. Do you know exactly when people can look for it?

You will be able to find “Family Ties” on our Bandcamp, and iTunes when we do release it on Feb. 28th 2012. Prices are still being figured. It won’t be anything above $5, if that.

What makes this new EP different from “Mixtape,” your acoustic EP?

Where to start really? Well, to explain “Mixtape” briefly, the band was actually a two piece originally with my ex drummer, Steven. I brought Justin in the band, because I wanted to expand the band. There were differences in band members. Justin, and I wanted to go down a different road that Steven had preferred, so we let him go.

Basically, the EP is everything Justin, and I had ever hoped it to be. We poured our heart and soul into these tracks, and developed a sound that we can’t get enough of. The EP brings back tracks from “Mixtape” how we originally had wanted to write them as well as newly written material. The difference between the two is that the EP is an action packed pop-punk uppercut straight to the jaw, and ear drums. As Justin would say..”These songs were written on cocaine” but not really. That’s the best way I can really explain the EP without giving too much info on them.

What should we expect from We Were Kids in the future other than the new EP?

Everything a band is capable of. We don’t plan to slow down until life forces us to. Currently, we’re in the works for booking mini tours. So, anyone that may be reading this, we love touring. We’re scheduling a mini tour to Buffalo, NY, and all around that area as well as PA in Feb. We’re in the process of printing merch. Just waiting on the designs we’ll be getting here soon. This February we’re going to be hosting a Music Video/House Show for our single “St. Louis Blues”, and everyone is invited. Info will be posted on our page ASAP. Other than that, we’re booking up and moving lightning fast. Our next step is outselling ourselves so we can go back into the studio, and record everyone a full-length album!

It’s been a pleasure working with you guys. Anything else you’d like to say?

I want to say thanks, Chris. I had a lot of fun with this, man. Anyone who takes legitimate interest in us, and our music has our respect and support tenfold. To the readers, feel free to find us or our personal pages or band page and make friends with us. We’re a very inviting pack of guys, and won’t hesitate to make you feel comfortable about asking questions, or just bs’ing for that matter. Any support as far as tagging, spreading our name, buying our merch or music, stealing our music, etc. It helps, and we sincerely appreciate it. Bring us to a city near you!