Articles by "As Thick As Thieves"
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It's been three years since last speaking with As Thick As Thieves, who formed back in 2012. Founding members Kenny Barton and Zak or Zachary Banks, brought the band forth, releasing some material when first starting out, but as the band progressed, so did their style, line-up, and much more. Both these guys took some time to discuss how much the band has changed since we last spoke, talking about their new EP "Whiskey Bent" as well as future plans.


1. First of all, who are you, and what do you do in the band?

Hey guys! This is Zak Banks and Kenny Barton. We are the guitarists and founding members of As Thick As Thieves.

2. It's been three years, since we last spoke, during that time; you were in the recording process of your EP "Vagabond". Did that EP ever see the light of day?

Unfortunately, it did not. There was some great music on there too! We ran the gauntlet with that one. Between interchanging members, producers and even having our entire EP’s original stems stolen, we found ourselves wanting to move in a new direction. Ultimately, we are much happier with where we are now and are looking to the future

3. Would you say that the EP that was "Vagabond" ended up becoming the EP "Whiskey Bent"?

Not even in the slightest. The two are completely different animals. The band is a completely different beast at this point, as well. We really took a step back and realized that the sound we had originally pursued just wasn’t us anymore. A lot of that came down to picking up Nate Butcher on vocals. The new As Thick As Thieves is much more aggressive, much more in your face and a lot more progressive. We all grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll and I don’t think we’ve ever had an easier or more fulfilling writing process since that decision.

4. Why the title change of the EP, and is any of the material that was going to be on "Vagabond" on "Whiskey Bent"?

The two are completely and entirely different - different vocalists, different genres, and different attitudes. We decided the best course of action was to wipe the slate clean and give everyone an equal opportunity to create something that would define the future and direction of this band.

5. How come you saw it fit to release another EP, as opposed to releasing a full-length album?

Same answer as above, to number 4. Just because you have a bunch of songs written doesn’t mean that they make an album. We sort of burned the old As Thick As Thieves down and recreated ourselves through “Whiskey Bent”.

6. Do you plans to write, record, and release a full-length, or will we be seeing yet another EP?

It would depend on how a few pieces fall into place, but rest assured that we are continuously writing and we have a whole group of songs we can’t wait to show you!

7. Dating back to that first interview, your debut EP "Guardian" is a lot difference, in style and sound when compared to "Whisky Bent", why the style and sound change?

Musicians grow and change over time. “Guardian” was the first recording we ever put out and that was about 5 years ago. If we still sounded the same, we would definitely be doing something wrong.

8. How would you describe, this new style, and sound, for those who may have not heard yourearlier works beforehand.

It’s that unabridged, throw-caution-to-the-wind, testosterone fueled, hangover inducing angst. We went back to our roots and found that we wanted a lot more solid rock sound, without the same regurgitated riffs and vocals. We think we’ve created something really rad. If you’ve ever had a crazy night in your life, this EP is for you.

9. After that EP "Guardian" you went and released one another "new" release in terms of a single called "Badwolf", which remains to the EP "Guardian" style and sound, as opposed "Whiskey Bent", again why the change of heart?

You live, you grow, you change. There were definitely some growing pains, but now that the dust has settled, we’re much happier where we are now and are looking forward to the future.

10. During that time frame, you guys were facing a lot of ups and downs as far as band situation goes, have you settled things and figured everything out?

For what may be the first time in the history of the band we can confidently say, absolutely. Music videos are in the works, more songs are being recorded and business is in the works. We really cannot emphasize enough how everything from “Whiskey Bent” forward is what we will be focusing on in As Thick As Thieves.

11. What is the line-up as of right now, in comparison to back then when we last spoke?

Currently:

Nate Butcher: Vocals

Zak Banks: Guitar/Vocals

Kenny Barton: Guitar

Ryan Robles: Bass

Ryan Mabee: Drums/Vocals

12. How about plans, for the rest of this year, what do you have in-store?

Well, our next show is coming up on Friday, September 9th in support of our friends in Emerald Isle’s EP release of “Lost Empires” at Club Red. That’s our next appearance. Last time we played there, we booked the whole show ourselves with Ella Kaye and we sold the place out.  So it should be an absolute banger. As for releases, look for a 2-3 music videos coming out of the woodwork and a few new singles before the end of the year.

13. Do you have any last words for fans, or potential new fans?

For those still here, we cannot thank you enough. For anyone just showing up to the party, grab a drink! You are more than welcome. It’s been a rocky road, I think that’s just our style, but ATAT is back and here to stay. Check out “Whiskey Bent” on iTunes, Sound Cloud, Apple Music, You Tube and all the others and stay tuned for all of the new songs, videos and shows that we will have coming your way shortly! Thank you to all of our fans and friends and thank you for the interview.
9:10 AM
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The ups and downs the been through a lot situation, you've heard it all before whenever it comes to a band that is. Well it goes without saying that this same situation is facing the likes of Phoenix Arizona's As Thick As Thieves! The guys took sometime after a recent showcase to discuss the plans and past of their musical career and approach to things.


