August Burns Red www.facebook.com/augustburnsred

You’ve played in Spain for the first time. How did you feel about playing the first shows in Spain? 

August Burns Red has somehow avoided going to Spain on every single trip to Europe. We were finally able to change that in November of 2011 and it felt good, really good! The show in Barcelona was in a quiet part of the city, but that indication of how quick the crowd was to react to us playing for them. I wore a Messi jersey that I had bought earlier that day and amped up the crowd with a Barcelona chant. The show was legendary, memorable, and unforgettable.

Our second show was in Madrid. The venue was enormous, clean, and very professional. The crowd reaction reminded me of shows we’ve played in South America, namely Sao Paul, Brazil. I think the fans were screaming louder than Jake at points throughout the show.

What is it that you like best about Spain?

I like the pace of Spain. Engrained in the culture is a mentality that is not just rare but charming and hospitable. I am a fan of Barcelona FC so of course my favorite city is Barcelona making Spain my favorite European country.

Most of the time your music is categorized as metalcore, would you agree to that?

Yes I would. I tend to stay away from associating ABR with any kind of ‘label’ or genre name just because, well, I don’t think that we are that metal and I don’t think we are especially hardcore either. August Burns Red has a sound of its own. I know this because we write the kind of music that not only influences us but the kind of music we’d want to hear, listen to, and perform. With influences ranging from Bon Iver to Hillsong United, Arcade Fire to The Hope Conspiracy, the integration of our taste in music will convey a sound of unique character.

You’ve toured with so many great bands, is there one band that really stood out and was special for you?

I really enjoy touring with Between The Buried And Me. They are friends of mine who are just that, friends. I would venture to say that BTBAM is comprised of prodigies, pure musical geniuses. The likelihood that the musicians in a progressive metal band are nice, fun, and down to earth is next to nil. We’ve toured 2 continents with them and I’m hoping we get to share the stage more often in the future.

Leveler is your last album, How was the process of gearing up for this record? Did you feel any pressure?

Yes of course. I always feel pressure when we are writing and recording a new record. I depend on that pressure to create a product that finds new ground and surprises people. Without pressure there’s no expectations. Write music to create, inspire, and surpass the expectations of your fans and you’ve really done it.

You worked with Jason Suecof again, who also produced Constellations. Why did you choose him again? How important is his input when it comes to trying some experimenting?

I had been talking to Jason about recording us when we were preparing to record Messengers, the record before Constellations. We opted to go with a different producer but finally found a home with Jason for Constellations and also Leveler. We knew it was in our best interest to record with Suecof again because we knew his strengths. His strengths were some of our greatest weaknesses. He is awesome at producing vocals, fantastic at creating different feelings and beats on drums, and a really good guitarist. On top of everything we knew that we’d be comfortable in the studio with Suecof and that, perhaps above all, is the most important element.

I think that Leveler having less breakdowns than Constellations but it does a better job using dynamics. Is it something you wanted while you are writing?

JB is the main songwriter in ABR. He likes breakdowns less than he likes melody, he’s a musical songwriter. You’ll find that the most a band progresses in their sound, the less they are just chugging and the more they are playing notes, attaching feeling to the songs with melody as the catalyst. Leveler pushes new boundaries for us. There were times when it was uncomfortable in the writing process and that showed us exactly what we are comfortable with in the end. I don’t think we had any immediate guidelines as to how Leveler should sound. The final product is the best version of August Burns Red and that is the goal, that is always the guideline.

You guys added some pretty different elements to Leveler. What inspired these arrangements? 

5 years ago we wouldn’t have been able to play some of the parts, both slow and fast, on Leveler. It’s the progression as a musician that allocates for more diverse elements on any record. We get bored with metal and wrote a record that, at times, isn’t very metal. The goal in ABR is to write music that we will enjoy playing and listening to for the rest of our lives!

Recently you guys were on tour with the Eastpak Antidote. How was it for you?

We are actually finishing up the tour next week! It’s been a really good tour thus far. I usually struggle with being in Europe for long periods of time on tour and I’m having less of a problem on this tour than on previous tours. All of the bands on this tour are great musically. Combined with the personalities of each band, this tour is one of the best we’ve ever done internationally.

According to you guys, what are the differences about playing in Europe and US? What are you feeling in both?

Europe disconnects us from the US, from home, from our families. In that regard it can be really hard to tour here in Europe. I think that the feeling of being away from home and separated by land mass and the Atlantic Ocean is a dark cloud over the entire experience here. More so than other continents, Europe is a place that we will always continue to tour in-spite of our frustrations with leaving home to do so.

We love touring the US. The crowd reaction is similar to that of a European show. I think the biggest difference is the amount of beer that people drink here, especially before a show. Wow, that really changes the mood.

You’re touring, are you writing?

No, actually I’m writing but not music. I write for a website called www.HeartSupport.com It’s a website where our fans and peers can read about life on tour as well as faith based topics that I encounter on the road.

It’s already been a massive year for you guys. What is in store for you guys for the next year?

We get home for the holidays on November 20 and will resume touring in January on a US headline tour. Come check it out!

Matt