Haste The Day Interview

Interview
Brennan Chaulk
Haste the Day

Members:
Stephen Keech - Vocals
Devin Chaulk - Drums
Brennan Chaulk - Guitar
Jason Barnes - Guitar
Mike Murphy - Bass

3/6/06
Interviewer: Maggie Solum
additional questions supplied by:
Karma E. & Erika Kristen

Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

FourteenG: Thank you so much for the interview! Please introduce yourself :)

Brennan: This tour has been incredible. The bands are so great and the shows have been sold out almost every night.

FourteenG: I know you had Jimmy in the band for a while, was it a hard split for the group?

Brennan: Jimmy's been a friend of the band and I know he was in the band for a while. Of course, we were not excited when he told us he was leaving, but we understood why and respect him for his decision.

Brennan: Well we knew we had to make good of losing Jimmy. We had to take advantage of the situation. So we kept our eyes peeled for a great front man that was very excited to perform and someone that really valued the fans. And he had to be a great vocalist that could sing/scream. And when we saw "New Day Awakening" we knew we had that. So we talked to him a bunch and not only was he a great fit with our desires of a performer but he also shares our faith and beliefs.

FourteenG: You announced Stephen, as your permanent replacement in Denver on Thursday, how was it to feel like the band is "complete" again?

Brennan: It is the best feeling. We couldn't be happier with Stephen. We get along very well and he really loves what he is doing. He feels like part of the family and when you see him you can tell.

Brennan: Very well. Actually, it has been so much easier of a transition than I ever would have thought. He has been very well received.

FourteenG: At the conclusion of your set in Chicago during “The Truth” (winter tour with Bleeding Through) Stephen exclaimed, “We believe in Jesus, if you want to talk to us about it please do so…”. Is it commonplace for you to declare your beliefs at every show?

Brennan: We usually saw something somewhere in the middle. We make sure we make it known just like any band that stands for something. We really feel strongly about our faith and want people to know and make ourselves available to everyone that may have questions or whatever.

FourteenG: Since you are in the hardcore scene, what is your take on the violent actions displayed from your fans at shows, particularly the one in Chicago where many un-Christian acts were committed in the pit. (i.e. kids refused to help each other up, there were a many of punches thrown wildly and miscellaneously outside of the pit.) What’s your take on this?

Brennan: I mean I don't know any bands that like when kids are getting hurt at their shows. Christian or not I think just human nature. The only times I like seeing fights are in movies. Haha.

FourteenG: Read in a bio on you guys that when you started as a three-piece, you played music for fun because a lot of people in your area did it for fun as well. When did you decide, "we want to do this seriously" or "being a serious band is what we want to be"?

Brennan: I think we really never made a decision officially it just sort of happened over time. The bigger we got the more we saw a possibility that we might be able to make it.

FourteenG: How do you think you've evolved musically from Burning Bridges to When Everything Falls?

Brennan: I think we, as musicians got much better not to mention we actually found a style that fits us well. We didn't have hardly 2 weeks to write burning bridges but we had 2 months to write When Everything Falls. We feel very confident about this record.

FourteenG: What did you want to achieve lyrically and music wise with When Everything Falls?

Brennan: A common theme throughout the record is overcoming struggles. I think we were able to maybe give people hope when they are faced with troubles, encouraging people to not let the negative overtake them. We wanted people to take from the record whatever they could to help, for us it is our faith.

Brennan: We definitely want to work with a few different artists on the next record.

Brennan: I am honestly not sure what that video is supposed to mean. I love it, I think it looks great. It was a lot of fun making it.

Brennan: Very little. We might write a few riffs on the road but mostly we write at home.

FourteenG: I heard you're going back into the studio in April. Do you have any details on that?

Brennan: I wish we were going into the studio in April but we have very little written. I don't even know when we are going into the studio. Hopefully by the late fall. We will be writing throughout the summer.

FourteenG: How are the experiences of playing venue shows to bigger shows like Cornerstone Festival?

Brennan: I like playing both. The festivals allow us to play for more people but I like the intimacy of playing venue shows. I feel more connected to the crowd.

FourteenG: In January you toured Europe, how are the shows overseas compared to the shows in the U.S.? Did you enjoy touring there?

Brennan: I loved Europe so much. The shows were great. We were there to kind of introduce Haste The Day to new people and we did just that. But my favorite part was exploring all the great cities. I loved it. I think it was very similar to the U.S.

Brennan: We are great friends with Norma Jean, Underoath, and Dead Poetic. We know the other bands but haven't had as much of an opportunity to get to know them. I really like the bands on Solid State.

FourteenG: Is it different and/or difficult being on a Christian-based label like Solid State or Tooth & Nail compared to other labels?

FourteenG: In your opinion, which band from the hardcore scene is poised to blow-up next?

Brennan: August Burns Red. They are a new band on Solid State. They are a really great band and they are good guys. I am sure they will do great things in the future.

FourteenG: If you could commission a band to do a Haste the Day cover, who would do it and which song would they do?

Brennan: Haha. I would have the Goo Goo Dolls cover "When Everything Falls”. We did one of their songs I would love to hear them do one of ours.

FourteenG: Here are some Fan Contributed Questions, What's your funniest tour story?

Brennan: That is a really hard question. Well we always get two hotel rooms to split up the young from the old. Mike Jason and I are in the young room. We always prank each other. One night Jason brought in 4 pounds of old smelly seasoned rice that had some how made its way into our van. Well when the lights went out Jason dumped the soggy stinky rice on Mike’s head…well the rice then was thrown all over the entire hotel room. When we woke up the next morning, the rice had hardened to everything. Then some other pranks happened and the end starus of our hotel room was a disaster. We had broken glass, hardened rice, and salsa all over the room. It was our first and last trashed hotel room. That was a crazy experience.

Brennan: I would have to say it is a day to day thing. Today it is definitely Mike. Horrible gas haha. Seriously.

FourteenG: You have quite an overload of My Space friends and comments - how does it feel to see so many fans leaving you messages every day?

Brennan: Very good. I don't understand it but I love hearing how people feel about us. Usually they are good comments so of course it is nice.

Brennan: We will be writing this summer for a new album and doing a tour in June with It Dies Today. Then in August we plan on a headlining run.

FourteenG: Is this what you envisioned yourself doing when you were a wee lad?

FourteenG: What was the last concert you went to as a fan and not a performer?

Brennan: Still Remains. They are some of my best friends and one of my fav bands.

Brennan: I would love to fly. So typical but I can't pretend that it wouldn't be the coolest thing to just take off into the air on my command.

FourteenG: If you could only fulfill one of your fantasies, which would it be?

Brennan: I like to think of myself as a caring loving guy. My worst is that I procrastinate.

FourteenG: Are you a daredevil and if so what was the most outlandish trick ever performed?

Brennan: I am way to scared of getting hurt and not being able to play my guitar.

FourteenG: Which class in Secondary/High School did you find to be a complete waste of time?

Brennan: Earth space science was a waste of time for me cause I will never use it. But for others it might be a very valuable class.

FourteenG: When raiding the fridge at night, what’s the first thing you reach for?

Brennan: India Garden, it is an Indian restaurant in Indianapolis that is so good; I miss it so much.

FourteenG: If you could ask these Speed Round Questions of anyone, who would you ask them of?

Brennan: I would ask David Letterman. I think he would be a very interesting man.

Brennan: I just want to encourage everyone to hold on when things are tough. If you make it through your trials, you will be a much stronger person.

We'd like to thank Brennan for taking the time out for doing the interview, to Adrenaline, and to the camp of Haste The Day.