So can you tell us about the main themes and influences that run throughout your selftitled album? A lot of the new album has to do with loss in different ways. Wether it's a break up, death, divorce...etc. Not everything in life is always pretty. We wanted to still have a positive message but at the same time write about stuff that's real and hits home with fans.
With there being two vocalists, then can you tell us about how the writing process normally comes together as a band? Typically, Tyler and I come up with most of the lyrics. I'll pitch him an idea of what to write about and he will start writing down the lyrics. He's great at putting ideas on paper. Then once he has some stuff written I kinda help fill in the blanks.
With this being your debut LP, what were your aims and goals when entering the studio to put together this release? We really wanted to surprise people. We try and think of things other bands in this scene haven't done. We never want to put out the same record twice. If we have an idea that might be weird then we always are down to at least try it. If it doesn't sound good then we can just throw it out. We want to reach as many people as possible. I love how diverse we are and that we have the potential to reach such a wide variety of fans.
How did you end up working with Nylo on the track 'Tears On The Runway pt 2' and what was she like to work with? She's been a friend of Tylers for over a year now. They have worked together in the past on songs for his solo album. I met her when we spent some time in LA and she was super nice and laid back. Her voice is great and it really added a lot to the song. It's really cool because it's almost like a hardcore love ballad. Haha.
How excited are you for your upcoming UK tour with 'Of Mice & Men' and what can attending fans expect? I am so excited to get back to the U.K. The last time we had a great response. It will also be the first time ISSUES will be playing Europe, so I'm excited for that as well. This tour is going to be huge, the line up is really solid so I think fans will really enjoy it.
Can you give us a couple of personal touring highlights since your formation, as well as why those moments mean so much to you guys? Well, I don't think any of us had toured in a bus prior to warped tour so that was a huge thing for us. It was such a blessing to be able to do that and continue to stay in a bus. Another thing is the tours we have gotten. In such a short amount of time we have gotten offers from amazing bands and ones we have always hoped to tour with. The crowds have been mind blowing at a lot of shows. It's awesome to see so many people singing your lyrics and going crazy to the music we created.
How do you feel the metalcore sound has progressed/changed since your formation, and what's it like to be a part of this 'scene'? Well, it seems that nu metal is making a come back. We tend to have some nu metal elements in our songs. We grew up on that stuff and it's cool to be able to put it in our music. Don't get me wrong, I love this scene. The fans are so loving and supportive. However, we are always trying to reach as many people as possible. We don't want to limit ourselves to one genre of music.
What else can we expect to see from Issues in 2014? Lots of tours, music videos, maybe some new Flippen Real World, all kinds of stuff. We actually are leaving to shoot our new music video this weekend. Really excited for that. We plan on staying on the road for the majority of the year so you'll be seeing a lot of us.