Interview with The Confession vocalist Taylor Holland Armstrong
The Confession are: Kevin Fyfe (guitar), Taylor Holland Armstrong (vocals), Justin Norman (guitar), Matt Pauling (bass), Jeff Veta (drums)
It wasn't too long ago that The Confession was all but unknown on the musical landscape. Now, the band is one of the hottest new groups in the country, with tours supporting both Megadeth and Avenged Sevenfold. The guys have come a long way in under three years, releasing an EP and their new full length debut Requiem, which was produed by Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M Shadows. The brief road to the top has not always been easy however, as vocalist Taylor Holland Armstrong explains in this honest and up front interview. One thing is for sure though, the bands brightest days are ahead of them. Judging by fan reaction to the new album, they are poised to become as big as the bands they are alligned with.
Anarchy Music: You've had a quick rise to get where you are. Tell me a little bit about how you formed...
Taylor Holland Armstrong: Ah, there was actually a Confession band before this one that I was not a part of. I was a grade older in high school. They had a Hardcore band, they played Battle Of The Bands. I was in hair school, trying to become a cosmetologist. I was friends with Kevin, our guitarist. We listened to music together and I explained to him that if I was in a band what I would want it to sound like. Of course, his was totally opposite. He wanted to sound like Arch Enemy, At The Gates, In Flames. I had come from a more Rock background and wanted to sound more Rock. So, we went back and forth for awhile. I tried out for the band and literally two months later the band got signed.
Anarchy Music: Well, clearly you were the deciding factor...
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I think they were looking for a lead singer. They had a couple of kids and I listened to them and it was all screaming. I have nothing against all screaming bands, some of my favorite bands just scream, but it's not what I want to do. I think they were sort of against that until I came to try out. It's cool.
Anarchy Music: To me, the most interesting bands that are coming out are the ones who pull influences from the past, as opposed to current trends, and yet put a new spin on it. It seems that most of those bands, Bullets And Octane, Avenged Sevenfold, The Confession, all come from The OC. Is Rock N Roll in the water or what?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I don't know dude. That is funny because there's so many bands from Orange County that are on the rise right now. I think there's an eclectic group of kids in Orange County. With our band, there's so many different musical styles and no style is cut off. We don't say "you can't do that style, we don't play that type of music." We put it all together into a big melting pot and whatever comes out, comes out. There might be something in the water too, I don't know.
Anarchy Music: The album was produced by M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. He's not the first name I think of when I think about record production, but obviously he has varied interests and a good ear for music. How did he help shape the record?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: He actually was a very good support system and was very open to our ideas. That was one thing that we wanted to make sure of. We're very creative and a lot of us don't like to be told what direction to go in, whether it's a label or producer. He was very open to all of our ideas and he wouldn't cut off any ideas. He would just say, "let's take this and work with it". On top of that, he is a very talented guy. He brought my vocals to a level that they couldn't have been, because that's his specialty. He worked with me every day. I had never taken vocal lessons up until this record. He worked with me, showing me the tricks of the trade on how to save your voice. It was amazing.
Anarchy Music: Obviously his production is going to impact the sound. I've heard comparisons to Avenged Sevenfold in both positive and negative ways, because as you know, Avenged Sevenfold invented melodic Metal with guitar solos...
Taylor Holland Armstrong: (laughs)
Anarchy Music: But do you share some influences with them?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I think there are some shared influences. Matt is a big fan of Guns N' Roses and I've always loved GN'R. I think both bands are just fans of doing their own thing. Avenged has always been known for that. I'd be lying if I said that we didn't know going in that having Matt produce the record was going to help out a little bit. At that same time, I knew there would be acusations that we were trying to ride their wave. Fuck it, I really don't care. Those kids who say that, I could care less about. We share a lot of musical influences and probably don't share a lot of musical influences. It worked for them, and hopefully what we're doing works for us.
Anarchy Music: I remember when they first broke, people were telling me that they just sold out and were riding a trend. The weird part about it was that I wasn't aware that Power Metal bands like Helloween were that freakin huge in the US to even be called "sell-out trends".
Taylor Holland Armstrong: There was a big jump from Waking The Fallen to City Of Evil. For us too, from our EP to our full-length. Any time you change there's going to be kids that are like, "fuck you, you don't scream any more, you're not as heavy". But I think the point of a band or anything you do is to excel and to go places you haven't gone before, and if kids don't like that then they can go fuck themselves.
Anarchy Music: Also, one of your fans wanted to know what your single biggest vocal influence is..
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I really love Scott Weiland and Jim Morrison.
Anarchy Music: Meanwhile, you took that influence and sound nothing like them. Is it the swagger?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I love their swagger. I think I try to bring a little bit of their swagger to my own stage performance. My favorite vocalist right now by far is Steven Tyler, and I don't think I sound anything like him either. That man is just amazing. I don't think I like lead singers that sound like me because I always wish I could sound better than I do. I'll probably always try to work to sound better. Steven Tyler right now I'd say is the man.
Anarchy Music: Another misconception that I hear about you is that a lot of people think that you're a Christian band. I can see where some of your lyrics touch on religion, but you drop a lot of F-bombs as well...
