Upstate New York rockers TAKE ONE CAR caught my attention with their 2 videos promoting their critically acclaimed 2012 album “It’s Going To Be A Nice Day”. They finally found some time to discuss their recent US tour and the new outing, which they began writing.
Considered one of the hardest working bands in the Northeast, TAKE ONE CAR was named ‘Unsigned Hero’ finalist by Alternative Press Magazine and Airwalk Shoes, and their popularity has rocketed off the back of their sophomore offering, having just completed their third national tour of the year.
Yeah, I don’t like contest for bands either, but please don’t be misled and give these guys a shot! Press the play button below and check out out short chat to learn more about what’s up in their camp.
Hey, guys! What’s up? Thanks for taking some time with me! How are we doing right after your recent tour? How was it?
I am doing pretty well, still recovering from being on the road. Tour is incredible, but it sucks the life out of you. I am pretty sure I’ll die younger because of it. This tour, in particular, was by far our best. The response we received was incredible. It always surprises me when people come to our shows and know our music.
15 dates in 11 states. It must have been really tiring. How did you travel? Was it your longest trek so far? By the way, how many shows did you play last year?
As I said before, the dates were very tiring. I don’t feel like I ever get enough sleep on tour. We travel in a 14 passenger van. We removed the two back seats and put in a bed. It helps save on hotel expenses. This tour wasn’t our longest trek, but it was one of the longer ones. Last year we were lucky enough to play 85 shows.
Concerning shows you’ve played so far, what cities and venues impressed you the most?
One of the cities that impressed me the most was San Antonio, TX. It was absolutely beautiful, and it really didn’t feel like a part of the US. Visiting that city was like being in a foreign country.
What did you miss the most while being away from your neighbourhood?
My family, pets & friends. It’s difficult to be away from the ones you love and know that you’re missing out on moments in their lives.
Do you have any plans to go abroad? Hit European roads maybe? [smiles]
We do. We have plans to hit Ukraine at some point in the near future. Unfortunately a few things have held that up, but we hope to have ball rolling again soon.
The winter is almost over, more and more festivals appear on the map. What fests are you excited to attend this year? I mean both personally, and as a band.
I can’t say anything in particular. There are a few small local festivals we are looking forward to, but nothing too major.
Alright, let’s cut to the chase, gentlemen [smiles]. How’s the writing going?
Writing never feels like it’s going well, even when it is. I think most of the time that is just a product of me being overly critical. But, if I step back and look at what we’re working on, I am very happy with our new material. We have about half an albums worth of new songs and plenty of other ideas floating around. I not really sure what direction our sound is going, but I like it.
Do you already have the full picture of this new work? Or are you still trying to paint the sketch for it?
I can see the full picture. My problem is filling out everything in between. I tend to get ahead of myself and work backwards to complete what I’ve skipped over.
Do you feel any pressure due to the success you achieved with your last year’s “It’s Going To Be A Nice Day” album?
Yeah, the pressure is there. There is always an internal competition to outdo yourself, but I don’t focus on it. “It’s Going To Be A Nice Day” was an album that we wrote for ourselves. Our next album is going to be the same thing. I don’t want to make the mistake of thinking too much about what people outside of this band may be anticipating or desire.
Do you still keep in touch with your ex-band mates?
No, not really. It’s not because of any hard feelings. Our lives pulled us in two extremely different directions, and they haven’t run parallel again since.
Okay, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
We’re really focusing on writing over the next couple of months. Following that, we’ll have a couple more tours and hopefully be recording by the end of the year.
Great, thanks so much for the chat, guys! Have a good one!
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