ALL FALL DOWN
Throwing down out of Greensboro NC, this 5 piece Metal band has a sound that becomes intertwined in your love for music. Although the band is Unsigned, you can tell they are destined for greatness. They work hard and put a massive amount of effort in every thing they do.Not only will you enjoy their music,but they have also help put together one of the most fact filled and entertaining Interviews I have ever had the chance to publish at The Pit Unsigned. I was recently able to ask the bands some Questions and find out what is going on with the band now,about their past and what to look for in the future.I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!!!!!
MEMBERS:
- Jacob Vox - VOCALS
- Brandon Teague - GUITAR / BACKING VOCALS
- D.J. Malice - GUITAR
- J "STITCH" Hawk - DRUMS
- Alex Matelski - BASS / BACKING VOCALS
INTERVIEW:
Describe the sound of your music.
Alex : Two Guys Metal Reviews once labeled us as “an entry level prog act; whose epic and twisted compositions combine a variety of genres for a final sound that is beautiful and mystical”. I think that sums it up pretty good: prog metal for the average metalhead.
Brandon : Sounds like if Batman fought Godzilla while James Hetfield narrates it. At least that’s what I’d like people to think it sounds like.
Jacob : A flashback to 90’s metal with a touch of modern hardcore.
DJ : I think our friend Karl Rekus put it best. “Sounds like someone grinding a rusty chainsaw through broken glass while taking your daughter’s virginity in the back of an 86’ Oldsmobile while parked on the edge of a volcano.”
J : Our music sounds like a culmination of all of our musical inspirations combined. Pantera, Kiss, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Tool, Mudvayne, Staind, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage. Stuff like that.
How did the name of your band ALL FALL DOWN come about?
Brandon : That’s a funny story, actually. When the band was just getting started, it was named Perplexity. We quickly realized…that sucked. So we got into the habit of tossing around names at practice. We never came up with anything good. So one day after practice, we decided that we’d go home, think of the most “horrifying” thing we could, and try again next practice. When I went home I started talking to my sister and Dad about it (and J was there, too). They said we should try something that was 3 words so it would be easily chant-able at shows. The lines “think of the most horrifying thing you can” kept popping in my head, and I couldn’t help but think of the movie Little Nicky. There’s a scene where Mr. Beefy is snoring and it sounds like little kids singing “Ring around the Rosie” & Nicky’s room-mate says “that is the most horrifying thing I have ever seen.” I imitated that and got a good laugh when my sister hopped up and screamed “THAT’S IT! THAT’S THE NAME! ALL FALL DOWN! A-F-D!” I ran it by the guys, and it stuck.
Are the members in the band today the same original members from when the band was started?
Brandon : Well, yes and no. We broke onto the scene in 2011 with the current lineup, but we actually officially started in 2004. So in that sense, J and I are the only original members left. I played bass originally & J’s always been on the drums. We had a lot of lineup changes, gimmick changes, & internal conflicts that made it really hard to get off the ground back then. Jacob joined in 2009, followed by DJ in 2010. That’s when we started getting into the groove of things & started developing the “AFD sound”. When Alex joined, that’s when everything fell into place. That’s when we started doing shows on a regular and became a “functioning band”. To me, that’s when we started. That’s pretty much how everyone feels.
What drove each one of you guys to get into music and pursue a dream of being in a band?
Alex : My mother always sang growing up, and I would sing too, along with all the soft rock and 80’s music on the radio. I really started to get into music in my teens, both listening and an interest in performing. Music has always made me feel more complete, more stable. So naturally, I pursued that good feeling. Eventually my mother convinced me to let her buy me an instrument for my birthday (I didn’t want her to because our money was always tight when I was growing up), and after learning to play, I got very tired of playing along with other people’s music and started working with musicians online. That wasn’t very rewarding, though... I needed other people to help me with music, to put out what I heard in my head, something to help fuel my creative desires and express what I hold inside. And as long as I still draw breath and can do so, I will continue to write music because of how much it completes who I am and helps me express what I feel.
