It was honestly really great. We have never been a part of something so huge and crazy as the warped tour and it can be a little intimidating leading up to it. Once we got there everyone was so welcoming and cool with us it was just like punk rock summer camp. Total Blast.



How does it feel to be just a band among many others on a tour?

Hey man, we aren't "just a band" .. haha just kidding. For us it's just about getting to show new people are band and giving them the choice to check it out or not. Nobody is obligated to like DEFEATER, but everyone is certainly welcome. To that extent I think warped is a really good place to have that mindset. It's a melting pot of everything from dub-step to metal to pop punk, and being someone who personally has a broad taste in music, I really encourage others to reach outside of their box and at least see what other bands and or styles of music are all about.


 What kinds of venues did the tour play at? Or is just all about parkingl ots, malls, and mobile stages?

It's a mix mostly. Sometimes it's pavement, sometimes grass. One day you'll be in a giant amphitheater and the next you'll be playing next to the beautiful body of water. In the end all that stuff disappears and it still just about doing your thing and connecting with the audience.


 Which songs of "Letters Home" did you put into the setlist? How have they been perceived by the audience?

We tried out a couple on warped tour and they went great! Since then we've had four songs off the new record and those went really well also. We are all really stoked on getting to play letters home live, we are super proud of the album and it just feels fresh.


 Do you find it difficult to write a setlist for a tour? 

Not really, there are some songs you just know you'll be playing and then you get to play around with the others and try to get things to flow. It's a bit of an art actually, but it's a lot of fun.



How long did you need for the songwriting of "Letters Home"?

We wrote it in about 6 weeks.



Did the songwriting process changed since "Empty Days..."?

Yeah I think at least to some degree it did. "Letters Home" is by far the most cohesive effort containing the most input from all the members individually.

Where do you see differences of "Letters Home" and "Empty Days..."; where do you see similarities?

To me everything we do sounds like us so I suppose that would be the similarities, but we make a conscious effort to write music that is directly related to the theme of the lyrical content, so as every record tells a different mood, as will the choices we make musical. "Letters Home" is probably our heaviest effort to date.


How do you find inspiration for the lyrics? How long do you need to write them? 

Derek definitely toils over every last detail and actually had to take a little time away to finish writing the record. We have all talked about what's going to transpire on the albums from day one so it's not as much about WHAT we are going to write about as it is HOW do we want to tell this story. It's awesome to get to include lot of little ways the listener can figure out how all the albums relate to one another.  Tons of hidden stuff.


 What are you plans for the rest of the year? Will you come to europe too? 

We are going on tour with AUGUST BURNS RED for six weeks in the states this fall, and then we will be in Europe for a few weeks starting in January.  The Europe line up is going to be so diverse and awesome, I can't wait for that tour.


 Do you consider DEFEATER to be a full-time touring band?

I would say semi-full time, but it's definitely taking over our lives more and more every day haha.


 How did it change the relationship between the band members when the band started to bring in money (you're not getting filthy rich, but there will be spare money be at your wallet at the end of the day...)?

I think everything is pretty much the same as usual. If we were all worried about money I don't think any of us would do the band. We are usually able to to make enough to pay our bills when we get home, which in of itself is a dream come true, but everyone in this band goes back to work when we get home.


 Do you hang out with hte other band mebmers when you're back home? 

Yeah for sure, not all of the time as some of us don't all live around each other but we do all see each other a fair bit.



"Letters Home" comes in different vinyl colors - which on is your favourite?

Personally, I kind of dig the clear splatter.


 Do you dig vinyl? If so: which 5 vinyls of your collection are the most precious for you?

SHIPWRECK - Abyss

RADIOHEAD - In Rainbows

FUGAZI - In on the Kill Taker

O'BROTHER - Garden Window

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE - Background Music


 The last words are yours.



Punk is a state of mind.