US screamo-metallers Eyes Set To Kill may be an unknown entity over here in the UK but they’re making waves Stateside with the release of their second album, The World Outside. Planet Loud spoke to the band while they were on tour with Drop Dead Gorgeous to find out about more about the band.
Planet Loud – So how are things going at the moment?
Eyes Set To Kill – At the moment things are going great for our band. We have just been touring non stop after The World Outside came out and we will continue to keep touring all year. A lot of kids have been coming out to all our shows and we have been getting a lot of good responses from our fans about our new CD and shows. Things are just getting better and better for the band and we are just really excited to see what this year is going to bring us.
Planet Loud – You’ve just released your new album, care to tell us a bit about it?
Eyes Set To Kill – The World Outside is a heavier and deeper album compared to our last album Reach. We wanted to capture as much raw and intense emotion as we could because those are the feelings that I felt a lot over the past years of touring. We named the album The World Outside after the track. I felt that it is the best representation of all of the songs because they are all about overcoming frustrations of relationships, hardships of the road, and losing myself out on the road. The World Outside is about always being away from home, and how being on tour can take its toll on me. There were (and still are) a lot of times where I felt like I wasn’t staying true to myself and I was letting this experience mold me into a whole different person.
Planet Loud – Reading your website, the inspiration behind the album comes from your personal experiences and feelings, do you think the album captured those emotions?
Eyes Set To Kill – I think that this album will connect me with our fans a lot more becuase of how personal I am getting as a musician. I am letting people into my life by letting them read my lyrics and hear what I am going through and if they understand or find a meaning through our art, then we have completed the ultimate goal of Eyes Set To Kill. All we want to do is relate to our fans and help out the kids who are going through what we used to go through.
Planet Loud – How does it feel singing those songs every night? Does it make dealing with those feelings any easier?
Eyes Set To Kill – Writing and performing is a good outlet for me. They are definitely theraputic and performing is relieving for me. Singing about my past emotions and experiences everynight is kind of like story telling. In each song is a different day, feeling, or situation. So to sing each song is to relive a part of my life in front of an audience. I love it and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Planet Loud – The song Come Home is an open letter to your father, have you spoken to your father since writing this song?
Eyes Set To Kill – No I haven’t and I don’t ever want to talk to him. He was never there and only tried to reach me when he found me through my band. I am happy with what I have in my life right now even though sometimes I feel like a gap should be filled. But if he really cared he wouldn’t have been as late as he was. I hope that Come Home could teach others to not be as stubborn as I am with my relationship with my father because every one deserves a mom and a dad. But I am who I am because of his absence. And I am who I am because of my Mothers strength.
Planet Loud – When performing a song like that, do you find yourself reliving those times?
Eyes Set To Kill – I have almost broke down at times. I always play that song on my acoustic in our van on tour while I’m alone and I feel so ashamed of practically crying. But I am glad that song is getting our fans through what I never had anyone get me through.
Planet Loud – When you first started writing the album, did you plan to cover those subjects or did they just start writing themselves naturally?
Eyes Set To Kill – The World Outside was never intended on being a concept album. I always write about personal issues and experiences so everything that was written was completely honest and true. I am a VERY quiet shy person, so writing is like my favorite thing in the whole world. It’s the time I get to let people know what’s going on in my head because they are always wondering.
Planet Loud – As a band you’ve been together four years. How different is the ESTK 2009 to that of four years ago?
Eyes Set To Kill – We have been through a lot of band members and the number blows my mind everytime I think of it. 12 different people have been in Eyes Set To Kill. Anissa and I started the band, so we have always been the heart of it. It is really hard to find dedicated musicians these days because of the economy. A lot of bands are quitting these days because of lack of cash, drama within the group etc. We will never be one of those bands. We are here to stay as long as we can.
Planet Loud – Looking back, any regrets about signing up to a deal so early on in your career?
Eyes Set To Kill – Signing up to a deal so early in our career is the best move we ever made. Suburban Noize/Break Silence is our family and I truly believe that they are the only label that would treat us as good as they do. We have been in some shit, and they always help and pull us out of it. Our label is always there for us and they are the ONLY LABEL that cares for their bands like they are their own children.
