Interview with Fountains

This Is Pop Punk Promotions with an interview with fountains, fountains is a pop punk band from germany. You can grab there EP here! https://www.facebook.com/wearefountains/app_204974879526524

Interview by: Branden Whitehead 

What has fountains been up to in the past months?

We've been writing songs for our EP and playing quite a lot. We really put a lot of heart in this upcoming release and changed a lot of things. All the songs on this EP sounded completely different when we first wrote them. We changed a lot until we all considered them as ready for being on our new EP.

Where are you guys from and what is your hometown?

We're all from Mönchengladbach, Germany and it's suburbs. You may have not heard of this city before but Nirvana played their first European show here.

how did your band come together?

We all played in various bands together before. Four of us played in a band called 'Less Than Average' and the band's name described our music very well. We sucked and wanted to do something new, maybe start over. We founded Fountains in November 2012 and asked Sven, a good friend of ours to play bass. That's how we got together. We're just a bunch of kids trying to have fun and we're best friends. 

what should we expect to see from fountains in the next few months? (shows,tour,recording)?

Our new EP 'Souvenirs'! It will be out on September 20^th via Acuity.Music and we really can't wait to finally get some feedback on the songs we've been writing for the past few months. We also will have a busy schedule when it comes to playing shows in October. And we've got big plans when it comes to touring in 2014. We wanted to do Europe in spring and things are slowly getting started. We haven't really toured yet so we're really looking forward to this experience. I think this has been our dream since we're kids and we really want to make it true!

what type of music would you say you play?

I'd say we play Pop Punk. I wouldn't say we're a typical pop punk band though. We're trying to bring all of our influences together. Every member of Fountains adds his own style to the band and we're not trying to sound like 'that band'. We're just writing songs we enjoy and we also think that some other people might enjoy them as well. 

how long have you played in a band together? 

We've been playing in Fountains since November 2012. Before that we used to play in various shitty bands.

How's the scene in Germany? 

I think it really depends on the town you live in. Some cities here have a really cool scene and others don't. I think it's okay. There's more people getting into pop punk at the moment but we don't have a real scene over here. But we have some great upcoming bands here at the moment. If you've got the time you should definitely check out our buddies in Storyteller, In Tradition and FiftyFour Planets. They're definitely worth it!

How has the recording process been?

It was really cool. Simon Yildirim, who plays drums in We Set The Sun produced, mastered and recorded it. He's a good friend and a really chill guy so everything went smoothly. Simon was a big help because he's a musician himself and knew what sound we wanted to achieve. We talked a lot in advance so we could directly start over in the studio and wouldn't waste any time. We had a lot of fun and also had a day-off to clear our minds and think about something else. It was awesome to see all the different parts of the EP come together and finally hear what it will sound like when it's recorded.

what's different about your new ep compared to your first one?

I think it's more serious. We wanted to let the people know what we've been through in this past year. We all had to learn what growing up means and reflected a lot of things that happened in the past. We also tried to look at them from another perspective. I think we tried to do the same thing with our old EP and this one is a follow-up. We also changed our style a little bit. We always wanted to sound like this and we finally do. This makes me very happy.

Why should people listen to your music?

I always feel better when I'm not the only one with certain problems and I think that some other people will feel the same way about this.

If you could play a dream show with 5 bands, who would it be?

For me it would be blink-182, The Story So Far, Forever Came Calling, Real Friends and Four Year Strong. 

what bands are currently inspiring you?

I think we're all huge fans of The Story So Far. We always listen to them when we're in the car together and sing along. But we all listen to different bands when we're at home. I think this is cool because everyone's vision of how a song should sound like is different.

what's the best part about being in your band?

I think it's the fact that we're best friends and not just musicians working together.

how did your band's name come about?

Our song 'Moving On' was called 'Fountains' when we first wrote it. We were writing songs for our new band back then and didn't have a name. We've been down because our old band broke up and we wanted to be at the top again. Just like a fountain. It was the perfect metaphor for our situation because we wanted to be a part of something new, something that we love. Also, life is full of ups and downs and we thought that this is exactly what makes it special. So we thought that 'Fountains' would be the right name for our new band because it actually had a meaning and didn't just sound cool.

Is there anything else you would like to say or mention?

Our new EP 'Souvenirs' is coming out very soon and we really would like you to check it out. We put a lot of heart in these songs and they mean the world to us. | Don't drink and drive. 

