Kenny Bridges was able to take some time of from the busy Warped Tour schedule with Moneen and hang out and talk with us.
Talking about the new record, the writing process, and plans for the future with him and Moneen, Kenny gives a bit of an insight to what he's been up to lately.
As the phone fed back a little bit, Kenny Bridges assured that everything was ok, it was just a little bit of mayhem and that he could handle it.
So hows it going man? How is Warped Tour going?
Good man, good ol warped tour is goin good!
Yeah? Any favorite cities so far?
I would say probably other than the Canadian dates, cause those are really good, San Francisco, amazing. And ............, where else was really good... there were a couple recently that were like, actually, you know what. Recently, all of the shows have been really good.
Thats good man. So had you guys played Warped Tour before?
No no, this was the first time we have ever done it.
First time, and its treating you well?
Its pretty crazy. Sometimes, it feels like the whole world has like... just gone crazy.
So how would you say it compares to a place like the Opera House in Toronto, where its more closed in. Its a lot different?
Theres so much goin on that, all at once, that its kinda hard to keep..you know the whole thing is that you want to keep everyones attention right?
Yeah, for sure.
The thing is that there is so much goin on all the time, you just gotta really, play for the moment. Because if you just worry about things too much, you know like if everyones watching or like "Did that guy just walk away when we were playing..? .Does he not like us?", if your thinking about things like that then your just gonna go crazy.
Its like, you can play in front of so many people, and meet so many people that its just a great thing, its really really cool.
So what has the response been like to the new record, and how has it been playing the songs live?
Actually, the response is really really good. The only thing we can really compare it to is our previous record. We're, we feel like, just real lucky that we just have people come up to us in all of these different cities that tell us how much they really do like our new record, so its crazy.
Yeah, and I guess that keeps you guys going too.
Yeah, for sure, and you know you can want that, obviously every band is going to want people to like their record but, we didnt expect people to latch on to this one like they have. It hasnt blown up to like, were not "Rrrock stars" or anything like that, but the people that like our band, reallly like our band, and we feel so lucky for that.
The fans we do have are, really really true to us. And we try and be as true as we can to them, you know?
Yeah, and when I saw you guys at the Opera House on your birthday, it really came through, where it seemed like there was a lot of your hometown kids, and kids that were true to you guys for a long time.
Yeah, yeah.
It was a really good vibe you guys had goin on there, you know?
Yeah, that was a really crazy cool show.
Yeah, I didnt get a chance to tell you afterwards, but it was such an awesome show.
Yeah, we got the footage after it, and it turned out really good.
Thats good. I know that you had mentioned at that show, and you guys had played some of the new songs acoustic, that after playing the acoustic show with The Reason, that that was why you decided to do them acoustically. Do you plan on continuing that? Do you play some of the acoustic more often now?
Well I did a thing where, a bunch of kids missed us, cause we had played early on one of the cities a while back on warped tour, and I felt so bad for them, that I went out and grabbed my acoustic and played for them at the merch table, and it was funny because, you know there are a million kids around, and there was all these bands playing all these stages, and I think at the same time as we were playing, Anti Flag were playing, like the same time as this acoustic thing. Its just something about, stripping your songs down...
Yeah for sure, down to just an acoustic.
Yeah, it makes them really special. Different. And yeah, were going to try and do them as much as we can.
Thats good, and I think its good because some of those tunes come across really well acoustically.
Yeah definately.
So whats the plan for the rest of the summer for the band? I guess more Warped dates, whats after that?
Were going to finish warped tour, and then, right now we have couple weeks off, were going to do a bit of recording and stuff, maybe work on some new stuff, and then we are scheduled to go on a cross Canada tour with Underoath.
Oh, that'll be good.
Yep; and then after that, we ll do the east coast of Canada, and then....after that we are going to do a tour in the states.
Sounds good, sounds like you guys are pretty busy there?
[Laughs] Yeah, were gonna be really busy.
So what do you guys listen to in the van? Any one in particular?
Yeah. Ive been listening to the new Muse record.
Awesome.
So do you know if there are any plans to do a Smallman records tour, or you guys playing with any of those bands on a tour in the future? When that tour came around the first time it was an awesome tour...
Well, i dont really know, like, our new record came out on Vagrant, so it would be kinda weird doing that tour again. We would WANT to, but they probably wouldnt want to because they probably think we smell bad now.
[Laughs] So if there was anyone you could tour with who would it be? Is there a common thread in a band, how about you personally?
Well I already mentioned them, but I would love to tour with that band Muse, just because, there hasnt been a band that has hit me as hard as them in a really long time. I would just love to be able to watch that every night, and then..realize how friggn bad we suck and quit...