1. Where are you from?

Phoenix, Arizona

2. Do you think not being from a big city like LA or NY influences your sound?

Not really. We draw our influences from bands we all listened to growing up or that we listen to now and use that to makes music we love. One we've all unanimously agreed on is AFI.

3. How did you come together?

Isaac: I can only speak for myself since I joined the band well after it was formed. I'd met Avi at a party and got his number and then about a month later I was just sitting on my couch watching tv and my phone went off and it was a txt from Avi saying "Hey, come play bass in band. Kthxbye!" I was originally a fill in for the bands first trip to California and my first time at an ATAT show was the first one I played. The next day they asked me to join permanently.

4. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Avi: Definitely think it was one of Bear's idea, it's an old saying "We're as thick as thieves", which means you are very close with the person.

5. What type of band are you?

That's a loaded question, truthfully. We balance ourselves between two extremes; a band that is carefree and a band with a lot of things to say. We are notorious for being loud and rowdy but we really do want our music to mean things to people. We are somewhere between a political, social awareness, party, rock band....That likes to drink in public.

6. What are your plans for new music?

We have a new EP titled "Vagabond" that we're getting ready to record.

7. What is your favorite song to perform live?

Isaac: either "Adios Mamona" cause I have bass solo and it's a pretty sweet song or "Roses" for the emotion that comes out during that song.

Avidan: Honestly, I love playing all of them, just depends on my mood. All of them are sort of reflections of our personality. Roses will always mean a great deal to me because of the subject matter and the fearlessness which I wrote with, It's a work I'm honestly proud of and hope inspires others.

8. You were on the Pizza Party Tour and did a show with Escape The Fate, what other showcases or tours do you have lined-up?

We have a battle for a shot at a showcase with Sumerian on the 19th in Tempe AZ. Also, we our EP release coming up in the next few months...and possibly a few tours.

9. How do you rate your live performance ability?

Isaac: Good? We usually judge our performance based on if kids come up to us after the show and tell us we did good. That's been happening more and more lately so we figure we're doing something right.
Avi: We like to think we are exciting live, we don't really look to be a "synchronized swimming" band, nothing is choreographed and we like the raw, spontaneous nature of our shows - and if we mess up, that's okay. It's a live show, not a cd played very loud.

10. Describe your show, visual and musically for us?

We bring the ruckus. But really, we just play best we can. Avi is basically just as sexual as possible both with his voice and his looks. Some of us make weird faces while we play and Isaac wears a pair of really small red 3OH!3 shorts.

11. How do you promote your band and shows?

We use every social media we have available to us mostly. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, we even have a Tumblr although we don't update it that often.


12. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Avi: Well, for this upcoming ep we tried to capture an idea: The lost, the poor, the hopeless ones. We called it vagabond because that's how viewed ourselves. We've always struggled, most of us are lower-middle class, grew up broke and have been broke for a long time. Music sort of allows us a chance to see the world on a low budget, like a vagabonds just roaming the land, with nothing more than a trash bag of clothes in our hand. We feel like a lot of people can relate to just being broke all the time. So, a lot of the songs have a central theme of being down but not out.

"Where Were Going We Don't Need Roads" is sort of the theme song to the whole EP, it's like a small opera for the "Vagabond", it's inspiring yet somber. "Gold and Oil" sort of can be seen in many different lights, you can find allegories for the political, religious or smaller scaled stuff like relationships and friendships. It's kind of whatever you want it to be...then there is "Roses", that is the anthem of giving up (if you have pessimistic eyes), if you are an optimist though, you will find it as a triumphant song of victory, you've found your inner strength and you don't need anything but yourself; because in the end you are alone.

13. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

Isaac: Songs usually start as an idea that gets bounced around both guitarists and our drummer with both myself and Avi throwing in ideas wherever we can. From there Avi will figure out his vocal patterns and his lyrics and I'll figure out my bass lines based on what's going on harmonically in the guitars. Since neither one of our guitarists is the designated "lead" or "rhythm" I prefer to wait till they're done getting the layout of the song done before I do anything.

Avi: Pretty much that! That's been our formula most of this new EP, I do a lot of lyric writing on my own and then come into practice and see what fits there music. Other times I'll just start singing a melody with nonsense words to whatever they are playing, and then I'll attached real words to it later.

14. How do you describe your music to people?

Isaac: "Uh it's weird, you just have to listen to it."

Avi: No idea, I'm bad at describe the band and the music.

15. What image do you think your music conveys?

The whole "Vagabond" concept came when we were writing the new material. We're just kind of this family that has no idea what we're doing or where we're going but come hell or high-water there aren't 4 other better men on this Earth that I could ask for to make this journey with and wherever we wind up, we know we have each other.

16. Have you recorded any previous CDs or posted any audio files on the Internet?

Yes, our old EP Guardian, was recorded when the band had a 2nd vocalist and original bassist, both of whom we've since parted ways with.

