Adversity is never something someone wants to face, but unfortunately, it is a necessary evil in life. Often a breaking point for some musicians in today’s music industry, adversity has not only built character for the band Emarosa, it has made them stronger than ever. Originally coming together back in 2006 out in Lexington, Kentucky, the band that once featured Jonny Craig on vocals could have easily packed up shop and went home many times, but choose to face the fire and plunge forward. Proving to be the right decision, the core of ER White, Will Sowers, and Jordan Stewart brought on new vocalist Bradley Walden in 2013 and put out one of their best records to date in 2014, Versus. An epic return for themselves and beloved fans, the band returned to Vans Warped Tour in 2015 and now look to continue to keep the creativity flowing well into the future. Recently we sat down with the humble group of musicians for a personal look at the years gone by, their new found chemistry, and much more.
CrypticRock.com – Emarosa came together back in 2006 and, in that time, have attained a series of charted records as you have built a strong following. In hindsight, what has the last decade been like for the band through the ups and downs?
Bradley Walden – It has been a roller coaster.
Jordan Stewart – It has been everything. It has been a dream. It has been awful at times. We have been in over our head, we have been on top of the world, we have been everywhere.
Will Sowers – It has been a journey that has gotten us to the happiest place this band has ever been to. With a group of guys we love being around, love writing music with, it is pretty awesome.
Jordan Stewart – For the first time, we do not have to slow down. There has always been a wildcard feature.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, you have an established lineup now where everyone is on the same page.
Will Sowers – Yes, working toward the same goal every single day, and that is what has made the biggest difference.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely, it took around ten years to get there, but here you are.
Will Sowers – Yes, it did, but I think the timing was correct.
Jordan Stewart – That is all a new thing though. Bands never used to develop in the public eye. It is all in recent years that people now seem to hold history of a band before they even break.
- Rise Records
- Rise Records
CrypticRock.com – That is very true. The band has sustained a few lineup changes, most notably with the departure of Jonny Craig a couple years back. Bradley came in 2013 and has really done a fine job helping the band continue along strongly. What has the addition of Bradley meant to the chemistry of the band?
Will Sowers – It has meant everything.
Jordan Stewart – It has changed the whole chemistry of our band. I now have a relationship with our singer. It is a whole new dynamic. He contributes in a musical and creative way.
Will Sowers – It is more of a family environment now. We all respect each other. No one can ever kick you down. We are all here to bring each other up every single day and put on the best show every single night.
CrypticRock.com – Those are all positive things. The band released their third studio record, Versus, in September of 2014 to positive reviews. What was the writing and recording process like this time around?
Bradley Walden – It was really fucking awful. The band was not in a good place. Think about being in a comma for four years and waking up and thinking you have to go run a marathon. That is what it was.
Jordan Stewart – Yes, we got the confirmed dates to record ten days out that we were going into the studio.
Will Sowers – We were all in routine of working 9-5 and rehearsing after that. It was just, alright, it is go time.
CrypticRock.com – So this was sort of a stressful situation?
Jordan Stewart – Very much so. I had a broken leg and I had to walk a mile a day with crutches, and that was not my worst part of the day. In the dead of Winter in Baltimore.
CrypticRock.com – The end result was good. It shows with your backs against the wall you guys work well together.
ER White – I think we work well under pressure a lot. Even though some of that pressure might seem extremely negative, we always seem to get through it.
- Rise Records
CrypticRock.com – Excellent, this record certainly shows a steady progression from the band’s previous work. Seeing as the band had their share of bumps in the road and being it had been four years since the last studio record, did you feel as if you had something to prove to fans, but most of all yourselves?
Will Sowers – Definitely, the fans were the reason why we were given a chance to go back in the studio. They were still showing loads of love to us after the three and half year hiatus we took.
Jordan Stewart – I think we were confident if we were given another shot that we would be alright. We knew if we got it out there and people received it, we would be all ready.
CrypticRock.com – Absolutely. One can imagine as a musician, when you have that long break with all this adversity, you wonder if you will get another chance. Once you do get that chance, one can imagine you put undue pressure on yourself.
Will Sowers – Oh yea, there was a lot of sweat and tears. It was a really trying time. I am real proud of everyone and proud of the work we do together.
Jordan Stewart – There will be pressure going forward. It is part of what we have taken on to do. Like you said, we can handle the pressure.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, you mentioned earlier about how a band’s development is not in the public eye years ago. There have been significant changes in the music industry over the past fifteen years. Emarosa came onto a scene which was essentially already enthralled in digital format music. Do you think it is more difficult now for a band to come up opposed to twenty years ago.
