Interview by Burt Wolf with vocalist & guitarist, Alexia Rodriguez, guitarist Greg Kerwin, screamer & keyboardist, Brandon Anderson of EYES SET TO KILL!
Interview done 3-9-08!
EYES SET TO KILL IS STILL A PRETTY YOUNG BAND, BEING AROUND SINCE 2004, BUT COULD YOU GIVE SOME OF THE BANDS HISTORY UP TO THIS POINT? HOW YOU GOT TOGETHER?
Alexia: Anissa & I started playing music when she was finishing junior high & I was beginning high school & not too long after, we started the band. We wanted the drummer & 2nd guitarist to be guys because we didn't want to fall under the whole chick band cliche thing. And we wanted to find a screamer to capture some of our most intense & emotional parts of the songs. We were both fans of the Hardcore & Screamo scenes so we didn't want to be a band with out a screamer. We went through about 8 different members but I can proudly say that our final line up we have right now is perfect. We are all so comfortable with each other & feel like one dysfunctional but happy family :)

ANY PREVIOUS BANDS MEMBERS WERE IN BEFORE?
Alexia: A handful of local Arizona bands that never went outside Arizona.

WHO OR WHAT HAS HAD SOME INFLUENCE ON YOU MUSICALLY & IN LIFE?
Alexia: I grew up listening to Pop Punk like BLINK 182 & GREENDAY. But my main influences come from bands like THRICE, MUSE, THURSDAY. Bands that are diverse & passionate.

ARE THE BAND MEMBERS SELF TAUGHT MUSICIANS OR HAVE YOU HAD PROFESSIONAL TRAINING? DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER INSTRUMENTS THAN WHAT YOU PLAY IN THE BAND?
Greg: I was self taught...although I did take lessons after I was in the band (just to approve my skill). I also was a drummer at first.
WHY THE DECISION TO GO WITH MELODIC FEMALE VOCALS & THEN SCREAMO MALE VOCALS?
Alexia: We thought it would make us different then all the other bands in our genre.

HOW IS IT HAVING TWO SISTERS IN THE SAME BAND? ANY SIBLING PROBLEMS?
Greg: HaHa no...the girls are the most mature people I know. We are all in this band for the same reason. So no one lets personal problems affect the band.

EYES SET TO KILL KINDA GOT THAT STEREO TYPED CHICK BAND THING IN THE EARLY YEARS. NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS & TOTALLY SHOWED THEM, DO YOU STILL RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM?
Greg: Of Course. I think any new & upcoming band is always stereo typed. In fact, every band is usually talked about unfairly. The world is too big not to have stereo types.

EYES SET TO KILL WAS THE MYSPACE #1 UNSIGNED BAND FOR AWHILE. HOW DOES THAT FEEL, ESPECIALLY BEING THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF MILLIONS OF UNSIGNED BANDS ON MYSPACE?
Greg: It feels great & well deserved. We put all we have into this band.

YOUR NEW ALBUM "REACH" DROPPED ON FEBRUARY 19TH BY BREAKSILENCE RECORDS. HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED UP WITH THEM?
Brandon: Our manager is friends with everyone at SUBUBAN NOIZE RECORDS & we happened to be in California, so we stopped by their office & dropped off a CD. They liked it & offered to give us a deal. They gave us the opportunity to start our own imprint label (BREAKSILENCE) & that's how that went down.

WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN LIKE SO FAR FOR THE ALBUM?
Brandon: So far it has been awesome. We get hit up by tons of people everyday on myspace saying they picked up a copy in stores. It seems like it is catching on & spreading & we couldn't ask for anything more than that.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MEANING BEHIND THE ALBUM COVER A BIT?
Greg: It has a lot to do with the lyrics of our single "Reach" & the video for that song as well. It symbolizes hope & the ability to "reach" out & overcome anything that gets thrown at you in life. It's also about how an outside perspective is usually different than actuality.

WHAT IS SOME OF THE LYRICAL CONTENT IN YOUR SONGS? WHO WRITES THE MAJORITY OF THE MUSIC IN THE BAND OR IS IT A WHOLE COLLABORATION THING?
Greg: The lyrics are written by Alexia & Brandon. As far as the music goes we all contribute in our own ways.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOURING PLANS FOR THIS ALBUM? WHERE & WITH WHO?
Greg: We are doing a bunch of tours coming up, both headlining & supporting. They are still in the works, so I'm not telling :)

ARE THERE ANY COOL OR INTERESTING BAND STORIES YOU COULD SHARE WITH US?
Brandon: Caleb just got a megaman tattoo. I find that cool & interesting. Oh and we signed a baby at Warped Tour last year. I don't think many people can say they have done that.
ARE YOU INTO ANY OTHER STYLES OF MUSIC BESIDES WHAT YOU PLAY? WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO RECENTLY?
Alexia: I have been listening to THE FORMAT, COLDPLAY, RADIOHEAD, CAMERA OBSCURA...more on the mellow side of Rock I guess you can say.

WHAT DO THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND DO WHEN NOT DOING ANY WORK FOR THE BAND?
Greg: Haha well, when home from tour I catch up with my friends...but other than that we practice every single day.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOU?
Greg: A lot of people don't know Alexia & Anissa are sisters.

WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT FROM EYES SET TO KILL?
Greg: Many more albums, lots of tours, possibly overseas sometime in 2008.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE ANSWERING THIS INTERVIEW? WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW THAT IT IS OVER?
Greg: I was at my parents house eating dinner before this. And in about four hours we leave for L.A. to play a show with UNWRITTEN LAW & have a blast at Disneyland.

THANX A LOT FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER THIS INTERVIEW. GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW ALBUM & MUCH SUCCESS!
Thanx!
myspace.com/EYESSETTOKILL
ALL PHOTOS & GRAPHICS COURTESY OF EYES SET TO KILL

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