Interview with Jared Cole from SURRENDER THE FALL (@sftband); Playing Albany 10/14 and Buffalo 10/17
Memphis, Tennessee’s Surrender The Fall is a band for folks who dig rock anthems. Formed to 2005, STF’s is no stranger to the stage, performing all over the southeast before catching a solid break to showcase for Mr. Luis Bacardi (yea, the guy with the rum) and his entertainment arm. Needless to say, it seems to have worked out in their favor!
Recent signees to Rum Bum Records, their debut release, Burn In The Spotlights, afforded the band a healthy dose of creative control with their musical creations, and probably a few Cubra Libras to keep the process flowing in the mix. It’s not often that a label will allow a fledging band enough room to breathe, let alone have a strong say in how their music turns out, but the fit looks right for STF at Rum Bum, and it looks like neither party could be happier with the result.
Currently on the road as direct support for My Darkest Days, Surrender The Fall will be making their way to Albany, NY’s Upstate Concert Hall on October 14th and Buffalo, NY’s Town Ballroom on October 17th. So, if you’re in the area and need a dose of rock in your life, make sure to get on out there and go to the shows! I caught up with vocalist Jared Cole prior to these shows to discuss the new album, life on the road with Nonpoint and My Darkest Days, and the Memphis music scene.
Interview:
G- Hi there and thank you very much for taking the time to speak with Live High Five! Could you introduce the members in the group for our readers, please… Who is everyone, what do they play?
JARED- Jared Cole/Vox, Eddie Tyre/Guitar, Anthony Pitts/Guitar, Devin Hightower/Bass, Ed Harris/Drums
G- How was the tour with Nonpoint, and how is the currently tour with My Darkest Days going?
JARED-The Nonpoint tour was great!! Those guys are family! We’ve toured with them a couple times & we always take notes from those guys! Amazing musicians & people!
The tour with My Darkest Days is going great as well! We are currently in Houston, TX tonight playing Scout Bar. This is the 1st actual “Rock & Roll” tour we’ve been on, so it’s cool to see how we do outside of the metal world. The MDD camp is great & we’ve made great friends with them as well!
G- STF has been an active band since 2005…. How did the group officially come together and what was it like that first time you really felt the group “click?”
JARED- We all came together through one hardship or another. Eddie is a Katrina Victim that decided to take the storm as a sign & come to Memphis to pursue music full time. Anthony came from a career ending football injury…the list goes on. It took a while before we finally felt the “click,” but once we all got locked in, it was undeniable that this was the core that we always wanted!
G- So tell us a bit about your hometown of Memphis, Tennessee… How is the rock music scene out there and how are the responses at your shows?
JARED- Memphis has some of the best rock music you’ll ever find! There are many talented artists waiting to be discovered! STF gets a lot of hometown love & we love Memphis just as much. We haven’t played Memphis in a while, but we always have a great time playing for our Home Team.
G- You are currently touring in support of your new album, Burn In The Spotlights, which was released on Rum Bum Records at the approval of Mr. Luis Bacardi himself. How did it feel to land the record deal after your performance at the Lollapalooza After Party? Can we assume that there was plenty of rum to be had?
JARED- Haha, there definitely wasn’t a shortage of the rum! We were all stoked! We had hoped for the chance to prove ourselves for a long time, as well as we’ve waited to release BURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT for a while now. We love our RUMBUM family & everyone on both sides is excited about the future & this record!
G- Where did you find the inspiration to write your new material, and what do you guys sing about in your lyrics?
JARED- I write about my life…anything that affects me. These songs are all about what it’s like to Win, Lose, Love, Hate, Fuck, Fight & Feel… That’s what we are made of. It’s 100% honest & that’s how we wanted it!
G- What would you say is the best song Surrender The Fall has written to date, or what song would you give to someone who’d never heard your band before to give an accurate representation of what STF is all about? Why?
JARED- Best song… That’s a tough one because we all are very proud of this record in its entirety. We released LHM as our 1st single because we wanted to come out with a bang & get everybody excited from jump street. This record has many different vibes…LHM is just the hook in the beginning… We’re nowhere near done with ya yet!
G- Would you tell us a bit about what is your writing process like, and who in the band typically comes up new music? Do you have a primary songwriter, or do you write music more organically through jamming during rehearsals?
JARED- We all write. We all take influence from each other because one wouldn’t happen without the other. Someone will bring in an idea & we’ll all throw it to the wall & see what sticks. Some songs get written in pieces & some happen all together.
G- Can you give us a few examples of any bands or artists in particular that influence your style? Who do you typically like to listen to, and are there any acts you think we should know about?
JARED- Aerosmith, A.I.C., U2, Deftones, Tool, Metallica, Kings X, Mötley…the list goes on & on!
G- Are there any bands or artists that you hope to share a bill with in the future? If there was a Surrender The Fall dream bill, what (3) bands would you like to be on it and share the stage with?
JARED- Personally, I’d love to have STF, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, but that’s just the 1st off the top of my head. I could go on for days about bands that we admire & would love to share the stage with.
G- Can you describe for us what the craziest or most memorable show STF has had to date? Where was it and what was it like?
JARED- Machine Shop in Flint, MI was the best for me. It was a sold out show & everybody was ready to party! Michigan knows how to show up for Rock & Roll!!
G- Lastly, what advice can you give some of the young, up and coming bands everywhere who are looking to get signed to a label, want to make it in music, on the road, and as a professional musician?
JARED- Play as many shows as possible!! Perfect your craft & always try to get better. If you wanna WIN, ya gotta put yourself in the game! And be available to your fans & the people that come to watch you play or that check you out online. It’s the fans that make all of this happen. It’s the fans that make our dreams come true.
http://rumbumrecords.com/artists/surrender-the-fall/
http://www.myspace.com/surrenderthefall
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