Brandon : I grew up in a very musical household. None of us were musicians, but we all listened to all sorts of music. My dad turned me on to the classics; Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, stuff like that. But he also listened to stuff like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jethro Tull & Eric Clapton. My mom listened to stuff like Genesis & Aaron Neville. I got tore up with 80’s music from my sister. My brother; who I gotta say is my main influence, listened to a lot of 90’s music. Stuff like Pantera, Soundgarden, & Alice in Chains. So I got hit from all angles. I wanted to be a part of something I loved so much & influence people like I was influenced.
Jacob : My brothers played a big part in why I do what I do. They used to listen to a lot of different metal bands. My brother Josh used to play bass & I got into it to kinda bond with him. I would pick up his bass from time to time. That didn’t last long though. I noticed that I was singing more than anything & I thought “what the hell. I’ll try this for a while.” It turned into a passion. I joined my first band when I was 13, played my first show 2 days after joining, got hooked, never looked back.
DJ : I guess it came from me watching bands when I was younger. The brotherhood of it; the family aspect of it. It’s a weird thought that 5 people with different backgrounds can come together and make something so powerful. I wanted to be a part of that.
J : My uncles Martin and Tommy are my inspiration. They have played drums for longer than I’ve been alive; they always enjoyed playing and I enjoyed watching them just as much. My uncle Martin had an old snare drum and he gave me a pair of sticks to beat on it as a young boy. He even won a bet because of me once. He bet one of his buddies that his 2 year old nephew could do a drum roll that he just played. He called me in, set me on his lap, and told me to play that thing we practiced on a few times, and I played it, and he won $50. But when I really showed interest and motivation to play drums at 15 he bought me my first real kit. It was a set of red Rogers drums. Since then I’ve gone through a lot of sets and even more cymbals. As for what drives me as a musician, I just love playing drums. I love being pushed to my limits physically and musically, and trying new things. And I’m very fortunate to play with a group of talented guys that I consider to be my family.
Who does most of the song writing in the band?
Brandon : We all take part in every song, but Alex has been the primary song writer lately. Our bass player writes most of our music. Scary thought, huh?
Alex : … It’s only scary when you think about it. I actually really enjoy writing the music. Everyone else tends to dislike it at first, but they warm up once I let them spit shine their parts. They also tend to complain about how complicated my songs are… Oh well. We’re progressive metal. Progress.
What all venues have you played and which one is your favorite?
Greene Street Club in Greensboro, The Somewhere Else Tavern in Greensboro, The Other Place in Burlington, The Berkeley Café in Raleigh, The Clubhouse in Greensboro, The Garage in Winston-Salem, Corner Pocket Billiards in McLeansville, & Easy Street in Thomasville.
Brandon : Well, everybody knows that The Somewhere Else Tavern is our home away from home. We all love that place. I personally really like The Berkeley Café. Good times, good people, good beer. But I gotta say my favorite venue is The Garage in Winston-Salem. It’s the epitome of the “hole-in-the-wall” venue. It’s one of those places where you can be like “I used to go see blah-blah play there before they got big for 5 bucks”.
Jacob : The Other Place in Burlington is my favorite. It’s the memories attached to it. In my mind, playing there was one of our best shows ever. It’s right up there with Greene Street. I’d love to play there again.
DJ : Probably Greene Street. The one time we played there was the best crowd & best sound we’ve ever had.
Alex : I actually love everywhere we play for different reasons… if I had to choose just ONE, I’d have to say Berkeley. It just feels like the essential underground metal venue. Too bad it’s downsizing soon.
J : Wow, this is a hard question. I’ve really enjoyed playing all of these places. I’ve gotta say SWET, though. Growing up, that was the dream gig. For me, I had just heard so much about it that it just became legendary in my mind. So when we finally got to play there, it was awesome. It’s just as good as the first time every time we play there.
