Whether, I on the InVogue Records Tour
Photo Credit: Christina Grande
BearlySinister: First of all, thank you for doing this with us. Can you introduce yourself and your role in the band?
Response:
Yo! I’m Kaleb I do clean vocals.
BearlySinister: Can you tell us the origin of the band as well as the band name?
Kaleb:
What started off as 3 guys coming together to make music, ended up becoming so much more. After writing our EP “Dreamcatcher” we decided to start looking for more members in order to broaden our style/genre/ & live performances.
It wasn’t long before we found Todd
,(bassist) & Andrei.(guitarist) which lead to us writing our debut full length “Catalyst,” which is available through most major music distributors.
BearlySinister: Who or what made you decide “I want to be a musician”…?
Kaleb:
Well, growing up everyone has to go through struggles, hard times, ect ect. Becoming a musician was more or less a selfish choice for me, I used it to cope with my problems & get through the harder times of my life. At first I never dreamed of making a career out of it, but now that’s all I care about.
BearlySinister: You guys just released the lead single from your debut full-length album, Catalyst. Can you tell us the story behind that song and how it all came together?
Kaleb:
We went into the studio hoping to change our sound from the EP, while also keeping a few songs that had the same style so our fans from the beginning could still get down.
When writing the single “Halflife” we were trying to branch out to more of the rock side of our genre, & we got a chance to work with Drew Fulk on the song as well.
BearlySinister: You worked on your debut EP, Dreamcatcher with Tom Denney who is a well-known name in the InVogue Records catalogue as well as the music scene in general. Was Catalyst done with him as well and, if so, why did you choose to work with him again?
Kaleb:
Working with Tom was pretty exciting, especially being our first release.
This time around we decided to stick with our producer Robby Joyner from BlackBookSound. He did a fantastic job cowriting & producing this record with us.
BearlySinister: Who influenced you when writing this album?
Kaleb:
Well for me personally, I have always listened to all different genres of music. But during this recording process I was really into “Our Last Night” and their cover videos on YouTube. I’ve always been heavily pop & r&b influenced, so seeing those guys put a rock spin on pop music got me pretty stoked.
BearlySinister: What was the studio process like and how much freedom did you have in regards to creating this record?
Kaleb:
Studio process was awesome, working with Robby is always really fun. As far as freedom goes when writing, we all kinda sat down together & just pitched ideas back & forth. So id say we had plenty of freedom to discuss what we wanted to do!
BearlySinister: How is the writing process coordinated within Whether, I and how does it work to the band’s advantage?
Kaleb:
Well our guitar player Jordan usually writes out all the midi for all the songs, and then sends them to Josh & I to write our vocals.
this process really helps us not get so cluttered with ideas and or conflicting opinions.
BearlySinister: What is your favorite song on Catalyst (both to play live and record) and why?
Kaleb:
My favorite song on the record would have to be “Mistweaver.”
My favorite song to play live would have to be “Halflife.”
BearlySinister: This one comes from my good friend, Chris Cave (Defiled Management): If you could work with anyone in the industry, who would it be and why?
Kaleb:
I think id have to say David Bendeth, he has been working with a lot of really talented bands lately & has dropped incredible albums like “Bring me the Horizon,” “Heartist,” & “Of Mice & Men.”
BearlySinister: You’re getting ready to head out on the InVogue Records tour with Famous Last Words, For All I Am and Kingdom of Giants. How were you guys approached about this tour and how are you planning on wowing fans?
Kaleb:
Nick had contacted us & wanted us to be on the line up, so of course we agreed! A lot of us really enjoy listening to the bands on the line up do we thought it’d be a great opportunity to get on the road with some cool dudes.
We really just planned on coming out, and doing our best. We practiced as much as we could before heading out on stage presence and performance.
Hopefully the kids enjoy it!
BearlySinister: I believe that everyone should listen to what they want without feelings of persecution. Tell me, what might be shocking to fans if they saw your iPod/playlist?
Kaleb:
They’d actually be pretty surprised at a lot of stuff on my iPod, anything from Disney Classic songs to movie soundtracks. Hahaha
BearlySinister: I ask this one to everyone because it’s interesting to see the responses: Say you had an unlimited budget and no limits/genre-restrictions for a Whether, I headliner world tour. What would your dream bill be?
Kaleb:
I have ALWAYS wanted to go out on the road with The Cab ever since I heard about them.
I also think it would be sick to tour with our pals in Myka Relocate, & Secrets, and Issues would wrap up my dream bill.
BearlySinister: This is the second part of the previous question: What would your dream tour be as a fan/spectator?
Kaleb:
As a fan & as a spectator id really love to see Issues, Myka Relocate, Our Last Night, Memphis May Fire, & Crown the Empire.
BearlySinister: Your debut full-length features Jonny Craig and fellow TX vocalist Michael Swank. Who else did you have in mind and how did you settle on these two?
Response:
We also had a 3rd guest vocal spot on our album Dillon Jones of Incredible, Me.
We all really enjoy their bands/vocals & thought it would be an awesome opportunity to work with some of the people we look up to.
BearlySinister: Nick Moore really seems to know what he’s doing with InVogue Records. How has your experience been with the label so far?
Kaleb:
So far it’s been great, he gives us great promotion, & has really helped us out a lot.
BearlySinister: Fans are a blessing but there are those who take it a little too far. Tell us the best and worst fan experience you can remember since being in Whether, I?
Kaleb:
This is actually one of the harder questions on the interview for me, seeing as how I sing really high, in a metalcore/post hardcore band.
I seem to get ALOT of hate from fans who are just into our breakdowns and screaming vocals. I couldn’t pick out one that would be the worst to be honest. Haha
BearlySinister: Every piece of music has a purpose, what purpose do you hope that Catalyst fulfills for fans/prospective fans?
Kaleb:
We wrote a lot of different songs about a bunch of different subjects. We’re hoping that there is a song for everyone on the album.
We really wanted to connect with our audiences and talk about all the different situations people go through everyday.
BearlySinister: Before we go, I want to thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this. Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers, your fans and the general public?
Kaleb:
Id just like to say thanks for all the support, and I hope that we can continue to make music that you guys enjoy! We wouldn’t be anywhere without our fans, so thanks again!
Check out the official lyric video for “Half-Life” below, pre-order Catalyst (out December 2nd) and catch the guys of Whether, I on the InVogue Records tour…. Starting November 28th and running all the way through December 14th!
Whether, I on the InVogue Records Tour