I know I say this a lot, but I just love music. I love that I can find something new all the time and it can change my life with the click of a button. Here’s a band that recently jumpstarted my heart after a semi-slow summer. Together they go by the name of This Century, but individually they are Joel Kanitz (vocals), Sean Silverman (guitar), Alex Silverman (bass) and Ryan Gose (drums).
Last month, This Century released their fourth EP, To Love and Back, which Joel hails as “the first EP where I feel like we've actually found our sound.” If To Love and Back reflects a band that has just found their sound, I’m excited to see what they come up with when they've fully mastered it. The title track on the EP is catchy and sounds like it comes from a band that is ready to release a successful full-length album in the near future.
Usually I run through the must-have singles on records, but this time around I’m just going to tell you to check out the record and see what you like. If you really want my opinion I’ll tell you that I love tracks 1-6 with a little “Hard to Get” (from the Digital Sampler) and “Want You” (from the Look What We Made EP) thrown in as well.
If the catchy tracks don’t pull you in right away, I’m pretty sure Joel’s voice will. It’s smooth and has a strong range (check out “No Way Out”). Personally, I have no problem listening to This Century all day long. The music reflects a beautiful collaboration between the band members and all parties involved in the production of To Love and Back. Kudos to them all. Enjoy the band and my 3am airport interview with Joel Kanitz!
Hey Joel! How are you? Congrats on earning spot on part of this year’s Warped Tour! What was your experience like on the tour this year?
Joel: Hello hello. I'm doing great, just a bit drained from the past few weeks. I'm actually sitting in the airport right now waiting for my flight :)
Warped Tour was amazing. It was also exhausting. My buddy told me it would be the best experience of my life but also the hardest thing I ever do. He was pretty much right. All in all, I had a great time and I got to meet a lot of people that I normally wouldn't be able to meet being on a regular This Century tour.
What are some of your goals as a band?
Joel: We want to reach as many people as possible. We realize it takes a lot of hard work to have a successful band and we're willing to put in the hours. I think we also feel like our live show is far from where we want it to be due to lack of equipment and practice time. Getting more practice time to better our overall performance is a must. In practice we're constantly picking apart every section of every song and figuring out how we can make it better. I guess constant improvement in everything we do is another main goal.
Have you guys made it to the point where you are able to make a living just through your music and touring yet?
Joel: When we're on the road, yes. The amount we make on the road covers our food and hotel expenses, but that's pretty much it. We're hoping we'll be making enough to live comfortably and be able to save a little within a year or so.
Which is your favorite city to play on tour and why?
Joel: That's probably one of the toughest questions. It's so hard to choose a favorite city because each show is fun in its own unique way. The west coast is always rad because the kids always sing as loud as they possibly can. But then the east coast is amazing because we meet so many new faces that have never heard of us before. It's cool to see kids getting into the music even though it's their first time seeing us. I guess my answer would be that any city where there are kids willing to listen to us is awesome. I honestly couldn't choose a favorite.
When did your musical experience begin? Were you into music as a kid?
Joel: It definitely started when I was young. My mom is a piano and vocal teacher so I, of course, took piano on and off for a good portion of my childhood. I was in a little choir in grade school and I continued on to a bigger choir in high school. I started playing guitar my freshman year and kind of learned as I kept messing around on it. I'd learn songs from bands I looked up to and I'd sing along too. I think that's when I started becoming interested in being in a band. Halfway through my junior year I switched to an arts high school. I feel like that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made because it honestly affected my life in a huge way. I wouldn't be in This Century if I hadn't made the switch.
Photo by: Cory Davis
What’s the best thing about being a touring musician?
Joel: Meeting fans and bands. I love being able to talk face to face with the people who like us enough to actually pay for a ticket and come to our show. I don't think we can thank our fans enough for doing what they do and supporting us. Meeting new bands is also an awesome thing because 98% of the time they actually care about what you're doing. They know exactly what you're going through because they're doing it too. We have a lot of close friends in bands who we've met through touring.
What’s the coolest thing a fan has ever done for you? And what’s the weirdest thing that they have done?
Joel: A girl from California named Kat actually bought me a pair of Rayban sunglasses. I was pretty much in complete disbelief that someone who barely knew me would actually do that for me. Definitely the coolest thing a fan has done by far. The weirdest thing a fan has done was probably a video that I recently saw. They printed out my face, taped it to a rotten banana and made a movie out of it to promote our new EP. I felt confused, entertained and disturbed all at the same.
Why do you love music and what is it that keeps you coming back to make more?
Joel: Probably because when I was in highschool music got me through a lot of crap. There were certain songs from certain bands that made me happier then ever and I always wanted to make a song like that for other people. It's really encouraging when we get messages from fans telling us that our music got them through a hard time. That's an amazing thing to hear and it definitely helps me keep going.
If you could name three albums that are essential to any music collection – what would they be?
Joel: Continuum by John Mayer,
Self Titled Album by Third Eye Blind,
Can't Love Can't Hurt by Augustana
If you could try anything musically that you aren’t currently doing, what would it be and why?
Joel: I think it would be rad to play drums for a band. I'm not sure why, but I've always kind of wanted to do that.
Your latest EP is awesome! From what I’ve read in your blogs, you were really excited for this one. What’s special about this EP? Is there anything that you think makes it stand out among the rest?
Joel: This is the first EP where I feel like we've actually found our sound. We wrote and eliminated so many songs for it, and I'm happy with the six that ended up being recorded. I think it stands out from the other recordings we've done because it's more rock and it shows the direction we're heading.
One of my favorite songs of yours is “Hard to Get.” What inspired that song?
Joel: Sean wrote the lyrics to that song. I think he was in love (or twitterpated for any Bambi fans out there).
When you write a song about someone or some people, do you always tell them? Has anyone ever been bothered by it?
Joel: Typically we don't tell people if a song is about them. We usually take personal experiences and generalize them so people can relate to our songs easier.
And lastly, what kinds of music, books and movies are you into right now?
Joel: Music: Kings of Leon, Hillsong United, John Mayer, Mew, Underoath, Third Eye Blind
Movies: Anything funny or interesting
Books: Yeah.. I need to read more
Keep checking back for tour dates in your area and visit This Century's MySpace Page for more information their music. Also, don't forget to become a fan on Facebook! Thanks for reading!
Check out this video that someone caught of the band at Warped Tour performing "To Love and Back" - so awesome!:
