Are there multiple or individual songwriters within the band?

Jose: It depends on the song, for instance, for Jack Daniels Angel made the guitar riff and he told me to sing to it so I made all the lyrics.

Ben: It’s usually like someone writes a guitar part and lyrics and if it’s good we stick with it. We always come up with different ideas. For me, atleast, I had a lot of ideas for adding stuff to elevate the song so it’s more than just guitar and vocals.

Angel: If we have a guitar riff and we jam with it, then we sometimes do something with it cause it makes us think “Oh that makes me want to play the guitar like this”.

Moving on to more of your personal life, how do you balance work and school with practice and performing?

Angel: Making no money!

Jose: I feel like I balance it pretty well. I have a set schedule. Practice Monday, work Tuesday, practice Wednesday, school Thursday, school Friday. That’s the schedule I made for myself that I can mentally do.

Ben: Yeah it has to be a really set schedule. I’m quitting my job now for a new one so I can make more since we are all moving in with each other. So that will be Friday’s, Saturday’s, and Sunday’s. So basically there will be like one free day which would be hanging with these guys which is basically practice again or hanging with an old school friend.

Jose: After practice we just usually hang out with each other.

If you wanted to add more, what do you guys do during your free time?

Jose: We play soccer.

Ben: If I could describe ourVanity in a couple of phrases it would be pieces of meat and soccer. Soccer is just a big thing for these guys, it’s just music then soccer. It’s kind of crazy how good these guys are. Jose and Angel are really good and it’s insane how much I have improved by watching these guys.

Tick: Last time we played you destroyed me!

Ben: Yea Tick I usually destroy you in most sports but no I’m kidding I love you.

Jose: It’s just a fun thing we do. I’m the competitive one. I love getting cocky with it. Shout out Adriel, he’s my soccer enemy but it’s fun.

Angel: They get aggressive bro.

When you were all younger, did any of you imagine yourselves being in a band or making music? If not, what do you think influenced or inspired you to pursue it later on?

Jose: I was big on rap, that’s what made me love music first. I listened to Tyler and Rocky. So that’s how I really go into music. I listened to a lot of albums and then a lot of genres. And angel liked a lot of the same so we connected about it

Angel: I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I hate working so much and I hated school so much. Them bringing up the idea of making a band kind of made me feel like yeah I can do that.

Jose: It’s like the idea that you don’t have to do it alone. If we make it we make it together and if we don’t then we don’t together.

Ben: Angel and I are pretty much the same. I didn’t hate school but nothing really inspired me. There was a point where I didn’t know what I wanted to do but Tick helped me out with going to MATC and stuff. I was always into music I guess, my first instrument was the cello. I started in 3rd grade up until I graduated highschool, so for a long time. My Dad was a musician, my Uncle was a musician so there’s a lot of inspiration within my family.

So would you guys say you were more inspired once you were older to actually make music?

Jose: Yeah, when someone else likes it too we just want to do it right away.

Angel: I didn’t even think it was a possibility that it was a real thing that could happen.

Jose: When we had our old guitarist me and angel just locked in right away.

Do you guys have any specific goals, either with the band or your own personal music career?

Angel: Being able to survive off of it.

Jose: Yeah, make a living off of it. Stadium. Travel.

Ben: For me personally just something music related. It didn’t mean I have to be ina band but like audio engineering or something. But since I do have this band I’m trying to make a living off of this band and not have a boring job. We are trying to tour and get shows and stuff. We talked about how we are going to have to sacrifice a lot of things whether it’s money, friends and moving. But you gain a lot more from it.

Angel: No matter what as long as you keep doing it, and that applies to anything, there’s no way you’re not going to find success eventually if you’re learning along the way and applying the stuff you learn.

Jose: We are lucky that we have a good manager that gets us shows and has good connections so shout out to Tick.

Are there any specific inspirations that influence ourVanity as a whole? Genres, artists, bands, etc.

Angel: Genres in general I would say folk, shoegaze, indie-rock. There’s some r&b singing on the first album and we intend to take more alternatives from the heavy stuff.

Ben: Heavy bands I would say Catalyst. I for sure take a lot of inspiration from them and I know Miguel has. Septemberistheonlytimeidontthinkofyou as well. We tend to get really into a certain band or genre and add it to what we have been making. Like screamo and then to fucking Miguel’s metalcore and deathcore. Who knows what’s going to be next which is cool cause we all listen to different stuff.

Jose: I don’t have the same music taste as them, like if I were to listen to something it wouldn’t be what they would put but I’m not opposed to it.
What advice would you give to any new local bands?

Ben: Shit bro we are the new local band. I’ve had a couple of people ask me about starting a band. I’m always honest with them to make sure you know this is what you want to do and make sure it sounds good first cause sometimes they try it and it doesn’t sound the best then people just hate on it.There have been some stinkers but it’s just a process.

Angel: Watch a lot of youtube like so much.

Jose: Like your band mates. Don’t be scared to voice your opinion and make sure to give input. It’s not one person that’s demanding a certain way. We don;t get mad at eachother.

Ben: Like for the new demo we were recording it wasn’t like “that sucked you should change it” it was “hey to make this part sound more full lets try to add this”. We all play different instruments too, we aren’t stuck on just one.

Tick: On the advice standpoint, just be different. Don’t be like every local band.