Roses Are Red Interview

Interview
Vinny Minervino
Roses Are Red

Lineup:
Brian Gordner - Guitar
Matthew Gordner - Guitar
Michael Lasaponara - Drums
Brad Gilboe - Bass
Vincent Minervino - Vocals

roses are red

Chain Me Away Tour 2005
The Matches
Plain White T's
Waking Ashland
Roses Are Red
3/09/05
Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale
Transcriber: Sharita Lumpkin

This would happen to be latest mantra of Vinny Minervino, frontman of Rochester, New York's Roses Are Red. This hard working post hardcore band will embark on the Chain Me Away Tour with The Matches and Plain White T's in a matter of days. Later in the summer, they will be on the 2005 Vans Warp Tour with labelmates Hopesfall, Avenged Sevenfold and host of others. Join me in my conversation with an under the weather Vinny as we discuss the band's newest album, Conversations, his musical influences, and much more...

Karma: Give our viewers some background info on Roses Are Red, how did your project get started and how did you come to join the band?

Vinny: Okay, well basically we were all from Rochester, New York and we all had bands, I had a previous band that I played guitar in. Matt, Brian, and I were in a band but it was a different drummer and our bass player was in another band. Basically, all the bands kind of played together all the time and we just kind of knew each other and stuff like that. Eventually, all of our bands just like dissolved, for whatever reason, like, my old band, our drummer got married and had a kid and all that stuff. You know how that happens, when people move on with their lives, don't want to do the band thing. We all just kind of... me and Matt, met up one day and we were like, "Let's just do something, for real!" you know. So we got together and I started playing drums in the band that they had and eventually we wanted to go in a different direction so we got a friend of ours, Mike, to play drums in the band and I just moved to vocals actually. So yeah, we've just been kind of goin', we been around about three years now and we just been goin' on ever since, so.

Vinny: Yeah, we actually got a new bass player about two weeks ago, our other bass player decided to leave the band cause he really didn't want to be on the road all the time, said he wanted to be home with family more and stuff like that. We just got a new bass player about a week ago and actually we're about to practice with him right now.

Vinny: His name is Brad Gilboe. We're kind of workin' that out this week. We start our next tour in like two days so we're getting everything all taken care of for the next tour.

Vinny: You know, we actually really, really looking forward to this tour. It's kind of a different audience than we've ever really like played for. It's more like...umm, Epitaph kids and you know the west coast kind of fearless pop punk fans and stuff like that. Most other bands we've toured with have been on Ferret or hardcore bands, stuff like that, and we're kind of looking forward to playing for different crowds and stuff like that, so. We've heard all the other bands are really good and they're really looking forward to the tour. It's gonna be awesome.

Vinny: Trustkill has been really, really awesome to us. We're sort of a different direction for them, you know what I mean. Like we... [Changes gears] They've had bands like Open Hand and Hopesfall before we were on the label and stuff but you know those bands still have hardcore roots and we're more like just a straight up rock band with more of like...I dunno, more of like a polished kind of sound or whatever, so. We're sort of a different direction for the label and they kind of understood that when they signed us and we understood that as well, so. They been really, really supportive and pushing us and stuff like that and really experimental doin' different things that they haven't done with their other bands. It's really worked out for us so far, so.

Karma: Very cool, very cool, and speaking of your sound, how would you describe your sound to a new listener?

Vinny: Um, I would describe our sound as you know, I dunno...[Pauses] I'd just say like it's just very rock and roll based, you know what I mean. We're very influenced by a lot of rock bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi and bands like that. Those are like our favorite bands to listen to and we draw a lot of influence from bands like that but we also draw a lot of influence from modern bands like The Juliana Theory and Jimmy Eats World, stuff like that, so. I feel like it's more rock and roll than anything else but I guess, you know, I dunno, the lyrics are...you know, are more on the, I dunno. [Pauses] A lot of them are definitely love songs and its a powerful... a lot of rock and roll, stuff like that. One person said we sound like the Juliana Theory covering like, Underøath.

