Indy United Interview | Put Me in the Picture | Dec. 2006

Can you introduce yourselves for the fans?
Drew– my name is Drew and I play guitar
Mike– my name is Mike and I play bass
Stephen– I’m Stephen I play guitar
Keith– I’m Keith and I’m the singer
Paul– Paul, drums

How did you get started with the band?

Stephen-I’ll answer that since I’m the only original member in the band. The band started about 5 years ago. One of my friends-Ryan, who was the old lead singer, came to me and wanted to start a band basically. So it kind of lead to that, we knew other people, tried people out and that’s how we became Indy United, now it’s 5 completely different members
Keith-laughs

Can you describe your music; -do you have a certain style?

Drew-We take a lot of influence (Group Agrees)
Stephen-Rock, Power Pop
Keith-We draw from so many different places
Stephen-We don’t have like a one, yeah

Who are your influences, whether they are musicians or not?

Paul-God is like the center of our ministry and we focus everything around him first of all, all our families back us big time, a lot of family support, fan support, and girlfriends
Stephen-Manager, a lot of local bands we’re friends with.

Besides This Beautiful Republic, are there any other local bands you’re friends with that people may know?

Stephen-We’re friends with Pawn, Sanctus Real
Keith-Strike-out-Pro
Stephen-Renovaudio, Trying to think of who we know well
Keith-Every Avenue from Michigan
Stephen-I guess Heirs, but they’re not a band anymore
Keith-yeah they broke up
Stephen-Never mind on that one
Drew-A band called South Bound Fearing, we know them-that’s about it.
Keith-Who else?
Stephen-We probably know more bands
Keith-uhh Mae
Drew-All American Rejects
Keith-Just kidding (Group laughs)

Who would you like to tour with our just get the chance to do a show with?

Paul-Sanctus Real-That’d be awesome
Drew-Tour with Sanctus (Group Agrees)
Stephen-We played with them but touring with them would be great because they’re all great guys, down to earth, bring a big crowd and that’s good

How did the after party go?

Group-It went really well
Stephen-A lot of people were there!

You guys were having the opportunity to do a show with Family Force 5, what happened there?

Drew-They will say its cause I broke my collarbone, but in reality it’s not the truth. Stephen and Paul, they had to work that night. My arm was in a sling and I was bed ridden but..
Paul-We played a show actually without him and uh, it went ok, but you’re losing a piece of your band so obviously
Keith-We weren’t going to play with Family Force 5 and House of Heroes with 1 guitarist
Paul-And we also had some other things going on

Keith-I went to the show-it was a good show! House of Heroes and Family Force 5 are both amazing bands live.

Do you have any label or management plans?

Stephen-Well we’re open to about anything. We’ve talked to record companies but not set on one particular label.
Drew-We obviously want to get a record deal and want to get signed Stephen-But if we could do it independently
Drew-Exactly, if we could do it independently and financially support ourselves, get our music out there-Hey wherever God takes us.
Paul-Our biggest focus is getting a CD-Full length CD and that’s going to happen pretty soon.
Keith-We have a lot of new material we’re working on pretty excited about it.

If you weren’t in the music industry what is something you’d want to pursue.

Drew-Other than a band?
PMITP-Yeah
Drew-I’d like to produce, I’d like to be a producer or like co-songwriter, studio musician-that’s what I’d like to do.
Keith-she said other than music
Drew-Did she?
Stephen-Yeah
Drew-Other than music (thinks)
Group-Sports
Drew-Yeah involving sports, media or something, get to go to all the games, interview the players-that’d be cool
Mike-Yeah definitely sports
Stephen-I don’t know maybe some type of movie making, or that’s not music related, something like that
Keith-I’d probably work in the lumber department of Home Depot (group laughs) Wait-that’s where I work now. No I don’t know I’d probably, I have no idea!
Paul-I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, but I know that’s never gonna happen. That’d be sweet!

What is one of your most embarrassing on stage moments?

Stephen-Oh man
Drew-haven’t had too many with this group
Keith-Oh wait, I got it! I’m going to say it before everyone else does. I started the song “You’re the one” a whole octave higher than it’s originally sang
Drew-Oh gosh-the look on my face
Stephen-Sounded like the chipmunks
Drew-Sounded like Alvin was up on stage signing
Keith-It was ridiculous, I don’t know what happened to be honest, but for some reason I just started singing “You’re the one” a whole octave higher that it’s originally sang
Drew-It was ear piercing, it was bad
Keith-But it was hilarious cause like I look back and Drew is like (mouths) “what are you doing? Stephen was like, everyone was
Drew-I look back at Mike like what is he doing?
Mike-Yeah and I just shrugged haha
Keith-Of course I felt like an idiot I had to wait till the next verse in order to sing it correctly that was embarrassing.

What was the first concert you guys went to?

