The Word Alive Interview!
The Word Alive (Telle Smith)
Interviewer: Andrew Wendowski - May 2014
MM-Q1: Introduce yourself & a little bit about The Word Alive.
TWA-A1: My name is Telle, vocalist of TWA. My band plays rock shows all over the world, we try to have as much fun as possible while doing so.
MM-Q2: As we all already know you are to be releasing your album “REAL” on June 1st 2014, Why did you choose “REAL” as the album title, is there a significant meaning behind it or inspiration? What can we expect from this new album?
TWA-A2: You can expect the best TWA record to date, in every aspect. We really took our time with this album, and I feel it shows in so many ways. You really just have to hear it to understand. We decided to call it "REAL." while in Brazil actually, sitting down having a beer together. We wanted to have a name that represented our band, our music, and us as people. We're just everyday people like all of our fans, we just happened to get in a van together one day and it worked out. This record is no gimmicks, no bullshit, just 5 dudes playing music together.
MM-Q3: Out of the 12 songs on “Real”, Which song or songs would you say means the most to you & why does it?
TWA-A3: They all mean a lot to me, but on a personal level I would have to say "Your Mirage" and "Never Forget" are the closest to the heart. One is about my friend Mitch who passed away and the other is about how I could never really be enough for anyone, my heart and head are always all over the place because of what I do. It's a hard life for someone waiting back home for me.
MM-Q4: What inspired most of the lyrics on the album “Real”?
TWA-A4: Just my life as a whole. Every time I go through something good or bad, it makes me question my path, and my life. Looking back on that and writing along the way helps me to form the ideas that will eventually become songs.
MM-Q5: What would be your FAVORITE set of lyrics off this album so far?
TWA-A5: I really love the lyrics in "Terminal" and "Collapsing" the most. I think they are very dark, but realistic. I think that there doesn't always feel like someone can relate to the darkest points of your life, but I feel like I can with many people. I've been there.
MM-Q6: How long did it take you to Write, Produce & Record & create instrumentals for this album?
TWA-A6: We started writing in December of 2012 I believe, we entered the studio in August of 2013, left in September and spent 2 more days in California with John Feldman doing 2 additional songs later on. We just finished the mixing a couple weeks ago, so from start to finish the record took from December of 2012 until April of 2014, a year and 4 months.
MM-Q7: You’ve recently released your single “Play The Victim”, What has been your fans response to it thus far?
TWA-A7: It's been absolutely amazing, the crowds have seemed to love it, the online feedback has been incredible, and more people have purchased it as a single than almost any other TWA song to date, I definitely am proud of it and of our fans for supporting us in a big way.
MM-Q8: As I have seen in your recent Q&A on Facebook ALOT of your fans are asking about Luke Holland’s Drumming in this album, Will there be any drumming solos, & what song has the heaviest/craziest drums?
TWA-A8: There are no drum solos, we focused on the songs as a whole, however, there are parts that will feel like that to most people. Luke's favorite song on the record is "Your Mirage" for drums I believe, it's a cool one.
MM-Q9: Is there any Music Videos going to be released from a song on “Real” coming out soon?
TWA-A9: We are putting out a video in May and then filming one that same month for a release date of hopefully near our album release.
MM-Q10: What will be different about this album compared to previous releases?
TWA-A10: We've just grown so much, we're in a different place than we've ever been both as a band and as song writers. I think the growth and close bond we've formed will make this album our best.
MM-Q11: Could we expect any Guest Vocals on “REAL”? if not, Who did you want to do guest vocals on this album?
TWA-A11: No there are not, and I plead the 5th haha!
MM-Q12: We understand you have a song on the new record for Mitch Lucker & his family, What made you want to write a song for him?
TWA-A12: I wanted to write a song about him because I felt the impact his loss had, it's the first friend of ours who has passed away from our tour family, so it hit us all pretty hard. At the time that I wrote "Never Forget" the band hadn't decided to move forward, and I wanted to kind of pay my respects to him and the rest of the guys in Suicide Silence who don't have the opportunity, or didn't at the time, to release something that spoke about Mitch's impact on others lives. It sent a shockwave through the heavy music scene, and I just wanted to do my part to acknowledge that.
MM-Q13: A lot of fans would like to know what is the Heaviest & Slowest song on this album?
TWA-A13: Heaviest song is "Glass Castle" and I would say the slowest is "Collapsing". But what I think you mean is softest, which is either "Lighthouse" or "The Runaway".
MM-Q14: What has been your favorite tour to be apart of thus far? How stoked are you for Warped Tour 2014?
TWA-Q14: I think doing our last co-headlining tour this past Fall was the most rewarding, our fans sold out almost every show, and the crowd reaction was incredible. It literally blew my mind hearing our songs being sang back as loud as many cities did. It really has me excited to see what will happen on Warped Tour, because everything is bigger on Warped!
MM-Q15: Will you be having a headlining tour for “Real” after Warped Tour 2014?
TWA-A15: We've talked about it, we definitely are at a place now where we either want to headline or do tours where we can play longer than 30 minutes. We have too many songs and want to give our fans a real show, so we'll see how this year plans out. It all comes down to the fans and how much they get behind this record.
MM-Q16: Telle, you are apart of Hope For A Day this year on Warped Tour, What does hope mean for you & how do you show others to Have Hope?
TWA-A16: I mean you just have to lead by example, hope is real. There is no denying that. Whether as simple as hoping that girl you've had a crush on you likes you back, hoping you aced your test, hoping you get that job promotion, hoping to overcome a personal battle... Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope to be a band that can inspire hope in people, not because it's a gimmick, but because we have been given an opportunity to have our voices heard and we want to make it worth something when it's all said and done.
MM-Q17: What has been your craziest/weirdest/creepiest/funniest/nicest Fan Experience this far in your music career?
TWA-A17: We have had a million amazing fans, who have given us gas cards, food gift cards, brought us treats, bought extra records to pass out to their friends and made us feel welcome in other countries all over the world. Our favorites are the fans who make us things, and show us their artistic side. There are a few people who draw us or even my dog, and it's just really cool to see.
MM-Q18: How does it feel when a fan tells you that THE WORD ALIVE & TWA’s Music saved their life?
TWA-A18: I personally am not a fan of that phrase. I feel like we might have been the soundtrack or inspiration to stand up for yourself, but my band didn't save your life. You saved your life, your family did, your closest friends. We just write music that we hope will help people and inspire them, but ultimately the choice is their own what to do or not do in life.
MM-Q19: Anything you want to say to your Current or Future fans?
TWA-A19: Just a huge thank you for all the years of support, and hopefully many more to come!