[Laughs]
But we can't do enough touring with Alexisonfire.
Yeah, it seems like you guys have a lot of fun together.
Yeah, we have so much fun together and weve been having so much fun with them on Warped Tour, and were going to do some stuff in the future with them, and yeah. We really like those guys a lot.
So what would you say has been the higlight of your career so far, what are some moments that come to mind?
Well that Toronto show was a big highlight for us, just because it was at the Opera House, and we had seen so many shows there, and just to have that many people in front of us, was great. But i mean, doing this record was probably the definate highlight for us.
Well, I think its an awesome record.
Thank you so much man.
So when did you first start playing guitar, and what are you earliest memories of playing music?
I remember on like, I guess it was about grade 9 or 10, you know when everyone in high school was starting to go out and party and stuff? You know what I would do, I would stay at home, and I kinda had this routine I'd do with my guitar, where I would turn my amp on really loud, and I would take my first guitar, and just kinda make weird noises with it. I would like rub a battery like a slide all over it. I would throw it on the ground, and take a screw driver and start smashing it into the pickups. And then take a chair and put it over onto the guitar and then jump up and down on the chair because I thought it made really neat noises. Then I would stop, tune it back up again, set it all up and do it over. Yeah, thats the stuff I was doing when every one else was partying. Trying to make really weird noises on my guitar.
[Laughs] Thats ..interesting, certainly not the standard approach to music..
[Laughs] No, its not sitting at home practicing scales thats for sure.
I guess that leads in to my next question, I know that you guys use a lot of guitar effects, but how do you guys write guitar parts?
Wellll, it really depends on the song. You usually just have an idea in your head, and you know you try and work through that idea as much as you can on your own, and you get to a certain point, and im like ok,ok I have a song, and a few parts, and maybe some stuff I want Hippy to try and then we ll all get together, and everyone will show each other their ideas, and give their two cents, and then we ll just go from there.
I guess you just keep refining it as you go along?
Yeah, for sure, and we all respect who comes in with the idea, and we give them the respect to follow that idea without shooting them down, or if they have something, or Hippy has a guitar part he wants me to try, or if I have a guitar part I want him to try, even if hes not the one who wrote it, we dont get all weird, its really whatever sounds best.
So its more a cooperative effort?
Yeah, exactly.
So how did you guys come up with the name "The Red Tree" for the album?
Well we were just influenced a lot by the artwork. I did all of the artwork for this record, and it just kinda felt, right. With all the artwork with the stripes on the trees, theres just something so lonely about all those pictures.
Well the artworks great on the album too.
Oh man, thank you.
So where do you see the band in 5 years? Still doing what your doing now?
I have no idea. Were just gonna keep on truckin. If things work out, great, if not, then well, were probably just gonna keep trucking.
I noticed that today you had the day off from Warped Tour, what do you guys do on your day off?
I actually locked myself in my hotel room today, and Ive just been recording.
I would assume that you have some kind of portable recording gear when you travel?
Yep, I was just using my laptop, and ive just been workin on some stuff.
Just recording riffs, and ideas that you have in your head?
Yeah yeah, just workin on some songs, im gonna be workin on, when we go back home were gonna have a couple weeks off, and I might go and record some of my own stuff. I guess a solo thing, i dont know exactly where its going to go, but im going to get some friends to come play on it with me. Stuff that would be different from Moneen, but..i mean thats why you do side projects, so you dont ruin your own band.
I guess you have to have a certain degree of seperation...
Yeah.
So what do you guys do for fun?
Well, we like to play poker. Watch DVDs.
Yeah, poker is good.
Yeah, we used to play video games but we dont play them much anymore.
Its always important in a band to try and keep doing things together. Everyone has things they want to do, and in there own way, but its really good to keep doing things together. Which is funny i say that cause i locked myself in a hotel room today, im not with them at all.
Yeah, I could see how it would be important to stay together as a band, on stuff other than music and playing.
Yeah, no its important, because playing in a band with a bunch of guys, is like your sharing your life with them. You know, you gotta be able to really get along, and if you do, you can really enjoy it.
By the same token, are there times where you guys just need to seperate for a bit? Take some time for yourself?
Ummm, well not necessarily, I guess you get that when you go home, and take some time off.
I guess being cool enough with each other, and having played music together for so long, that its just ok to do stuff together all the time..
Oh yeah for sure, like we spend time together at home, and hang out, so its no different there.
Much thanks to Kenny Bridges!
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Stay tuned for a Moneen contest..........................................................