Interview w/ The Foresters

Proud to present to you yet another installment in my ongoing interview series. Today, we have a sit down chat with the boys of The Foresters. The Bethany, CT based trio have been featured heavily here on the blog, most notably as an Artist Spotlight feature, and took home the Artist Spotlight of the Year award just last year! The boys took some time away from their schoolwork and band practice to talk a little bit what made them want to start a band in the first place, and what drives their will to succeed both in school and with their music as well. Here is the transcript from that interview:

Tell us your names and roles in the band?

 Evan, 13 Guitar and Vocals. Hayden, 11 Bass guitar and backing vocals. Liam, 10 drums.

 

How did you settle on the name "The Foresters" for your band and when did it form?

We live next to 900 acres of state forest in Connecticut. Before we settled on The Foresters, our previous names were Time For Blood [A little on the weird side] and then Looking For Lightning Bugs! We formed the band about six years ago, but none of us knew how to play anything.

 

When do you first remember being exposed to music?

Our parents have always been determined to expose us to music. Our folks would take us to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (in Hillsdale, NY) and the Meriden Daffodil festival (in CT) every year since we were babies. Our first official rock concert was a Green Day show in 2010. We left that show thinking we HAD to start our own band! None of us knew how to play instruments, but that wasn't going to stop us... We figured out who would play what (well, actually Evan did because he's the oldest:) and convinced our parents to let us use our savings accounts to buy starter instruments. They waited almost a year before getting us any lessons because they wanted to see if we would actually stick with it.

 

How much of an impact has playing music had on your overall lives?

It's been pretty huge for us. We've played all over our state (CT) and have met so many interesting and supportive people! We practice several days a week and play about 3-4 shows a month. Even though this takes a lot of our free time away, we are finding it very rewarding. Our band is like our sport...we put hours into it each week like a kid would do if he were playing baseball, etc.  

 

Being brothers and all, how well do you all get along making music and being on the same page while making songs?

Evan will come up with an initial riff for a song, and I (Hayden) will write a bass riff and Liam will make up a beat. Lastly, Evan will write lyrics and I'll choose harmonies that go along with the vocals. Evan usually writes the song lyrics last. We do get on each other's (and our parents':) nerves at times, and sometimes just need a break from one another. 

 

What was the recording process like for your self-titled debut EP?

It was a real eye opener because we didn't realize how intense the whole process was. Our first song "Better" took us like 4 or 5 takes! Then we did vocal layers and guitar layers on top of everything. It was hard work but really fun!

 

What music do you like to listen to in your spare time and how have they influences your sound?

We listen to a lot of musical genres! Our favorites are pop punk, 90s rock (like Nirvana, etc) and alternative. 

 

Besides schoolwork, what do you boys like to do in your spare time away from making music, any sports/hobbies?

 We all have separate interests too...Liam and Hayden love video games (like Minecraft), swimming and soccer. Evan spends a lot of time making digital art and videos and teaching himself things like Final Cut Pro and Blender. Of the 3 of us, Hayden is the social media "expert" who uses Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc. He's a good promoter!

 

What do you have planned for the band moving forward this year?

We are planning on going back into the studio next month to record some of our new songs. We have a lot of shows lined up for CT over the next 2 months. We are currently working out a trip to Rochester, NY in May. We are also planning a mini tour of New England from CT up to Portland, ME in early July. We are currently looking for venues to play along the way (in Boston, etc). 

 

Any words to those who may be reading this?

 

We are currently taking place to play the Vans Warped Tour in CT this summer! Please visit http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/forestersct and give us a vote. Also please visit our Facebook page at www.theforesters.us and follow us on Twitter @forestersct. We hope to see you at one of our shows! Thanks for your support, and thanks to you, Pete, for having us on your blog!

 

Thanks once again to Liam, Hayden, and Evan for being so awesome in taking the time to do this interview. I'm totally enthralled by the depth of talent these boys have, and also for the level of maturity they have displayed at such a young age. It's truly inspiring to see kids making the most of what they learned to school, and applying it towards a possible career in music if they so desire should the path lead them that way. Please take the time to check them out on Facebook and 'Like' them here and follow them on Twitter over here.