FG MUSIC SITDOWN: The Maine

The FlipGeeks Music Sitdown is a new section for our site where we feature different artists; get to know them, their music, their passion and the geek in them. For our first feature, we have American rock band, The Maine.

The Maine is composed of John O’Callaghan, Pat Kirch, Kennedy Brock, Garrett Nickelsen and Jared Monaco. The Maine hails from Arizona, USA and was formed in early 2007 and they have released 5 albums to date. Their latest album, American Candy debuted in the Billboard Top 40 and #3 Independent albums.

Over the years, the band has headlined and supported major tours worldwide taking them not only across the US and Canada but to Europe, South America, Australia, and beyond. You might not know this, but The Maine had toured the Philippines a number of times already!

Today, we get to know more about the band through their guitarist, Kennedy Brock who had graciously answered all the questions we have for them!

Whenever you tour the Philippines, what is/are the things that you look forward to?K: “It’s always such a great time touring the Philippines. I look forward to some of the loudest crowds in existence, filled with some of the nicest fans on the planet! I always feel the love when we are there!”

Where do you get your inspirations in making music?
K: “The ins and outs of everyday life. We are passionate about expanding our musical knowledge and get inspired by artist who do the same. Inspirations come from all sorts of of unexpected places including the fans.”

What is the song/record that inspired you to be in the band?
K: “I think it started for me at a young age with the movie “That Thing You Do”. It’s a film about a small band from Pennsylvania writing a hit song that propels them into stardom, and their dealings with being one hit wonders. I could also trace my inspiration to join a band and my musical taste to my brothers helping hand. He gave me my first Radiohead record “Ok Computer” and really helped to shape my musical taste.”

What is The Maine’s song writing process, do you come up with the lyrics or the melody, first?
K: “We’ll take whatever we can get most of the time. Lyrics first or melody first doesn’t matter much to me. If I squint my eyes/ears I can see a cool song forming out of very little. John puts forth the initial ideas and general direction in which we’ll try the song, then it’s just up to the lot of us to take it somewhere.”

How do you manage to not lose the “magic” – the deep lyrics/meaning – that “The Maine signature” in your songs?
K: “Life just continues on, and with it we find “magic” in new and unexpected places. It’s not forced, it is natural.”

Which is your favorite The Maine album? Why?
K: “I’m always most enthralled with the newest album. And each album has special meaning and its own scenario that makes me appreciate it. But for the purposes of this question, I’ll say Pioneer. We took such a risk recording that record and it changed our bands career forever. It was a pivotal moment that made us realize that we can do anything we put our minds too, even if we stand alone in our beliefs.”

The song “24 floors” from “American Candy” seems so personal. What’s the story behind the song?
K: “I don’t want to dive into its literal meaning. It’s actually pretty straight forward lyrically, but it’s important for us to keep some of that mystery. To me a song always means more when you insert your own emotions and experiences into it.”

What are your thoughts on digital music versus music that comes with physical copies (CDs and vinyl) ?
K:“I’ll always have a love for physical copies. It’s more tangible, and more of an experience to me. But I do enjoy the convenience of the digital world.”

For you, what role does social media play in the music industry?
K: “It plays a big part. The music industry is able to reach so many people in ways it never could before, all because of social media. We built ourselves with social media in our foundation. It will always be a crucial part of this band.”

What music are you listening to? Do you have any “guilty pleasure” songs/albums that you listen to that people don’t know about?
K: “Nothing’s a guilty pleasure. It’s either a pleasure or it’s not. I don’t feel guilty for liking what I like. Currently I’ve been jamming the band Wolf Alice. Also been really into some soft stuff lately and have found Gregory Allen Isakov’s music to hit the spot.”

Your dream collaboration would be with?
K: “Wilco.”

Since we are a pop-culture site, do you have any hobbies or collections? Are you into video games, if so, what are the games you’re currently playing? Or any movie or television series that you are currently hooked on?
K: “Love all of the above. I have plenty of hobbies! I love to draw/paint, mostly pictures of my dog. I’m into video games as well. You can typically find me playing soccer via FIFA. Jared and I are very competitive, especially when it comes to video games. We play all sorts, but recently we got into a shooter called The Division. I’m also a big tv advocate, engaged in the current seasons of Game of Thrones and House of Cards right now! I enjoy many, if not all, facets of art and expression!”

What message do you have for your Filipino fans?
K:“Thank you for your unwavering support. I love the Philippines and have the utmost respect for its people. We get to take risks because of you and I will forever be grateful for passion!”

We would like to extend our thanks and our appreciation to Kenny and the rest of the guys from The Maine. Our thanks to 8123 and Secret Signals for the opportunity and making this sitdown possible.