BAND INTERVIEW: "In Her Own Words"
Written / Interviewed by Jesse Smith
Los Angeles has become famous (or infamous depending on who you talk to) for the birthplace of some insanely massive bands. It’s also the birthplace of what I believe is one of the most underappreciated bands in the scene, In Her Own Words. Blending eazycore and the pop side of pop punk, In Her Own Words has the high energy and the screaming distorted guitars that’s mixed with the sweetest melodies to make it easy to sing along. The band released their newest album “Distance or Decay” on the newest powerhouse label Thriller Records, and it is their strongest release to date. From being a fan since their first full length, this new album is for sure the most mature sound the band has ever had. This album really captures what has been great about In Her Own Words and made it shine.
GKE was honored enough for them to be able to answer questions for us!
Q: We are about a month past the release of your 3rd studio album “Distance Or Decay”, How has the response been from your returning long time fans as well as new fans that you’ve recently gained?
A: The response has been killer! We feel like we did right by our older fans by sticking to the roots, but also thought outside of the box enough to reel in some new listeners.
Q: I personally have been a fan of IHOW ever since “Unfamiliar”, Each album sounds a little different musically as well as production. What was it like writing this album compared to the others?
A: This album and Steady Glow had a similar writing process - We spend about 2 weeks locked away in some far away place away from all the distractions of real life, and we focus on writing the best songs possible in a scenic and peaceful setting. It really helps the productivity and creativity needed to make our best songs ever! Distance Or Decay was written initially in Paso Robles CA and we had a great time out there.
Q: You have amazing guest features from Derek of State Champs and Jonathan of The Ghost Inside who are polar opposites, is this the first time the band has had guests on the album and why did you pick them?
A: We’ve never had features like these ones, and we had a great time with these!
We asked Derek to do a feature because Andretti and Joey worked with Derek in the studio on vocal production, so we felt like he already had a connection with us and the song turned out great.
We also had written a heavier part for “Raining In Toronto” and Omar is a huge TGI fan, so our manager Matty called in a favor and we made it happen. We’re very proud of these songs!
Also honorable mention for Sierra Annie, who is a great friend of Joey’s and she’s very new and up and coming. Super talented singer and writer, and we love having her on Footprints.
Q: How was working with Seth Henderson?
A: Seth is amazing and the setting of his studio is incredible. We had a great time inside the studio and out of it. We got to meet his family and kids, got dinner and drinks a couple times and just had an all around amazing experience.
Q: You recently signed with Thriller Records which has ties to your old label InVogue, How has this release been compared to the other releases.
A: It’s been great! Working with Bob Becker has been a nice change and we love having everyone at thriller on the team.
Q: Now for some of the fun questions, What have you guys been listening to in the van on tour? Is there a member who is banned from having control of the Aux?
A: We all have our own choices while driving, and everyone respects each other’s time on the aux. We do a lot of song sharing with each other as well as podcast sharing, and it’s a great way to pass the time learning how far everyone’s music taste expands.
Q: What is your favorite city to play on tour?
A: We have a few! Always a great time in Chicago/the Midwest in general. Also NYC and Boston always go crazy. We don’t have many places we don’t love honestly.
Q: Festivals or Club shows?
A: They’re 2 different animals, but we love a good sweaty club show where everyone’s nice and up close. We had an amazing time at Slam Dunk this past June though!
Q: What is the hardest part of being in an active touring band for you?
A: Definitely budgeting. Especially with gas prices as of late, we have to be careful of what we’re spending and see how to save money wherever we can, which gets difficult with all of the expenses that go into touring.
Q: Thank you for answering and your time! Is there anything you want to plug?
A: Keep streaming distance or decay! And be on the lookout for some new merch drops soon. Love you all!
In reality, the band hasn’t missed EVER and this album has just raised the bar. I feel like this is going to be that album that does it for them and brings them to the next level and truly deserves massive amounts of attention. “Circles” is one of the catchiest choruses I’ve ever heard and the fact that they went out of the box and got a legend like Jonathan from The Ghost Inside made a huge statement. Songs like “Lights Out” and “Raining In Toronto” really have epic high energy parts that make you scream along but also have songs like “Footprints” that are the perfect “sing along in your car alone” songs, either way you're emotional while you’re doing it. Be prepared though when you listen to this album, you will probably find your new favorite band.