Trophy Eyes
Vocals: John Floreani
Bass/Vocals: Jeremy Winchester
Guitar: Andrew Hallett (Pokket)
Guitar: Kevin Cross
Drums: Callum Cramp
For my first Crtive interview, I sat down with John Floreani from Trophy Eyes to get some insight about the band.
So firstly let’s start off with a pretty standard interview question, what’s your favourite thing about being in a band?
I think it’s the friends. Pretty mushy, I know but I remember thinking when I left school that I’d never know people like my school buddies again. Now I’m sitting in a lounge room in France with 5 of the best dudes I know. Its awesome how music brings people together.
You guys have a lot of touring happening in 2015. With an Australian & UK tour already completed this year. You’ve also got Mainland Europe with As It Is, Warped Tour with a wide array of artists ranging from The Story So Far & Being As An Ocean right through to M4sonic & Riff Raff. Which artists & cities are you looking forward to seeing most throughout the year?
I’m most excited for Europe I think. I’ve done a little exploring in Paris and Antwerp so far and it’s so much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. As for bands I’m excited for Transit, Rotting Out and Citizen so Warped will be a big deal for me. Hopefully I can meet a couple of them and fan girl hard.
What’s the hardest part about being on the road?
None of it is hard, really. If you have something to complain about when you’re on the road you should just quit and make room for a band that wants to be where you are. I could be shovelling dirt or delivering pizzas for a living, so what I’m doing right now is pretty easy and enjoyable.
I’ve heard Jeremy likes to snore a lot?
I used to live next to a train station and it’s still harder to sleep next to Jezz.
Let’s talk music… A few months ago you guys released your debut album, ‘Mend, Move On’ through Hopeless Records. What was the response like?
The response has been incredible! The feedback is all positive and heartfelt, crowd participation has been sweet and I’ve been hearing from all over the world that people have been listening and are enjoying it. We played Antwerp today in Belgium and there were kids singing along to the new songs and jumping off shit the whole night. It took us a bit by surprise, really. How do people know the words I wrote in a tiny empty room in Newcastle all the way over here. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
There aren’t a whole lot of bands who sound similar to Trophy Eyes, so where do you guys draw your inspiration from?
Everywhere I guess. From Blink to Touchè to Grouplove. We all listen to such a large array of music and I think that comes out in our writing process. I think that because punk is such a tiny dot on the scale of what we actually listen to, when we write it, it comes out sounding a bit different. It’s safe to say though, that if not for Blink I’d have never written my first angsty teen break up song, and I don’t think there’d ever be Trophy Eyes.
Grouplove, nice! So it’s been a little bit over 9 months since you guys announced your signing to Hopeless Records, how’s it been working with them so far?
It’s been awesome. Hopeless have been looking after us really well! If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have recorded our album in a resort studio in Thailand. They also respect our decisions while not being afraid to suggest ideas and stuff. I often find myself asking “what’s the catch”.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tobin a couple of times now and he’s not afraid to buy a round of beers, so he’s definitely my favourite.
After watching you guys live a few times I’ve noticed that not only do you play a fast paced, energetic set from start through to finish, but you also play with a serious amount of heart & emotion – it almost seems like pure excitement when you step on stage. What is it that makes you so enthusiastic about the music that you play?
Well these songs mean a lot to me. They’re all personal accounts of important life moments so they carry a lot of emotional weight. So to pay any kind of homage to those times in my life and the people I sing about is incredible. I like to perform these songs with energy and meaning. Also there’s the factor of being at a punk show and screaming at a bunch of kids screaming back at you and jumping off shit, so it’s nearly impossible not to get wound up and lose your shit. Sometimes I find myself thinking after the set “what the fuck just happened?” It’s like being off your head for like 30 minutes on the best drug imaginable.
I also noticed that each time I’ve watched you guys live, Pokket has worn thongs. Does he own any other footwear?
Well he bought a pair of nikes in Antwerp, so officially ‘yes’.
A couple of random questions for the readers at home. Cats or Dogs?
Cats, I think. Only because I’ve spent countless hours watching videos of talking cats on YouTube and there’s only a handful of funny dog videos.
Ariana Grande or Miley Cyrus?
To be honest I couldn’t give a fuck about either of them.
1000 capacity venues or 100 capacity venues?
1000 capacity venues. Playing small intimate shows are my jam. The whole feeling that you haven’t played a show until you’ve sweat through every layer of clothing you have on a tiny stage to 5 kids is a noble ideal, but every musician’s dream is to play to 60,000+ people, so I’d only be lying if I said otherwise.
Thanks for your time John, good luck for the rest of 2015!