The Expendables are a punk-rock/reggae surf-cultured band out of Santa Cruz, California, who’ve been a notable part of the recent re-emergence of the reggae/rock genre.
Their ambiguous tone draws in ears from multiple fan bases. Along with an incredible touring record, the band has a substantial amount of material.
Signed on Stoopid Records now, The Expendables have released their 7th studio album, “Sand in the Sky,” and continued their annual Winter Blackout Tour with a stop in Gainesville’s beloved High Dive on Sunday.
Vocalist and guitarist Geoff Weers was kind enough to answer a few questions about the new album, touring and the band in general.
Via: Club Kingsnake
GainesvilleScene: With driving bass lines and guitar and drum-centered riffs and fills, you guys tend to not lean towards rock or reggae specifically. Would you say your following prefers one genre to the other or that you’ve gained niche popularity? Would you ever become strictly reggae or rock?
Geoff Weers: Yeah, I think we have gained niche popularity. And our fans would probably want us to stay the same, we are a unique band with a unique sound and I think that’s what people like about us.
GS: Compared to the signature styles of “Gettin’ Filthy” and your self-titled album, you guys almost went for a little bit of a different, softer feel on this album. Was it just how the band was feeling, or was it intentional?
GW: Not intentional, did what we felt was good at the time. We didn’t just sit around and decide to have a mellower album. Those are the songs that were written during that time and it was a snapshot of what we were at that time.
Via: Club Kingsnake
GS: Being a band that recorded mostly independently, when you signed did you notice a major shift in your tone/sound because of the producer?
GW: They didn’t have much influence; the record label wasn’t there telling us what to do. We had total control of what was happening. Producers come into the picture and try to come out with the best sound. They definitely have an influence on our tones and stuff, which were all pretty good ideas. No struggle or fight about it, between producers and us and other people.
GS: What was it like working with Paul Leary on this new album?
GW: Great guy to have while trying to record. Positive and knows a lot about music and tone and has a good ear.
GS: Gear-wise, you seem to always have a strat in your hands. What makes you prefer it to other body styles?
GW: Very versatile, pretty good aggressive sound for all the different things we do.
Via: Seattle Sound Live
GS: Did Van Gogh inspire the new album artwork?
GW: No, well the name…the bass player Ryan wrote the song. I’m not completely positive; the album cover was more inspired by emptiness in space, the wonder of unknown. The cover kind of encompasses that. Recommended by Kevin Walsh, by our management team. We saw his stuff and it looked pretty cool, he’s done a lot of work for skate companies and other tours. He has a pretty cool vibe to his style. He pretty much nailed it.
Feature photo courtesy of: WordPress