Keith-Together or individually
PMITP-Individually I guess
Paul-Probably newsboys
Stephen-yeah newsboys, Carmen
Keith-my dad was a musician so that was my first concert
(*Had to start the question over due to sound check of another band)
Paul-Thinking it’s Carmen
Stephen-That was back in the ’90′s
Drew-My first concert-oh man
Mike-Sanctus Real
Drew-Probably Sanctus Real when they first started
Keith-When they were where we are now (Group laughs)
Mike-The wonder years

What is the best and worst thing about being in a band?

Keith-We do this to glorify God, we feel we were all called to do this, I feel that’s the best thing
Drew-Worst thing-loading and unloading the trailer
Mike-Loading and unloading the truck!
Stephen-Driving, late nights, working full time jobs
Keith-Being poor, living in a basement-I live in a basement currently that’s pretty sweet
Stephen-Grunt work
Mike-Being stressed over nothing (directed towards Keith)

Tell us one thing about yourselves that people may not know

Keith-Drew is a ballerina
Drew-I used to wear girls deodorant, I actually have girl’s deodorant on now. I put my girlfriends deodorant on today, it smells terrific-I’m not going to lie.
Keith-Lady’s speed stick-it’s good stuff
Drew-Yeah I think it is Lady’s Speed Stick, Secret Platinum! I wear girl’s deodorant sometimes; I won’t lie.
Group Laughs
Mike-I was band president in High School
Stephen-King of the nerds
Mike-I was king of the nerds
Stephen-I don’t really know
Keith-You’re a natural blonde
Mike-He used to wear women’s Jeans
Stephen-I wear wigs!
Drew-He straightens his hair, but people know that
Keith-He takes 45 minutes to do his hair
Paul-We race moto cross, that’s kind of different
Stephen-We are Brothers (Him and Paul)
Keith-Some people may not know I’m originally from Detroit, Mi
Drew-That’s boring Keith (Stephen agrees)
Keith-it is boring, but some may not know it
Drew-Deepest darkest secret!! I said I wear chick’s deodorant
Stephen-You’d rather have a dog than a girlfriend
Keith-I’d rather have a dog, wait not now!! Maybe a couple months ago. I really can’t think of anything. (Pauses) My feet are humongous. Ok I’ll tell ya this, when I was just a little kid my great grandmother had to buy special made shoes for me, quadruple E because my feet were as wide as they are long. Nobody knows that, not even these guys.
Drew-Seriously? That’s a first
Stephen-That just makes me sick to my stomach
Keith-it’s pretty gross; I can get ‘em out.
Drew-What about you Paul
Keith-He said moto cross
Drew-I’m the only one that brought out my deepest
Mike-Hey, I said band president
Drew-Nerds over here
Stephen-That’s a good point

What’s your favorite junk food?

Drew-Everything!
Stephen-Oh man
Mike-Double stuffed Oreo cookies
Stephen- Are we talking candy or fast food?
PMITP-Whichever you prefer
Stephen-we’ll go with candy
Drew-actually this is good timing. So Christmas morning I work up at about 11 o’clock and there was a whole pack of Reese’s next to my bed. I thought those look delicious, so I ate them. Once I realized 10 minutes later the whole pack was gone, I realized I ate 8 Reese’s peanut butter cups. Probably Reese’s peanut butter cups, I love them so much.
Mike-Oreo cookies definitely
Stephen-I would say sour skittles are one of my favorites
Keith-I like (laughs) mambas. has anyone heard of mambas? Little chewy candy, they’re so good
Paul-I’d have to say M&M’s
Mike-Wait what kind?
Paul-Peanut butter
Keith-Peanut Butter M&M’s, I could go for some of those.

Last question, what is your most embarrassing CD you own?

Keith-Ace of base I saw the sign
Drew-Nsync No Strings Attached
Keith-That’s not embarrassing, that’s a good album
Drew-I knew every song
Mike-I have the Michael Jackson Thriller CD. That was my first CD ever.
Paul-probably Neutral Drop
Mike and Stephen-our first band
Keith-Those 3 (Keith, Paul and Mike)
Stephen-that’s probably something they wouldn’t know.
Mike-yeah we were in a band
Stephen-Myself, Mike and Paul were in a band prior to this band
Paul-long time ago!
Mike-we were in High school
Keith-The band name says it all
Mike-Neutral Drop and it was awful
Drew-So yeah definitely Nsync
Keith-I like my Ace of Base CD, I’m not embarrassed
Paul-We were listening to it on the way here haha
Stephen-I honestly don’t have an embarrassing CD.
Drew-Oh c’mon guys

Keith-Do you have any questions off the top of your head?

**Since it was yesterday, how was everyone’s Christmas?

Paul-awesome
Keith-Awesome
Stephen-It was good
Drew-Terrific!!
Paul-Traveled most of the day, but it was Christmas
Drew-I love Christmas so much, favorite time of the year
Stephen-Great great holiday- get work off.
Mike-Yeah! Sleep in
Keith-Drew what’d you get for Christmas, what’d Santa bring you?
Drew-Santa brought me a new guitar, real excited about that.
Keith-he’s debuting it tonight-he’s (Paul) going to be debuting his new base pedal and snare drum. Stephen is just gonna whip out these apple gift cards, whip cards at everyone after the show. He’s got like 30 of ‘em.