RIVER JORDAN
Do you guys get to practice much and where?
Brandon : We try to practice weekly at The Man Cave. It’s a place so secret; we cannot give away its location.
Jacob : It’s a place so secret; even I don’t know where it is!
Brandon : We basically practice in J’s closet.
Alex : Wouldn’t it technically be his dining room?
DJ : No, the dining room IS the Pool room.
Brandon : I don’t know what the hell it is. All I know is that it’s attached to his room & he hangs his clothes in there.
DJ : J’s house is a fuckin maze.
Brandon : It really is.
J : You guys are just lucky I let you play in my maze.
Have you been able to put out any merch for your fans?
All Fall Down - We’ve got shirts, bumper stickers, & CD’s for sale, but you gotta come to our shows to get them! That’s the catch!
I know you guys put out an album late last year, what kind of feedback did you get from it?
All Fall Down -Well, naturally our fans love it (or at least say they do, family and friends do that sometimes), but overall, for a first CD, it was pretty well received.
When you play live shows, which song off that album do the fans seem to love the most?
All Fall Down - Sudden Epiphany. Partly because it’s heavy as hell and partly because they know it’s the last song we play! Although our new song Parasite has quickly become a crowd favorite.
Are you working on any new music?
All Fall Down - Constantly! We’re all just very picky & are always challenging ourselves (or Alex is), so it takes a while to get songs how we want them. But guaranteed, our new stuff is gonna blow people away.
Have you been on any tours and if not, what is the farthest you guys have traveled to play a show?
All Fall Down - No tours yet. Farthest we’ve been is Raleigh but we’re working hard to fix that.
I have noticed that there is an insanely amount of talented bands coming out of your area of Greensboro, why do you think this is?
All Fall Down - Because it’s Greensboro & there’s nothing better to do!
What about shows, do you have any booked in the near future?
All Fall Down - We’re playing at Greene Street for The Battle For Mayhem Festival on June 21st and we have a show booked at Easy Street with Mindjakked on July 27th. Gonna try to book some shows at S.W.E.T & The Garage in-between. We’ve been hitting up venues like crazy lately trying branch out. We really wanna make it back to Raleigh & maybe Charlotte this summer! When the opportunity comes, we’ll seize the crap out of it!
What does the future hold for All Fall Down?
DJ : If we keep working hard & keep our confidence, I think the future looks really bright for AFD. Perseverance is the key. If we keep doing what we’re doing and give 110%, we’ll be fine. And we’ll definitely write more kickass music.
Jacob : Well, hopefully, all our hard work will come to a head. And one day we’ll be standing on a stage in some coliseum with thousands of people shouting “A-F-D”.
That….. and beer.
Brandon : Victory. We won’t accept anything but. We’re too damn tenacious to give up and too stubborn to lie down. You try to step on us and we’ll bite your fuckin ankles. To me, this is only the beginning. We’re gonna keep going full throttle. It’s no cake walk, but it’s worth it. I’m in it for the long run & I think the future of AFD is gonna be a story worth telling. “This is our time; this is what we do.”
Alex : More music. Whether we make it or not, we’re staying at it and doing what we love and want to do. No one can take that from us but us. So as long as each one of us still has the drive and the strength to go on, we’re going to keep on until we make it or… die… or otherwise give up.
J : Gotta agree with B; victory. Pure and simple. That’s it. More gigs, more fun, more great experiences doing something that I love. No matter what the future holds for All Fall Down, I’m gonna enjoy every minute of it, because I’m playing music with my brothers.
I just want to say thanks to you guys for taking the time to do this Interview and wish you the best of luck in the future.
All Fall Down - Thanks! It’s always fun doing interviews! Maybe someone will read this and NOT think we’re crazy! -Highly doubtful, though!
LINKS:
- FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/allfalldownafd
- REVERBNATION - http://www.reverbnation.com/allfalldownafd
- EMAIL - allfalldownafd.band@hotmail.com
THE PIT UNSIGNED
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