Josh Moore is the lead guitarist for the Metal-Core band We Came As Romans. Media Mikes had a chance recently to speak with Josh about the bands current release titled “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be” as well as their upcoming tour with Hollywood Undead and Asking Alexandria.
Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the band’s latest release?
Josh Moore: The album is called “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be” and it was released in Mid-September. This is our second release through Equal Vision Records. The album is a little different than our first “To Plant A Seed”. The new album features some different guitar tunings which make the songs sound a little heavier. The vocals on this album are more honest and real to how life really is. When we recorded the first album we were all still very young. During the two years in between the albums we have all grown up and the lyrics have grown with us.
AL: How do you think the approach to this album differed from the previous?
JM: We recorded this album in two different sessions. I think we took about two2 weeks longer on this album than we did on “To Plant A Seed”. We did all the drums and pre-production during the first session, which was about two weeks long. From there we went on tour with A Day To Remember and then on to Europe where we headlined the Scream It Like You Mean It Tour. Straight from that we went back into the studio. The two months between studio sessions really gave everyone a lot of time to really listen to the songs and decided if they were going in the right direction. I even ended up writing a song while on tour in Europe that made it on to the album. I was pretty stoked about that. Everything was done differently with the new CD.
AL: Do you have a favorite track off the new album?
JM: Probably the last song on the album which is the title track “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be”. I think that is the best song we have ever put out as a band. I really like the flow of the song.
AL: What has been you experience being out on the road so far?
JM: It’s rough! There are a lot of ups and downs. I would say it’s probably not for everyone. We have been touring since early September and we will have had only one day off when everything wraps up in three months. It takes a strain on personal relationships and we don’t get to see our families that often. It’s a sacrifice we all had to make in order to play music and be an influence in people’s lives.
AL: Any funny stories from touring with A Day To Remember?
JM: One thing they had as part of their production for the tour was during the encore all these balloons would drop. For some reason when we were playing our last song one night the balloons came untied and they all started falling on us. They weren’t mad at us but they did leave a note on our door saying we owed them for all the balloons. (Laughs) On the last day of the tour some of our guys filled up a ton of balloons and filled their dressing room.
AL: Do you have a favorite track to play live each night?
JM: I really like playing “To Plant A Seed”. That is like a fan favorite. That song was also our biggest single of that album. Everyone sings and goes crazy during that song.
AL: What are the upcoming plans for the band?
JM: After this tour we fly to Australia where we are doing a week long run with The Devil Wears Prada. After that we fly to California and head out on tour with Hollywood Undead and Asking Alexandria as the co-headliners. That tour is going to be really good. Both those bands are doing really well, so it’s going to be awesome supporting them. When that tour ends we are going to do a short two week tour with Falling in Reverse and Sleeping with Sirens. We then have a short break for the holidays and will be back out on the road in mid January of 2012.
Be sure to check out our review of We Came As Romans newest release “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be” and also check out our review of the bands show from Rochester, NY.