Vinny: I dunno how accurate that is but, its kind of true. We have some screaming parts, but we're more like the Juliana Theory with driving riffs and melodic, layered choruses, stuff like that. That's the kind of thing that we try to do.

Vinny: Oh, well we just basically give everything we have at a live show. I mean like, we write our music to be the music that we want to hear, you know what I mean, so. When we play our songs live, it just brings like a whole like, different part of us. Cause, we're like, really passionate about the music that we write, you know what I mean. Like, I personally listen to our band like all the time, like if I'm just hangin' out or goin' to sleep, I'll listen to our record because I like it, you know.

Vinny: That's what we write so... we're just really excited about the music that we write and it kind of shows through the live show, you know what I mean. We also try to like, be interactive with kids, try to like get them involved and we have an all-mike show that we use to boost the intensity and stuff like that too so, I dunno. We just really try to give a good live show and have a good time at the same time, so.

Karma: Okay, speaking of your album, talk to me about your latest release Conversations.

Vinny: Let's see. Well, we started writing it like directly after we signed...actually we had three or four songs before we signed. We demoed those songs and that's kind of what caught the attention of John from Trustkill. We started writing it like, last spring, we went to the studio last May. So, it's almost been about a year now. We went to record with Chris Vadami at Portrait Studios and he's done work with Early November, he did their newest record, he did Dillinger Escape Plan, he's done some really good work. He did I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business record, which came out ours too by the way. We were also really, really stoked about our choice of producer, we'd heard his work and that was the obvious choice of where we wanted to go and when we got there the atmosphere was like awesome; he was like a really awesome dude and he wasn't like real controlling or [had] a real attitude, he was really open to all the ideas we had. Anytime we would have any questions and ask his opinion he would be really insightful about the direction the songs should go and stuff like that, so. It turned out to be a really good experience recording the record you know, all the songs.

We had a few songs that we demoed and recorded that didn't make the record because we didn't feel they were as strong as the rest but, as a whole we feel like the record is really solid and we love every song on it. You know, it's just different themes, different feels and its...[Pauses] I dunno. As a whole, you can listen to it start to finish and get a distinct picture from it so.

Karma: Okay, well that answers my other question as far as, are you guys happy with the way it turned out?

Vinny: We're really excited, we're really proud of it. You know like, we worked together to make it possible and the fans find something in it they can relate to, you know.

Karma: Awesome. As far as your target audience is concerned, who were you aiming for?

Vinny: Well, we're really aiming for...I guess. Like everyone says, we're aiming for everybody. Anybody who likes to have a good time and sing along and have songs that they get really excited about when they hear, you know. That could be people that listen to anything, you know like, any age. I mean there's people that come to our shows that are like 35 or 40 years old, and they heard our band through their kids or whatever and they ask us for autographs and pictures with us, you know what I mean. We want to just appeal to anybody that would just listen to melodic rock and roll, I guess. [Sniffles] Sorry if I sound like I'm kind of bland, I'm kind of sick today.

Vinny: I'm not feeling that great, so I'm sorry I'm not as lively as I'd normally be.

Karma: Oh, that's okay. I think it's awesome so far, so you're doin' good. So, you didn't feel a lot of pressure associated with this release, right?

Vinny: Oh, not really. Only from ourselves just to really come out of the gate, you know real strong, stuff like that. I think the record kind of...when people hear it like actually give it a listen and it kind of moves them. I dunno, like our genre of music sounds kind of diluted in a way, like with other bands and stuff like that. We just hope the people aren't jaded by that yet, you know. Where they can like see there is sincere things going on in our music and we actually write it to be like what we want it to be, you know what I mean? If we weren't in a signed band right now, we'd be ready to stay in music and be touring in a van trying to figure stuff out. I mean, even before we got signed we had done like multiple U.S. tours on our own and we were out there having a good time with it already so. Our work ethic hasn't really changed since we've been signed.

Karma: That's awesome. So, what's your favorite song off of Conversations?

