MORE THAN LIFE

Joey and Joel on the sudden success of Brave Enough To Fail, and why the best is yet to come

Left: Photo taken by Face The Show.com

Hands down this hack's favourite hardcore act to emerge over the last couple of years, since their inception in 2007 More Than Life have quickly established a reputation as one of the country's most hard working and promising outfits, with a series of show stealing appearances across the continent with The Legacy, Dead Swans, Gold Kids and Killing The Dream. Originally only intended to be sold by the band on CD-Rs, their critically lauded debut EP Brave Enough To Fail sold out its original pressing within four months. It's since gone on to be re-pressed and made available everywhere from iTunes to high street chains like HMV, a feat practically unheard of in the DIY punk scene they've emerged from. Given that many of those in the know expect the youngsters to be next in line to follow their close friends Dead Swans out of the underground and into the pages of the music weeklies, Dan Jones caught up with Joey and Joel from More Than Life to discuss the success so far, plans for their debut album and their van's unfortunate habit of breaking down on the road...

So for people who are new to you, can you give a history lesson in all things More Than Life - when, where and why did you get together?

"We started the band early 2007. It was just two of us, Joel on guitar and TK on drums, pretty much just jamming out songs in his living room. We realised that we actually didn't suck THAT bad so we got Ben in on guitar too, wrote a bunch of songs in TK's living room and recorded a demo with our mate at his house. Just us three playing everything and TK singing on it. Then we looked for a singer and bassist. [We] tried out quite a few people, but no one really worked or clicked until some 17 year old little skater kid [called] James turned up to practice and from the first thing he sang we knew he was the dude for the job, and we got our old friend Luis in on bass. Our first show was summer 2007 with The Legacy and that was the start. We released our demo at that show."

Who were the artists that inspired you to form a band growing up? I've heard that you've got some quite diverse tastes.

"We all pretty much listen to so much different stuff, anything from The Smiths to Anthrax to NOFX to My Bloody Valentine to American Nightmare to Crash Test Dummies to Cro-Mags to The Descendents to Saves The Day to Hole to Interpol. We all love music. Full stop."

Your EP Brave Enough to Fail has been out for some time now. Are you happy with the reception its received and what it has helped you achieve?

"We have been blown away with the response we have had so far! We just turned up to the studio and recorded some songs that we thought were alright, and that would just be released by us again on CD-R. We didn't think that anyone would release it. For it to sell out on CD and 7" within four months, to be on iTunes, to be getting really f**king good reviews everywhere, for us to have toured Europe three times in six months. We've already accomplished things we never thought would happen. [We're] just really f**king grateful for it."

How are your new songs shaping up compared to those on Brave Enough To Fail? Are they natural progressions?

"We recently got together and had our first few practices in over a year, starting to write for a full-length record follow up to Brave Enough To Fail. It's going real well actually, there's a natural progression for sure. It would be all too easy to write another record exactly the same as BETF, but what's the point in that? It still has the same feel and mood as BETF, but we ain't constraining ourselves in anyway, so it'll probably be a bit more diverse. It will still be very much a hardcore record though. [We're] pretty stoked how they're all coming together and can't wait to play them on tour.

"We ain't in any sort or rush to write it really, we'll be touring and writing from now until summer, then probably finish writing and perfecting the songs in autumn and record it end of they year or early next year. We have about three complete songs and three other kinda half songs so far. Release date? Hopefully early 2010.

Do you think it will be released on Anchors Aweigh again? How did you get together with them originally?

"Who knows what will happen just yet. We are super happy where we are on both Anchors Aweigh and Day By Day Records, so we would love to release it with them both again. How did we hook up with André (Suergiu, Anchors Aweigh head honcho and Gold Kids vocalist - DJ) and Anchors? Well we were into some bands on Anchors so we decided we might as well send them a copy of Brave Enough To Fail. We didn't have anything to lose. At the time André said that he was busy as f**k, we could send it to him, but he wouldn't be able to do anything with it so we did. He listened to it, said it was alright and that was it. Then a few weeks later he messaged us, said he f**king loved it and wanted to release it. Constant pestering from our buddies in Dead Swans probably helped it along a bit too [laughs]. Since then we have become such good friends with André from Anchors Aweigh and Anslem from Day By Day Records. Best dudes ever!

