From Downtown
Interview with drummer Steve Svenda and lead guitarist Greg Aroni
S&S: You guys play all over Jersey. Do you have a favorite venue?
Steve: I'd say out of all of the places we've played so far, I really like playing at Club Krome. We had a good time playing that and Birch Hill was fun. We like playing bigger places instead of bars and clubs.
Greg: I definitely agree with that. A lot of cool bands have played at Birch Hill over time. It's a rush to play on the same stage as a lot of bands you listen to.
S&S: How long have you been playing your instruments?
Greg: I picked it up when I was a kid, like 12 years old. I stopped playing for a long time. In high school, I started playing again. So, maybe 6 or 7 years.
Steve: I started playing drums in first grade, so 11 years. That was just regular drums, but I started playing the drum set probably in fourth grade.
S&S: Do you play any other instruments besides the ones you play in the band?
Steve: I mess around with stuff. I play a mean cowbell. I'll tell you that.
Greg: I can play the bass. I usually don't, but I can play the bass if needed.
S&S: Are you recording now or will you be recording in the future?
Greg: Actually, as a matter of fact, we are recording this weekend.
Steve: We're doing three songs, like a demo. We have been together for a while, but with this particular group of guys that we have now, we have a couple of new songs that we really like. We want to get them out. So, we're going to cut these three songs as just something we can get out to audiences, people who book shows, and record companies.
S&S: What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not playing or practicing?
Steve: I like hanging out with my friends and going to parties. Stuff like that.
Greg: We try to keep it clean (laughter). I just hang around and play video games. Same old stuff.
S&S: In your song "That Summer", some lyrics are: "Moving in the pit with no control, A place where kids can feel the show." Is it awkward when you play a show and people don't really move around?
Greg: I definitely prefer when people are getting into it. Obviously, there are going to be times when you play a show and some of the people who are there don't dig your music. We play more punk rock than most of the bands that play now. We're not screamo like Thursday and stuff like that. There's never been a show that we've played where there hasn't been a group of kids who haven't danced around.
Steve: If no one moves around, that's not good. Like he was saying, we're more regular punk rock. We're the minority at shows lately. There's not a lot of kids that are into the music that we're into. Every show, there's always a couple of kids who are really hardcore and like what we're doing. So, that's always an awesome feeling when the kids really like it. It seems that the more we're playing, the more kids are getting back into it. Hopefully, we can get something going.
S&S: You guys seem to be really into the scene. Can you tell me about a show that you went to when you realized you wanted to be a part of it?
Greg: For me, no question, Warped Tour '97. Without a doubt. Actually, the lyric you took from that song are what I based it on. That was the first big show I went to. All of my favorite bands played like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines and Pennywise. That show really turned me on to get back into playing guitar again and then I started the band and stuff. I base it on that show.
Steve: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to that show. I couldn't get a ride. I'd say here in '98, I saw Reel Big Fish, Blink 182 and Springheel Jerk. They played an awesome show at Hunkabunka. At that moment, especially seeing Reel Big Fish play was great. They're in my top one or two favorite bands. I'd say just going to all the shows lately, like Pennywise and Bouncing Souls, have a really big impact on me.
S&S: Do you have dreams of the big time or are you just having fun playing Jersey shows?
Greg: Obviously, we have our dreams and stuff, but everything has to be in a realistic point of view. I enjoy what we do now. Playing shows is enough of a rush for me. We're hoping sooner or later, we could maybe eventually get signed or play shows on a weekly basis. Hopefully, things will even out.
Steve: Playing shows now is cool, just hanging out and playing local shows. Of course, everyone wants to make it big. We'd never sell out. I'll tell you that much. Our ideal thing would be playing Warped Tour. You have to keep it realistic. We're not expecting too much right now, but you have to hope something comes up.