Interview: All For One’s Colby Hemple & Shayne Roxas

Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this interview! How are you today?

All: Not bad! Can’t complain. Thanks for having us!

First of all: Can you introduce yourselves and your role in the band?

Colby Hemple and I play lead guitar.
Shayne Roxas, I’m the vocalist

What’s the meaning behind your band name, All For One?

Shayne-“We wanted a name that was really cool and could stand out in your head. We all came up with a few names, some good some horrible {laughs}, I remembered the motto from The Three Musketeers
“All For One, One For All” so I gave my names to the guys who were in the band at the time, and everyone loved it, so we ran with it.”

Where do you draw influence from musically and what type of music do you play?

We have always liked the melodic metal sound. Bands like Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Avenged Sevenfold, Miss May I etc., have always had a big influence on us. But, we also have a big influence from bands such as Lamb Of God, Metallica, Pantera, this list goes on and on.

Your debut EP, Losing Control, was released last year. What is the meaning behind the title and where did the inspiration for that EP come from?

Colby-“That EP was a collaboration of the first songs that me and Shayne ever wrote. We tweaked a little bit of each others songs and hit the studio.”
Shayne-“It was a good learning experience for us. We did write the songs before we even met, however, when we started playing ,and rearranging certain aspects of the songs we learned a lot about how well we worked together and about what we could accomplish.”

Who did you work with when recording the EP?

We worked with Jason Portizo at Ugly Door Studios in Toms River, NJ.

Do you have a favorite song(s) from that release?

Colby-“My favorite song from the release would be “Memory” because of the lead guitar work. I was starting to mature when writing those lead parts so I had the chance to shred my hands off as well as make it melodic and enjoyable to listen to. “
Shayne-“I have to say Memory as well, that song was the first song I ever wrote and the lyrics have a very big personal significance to me”

 You guys just signed to At Your Command Records, who we have great relationship with. How did this signing come about?

Shayne- “For a while, I was staying up till about 4 am every night sending our music out to any/every label I could find. This lasted for about two months until I came across AYCR on Facebook and I saw that they were expanding their roster. I jumped on it and sent them our stuff, the next day I woke up with an e-mail from them and the rest is history.”

Is there any new material in the works or being released soon?

Colby-“We have a new EP coming out very soon in the early summer, and we have about a half a dozen new songs that we’ve been playing at our shows and working on.”

Does AFO have a pretty big local and national following (so far)?

We have an ever-growing following locally and are quickly growing nationally. We’re definitely seeing more and more fans at each show.

What bands have you shared the stage with that have really left you star struck?

We opened for a few national acts such as Diecast and Wretched, who were all great. But our fondest memory of that sort was with Far’n’Hate from Spain, they completely blew us away with their set. Shayne and Marc, their vocalist, did a last second duo cover of Rose of Sharyn by Killswitch and afterwards we all hung out and ate cheesesteaks in Philly {laughs}

What’s next for AFO, in terms of music videos, tour plans, new album, etc?

We’re hoping to start touring this summer in support of our upcoming EP. Once a touring cycle is complete we plan to start working on a full-length album. As for music videos we plan to see which of the songs fans like most off of our EP to decide on which song they’d most like seeing as a music video.

What would be your dream line-up for a tour, both as a spectator and with AFO on the bill?

Colby-“My dream line-up would probably be Miss May I, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Slipknot, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold.”
Shayne-“I’d have to say Metallica, Pantera, Killswitch, All That Remains, Sevenfold, As I Lay Dying, and Every Time I Die.”

Who or what inspired you to be a musician?

Colby-“For me it would of have to be a combination of Guitar Hero and my first live concert. I became fascinated with the guitar after becoming pretty good at playing GH. I saw A7X in 2010 and was in complete awe. I knew while watching them, that being a musician was what I wanted to do. “

Shayne-“For me, it was Johnny Cash. I was on vacation when I was a kid and heard Folsom Prison Blues for the first time and immediately became obsessed. It was so simple but it was awesome, I got into other bands and genres down the road surely, but Johnny Cash definitely started it for me. Plus, my entire Dad’s side of the family are all musicians so it was bound to happen to me eventually “

 Social Media: Critical or detrimental to the success of today’s DIY band?

Social media can be critical for a DIY band for the sole purpose of promotion and networking. It’s convenient that we can let all of our followers know at once about news and upcoming shows. However, social media sites like Facebook are slowly taking that away from us.

What’s your favorite part about being in AFO?

Colby-“My favorite part of being in All For One is by far my band mates. I get to drive hundreds of miles, practice every week, and make kick-ass music with my four best friends. Without them, I wouldn’t be into this band as much as I
am now. “
Shayne-“Aside from doing what I love with my best friends (that’s a given), I just love writing music and performing for people. It doesn’t matter how many people are watching, we’ve played shows to literally one person, and I have the time of my life every time we play. Music has always had a strong effect on my life, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what I’d do without All For One and the guys that I have the privilege of working with.”

That’s about all I’ve got, thank you once again for doing this! Is there anything else you’d like to say to your fans, our readers and the general public?

Thank You! And, to the fans, thank you for all of your continued support of not only us but all up and coming bands, without the fans nothing is possible!

Be sure to pick up their brand new EP, As Empires Fall, out June 19th on At Your Command Records!