Free Throw: A rollercoaster of emotions

Vocalist and guitarist Cory Castro bears his sole and his struggles on new album, ‘Bear You Mind’.

Vocalist and guitarist Cory Castro bears his sole and his struggles on new album, ‘Bear You Mind’.

How has 2017 treated you guys so far? You’ve been on the road a lot, haven’t you?
We have! We just recently finished up a six-week run with You Blew It!. 2017 has been a lot of fun and a very exciting year for us so far.

Your second album’s about to come out how would you describe its vibe?
It's definitely a lot louder than the first album. It almost has a "rollercoaster of emotions" type feel to it.

When did you start writing this one, and what was on your mind at the time?
We started writing the album a little over a year ago when our drummer Kevin joined the band. We really wanted the new album to sound "bigger" musically, to reflect how we sound live a little more. Lyrically, I wanted the album to be a bit more introspective. I definitely didn't want to write another "break-up" record. I decided to write more of an exploration of myself, and my own struggles. Hopefully in a way that others can relate.

Did you try out anything new for ‘Bear Your Mind’?
We definitely cranked up the overdrive pedals. We use them a lot more live than we did on the first record and we wanted that to shine on the new one. As I mentioned earlier, I went a bit of a different direction, lyrically. Other than that, we just wanted our music to progress organically. We didn't try to change up our sound completely or be a different band. We like what we do. It was also our first time working with a producer, Brett Romnes. That was a very awesome experience. I went expecting to be told we sucked and have everything changed around, but in reality, he let us just be "us", and helped us accomplish the goal we had in mind.

How did you find recording? Were there many in the studio shenanigans?
Recording was a very fun and crazy experience. We basically recorded the first record in a home studio, so going into the Barbershop Studios (in Hopatcong, NJ) was like living in a dream. That place is wonderful. As for shenanigans, there were plenty of them. Including a thirty-minute session of me singing our songs in the style of the band Creed. There was also a lot of whiskey consumed, and NHL 17 played.

Were there any lessons you were able to bring forward from your debut?
That people really like songs about drinking. I'm joking. Well, kind of. In reality, we realise that people liking the first album is what got us to where we are. We didn't want to really change it up, but, like I mentioned earlier, to let it grow organically. I think we've done a good job of it.

How did you end up signing to Triple Crown for the album’s release?
We were on tour with our good buddies in Tiny Moving Parts and the owner, Fred, happen to see us play in New York City. He came up to me after the set and told me he enjoyed it and asked if our manager was there (he was). I introduced the two, and basically, that's how it started. We are so happy to be a part of the Triple Crown family. I couldn't be more excited.

Do you have big plans for over the summer?
We are doing our first headlining tour in support of the new album from May through July with Homesafe and Heart Attack Man! Two very cool bands. We are super excited to play some new songs!

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Free Throw: A rollercoaster of emotions

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