*Introduce yourselves
I’m Carrick. I sing and play guitar. Mikey plays drums, keyboards, and sings. Austin plays bass and sings.
*How did “Everybody Else” get started?
My band, the Push Kings, had broken up soon after moving to LA from Boston. I made some lo fi demos and would give CD’s of them to friends at parties, looking for musicians to start a new band with. I met the first drummer I played with through James Valentine who had just joined Maroon 5. The
drummer, Ryland, used to play in a band in Nebraska with James called Square. We practiced as a two piece for a while, and then a soon as we found a bassist Ryland left the band to go on tour with Reel Big Fish (and he is now a full fledged member of that band). I went through one more drummer and three bassists before ending up with Mikey and Austin.
Mikey had moved to LA from Virginia with his band, The Waking Hours, a little after I did. Our bands played a show or two together, and I remember being impressed by his amazing drumming and singing. Taylor Locke, from Rooney, was the one who convinced us to play together, and helped
convince Mikey to keep playing drums instead of switching to guitar for this band. After one rehearsal with Mikey, I knew I need look no further.
When Austin came to LA from Fresno for the first time, it was to see an acoustic show by Butch Walker. I happened to be opening that show. Afterward, Austin came up and talked to me while I sold CD’s. He and the friend he was with had “metal long” hair and were super nice and enthusiastic. Austin gave me a CD, which I’m sorry to say I lost before I had a chance to hear. Mikey was there too, but they didn’t meet.
Two years later, Mikey and I had just lost ANOTHER bassist, and were putting up WANTED flyers all over town. We put up a couple in front of a cafe we frequented, and I was eating breakfast there when I saw a waiter who looked familiar. I thought maybe he was an actor I had seen on TV, but then as I
was leaving he approached me and introduced himself, scrawling his number on a piece of paper. That was how I met Austin again, and it was a godsend, because we had a tour booked but an incomplete band. He came to one rehearsal and knew all the songs and parts already. The clincher was when
we tried a three part harmony together and I had never heard one sound better.
*Who are your inspirations?
The Clash, Jimi Hendrix, Woodie Guthrie, Outkast, T.S. Eliot, Walt Whitman, Andy Warhol, Federico Fellini, to name a few. Often I find movies and literature and art informs my music as much as music does.
*You just started the Hanson tour, how is that going so far?
Itʼs going great. They are the most talented band we have ever toured with, and are also super nice. Their fans seem to love us, and more people know our songs at every show.
*Any stories about the tour so far that you can share?
Yesterday we had a day off, driving from Calgary towards Salt Lake City, so we decided to spend a day and night in Glacier National Park. It was an incredible time. We had dinner at a little hippie cafe, and then played pool at a dive bar called Charlie’s place. All of the people there were super friendly, and many of them were Blackfeet Indians because the bar is located on a reservation. We met so many diverse characters. Probably the most entertaining was a flamboyantly gay Indian named Xavier Oldchief. “I’m
blackfeet–OriginAL! And I still look good” he said, pushing his hair intoplace like Marilyn Monroe. The next day we saw a moose, took a twelve mile hike, and walked on one of the last glaciers that hasn’t melted away (yet) in America.
*Your debut album is out in stores and on iTunes, how did it feel to finally release your album?
It felt great, but we are ready to make another.
*What is your favorite song on the album?
Probably, “In Memoriam”.
*Who would you like to work with in the future?
Right now, my dream producer for the next record is Mark Ronson, whom I have known for a long time, but obviously has a lot on his plate.
*Do you have any upcoming projects that you’d like to share with us and the readers?
We are excited about the recent release of the acoustic version of our debut album, called “1 1/2″, and the release, October 7, of four outtakes from our debut recording session: an EP called “Gold Noise.”
*What CD is in your CD player now?
We are listening to an audio book called “Ender’s Game.” Austin is a sci-fi buff.
*Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Nothing too involved. I just like 15 minutes or so of quiet with no one around but my band.
*What moment stands out to you the most in your career thus far?
Without question it was our trip to Tokyo. We have done really well in Japan, and it was obvious because everywhere we went, fans were there to meet us. Tokyo is definitely one of the coolest cities on Earth.
*Message for your fans and the readers?
If you come see us play, dance!
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