AW: Ashley Winward

TJ: Tay Jardine (Lead Vocals)

AW: You guys are coming up on a year since releasing Weird Kids, did you get the response you thought you would from the album?

TJ: That’s terrifying! I think we’re just seeing response I mean, that’s not clear. When we released the record, we were touring on it that same month so people didn’t know it. So we were playing the news songs and people were like……we were touring on it two weeks before it came out. People were filming and were shrugging their shoulders like “I guess this is new!” So it was hard to gauge reactions. Then on Warped Tour it was even more difficult because Warped Tour is just one of those tours that people come out to…go to Warped Tour. It’s not really your tour, so that’s also sort of strange to gauge. So now, we’re seeing everyone singing along to the new songs and it’s weird because it’s been 8 months but it all seems very new, it’s very strange how that worked out but I guess it’s just scheduling and all. You said almost a year and I was like “Holy Shit!”

AW: I know I loved Weird Kids because it was such a powerful album in the fact that it had so many hard hitting relatable topics. I was wondering if it was different writing some of these songs compared to previous, especially with the weight some of them had?

TJ: Yeah it was totally different, and some of it goes with the fact that we had a pretty crazy 2 years. During the last record cycle we were just constantly touring, just emotionally drained, we were never home so there was a lot going on. Then working with John Feldman he was like “C’mon Tay!” you know, pulling everything out of me, so yeah it was totally different and I think that it was really healthy for me especially to let go of these things, put them out in the world and pray they don’t hate me for it. It’s scary but it was so cool.

AW: This is obviously the Glamour Kills Tour, you’ve been working with Marky for a while now, modeling for their catalogue, being a part of the “We are GK” magazine. What about the Glamour Kills line enticed you to become so invested in it?

TJ: It is just the fact that we’ve known Marky for so long, it’s such a family based thing to us. Even growing up in the Poughkeepsie scene, before they moved into the city they were based out of our town, it was right there. So it was a brand that he created this culture for some bands and music that took off like crazy. It was something that our band as we grew up, could look forward to, it was an image. Now it’s just developing into something way cooler, it’s just that familiar hometown vibe that we love.

AW: There’s been a really big surge, at least within our music scene in the past 6 months focusing heavily focusing on women in music specifically. I know Marielle [Loveland of Candy Hearts] has been a part of it, you’ve been a part of it, Sydney [Sierota of Echosmith] has been a part of it. Have you felt that this has been a distraction to the music at all? Or more highlighting women in the scene?

TJ: Both I think? I like that it’s highlighting it, I like that it’s drawing people’s attention towards it but it’s also a topic that’s kind of difficult and scary to talk about because it’s so easily twisted. And so you could say one thing and somebody will say that you said something else but still quote you correctly and it’s just like, it sucks that it’s that way. But I think that the topic being highlighted is awesome because it is gonna open up people’s minds to what is happening not just, for lack of better phrase, I don’t know, “We have vagina’s burn all the bras!” You know what I mean? It’s not that intense, it can be, but I do think that sometimes it can be distracting because I’ve also seen it used as an excuse. I’m not going to throw out examples or anything because that’s not my business. You don’t use it as an excuse, you don’t see any minority, you shouldn’t see anybody in a situation go “well that’s because I’m this” that kind of weirds me out because now you’re just enabling it in a way. So yeah I think both. But it’s cool, it’s getting a lot better, I like that it’s in the air.

AW: Another cool thing recently was that you were named an MTV artist to watch, what would you like to say to all your new fans just getting to know the band and your music?

TJ: Hi!!!! I don’t know it’s nice to be introduced to a whole different group of people. We’ve always danced that line of being in the pop-punk scene and in the mainstream scene and I love that we can continue to walk along that border. I could never see us just being one, there’s never going to be like any choreographed dancing any time soon….or maybe a little now that I think about it *laughs*

AW: What makes you a weird kid?

TJ: So many things….. the whole Weird Kids thing was never meant to be like a title, it was just this theory that we always saw our fans as that, we just did our meet and greet and kids come up and there’s just so many strange personalities and it’s so endearing and so inspiring in a way and I think that’s what it really came from. We all have weird things about us right? Just hang out with me for a while and you’ll be like “Wow this bitch is crazy!”

AW: One last question, we go to a school that’s known for music; we have both a music industry and music & sound recording program. What kind of advice would you give to someone fresh out of college and trying to make it in the industry?

TJ: Well I think they have to be, you need to remind yourself that it’s a creative field. Even though you’re going to school it’s not about this textbook way of learning, I think it’s the same way with art. My sister goes to art school and she had to learn a lot of things on her own and develop a lot of her own options about this creative field, and I think that’s where a lot of people get stuck. If you’re doing this, you’re following a curriculum right? This is how it’s supposed to be, and then you step out into the real world and you’re like “But this isn’t what chapter 9 said!” and you’re really confused. But really what did you think was going to happen? I think that’s the best advice; we aware that it might not be, it’s definitely not going to be like a check mark kind of to do list kind of deal.