Interview with Knuckle Puck

This Is Pop Punk Promotions with a special interview featuring Knuckle Puck.

Interview by: Branden Whitehead

Knuckle Puck is a Chicago based pop punk band, make sure to check them out and show these guys some love. You can get their music here! http://knucklepuck.bandcamp.com/

TIPPP- How long have you guys been a band and how did you form?

KP- We've been a band for almost 3 years now, but have only been serious about it since the release of Don’t Come Home last October. We started out just jamming in John's bedroom and after recording a demo we decided to take our songs to an actual studio.

TIPPP- Where's your home town and how's your local scene?

KP- The four of us are spread out in different suburbs surrounding Chicago, and we all grew up in the Chicagoland area. The scene isn't terrible, but not as big as I wish it was. Definitely a lot of noteworthy bands to check out such as Droughts, No Regrets, High Point, Ryan Rumchaks, and Real Friends to name a few.

TIPPP- How was the release for your last ep?

KP- Way better than any of us ever expected that's for sure. It was only 3 songs long (4 including the B-side) and kids really seemed to dig it enough to establish us as a band. This time around with the release of The Weight That You Buried was even further beyond any of our expectations.

TIPPP- What has knuckle puck been up to in the past few months?

KP- Writing has taken over the majority of our lives for the past year. We completed our first tour in June with Seaway and Bellwether, and are currently planning to be a part of a few more in the coming months.

TIPPP- What can we expect to see in the future from knuckle puck?

KP- More musixxx, more touring, and weight gain due to stress.

TIPPP- What would you Guys say is your biggest success band wise?

KP- The release of our EP The Weight That You Buried. The entire process of creating those four songs was the most strenuous experience of my life. I think the four of us can all agree that it shows in the songs as well. We've never had such a positive and supportive reaction from listeners, and we want to thank everyone for keeping our band afloat in ANY way, whether that be buying a shirt, or simply listening and showing their friends.

TIPPP- What has been your favorite place you've seen on the road?

KP- Probably Times Square or just New York in general.

TIPPP- Craziest thing that has happened to you guys on the road?

KP- Nick was on a hot streak at a casino in Atlantic City, but ended up losing more money than he'd care to disclose.

TIPPP- The best show you've ever played?

KP- Probably the hometown show we played at Centennial Lanes in August of last year. That show is the reason our band still exists. Thank you to anyone who was there and sang along. It allowed us to see clearly.

TIPPP- The worst show you guys have ever played?

KP- The one where we drove two hours with two fill-ins to a "fest" and played to an empty room. But we got to chill with a homeless dude who ended up soiling himself so it wasn't a total bust.

Alright a break from the serious questions.

TIPPP- If you had to fight a lion or a shark? Go.

KP- A lion because he'd probably be down to blaze. Sharks can't because water.

TIPPP- Would you prefer an alien invasion or a zombie apocalypse?

KP- Both at the same time so I could just chill in a UFO and show the aliens Creed while the zombies ate my shitty neighbors that live across the street from me.

TIPPP- Alright we've all made plans Just in case a zombie apocalypse does happen. How would you guys fight them off?

KP- Project a Nicolas Cage movie marathon from my roof onto my shitty neighbors' front lawn.

TIPPP- The funniest prank you've pulled on each other?

KP- One time we made Kevin think that John was his dad for like an entire year.

TIPPP- Who in the band is the most grumpy?

KP- Nick.

TIPPP- Do you have any advice to local bands who are trying to "make it"?

KP- Lots and lots of breakdowns.

TIPPP- Was it hard getting to the point in your career that your at now?

KP- Absolutely. I think I speak for all of us when I say that this is the happiest we've ever been with our lives. That doesn't come without hard work and plenty of frustration.

TIPPP- Describe the whole history of the band

KP- One big 420 disaster

TIPPP- What are 5 local bands that you think deserve more exposure and respect?

KP- Priorities

Bellwether

Capstan

High Point

Ryan Rumchaks

Interview with Good Times Gone

This is pop punk promotions with an interview featuring Good Times Gone.
Interviewed by: Branden Whitehead

  Good times gone is a Rock n' Roll band from Mokena Illinois, you can check out their music here!  http://www.smarturl.it/Battlelines

TIPPP- How long has Good times gone been a band? And where are you guys from?

GTG- We've been a band for a little over 5 months. But we're not unfamiliar with the local scene as both of us have come from pre-established bands around here. So with that we were able to gain 1,500+ fans in such little time.