Vinny: Um, my favorite song off of Conversations, is I dunno. It's hard to tell, it kind of depends on my mood or when I'm listening to it or whatever. I really...a few of my favorites are song 4 [Oceans] and song 6 [12:34], actually song 7 which is "Silver Lining", kind of a slower ballad. I also like song 9 [You and Me Both], which is also a slower but real driving song and I dunno, the last song is kind of epic in a way [Conversations] and it has like a breakdown at the end. Honestly, I generally like love our record all the way through, so.

Karma: Well that's good to hear. So, how has your songwriting changed from Handshakes And Heartbreaks?

Vinny: Um, our songwriting has changed as far as the...I dunno. As far as the process of songwriting, it's generally the same. You know one of us will come up with an idea and sort of like go with it and build all of our ideas around it, you know what I mean. But basically, our songwriting has matured in a lot of ways and we're doing things the way we kind of were but we're doing other certain things differently. We took all these tings into consideration, we took a lot more time writing Conversations; we feel like we really structured everything the way we really wanted. The structure of the songs, the way things are now is basically we just took more time and more thought. It's just like a more mature approach to writing the songs, so.

Vinny: Some of my favorite bands, um, Armor For Sleep is a big one. Like, they been one of my favorite bands for awhile. I saw them at a festival about two years ago and they're really, really, good and really nice people, I was just really blown away by that band. The year that Dream To Make Believe came out, I was really excited it about and they just put out a new record as well. I'm really excited about that. I'm [also] really excited about a band called Acceptance, they're putting out a new record in April and it's going to be really awesome. That's really kind of all I've seen but I really like Soilwork's new album. It's really kind of heavy and melodic at the same time.

Karma: It's interesting that you mentioned Soilwork, we're actually interviewing them in a couple of weeks, would you have any questions for them?

Karma: Okay and that's pretty much a lead in for my next question, if you could see your names appear on a marquee next to ________. Who would it be?

Karma: Okay, let's go with all time one tour, one stage, and one band, then let's so with your ideal tour as well.

Vinny: Ideal show, I would have...[Pauses] I definitely would have Bon Jovi as direct support, The Juliana Theory right under them, I believe it would be a really good show. Ideal tour right now, I would say, I'm not going to put us opening this tour because I don't want to do that. I would have Armor For Sleep headlining the tour, I would have Acceptance right below them, and us then I would have He Is Legend, playing first. Have you every heard of them?

Vinny: Yeah they're like, The He Is Legend record is probably like my favorite record of 2004. It's such a good record.

Karma: Okay, I definitely will look into that. Okay, well what are the future plans for Roses Are Red, what can we expect from you in the future?

Vinny: Well, basically we're going to tour the shit out of this record and play every city at least like twenty five times before we write another one. We're gonna meet as many people as we can and be as active as possible. We have some really good tours coming up, we have this Chain Me Away Tour, then we're doing some dates with Millencolin and Boys Night Out, which should be cool. Then it's kind of up in the air, we're doing some Warped dates in July and August. We have some stuff in the works for fall like a lot of our friends are going out. Like our management is the same as Matchbox Romance so, we will probably set something up with those dudes in the fall. So, you know we're just trying to stay as active as possible and get the record out as much as we possibly can.

Karma: Here's a Speed Round of Questions. As your best friend, how would you describe yourself?

Vinny: I would describe myself as honest, hard-working, like to have a good time, hang out, and make people laugh.

Vinny: I'm one of those people. You know, some people get nicknames all the time, I'm just one of those people that nobody has ever come up with a nickname for me.

Vinny: Uh, I don't really have one. It kind of changes. I don't really have a specific thing I go by when going through life. I did read something on the bathroom wall a couple of days ago.

Vinny: It was in like a dark pen or sharpie, it said, "It doesn't matter how hot she is...somebody somewhere is sick of her shit."

Vinny: After I read that I was like that's totally true! That's my mantra right now.

Vinny: I'm not real religious, I mean I do have beliefs. I don't really practice too much, I don't go to church, I don't really read the bible, or anything like that. I definitely have my own ideas or how things have to happen. It's nothing that I really talk about in our songs or discuss it with my friends I just kind of have my own little things; cause a lot of people can be real pushy about religion and I don't want to be one of those people.

