INTERVIEW: The Famine (on tour with Underoath, Saosin, and The Devil Wears Prada)

With their November tour kicking off tonight in Seattle, Washington and the acquisition of thousands of new fans shortly approaching, I caught up with Texas metal band, The Famine (Solid State Records), to give us all a little insight as to what they're all about.

Who am I speaking to?

Nick Nowell, bassist and roustabout.

First off, your new album, the Raven and the Reaping, is intense. I like it. It has an in your face, kick ass attitude that reflects onto your image, but tell me, what are you and the rest of the guys like off the stage?

We are all pretty laid back and nerdy. We listen to lots of journey, play scrabble, and have in depth discussions about Carcass being better than Suffocation. Everyone in the band except for me is married, and Mark and Andy both have two kids apiece, so they regularly check in with their families to make sure everything is in order back home.

Do you have jobs/careers outside the band?

Andy and Mark both own residential and commercial remodeling companies, I'm a full-time substitute teacher and English tutor, and Chris is engaged in freelance media design work.

What are you looking forward to most on this tour with Underoath? Is there a particular city you guys are looking forward to shred? Or does it all feel the same?

Dallas is always our favorite, for obvious reasons. Seattle and the Irvine area both treated us exceptionally well on the last tour, and we have friends in both of those places, so I'm excited about those as well. We've never played San Fransisco before, and I'm pumped to check it out. Several of my favorite bands were from the bay area, and I hear the city itself is breathtaking.

Are you pretty tight with the guys in Underoath, Saosin, and The Devil Wears Prada?

We know several of the guys in Underoath, and they are nothing but rad. Honestly, none of us know any of the guys in Saosin or TDWP. That's actually a cool thing, though, because it gives us a chance to meet new people and make new friends. We didn't know any of the guys in Advent before the last tour, and now I'd give my kidney to any of them. Tour is generally a lovefest for us, so I see it working out well.

What do you guys do to get pumped up before a show? Do you play marbles? Pogs? Duck duck goose? Lol, sorry, what gets you guys going?

Since we don't get much sleep on tour, we generally try to relax between the time we load in and the time we play. We all have a pretty set routine beginning when we arrive at the venue. Our tour manager scopes out the sound system, Andy and I unload the trailer, Mark sets up his drums, and Chris sets up our merch. Chris has a full vocal warmup he does in the van before each of our sets. Outside of that, this is the time we use to hang out with the other bands.

I have to know what has been the craziest or most embarrassing thing that has happened to you guys on stage?

We have been pretty lucky so far in regards to disgracing the stage. Outside of a few small shocks from ungrounded outlets and mysterious ground hum noises, nothing too crazy has happened. On the last show of the Demon Hunter tour in Myrtle Beach, the guys from the other bands got together and closed the curtain on us during our first song, but that was more funny than it was embarrassing. We also pranked all of the other bands back tenfold that night.

When this tour is up and gone, what message do you wish to leave behind with all your fans?

In the broader sense, we'd like everyone to know that we are intensely sincere about what we do, and that we are happy to make the sacrifices we make because we are the luckiest guys in the world. We will be here for a while. On a more personal level, we are always excited to meet new people and make new friends. Making those personal connections is definitely what fuels our fire.

Finally, what do you guys like to do when you're not writing or playing music?

Well, Chris and I are both vegans and we really enjoy cooking. I'm also into video games, horror movies, and classic literature. Mark and I are also political junkies. Mark is very involved in his church, and he and Andy both have kids to raise, which is definitely a full time job. Chris and his wife live in New York City, so they run around the city and live it up in their free time.

Thanks so much for your time and best of luck to you guys on the tour, any last comments?

Thanks for the questions. We'd love everyone to check out our record, come out to the shows, and say hello!

The Raven and The Reaping is available now on itunes and Amazon.

Check out www.myspace.com/thefaminedestroys or http://www.the-famine.com/ for more band info and upcoming tour dates.

*Also, Check back for live pics of The Famine from The Bren Center in Irvine, CA.