Q: “Church” is a thoughtful and intricate album. What was your creative process in making these songs?
BUCKY: All songs were initially written with vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass. As the songs developed further, we started envisioning the album to be more rock forward and Americana. We were intentional in defining the various styles of each song but wanted to ensure it remained consistent with our overall vibe. We brought in samples, percussion, and additional elements that provided some creative treatments.
BOBBY: A lot of these songs at their core are very open. When coming up with bass lines I wanted to focus on providing as much movement as possible while staying in the pocket. I wanted to keep it interesting while keeping some of the openness for the additional instrumentals.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
MATHEW: I think my passion for music truly ignited when I first performed in front of an audience as a kid. It was essentially karaoke, but seeing the joy it brought to those watching left a lasting impression on me. I’ve always loved singing—I would make up songs and sing constantly. In high school, I joined my first band, and I’ve been involved in music in some capacity ever since.
BUCKY: it was once I started writing my own material in earlier bands. The creative process and artistic expression fueled my passion for creating original music.
BOBBY: I wouldn’t say there was a pivotal moment, more that music has always been around me as my father continued making music through his whole life. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and continue to enjoy doing.
Q: In your own words, how would you describe the music that you typically create?
BUCKY: We call it emo-cana (Emo+Americana). For me, it is surprisingly more folk and Americana than I expected the sound to evolve to, and thematically emo.
MATHEW: Our songs explore a wide range of emotions—joy, sadness, anger, hope, angst, or even thought-provoking opinions. Whatever the theme, my goal is always the same: to create lyrics and songs that resonate with listeners and make them feel connected to the story I’m telling.
BOBBY: All of us in the band listen to very different music from each other and I feel like this album is starting to blend these influences. I typically listen to a lot of poppier hook driven music while the other guys are more rock oriented. I think the mix of acoustic rock and hooks are at a great balance.
Q: Is there a certain song on this album that you’d say is most representative of the album’s themes and your artistry?
BUCKY: ‘Not Giving Up On You’ sums it up for me. It connects the overall theme, rhythm, sonic aura, and mystic.
BOBBY: It’s the weight. For me, this song covers a lot of what this album was about. It has themes of hope and loss and when it all comes together at the end I feel like the message has gotten across.
MATHEW: ’Death and Me’, with it’s chorus, feels like it could be a hymn and deals with life, death and in a way, redemption.
Q: What has been one of the highlights of your music career so far?
MATHEW: Creating (what I think are) great songs and I feel that this album, is our biggest yet.
BUCKY: I would say this band and the fact that we have put out 3 quality and creative albums, each progressively better.
BOBBY: I think the quality and growth of the songs between this and the prior albums has been an excellent highlight.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
MATHEW: We’re currently taking a well-deserved break for the holidays and will reconvene in the New Year to focus on booking shows and writing new material. We spent over a year and a half working on CHURCH, while also gigging in between. With the album’s release and all the promotion surrounding it, this pause feels both timely and refreshing.
Interviewed by Taylor Berry
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