17. How did you sell your CD’s/Audio Files?

We have our old EP on bandcamp and for a while we were printing the old EP and selling that at shows but with how different the new music is and with the line-up changers we've undergone we've since stopped printing the old EP, it just doesn't really represent us and the direction we're heading right now.

18. What are your dreams and goals?

Isaac: Personally I'd love to tour the world and meet as many kids as possible. We recently had a kid come up to us at a show and tell us "thank-you" for writing "Roses" [about men abusing women and how that's not ok], that the song really meant a lot to him. That meant a lot, even though Avi was the one who wrote the words. If we can write music that's going to mean something to kids, I can't really ask for much more. I just hope we get to play it for all of them.

Avi: Honestly, my dreams and goals have already come true in this band. I have the opportunity to play music with four of my best friends; we travel sometimes and get to meet just incredible young men and women who really care about what they listen to. My only goal is to continue doing this and on even grander scales and stages; the more people we get to entertain, the better.

19. If I were to introduce someone to your music, what would be the song that you think really shows your band sound the best?

Isaac: I'd have to go with "Adios Mamona". It's got some heavy, and it's got some quick parts but there's also there's nice groove right in the middle where I do a bass solo with Avi doing some smooth singing over it and the whole ending of the song is just a nice groove that we all love.

Avi: Pretty much anything off our next EP, from the old EP (Guardian), I'd say "The Poison Well".

20. Is that your final answer?

Is that your final question?
10:53 AM
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In celebration of recently signing to Eleven Seven Music and partnering with Monster Energy Drink, Escape The Fate will be taking over The Sunset Strip on January 6, culminating in a free show at the infamous Roxy Theater in notorious Hollywood, California.

Fans could gain access to the free event through the music shop Soundcheck Hollywood who also held a free meet and greet party with the band and other guests. Soundcheck Hollywood would pass out wristbands at this time that would grant the fans access to the showcase happening later on that night. Once the meet and greet has surpassed all of the fans gathered along the sidewalks of the Sunset Strip eagerly awaiting for the doors to open in no time at all.




Once 6:30PM struck fans hurried through the doors grabbing a spot for the rest of that night, curtains rose as the announcer announced the first opening act As Thick As Thieves whose presents was quite entertaining to say the least. Their stage presents was very energetic at that, performance ability being high strung, guitarists falling upon the guests as the singer sung and gutted his vocal chords every now and again, while the bassist continually stripped down to his red short shorts. As such these guys have got a promising musical ability within their grasp, there's no doubt about it.

As Thick As Thieves:







Up next as the announcer announced the follow-up performers for the night was an act everyone there was familiar with one known as Eyes Set To Kill, who of which got signed with Century Media Records as of recently. So now that such an honor was upon them the ability to strut their stuff to the max was quite imaginable. Thus strutting their stuff was easily done with, vocals coming from all angles the main frontman screaming his lungs out by the looks of it, while the guitarist sung harmonic tunes with her soothing voice. Each his own doing their thing to keep the energy pumping and constantly flowing.

Eyes Set To Kill:










As the night was coming to a close there was only one band left in question this question being not very difficult to answer, Escape The Fate, whose recent signing brought them to the stage for not just a freebie show but for a DVD filming of the performance as well.

Kicking things off with a new tune off their yet to be titled album the band kept things at bay for the start, but as soon as the opening tune was over with the band got things flowing with the likes of "The Flood", "10 Miles Wide", "Something", "Issues", "Gorgeous Nightmare", and old yet good hits like "Situations" who new comer bassist TJ Bell did not know how to perform, who a fan from the crowd who was aware of the popular tune was permitted to come on and play his heart out.

Escape The Fate:



But something was done that night, that hadn't been done before "The Guillotine", "The Guillotine Part 2: This War Is Ours", and "The Guillotine Part 3: The Aftermath", were performed within the last remaining time span of the band's set list which was quite entertaining and impressive at that. Fans alike got atop the sea of people crowd surfing to the stage, having their 5 seconds of fame then jumped back into the crowd some even falling right onto the floor. Other entertaining action came from the wall of death action performed during the "The Guillotine Part 2: This War Is Ours", everybody split down the middle and running at one another, pushing whoever came in contact once the crowd collided with one another.

Escape The Fate:












That was not all that happened though throughout the band's performance several surprise guests made their mark on the stage having former vocalist of Attack Attack Caleb Shomo, Asking Alexandria's vocalist Danny Worsnop and the fans including a 8-10 year old boy took some time to shine, as frontman vocalist Craig Mabbit grabbed him raising him high above the crowd as he sung the words he loved at heart.

Escape The Fate:







Through it all it was a heck of an entertaining night for all that showed up and should be even more enjoyable let alone entertaining once the DVD is released sometime later this year.

Setlist:
 Intro
Ungrateful
The Flood
10 Miles Wide
Live Fast
Issues
You're Insane (Twisted Metal)
Something
Til We Die (Military)
Gorgeous Nightmare

Encore:
The Guillotine
This War Is Ours
The Aftermath
Situations
1:01 PM

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