Her Campus Point Park had the exclusive opportunity to sit down with some of the talent at the Pittsburgh tour date of Vans Warped Tour 2014, as well as to photograph the acts from the photo pits of the live sets! We got to discuss Sydney & Noah Sierota of Echosmith’s 2nd time on VWT, where they told us about her New Year’s resolution, problems in the world, and how love drives their music:
Photo by Samantha Tarr
HC: Can you give us a run-down of how your band got started?
S: “Well, they’re my three brothers so that’s obviously how we know each other. We started playing music really young without any intentions of becoming a band, which is surprising to a lot of people! We just really worked on our craft individually, and six years ago we decided to do it together.”
HC: How is being on Warped Tour different than doing regular club shows?
N: “Weather really affects what you’re doing! In clubs it doesn’t really matter if it’s hot or cold, but here you could be out playing in 105 degrees or a rainstorm with lightning and thunder going on, so all of that could really affect a show and the crowds. I think it leaves it all up to chance and leaves kind of a fun mystery to this tour- every day you don’t know what it will be like!”
HC: How has the reality of Warped Tour been different from your expectations of it?
S: “We didn’t realize how much had to be put into this tour. You have to put your whole self in mentally and physically. Last year was pretty crazy, but we realized hard work really paid off. We’d put up 150 posters every day and chalk everywhere, go up and down the lines with free pins and CDs, so it’s cool to see how it’s changed this year’s shows. People will be like, “hey, I got this free CD from you last year and now I hear your songs on the radio!” It’s cool to have that connection with your fans. But that’s kind of what surprises us; it really is true that if you try hard on this tour you get a good turn out.”
N: “Even if you’re not a great band, if you’re out there promoting yourself and talking to the kids yourself, you’ll draw people in.”
S: “They’ll at least show up to the first song!”
Photo by Samantha Tarr
HC: What is the coolest or craziest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention?
S: “On our fall tour, there was a guy with his friends who really wanted attention. He took off his shirt and I was already like… okay, we’re indoors. But he was super sweaty and I only knew this because he threw the shirt onstage and was like ‘you can have my shirt!’ and I touched it just to move it and was just like… this is so disgusting. He came to another show later on the tour and asked if I still had his shirt, but I threw it away right away!”
N: “People bring me candy! There’s this one Japanese candy I love, but kids drive for like hours to find me this candy, and I don’t know why but they do, and it makes me very happy.”
HC: Do you have any secret hobbies or guilty pleasures outside of music that might surprise your fans?
N: “I love to cook and to do culinary things. I’m teaching Sydney!”
S: “It was my New Year’s Resolution to learn how to cook! I’ve learned via the Internet and my brother, and Trader Joe’s recipes. But I really love yoga, Pilates, and working out in general.”
N: “It’s good to be healthy on the road! There’s so much crazy stuff going on, and some bands are out partying until 1am. But for us, we want to stay alive and young, so it’s all about living a healthy lifestyle and eating right.”
HC (to Sydney): What is it like to be a female front in a band made up of your brothers?
S: “That’s a really common question because it’s so unusual. A lot of people ask that relating to feminism, which I get! I think people like to capitalize on the feminist stuff and talk about it more than it’s even happening, but I think there’s bigger problems in the world than just girls getting crap; there’s people who can’t eat food every day, and some who are homeless, and I’d rather help deal with those problems.”
N: “Having a girl in the band hasn’t really stopped us too much. It draws a lot of Paramore comparisons, but I don’t think it hinders us! It’s all about perspective.”
HC: What advice do you have for the students at Point Park who want to work in the business end of the music industry?
N: “Being patient is a good thing. All of the people who are on our team and have stayed on our team have been patient for years. Stuff is just now happening and they’re starting to get something out of it, so I think being patient and finding acts you’re passionate about. If you have just one or two who you really believe in- not just the band but their message, the music, and the fans that they’re reaching- you’ll do a lot better and you’ll be a lot more fulfilled.”
HC: So what is the message you want to send out to your fans?
S: “We’re all about love. A lot of people like to categorize that as for your significant other, but we see it differently. We want people to know that love is bigger than that- it’s loving your friend and family and the person checking you out at the grocery store. In whatever you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing music or working at the grocery store; everyone you come across needs love. So it’s really important to keep that in mind that this life is about love rather than money, status, and your career. Even though we love doing what we do! But it doesn’t make us any more important or cool because we make music. Some of the most amazing people in this world have jobs that people look down upon.”
N: “Even though we have songs about different subjects, but at the root of it all it’s about the love for other people and our fans and for each other. Even if it’s a song about wanting to fit in or not worrying about the problems ahead of you, it’s all rooted in that belief.”
HC: What can we expect from Echosmith once Warped Tour ends?
S: “A fall tour!”
N: “We’ll be traveling the country, and hopefully more of the world! We have a portion of the country set right now and want to hit as many cities as possible.”
Photo by Samantha Tarr
URLS:
- http://www.echosmith.com
- https://www.facebook.com/echosmith
- Twitter & Instagram: @echosmith