This Present Darkness

Posted May 17, 2008, by Meesh!.


Whats your myspace link or any other link you want to give us?

www.myspace.com/xxxthispresentdarknessxxx

Who are you and where are you all from?

Trevor Zack - Vocals
David Taylor - Drums
Andrew Michel - Lead Guitar
Sam Snell - Rhythm Guitar / Vocals
Derrick MacDougall - Bass / Vocals

We're all from Orange County, California.

How was your band formed?

Sam: Our old singer, who will remain unnamed at this point, got myself and our drummer together and [we] have been jamming ever since, maybe a couple of years ago. After a few cosmetic changes (member swapping) we are who we are today: just five guys who love what we're doing.
David: Yes.

What band has influenced you the most?

Sam: Oh no, we won't get along here. We've all some unique tastes. Darkest Hour for myself.
Trevor: Deibler and Mychildren Mybride.
Derrick: Avenged Sevenfold.
Andrew: Children of Bodom.
David: Killswitch Engage.

What does your band name mean?

Sam: I remember our old singer ripping it off of a book cover and trying to take credit himself.

What do you try to have people get out of your music?

Sam: Back in the day it was all about crowd response. Nowadays it's about pleasing ourselves as musicians and writing the best music we can.

What inspires your lyrics? What are they all about?

Trevor: Past experiences, current world events, etc. Pretty much everything that's happening around myself and anyone else in this world. Sometimes I use lots of metaphors that would only be known in my own head so it's a bit hard to tell through just reading the lyrics. Feel free to talk to me and ask about each song on your own. I'll tell you if you wish.
Sam: Our old singer used to write plainly about Christianity, although [that was] not having much to do with the rest of the band. I very much like our new singer's viewpoint on lyrics much more.

Any venue or area that is your dream to play at?

Derrick: House of Blues in Anaheim, back when they hosted metalcore shows. Plus it's next to the Happiest Place on Earth.
David: Soma in San Diego, or the old Showcase in Corona.
Trevor: Showcase as well, where I had my tooth knocked out.
Andrew: Anywhere huge; Japan.

What makes you different from other bands out there?

Sam: We used to be the same as all the other metalcore bands out there, in my opinion. Now we play for ourselves and not the crowd, singling us out to me.
Trevor: It's not all about breakdowns like most other bands in our area.

Have a CD out? If so how can we get it?

Sam: We just did our first demo. Myspace us for it, we worked pretty hard on it and it came out all right, considering it was free and my dad did it.
Trevor: We plan to record more in the summer at Lovejuice Labs.
David: Baby making music is recorded there daily, so you know it's going to be good.

If you could give advice to a starting band or musician, what would you say?

Sam: Don't play for any other reason but yourself. We started out in another direction at first, and since then we've been running oh so smoothly.
Derrick: Follow your dreams, take your time, it's all about patience.
Trevor: Wait until your music is ready to be played in front of other people - unless it's brutal =]

Do you have any upcoming shows?

Sam: We got plenty: check out our myspace for specific dates and places, local and otherwise, all over California.

What do you think about UFOs?

David: I think they're real!
Trevor: What does this have to do with our band...?
Andrew: They scare me.

What are your views on the war that's going on today?

Trevor: Go to our band's page, find me on there, and check it out.

What were some of your favorite bands growing up?

Sam: We're still growing up, but personally I started at rock and eventually got to metal. Starting somewhere like Deftones / Taproot at more of the rock sound and ending up at Darkest Hour / As I Lay Dying, the hardest metal.
Andrew: Nu-Metal, like Korn and Linkin Park.
Trevor: Korn, Slipknot, Disturbed, and Kid Rock.
David: The Vines, the Strokes, and the Offspring. Slipknot led me to metal.

Describe your band in one word?

David: Unique.
Trevor: One word isn't enough: talented, amazing, etc, etc, etc.
Derrick: Talent.
Sam: Ambition.
Andrew: Solid.

Anything else you want to say to fans or anyone reading this interview?

Trevor: Thank you for coming to any of our most recent shows. Each one just keeps getting better so if you haven't seen us, come to a show soon! If you HAVE seen us, keep coming!
David: Keep checking back on us. We get better every day.
Sam: Don't give up. Keep playing what you want and sticking to what you love. Everyone starts at square one.
Derrick: Any hot single ladies.... Find me.... Please?
Andrew: Don't be stuck up.