Taylor Holland Armstrong: The only religious one in the band is Justin, our guitar player, but he doesn't write the lyrics. I would never label us a Christian band, but when I do write about God it's mostly about the conflicts and struggles that I have, things that I do, and then going home at the end of the day supposedly being a believer and how that affects me. There's a lot of lyrics on Requiem were sort of I hope God forgives me or figures me out. It's more like saying "look, I'm sorry, I'm a huge fuck-up, but i still believe in God". People might take that the wrong way, but that's just my relationship with God. We're not a Christian band. I know that The name The Confession is reminiscent of Catholicism and stuff like that, but we're not a Christian band.
Anarchy Music: I assumed as much, but I think on the surface, some people think that. All I have to say is, listen to a song or two.
Taylor Holland Armstrong: Maybe we should jump on the Christian bandwagon and sell some records.
Anarchy Music: Also, some of the things that you went through with touring inspired some of those lyrics. One of the quotes that I read was that you partied too much and spent too much cash and all of that. What have you learned in the brief 2 and half years?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: We're not road dogs yet, but we know what's up, in a sense. I think a lot of people that aren't involved in the music industry don't really know what goes down. When you get signed, it doesn't mean shit. We got signed and we borrowed all this money from the label, we fucking spent it at the strip clubs, and take ourselves out to eat very night. Also with the partying thing, right after we made Requiem I went to rehab, because some of the drugs that I was choosing to do was taking a toll on me as a friend and as a lead singer. There's been a couple of times where we've had to tell each other to settle down on drinking. Guys have had to come to me and said that I've got to fix this or I'm out. We've been through so much, but I wouldn't take it back because it's brought us closer as brothers. We've walked out of the fires so far, so it's fucking cool. Also, like you mentioned with my lyrics, there's a lot of drug references and stuff like that.
Anarchy Music: Now you're out with Megadeth, and i guess you're the same as me. I'm stoked to be in the same building as Dave Mustaine.
Taylor Holland Armstrong: The same state!
Anarchy Music: You're still changing as a band and still improving. What impact does touring with him have on you?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: At first it was very scary. I remember our first day on this tour was Seattle. We got there a little later than In This Moment. I walked in and I saw Dave Mustaine sound checking. It didn't hit me until then that we were on tour with fucking Megadeth. I got really scared. Throughout this tour, Justin has been sponsored by Dean guitars, through the Megadeth guys. Our drummer is now endorsed thanks to the Megadeth guys. Every night they're so supportive. They all have our cd. For a fucking legend to be so nice and supportive of you, it's incredible. We couldn't have asked for a better tour. It's really been amazing. Like you said, it's an honor. Every night I make a point of saying that it's an honor to share the stage with them, and I mean it. It's not bullshit. It's been amazing.
Anarchy Music: The Megadeth crowd seemed to respond pretty well. Is that the trend of how the tour is going?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I'm not going to lie. We had a really bad night in Anaheim, which is ten minutes from where we're from. When we play there on our own or with smaller bands we do exceptionally well. We played a five song set that night and by the fourth song we were having quarters thrown at us. I actually jumped into the crowd and swung at a kid that night. The people totally took us off our game that night. It was really disheartening because it was the fourth show on this tour and it was like, "goddamn, these people are ruthless". At the end of the day, when I imagine what ind of fan base I want, I want a fucking Megadeth fan base. It's a cult. I can't blame them. We're a new band, we're young kids. People might misconstrue us for being Emo looking or whatever the fuck they want to say. I think it makes us stronger as a band. One again, if you don't like us, fuck off. You've always got people that don't like you and I've learned to not fucking care. We'll just get past it.
Anarchy Music: You mentioned having a cult-like fan base, and I've seen you talk about that before. You see it as building an army?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: I think that we sort of did things ass-backwards in this band. We got signed pretty early and we didn't get to build those kids who say "I knew them before they got signed". As cool as it was getting signed early, that's what I really want at the end of the day. I want a couple hundred to a thousand kids that are going to come and fucking rage every time we play in their city. In a sense, yeah I want to build a fucking army, not of kids that are going to shit-talk other bands that we tour with, but of kids that are down with The Confession. It's going to take a few years, but it's worth it to have a fan base of true kids. I'm in this for the long run. Who knows if we will ever break, or when we will, but I want to do this. I want to build that cult following. That's what I really fucking want, just die-hard fans.
Anarchy Music: After this you're going back out with Avenged Sevenfold, right?
Taylor Holland Armstrong: Yeah. We take two weeks off and the tour starts in Los Angeles. It's with them, Operator and a new band called Black Tide. It's going to be sick.
Anarchy Music: A lot of your fans are young musicians...
Taylor Holland Armstrong: Yeah, it's cool. It's really cool. We have an instant messenger name that we go on and talk to kids with. Being a singer, I'll go on and get like ten IMs, "what kind of guitar do you use, what kind of pickups do you use?" I'm just like, "I'm not a guitarist". There's something to be said about a band that other musicians respect, and I really think that's cool. Not being a guitarist, I can't answer those questions, but I like that a lot. As opposed to little girls going, "I love your hair", I'd rather have someone IM me saying "your guitarist fucking shreds" or "I love your vocals". I think that's cool.
Anarchy Music: So do I. In fact, I hear more kids talking about you guys every day. Maybe some of that Avenged Sevenfold success will come your way.
Taylor Holland Armstrong: Who knows? Maybe they paved the way. Regardless of what happens, we're in it for the long haul. We're going to go through thick and thin and we already have. It's going to take a while, but we're ready for that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to Taylor and the rest of the guys for having us out to the show! For more info on The Confession (so you aren't the last person on earth to find out about them), go to The Confession on Myspace and TheConfessionMusic.com .