Still Rings True Interview

I recently interviewed Josh Snyder from New York's Still Rings True.

PPND-How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it?

SRT- We're a melodic punk rock/hardcore band with a socially conscious message. We play fast as fuck and put everything we've got in to every single song.


PPND- One thing that sets Still Rings True apart from a lot of other bands in the genre are the lyrics.
You tend to write socially conscious songs rather than break up songs. How important are the lyrics to you.

SRT- Lyrics are of the highest importance to us. Think of it this way: the music is the medium, but the lyrics are the message. The lyrics to a song are what's going to hit people the hardest, get in to their hearts or their minds. Then you use the music to back up that emotion or idea sonically.


PPND- Your new album “Tear Down The Walls” has a bit more of a darker feel than your debut full length "I Wouldn't Call This Living". How did the new album come together?

SRT- In the fall of 2010 we hooked up with Third Time Lucky Rekords and released a four song EP called 'Anger Is A Gift', which had a way darker, heavier, more aggressive feel than our earlier stuff. We basically sat down and decided that we didn't feel the music we were writing up to that point carried the emotion that we were trying to get across in our lyrics, so we went darker, and in the process, really found our own sound.

PPND- What bands have influenced you the most?

SRT- A couple bands that are huge influences to be personally are Propagandhi, NOFX, and Black Flag. All three of those bands pretty much shaped my life as I grew up, and they'll always be a part of everything I do.


PPND- How did you get involved with Third Time Lucky Rekords?

SRT- We had done a few shows in their area, and one thing led to another. We originally worked out a merch deal with them, but as we talked and figured that all out, it kinda became a full on thing. TTLR is the raddest group of dudes I have ever met in my life, and they have a passion and intensity for this music and this scene that can't be matched. Those dudes are the real deal, expect big things from them, for sure.

PPND- What’s your favourite place to play live.

SRT- Any show where kids are in to music and in to having a good time. I don't really have a favorite spot, as much as I just love the experience of playing a good show, no matter where it is. Home town shows for us are really insane, and just keep getting bigger and better. That means so much to us, having that solid foundation to move forward from. We really love our hometown scene and venue.


PPND- What’s the weirdest thing that has happended while on tour.

SRT- Well, there's really too many to tell here, so i'll kind of narrow it down and just drop a few one line mind-fucks on you real quick: watching a homeless lady shit in a parking lot in broad daylight, getting arrested on felony charges in NJ, having van impounded and having to scale freeway over passes and 6 lane highways in the middle of the night, van breakdowns, blow ups, blow outs, all that good shit. The list goes on and on and on and on....


PPND- Do you plan on ever playing in Canada?

SRT- Yeah we've had tons of offers for shows and tours up there, and we really want to get up there and play for some new kids and scenes, we've just been busting our ass down here getting our shit out to as many places and people as we can. Once we get the proper ID's and shit, we'll be up there fo sho.


PPND- How’s the Pop Punk and Hardcore scene in your part of New York? How’s the vibe at shows?

SRT- It's one of those hidden gems, Watertown. It's a small shitty city, and there's NOTHING to do there at all most of the time. But we have this rad little venue, and you'll throw a local show on a weeknight and get up to 200 kids just going fucking insane. It's absolutely amazing. The bands in the area are awesome, no one sounds the same, (unlike most other places we've been!) and the kids sincerely care about music and bands. They stay through out shows, support ALL the bands, and buy merch. We really couldn't ask for a better home town scene.


PPND- Are there any other bands/friends that you could recommend?

SRT- Alive and Well out of Burlington Vermont. Lie Captive out of Plattsburgh New York. Atlas out of Watertown New York. Get A Life out of Harrisburgh Pennsylvania. All amazing bands, check them out.


PPND- What’s next for Still Rings True in 2011?

SRT- Right now we're in the middle of our first week of tour with a band called Broadside out of Richmond Virginia. We're with these dudes for three more weeks, the we go home for about ten days before heading back out with Lie Captive. We're on tour all summer with a bunch of really amazing bands, and we're just pushing this new record as hard as we can, spreading the word, getting kids stoked. Check out a show near you, and make sure to hit us up online to pick up a copy of our new record 'Tear Down The Walls' or grab some merch.


PPND- Any final comments for your fans?

SRT- Think.