Fest 9 Preview: Interview w/ How Dare You

One of the bands I wanted to interview as part of my preview for The Fest 9, is How Dare You from Orlando. I sent the questions to my pal Elliot (one of the band’s guitar players) and he (along with the rest of the guys) answered ‘em. Their most recent album, Comfort Road has quickly become on of my favorites. Read more below…

I know the band has roots in both Philly and Florida. How did the band come together?

Well I moved to Orlando about 5 years ago from the Tampa Bay area and I was looking to start or join a band in Orlando. I had tried out for a band that Justin had recently been kicked out of. That band thought I sucked for some reason and while learning the parts that Justin played, I thought that we had the same style of guitar playing so I decided to contact him and we got together, wrote some songs and met Zach and Seth through some mutual friends and that’s pretty much it. (Elliot)

Elliot is also a bartender, so what are your favorite drinks?

I prefer bourbon mostly but will drink pretty much anything you put in front of me. (Elliot)

The cheapest beer you got usually works fine for me. (Justin)

Cigar City is my favorite IPA. (Zach)

How does living in Orlando, the home of Disney, affect your music?

In short, it Doesn’t. We don’t really have the city of Orlando or Disney World in our heads when we are writing songs. I’d like to think the songs are a little more personal than that. Although, I’m sure Elliot likes being close to Disney since he is a grumpy dad and all. Haha. (Seth)

How many times have you played the Fest before and what is your most memorable Fest moment?

Fest 9 will be our 3rd time playing and we couldn’t be happier about it. I think its safe to say that The Fest is one thing that we all really look forward to each year. I have never been to anything like it. EVER. One show that will always stand out for me is the Asshole Parade set from Fest 6. It was at The Atlantic and it was probably the most insane show I have ever been to. Kids were hanging from the ceiling, Five Star Pizza boxes were flying around the room and the singer was out of control. It was total fucking chaos and it was perfect. I’ll never forget that show. (Elliot)

I’ve never been to the Fest. What should I expect?

Oh wow, you are in for a treat. I would say that the only thing you can expect is to see some amazing bands and meet some amazing people. Everything else will be a whirlwind of crazy. Be sure to drink plenty of water in between beers and be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The schedule will have you bouncing around from club to club all day and night. But don’t worry; it’s all worth it. (Justin)

What bands are you most excited to see at the Fest this year?

Young Livers, Banner Pilot and Bridge and Tunnel. (Seth)

VRGNS, Monikers, Dear Landlord. (Elliot)

The Suicide Machines, The Menzingers and Leatherface. (Justin)

Asshole Parade, Chris Wollard, The Menzingers. (Zach)

Aside from playing the Fest, what else are you guys currently working on? Any upcoming releases?

Right now we are in the studio recording our 2nd full length. We are all pretty stoked on the songs and cant wait to get them out there. It’s looking like it wont be released until the beginning of next year (2011) but I’m sure we will play some new songs at the Fest, just to confuse the crowd. (Seth)

What have you guys been listening to in your van/cars?

Lots of new music. New VRGNS, Young Livers, Mixtapes, The Menzingers, RVIVR and so much more.

How do you guys feel about music blogs? Are they are similar to what fanzines were in the 90′s? Discuss.

I feel the conversation is similar to that of downloading music. To me, I just don’t do it. Maybe I’m old but I would always prefer to have a physical product in my hand then something that it stored on a hard drive. Music blogs are sort of the same for me. I would prefer to read a current issue of Razorcake or a Cometbus zine on my lunch break than scour the internet for something that may or may not interest me. It’s all about being able to hold on to something and save it. Maybe I am a hoarder or something but that just the way I like it. (Seth)