We’re making sure today’s band turns things on their head, just from their name alone…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from the hot, hot desert of Phoenix, Arizona.
How did you meet?
Jonathan: I’ve known Kody for about 9 years around college and I met the rest of the guys at practice.
David: Well I’ve known Hanky (Henry) since high school. But I met the rest of the guys when we formed the band.
Henry: David and I met in high school. Met the rest of guys at band practices.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We’ve been a band for four years but have been actively playing shows for three. We used the first year to create the music.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The name is a spin on the saying “the calm before the storm.” So After the Calm means we are the storm. It was chosen democratically out of long list of names that had to meet certain criteria. One being it had to start with an “A” so we would pop up at the beginning of playlists.
What are your influences?
Jonathan: Off the top of my head, I would say System of a Down, Incubus, Horse the Band, and Every Time I Die.
David: Incubus, Deftones, and Thrice.
Henry: Mostly radio rock early 2000s and 90s mainstream.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Jonathan: The fact that every song release could sound completely different than what you’re used to hearing of us. We try and play what we feel and some days we create different sounding songs. This is why we are perfect to play almost any genre show.
David: Well, we definitely don’t fit into any specific genre. Our music ranges from pop punk to hardcore. In the end, we do us and our songs are personal.
Henry: The ability to play shows with heavy bands and also play with more pop punk acts. Our music has multiple genres.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Jonathan: Our lyrics are usually about people and experiences we have had and how we have dealt with them.
David: Currently I think our lyrics are very personal and present.
Henry: Best word I can think of is life. All the songs have a backstory to them. A real-life experience.
What’s your live show like?
Jonathan: We try to make every show unique and different than the last, whether that be with a different set list, intro, theme, or interacting with the crowd. It is one of the most important things to us because a lot of people can make great sounding recorded songs but it is entirely different to make your live show look and sound awesome.
David: We destroy! I think we put on a great show. Always drenched in sweat ’til the end. We pour everything into our shows.
Henry: For me it’s like a workout. Moving around a lot while having a 12 pound instrument hanging from my neck.
How many shows have you played?
Jonathan: I don’t even know anymore! Facebook helps as a timeline for all our events and flyers so it could be found out going through our timeline.
David: Enough to where I lost count. Something to be very happy about.
Henry: Don’t think we ever recorded the numbers, maybe over 30?
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Jonathan: One of the wildest things I have seen was when I was in high school and the older lead singer/screamer of I Wrestled a Bear Once was getting called out by a guy in the crowd saying she can’t scream because she is a girl. She tried to not let it get to her but after multiple songs, she just snapped and jumped on him and beat the crap out of him. Her whole band had to pull her off of him. I think it is fair to say he learned his lesson. She sounded amazing.
David: I remember seeing the singer of Foxy Shazam hang upside down from some pole and sing. The dude also ate cigarettes!
Henry: I have seen a lady get hit in the head with a trash can. Kids were moshing and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play /etc.?
Jonathan: Since I mainly play rhythm guitar, I focus on a really crunchy distortion sound so the power chords and palm mutes really kick. I have an ESP LTD Eclipse 2015 40th anniversary guitar that I use for drop C songs. I got it a few years back along with a JCM 900 Marshall head and speaker when I knew we were going to start playing big gigs. Kody has been nice enough to lend me his awesome Les Paul Gibson until I can buy another guitar that I use for drop D songs. My pedal board is pretty simple, I have an overdrive, wireless tuner/input, the Holy Grail, noise gate, and one that presets channels for all the pedals.
Kody: I have a Pearl Vision set, nothing too fancy. I do use double kick pedals, as well as a drum pad for triggering audio. Also always wear my shades during performances, it’s just as important as having the snare.
David: EVH 5150 III with a 2×12 cab. My guitars are a PRS Vela and Schecter C-1 E/A. Pedals I use a BOSS Compressor, TubeScreamer, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, BOSS Harmonist and a Decimator II. I’ll be adding more.
Henry: My basses are both MusicMan Sting Rays, been in love with their tone since the first time I heard them. My Amp is an Ampeg Portaflex 800, best of new and school technology.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Jonathan: The main thing is our latest release, “Stuck on Repeat”, and we hope everyone gets out of it as much as we put into it.
David: Our latest single “Stuck On Repeat” is the big one. It’s on every music platform so no reason not to listen to it.
Henry: Our YouTube page has all of our music, live videos and more. Our latest video “Stuck On Repeat” is available to watch.
What are your plans for 2018 -19?
Jonathan: We have one last show on Nov 10th where we are fundraising for the Arizona Humane Society and hope to tour in 2019.
David: Finish up the year strong with our show on Nov 10th. Then 2019 is when we want to tour. So for the people reading this let us know the best venues in your city.
Henry: Tour, tour, tour. Playing outside of Arizona.
If you were second on a three band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you?
Jonathan: I think it would be awesome if we could play with Incubus as the headliner and have our buddies in the Take Over join us as openers because I think all our music would fit so well together.
David Nunez: Well, that’s a tough question. I would love Thrice to headline and the band I would choose to open would be Orenda. Not because I think they are below us or anything but that they would put on one hell of a show. They would set the tone for the night.
What is your current band that you play on repeat constantly?
Jonathan: Recently, I have been blasting Billy Talent. I heard them initially in high school on a racing game and have loved them ever since. They are super unique.
David: Nothing More.
After the Calm: facebook | twitter | soundcloud | youtube | bandcamp