Vinny: Not really. It's nothing you would call special. I'm trying to think of something weird. I dunno, I can wiggle one of my ears that's kind of weird. I can only wiggle one not both.

Vinny: What pisses me off? Um, well when people don't fulfill their responsibilities and bullshit around with what they're supposed to be doing, especially when it affects me. Everybody in our band is on top of things, really self-sufficient in a lot of ways. I mean, when you spend two months in a van with the same people, you're gonna quarrel with them.

Vinny: I really like Slipknot. I dunno if that's a guilty pleasure or not. [Laughs] That's really not a common question, but I don't really have one. Everything in my CD collection I don't feel guilty about. There might be some goofy stuff in there but I don't consider it guilty.

Vinny: I dunno, it's kind of weird. I went through this point at age 12 when like everybody around me was into this pop stuff in the late eighties and early nineties, but that was when I was really young. When I really got into music, one of the first bands I listened to was the Counting Crows. I actually had to buy it a couple of times because I ruined the tape. [Laughs] I had Weezer, the Blue album on tape, and I had Green Day Dookie on tape. The Dookie tape came out in like 1994 and I was like 11 or 12.

Vinny: Those bands we're like the first bands that I was really passionate about. I also listened to Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and all kinds of different stuff.

Vinny: Um, I don't have an order for these but, I like Insiders, it's really good, it has Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in it. I really like the original Shining...These are tough questions I wasn't thinking about my favorite movies when I started this interview. I like Silence of The Lambs a lot, and Goodwill Hunting. Can I just give you four because that's all I can think of. [Laughs]

Karma: That's fine. If you could be a cartoon character, which one would you be?

Karma: Okay, If you could commission any band to do any song which song, would the chosen do?

Vinny: My first job was bagging groceries at a grocery store when I was 15. That's if you don't count my paper route cause I had one of those. I actually did both because I would go from my paper route to the store. That was like in 8th grade to 10th grade. I had tons of jobs to tell you the truth. [Laughs] When I used to be in bands, I didn't tour as much as I do now obviously, but I would have a job for like a month, then say I gotta go on tour for three weeks, they'd fire me, then I'd just come home and get another job. [We both laugh]

Vinny: If I wasn't in a band, I'd probably want to do something in like band management. If I wasn't in the music industry at all I would be a journalist. I actually went to school for two years. I dunno, I really like reading stuff and like selecting it. I love it. Like every time my girlfriend would write a paper, I would reread it and I'd do all the grammar corrections, or whatever, I love doing it, I don't know why. I really like writing. Before we signed with Trustkill, we had a publicist, like Jerry at Warm Fuzzy, any bios or press releases, I would write those, so...

Karma: Okay, if you could take a bath with anyone, who would be your perfect Bubble Bath Mate?

Vinny: If I could take a bath with anyone besides my girlfriend, it would be Uma Thurman. I'm probably gonna get killed for that one.

Karma: [Laughs] Okay, what songs would make your Bubble Bath Soundtrack, 1 compilation CD?

Vinny: Armor for Sleep, Juliana Theory, Def Leppard, American Football, this band called Mew, really good and moody. I don't know if you can hear that but my band is practicing inside the house right now.

Vinny: Yeah its very weird, there's no PA system in here which kind of sucks. So, I just sit there while they practice. Yeah, those bands are the few I'd have on there.

Karma: Okay and if you could ask these questions of anyone whom would you like to see answer them?

Vinny: Well like I said thanks for doing the interview, it was a lot of fun. Kind of gave me something to do while my band's practicing and I just sit there. Yeah, and for anyone that hasn't heard the record yet just check it out with new friends or go buy it or online, however you can. Just come talk to us because we're nice dudes and we like to meet a lot of people.

I'd like to thank Chaniga at Warm Fuzzy for setting up the interview and of course to Vinny. Best of luck on your upcoming tour. Vinny, if you spot any errors, let us know! ;^)