Bradley Walden – It is way easier. You are so much more accessible to so many more people at the drop of a hat. Getting into the spotlight is super easy, staying in the spotlight is a lot more difficult now a days. That is because attention spans are completely shot. There is no value in what you are holding. When we got records when we were a kid, we paid our money for this, we thought it was awesome, and I am going to listen to this all day. Now it is just a click to listen to a song on YouTube where a kid can say, “Oh this is great, what else is out there.” It is so easy.
Jordan Stewart – It is also exposing a lot more music to a lot more people. Before, we were putting our money into the pockets of the same two-hundred musician’s pockets. Now we are spreading that across to artists everywhere.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, there are definitely positives and negatives. As you stated, it is very disposable now a days. So much so if you do not keep up on things, you can be left in the dust easily.
Jordan Stewart – Yes, that is part of the job as well. Keeping with the times.
Bradley Walden – I still think quality over quantity is very important. A lot of people think I need to keep getting content out there. You can just keep putting content out there, but that does not mean it is good. If it is not good, people are not going to care how much you put out. You can put tons of crap out there or you can put a couple of pounds of awesome, people are going to want a couple of pounds of awesome over a ton of crap.
- Emarosa performing at Jones Beach, NY 7-11-15
CrypticRock.com – Completely agreed. A lot of artists now are putting out EP’s opposed to full-length records because they feel people are not buying records.
Bradley Walden – That is smart though. There is something special about a full-length record. Every band has their own situation, sometimes an EP is the right fit.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, that is a good point. The band returned to Vans Warped Tour in 2015 for the first time since 2010. What was it like this time around.
ER White – It was amazing. We had a great vibe and I think we put on a great show. The fans enjoyed it and the band enjoyed it.
Will Sowers – I do not think you can describe our live show, you have to come see it yourself. It is what we are experiencing together on stage.
CrypticRock.com – What are some of your musical influences?
Will Sowers – We are all over the place. Every single person has an individual music taste.
Jordan Stewart – Yes, we just like music.
Bradley Walden – Michael Jackson is my number one. Always is my number one.
Will Sowers – Yes, Michael Jackson and David Bowie. Joy Division was a big influence on my bass playing. The Cure, Radiohead, Limp Bizkit, Sly and the Family Stone.
- Fiction
- Capitol Records
CrypticRock.com – Excellent, very diverse. My last question for you is pertaining to films. CrypticRock.com cover all areas of music and Horror films. If you are a fan of Horror films, what are some of your favorite Horror films?
ER White – Poltergeist (1982). It was always one of my favorites Horror movies.
Bradley Walden – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was always one of my favorites. Not necessarily Horror film, but scared me when I was a kid, Adventures in Babysitting (1987). The guy had a hook hand and I was freaked out for the rest of my life.
Will Sowers – I have always been a fan of Psycho (1960). I really liked the remake of Evil Dead (2013). I do not know why, but there was something about it I liked.
Jordan Stewart – I like The Shining (1980).
- Warner Bros.
- New Line Cinema
2015 Tour Dates:
Oct 20 Tucson, AZ @ Club XS
Oct 21 El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
Oct 22 Lubbock, TX @ Club Pink
Oct 23 Fort Worth, TX @ Tomcats West
Oct 24 Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
Oct 25 Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
Oct 26 Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
Oct 28 WinstonSalem, NC @ Ziggy’s
Oct 29 Wilmington, NC @ Ziggy’s By The Sea
Oct 30 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
Oct 31 Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
Nov 1 Erie, PA @ Basement Transmissions
Nov 2 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
Nov 3 Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
Nov 5 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
Nov 6 Patchogue, NY @ The Emporium
Nov 7 Pawtucket, RI @ The Met
Nov 8 Howell, NJ @ GameChangerWorld // Loud Fest
Nov 9 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre
Nov 10 Columbus, OH @ Park Street Saloon
Nov 11 Louisville, KY @ Expo Five
Nov 12 Lansing, MI @ The Loft
Nov 13 Valparaiso, IN @ Big Shots
Nov 14 Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
Nov 15 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theater
Nov 16 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
Nov 18 Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theate
Nov 19 Las Vegas, NV @ Vinyl @ The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Nov 20 San Diego, CA @ SOMA
Nov 21 Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Nov 22 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
For more on Emarosa: emarosaversus.com | Facebook | Twitter
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