Planet Loud – With Alexia and Anissa being sisters, had you always dreamed of being in a band?
Eyes Set To Kill – Being an artist is all I ever wanted to be. When we were little, Anissa wanted to be an actress, cook, veterinarian. I remember we used to play with our Barbies and stuffed animals, she would tell me all the things she wanted to be when she grew up and I would try and imagine what we would be like when we grew up. It’s crazy to think back to those days.
Planet Loud – Who were your inspirations growing-up?
Eyes Set To Kill – I listen to all sorts of music but the main inspirations of mine are Thrice, Blink 182 and Muse. Blink 182 inspired me as a performer. I used to go to every one of their concerts and dream to be doing what they were doing because of how fun they made it look on stage and how crazy kids would go for them. Thrice and Muse inspired me as a musician/artist. I am obsessed with Thrice becuase of how musically in sync they are together as a band. They are the only band that I get star-struck for. Muse is such an amazing 3 piece band that I envy to this day. I used to watch all of their live shows on the internet when I was younger and fall asleep to Butterflies And Hurricanes.
Planet Loud – Do you make life hell for the other guys in the band?
Eyes Set To Kill – I don’t think I make life hell for the guys. I think Anissa and I make life easier for them. Especially in the van. Without our scented lotions and perfumes, their asses would stink up the place. Just kidding, I think we all contribute a little stinkiness to our home on wheels.
Planet Loud – What have you learned about each other having spent four years together in a band?
Eyes Set To Kill – Touring with my band has opened my eyes to see how different we are but, at the same time, how similar and compatible we can be. We all have such strange habits and mannerisms. I have learned that Caleb will make a sandwich out of just about any meal. When Brandon tries to multitask while we are driving, he almost kills us. We don’t like him to mess with the bands Ipod while he is behind the wheel. Greg is the loudest of us all, but sometimes he is the shyest. I have known Anissa all of my life so I don’t really learn anything new about her. I guess one thing that I noticed about her through touring is that she is just as messy as I am with my belongings.
Planet Loud – Your debut album recieved a lot of good press, considering it was your debut, did that surprise you?
Eyes Set To Kill – I don’t really read the press. If we get good feedback, I fear that I will let it go to my head. If we get bad feedback, I fear that I might start writing our next album for the press instead of for the fans and myself. I found out from a lot of our fans, and new listeners that we did have a lot of good things being said about us so that made me want to jump a little for joy.
Planet Loud – Ultimately, what are your goals for the band?
Eyes Set To Kill – All we want to do is keep writing, keep touring, keep partying. This is our life and we want to keep things rolling for ourselves and our fans. Although the album just came out, I am already bursting out new material for the next album and I can’t wait to jam when we get a tiny break.
Planet Loud – You’re on tour at the moment? How’s that going?
Eyes Set To Kill – We are on tour right now with Drop Dead Gorgeous, He is Legend, and Watch Out There’s Ghosts. All of the shows have been really awesome. A lot of kids have been coming out to the shows and rocking out with us singing our songs. This is the first tour that we are actually playing more new songs and all our fans really like that a lot.
Planet Loud – Any plans to come over to Europe?
Eyes Set To Kill – Not as of now. We can’t wait to play Europe simply becuase it IS europe and the kids there are begging for us. On our Myspace there are always fans asking us why we don’t play there and I feel horrible that we haven’t yet. We are going to Brazil again in December so maybe after that, we can give the kids in Europe what they want.
Planet Loud – Out of all of the band, who has got the worst habits?
Eyes Set To Kill – I would like to think that my habit is the worst. I have a tiny bladder so I pee like 1 million times every day. The drivers always get frustrated with me because I am always asking to stop at the next gas station for a pee break. At times, Brandon tends to be a worry wart. He gets stressed easily about the maintainance on our van, our financial status, or even about dirty underwear but without him, we wouldn’t be able to get as far as we have as a band. He is the overprotective daddy of ESTK.
Planet Loud – Thanks for your time, anything else to add?
Eyes Set To Kill – I just recorded our acoustic demo with some old and new songs AND a cover song. We will be releasing it exclusively on tour so everybody better come out to the shows to get it.
Interview by Graham Finney