TIPPP- How did the members of GTG come together to form the band?

GTG- Well I was from a band called Jaded for 5 years and when we kind of went 'inactive' for lack of a better word, I wanted to start a new project. Steve had been doing the solo thing for a while so I came to him and asked if he'd like to be a part of my new band idea. He quickly said yes because he always wanted to work with me at that point so I only found it fitting!

TIPPP- What type of music would you say you play? And what makes it different and sets you aside as unique from other bands?

GTG- We've decided to just call us Rock n' Roll. But if you wanted to be technical, I think Garage Punk Rock works too. It's like if you took the 90's greats Green Day and Foo Fighters, and threw in some old school rock like Chuck Berry and The Kinks. It's a sound that really isn't too popular around local Chicago which is why I love it. We still technically fit into the pop punk category, but it's not like all the other pop punk. Everyone (in my opinion) seems to want to sound like The Wonder Years, or The Story So Far or something like that where to me, it's really all starting to blend together locally. If anything we take you back to 90's pop punk.

TIPPP- How has the release been going for your new EP Battlelines?

GTG- It's been awesome. Everything we've heard so far has been positive reviews. I think 7/10 has been the lowest it's gotten. Digitally it's doing really well and as far as physical copies, we ordered about 50 of them to sell and by the time our CD release-ish show happened 3 days later, we already sold 20 of them. Small numbers compared to professional bands but for us that's a huge honor to be able to have people enjoy our music on CD especially in the age of pirating and digital downloads.

TIPPP- What are your plans for the future as a band?

GTG- I want this band to be one of the biggest bands on the planet.

TIPPP- What has GTG been up to in the past few months? (Shows,tour,recording)?

GTG- Well we've really played shows and wrote/recorded 'Battlelines'. We've played I think 9 shows since April and that will continue on further. Most of the shows we've played actually have been bigger shows. Nothing less than 50 people it's pretty awesome. We've also had the honor of playing with New Found Glory, Cartel, You Me and Everyone We Know, as well as some other kick ass local bands. It's really been a great way to start off the new band.

TIPPP- What can we expect to see from GTG in the future? (Shows,tour,recording)?

GTG- We actually just are focusing on live shows at the moment. If you're into pure rock and roll you should really come out to see us one day. Pay close attention to our facebook page @ facebook.com/goodtimesgoneil to find out when we'll be playing around you. But our next BIG show is in Milwaukee at the Rave November 1st with Mayday Parade, Man Overboard and Cartel. It's really going to be a kick ass show.

TIPPP- When the band plays live do you have live members or is it just the two of you?

GTG- Me and Steve are the only 2 official members at the moment. We've gone through a few drummers including my old bands drummer for the summer Mike, who has played the majority of the shows with us and did the drums on the EP. He recently went back to school so we're kinda in the search of a permanent drummer but we have a few in mind!

TIPPP- What has been your favorite show that you guys have played?

GTG- Our favorite would probably have to be one of our show at Centennial Lanes in Tinley Park, IL. It was probably in front of 80-100 people and just everything was awesome. We had a circle slow dance pit, where we got fans to open a pit but instead of moshing, we had them slow dance with a partner. It was during one of the Stanley Cup games, so we played a snippet of Chelsea Dagger. What was fun about that is then 10 minutes later I asked if there was a score yet, I was told no. So I then shouted "well go hawks!". Right after I said that they scored the first goal so we played Dagger again and the fans went nuts. People screamed back the words to Green Day's Basket Case to us when we covered it. It was just a great atmosphere.

TIPPP- Your least favorite show?

GTG- I really don't think we have a least favorite show yet. All of the shows we've played have gone really well and not many bad things have happened. Not to sound like I'm tooting my own horn, because all bands have that one bad day, but luckily we haven't had ours yet!

TIPPP- What's the bands favorite thing to do outside of music?

GTG- More than likely we'll be eating pizza. From Nonnas. Or Beggars.

TIPPP- Is there anything else you would like to mention or say?

GTG- Be sure to check out Battlelines if you haven't already! It's got a little bit of everything! From pop punk, to rock and roll, to a piano ballad and a bit of doo-whop! You can get it online at Itunes, Amazon, Spotify, really any of the big digital retailers for just $5! Also be sure to come check us out in Milwaukee with Mayday Parade November 1st, 2013! We won't disappoint you!