MC: How has Concord Music Group’s acquisition of Fearless Records affected Pierce The Veil?
Fuentes: It’s something we’re still in the process of feeling out. We didn’t really have any choice in what was happening to the record label, ya know? But I think that the transition happening right in the middle of us putting out a new record was actually a good thing. Our record was one of the things that Concord was focused on when they were making this change. Right out of the gate they were really supportive and ready to just help the band.
MC: Didn’t they get you a room in the legendary Village Studios in Santa Monica?
Fuentes: They basically helped save the record by hooking me up with The Village Studios, which is such a wonderful studio. All kinds of awesome artists were in there every single day. It was nice to be part of such a creative place. The whole transition with the label is still fresh and it feels great, so far it’s only added a bigger team and more resources, which I think was one of their goals in the transition was to be able to handle an even wider range of things the record label could do.
MC: You’ve now gotten to track in both indie and major studios. What works better for the band?
Fuentes: I recorded “The Divine Zero” at our practice studio at our parents’ house. If you have the right gear and the dedication to doing it, you can totally do it and learn. It’s a really cool concept to grasp early on. I think that’s something I’d love to tell younger artists: If it sounds cool, then it sounds cool. If you record a guitar in your bedroom and it sounds amazing, it can go on a record! It doesn’t have to be recorded in a crazy expensive studio. … The more we do records, the more I learn that the sounds I make on my own can actually go on the record.
MC: You recently wrapped a set of Mexico shows and you’ve just finished a string of small U.S. venues performing Misadventures from beginning to end. The current trend seems to be 10-year album-anniversary tours, but Pierce The Veil took an opposite approach, you must really have confidence your fans will enjoy the new record.
Fuentes: We decided to do it when we were mixing the record. We had to come out with a tour, and we wanted to do something more intimate to start off with, and we were trying to come up with something that would be special and different from anything we’ve ever done, and also leave people wanting more, waiting for another tour after that. It felt like the right decision, because our fans have been knocking down our doors for new music and really hungry for it––and we’re also hungry to play it. So it was kind of a decision to make like, “Let’s do something that’s once in a lifetime that our fans can really appreciate and remember. We’ll do it intimate and we’ll do it special.”
See More: PHOTOS: Pierce The Veil at Mayan Theater for Misadventures Tour
Like you said, people only do the 10-year anniversaries lately, and I’m actually surprised more bands don’t come out and play their new record. Like ‘70s rock bands did. My dad was telling me back when Led Zeppelin would put out a record, they would go out and play it.
MC: In today’s market, merch is so important. Tell us about that awesome ‘90s viewfinder you’re selling with the new record.
Fuentes: Me and my friend Curtis [Peoples] were having a couple whiskey cocktails and we just came up with an idea and kept rolling with it while drinking at this bar. Ever since then we go and order that drink when we need to be creative because it all just flows super-well. We had a few ideas: We had an idea to make a box set that was like a half-stack amp to put in your room. We basically wanted something kids would put in their room and look at for years, because that’s what we used to do when we were younger with a poster, set list, drumstick, some cool thing that stayed in there for like 10 years. So with this we wanted to bring alive the Misadventures theme with an “adventure pack.” It all has to do with travel, so there’s a compass, handkerchief, camping cup, and we were thinking of binoculars, but decided the viewfinder would be more fun and we could load it with pictures from the studio.
MC: Fearless was down with the idea?
Fuentes: We couldn’t believe it. We kept throwing these absurd ideas and they were like, “Yeah we can do that. We got a viewfinder guy.” … What? How do you have a viewfinder person? (laughs). Those things make being in a band very fun. We’re so hands-on with everything that we do. Every little thing, from Instagram posts to the skin of our merch store, we approve everything and stay involved in every little decision. So this was really fun for us.