Things have gathered pace for you a lot this past year, what do you put the success down to?

"We really don't know! I guess mainly playing as many shows as we could, promoters putting us on sweet shows (thanks so much to all of them). All the people that come to the shows thinking that we sounded ok and telling their mates about us? I really don't know! [laughs]. Obviously both Anchors Aweigh and Day By Day have worked VERY hard for us too, so I guess its mostly down to everyone else. We're just the dudes who jump around onstage."

More Than Life – 'Fear'

Lyrically do you think More Than Life have a message or are there themes that you try to articulate?

"Wouldn't say there is really a direct message. Its just one kid's take on life, love, death, youth. It's a freedom of expression in its rawest form, poetically driven and depressing."

You've been on a couple of European tours now, how do shows over there compare to here? A lot of bands mention promoters treat bands better in mainland Europe...

"Most of our best shows have been in Europe, that's not to take anything away from the UK, we have also played some incredible shows at home, but the kids go crazy in Europe. It's unreal. As for the promoters, they do treat you really well, always have a place to stay, always get cooked meals, and breakfast in the morning, always so accommodating. Which is really nice when you're a long way from home in a city you've never been to in your life."

Are you positive about the state of the UK hardcore scene at the moment; are there many bands out there that you're excited about?

"There are definitely a lot of good new bands coming out at the moment in the UK. It's picking up. A few real good bands broke up /disappeared / are breaking up right now, but some of our new favourite bands to look our for are bands like Lonewolves, All We Have, Headcase, Everyday Hell, Brutality Will Prevail and Counting Days, and some bands that ain't necessarily in the hardcore scene, but completely worth checking out are Atlases, Escape to Sea and a band called Sharks. Go check them all out on MySpace".

What has been your best moment with More Than Life so far?

"So, so much sweet stuff has happened to us in the short time we have been around, but touring with idol bands like Killing The Dream alongside The Carrier was a dream come true. The shows were incredible, EVERY single person on that tour was such a good dude, we had a blast with them, [it] was literally the best time ever."

And the low points? I know you've had a few van problems this past year...

"Yeah, we have had our fair share of van problems in a short period of time, but it's nothing that doesn't happen to every other band in the world. It's what makes it fun. How boring would it be if everything was plain sailing? We actually wrote the song 'In Hindsight' from Brave Enough To Fail in the van, broke down on the side of some road near Newcastle. Breaking down everyday on tour was pretty low, we missed some shows, pissed a few people off maybe. But if we are completely honest, it was actually pretty fun, that's not to say we want it to happen... sh*t I've just jinxed us I bet."

What are your plans for the next six months and what are you most excited about in the near future for More Than Life?

"Come end of April we are setting off on a 23-date tour with Your Demise and Deez Nuts across mainland Europe and the UK. There are also a few festivals in Europe come summer, and possibly some big tour news announced in the next two months or so that will take us to the other side of the world."

Finally then, so what are More Than Life's long-term aspirations? What would you still like to achieve with the band?

"We didn't ever, ever imagine that we would achieve anything near as much as we already have, but we are just grateful for anything good that happens to us. We just want to tour as much as possible and write music that we love. If people like it that's cool, if they don't like it that's cool. No ones young forever, being in a band like this and touring and travelling won't be possible forever. We just want to have the best time we possibly can, while we can, and hopefully make some rad friends and see some cool places along the way."

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Fancy getting your mits on a copy of Brave Enough To Fail? Check out our new competition.

by Dan Jones

Further links

More Than Life on MySpace

MySpace page of the frankly awesome More Than Life

Anchors Aweigh Records.com

Official site of the label run by André Suergiu (Gold Kids)