Still Remains Interview

The burgeoning metal act from Michigan, Still Remains has garnished accolades both home and abroad for their debut disc OF LOVE AND LUNACY. When speaking to lead singer TJ Miller, we touched on what sets Still Remains apart from the metalcore pack, as well as how the band uses keyboards differently from other bands, and what to expect from this sextet in the near future.

The Gauntlet: How did you guys form, and how did you come up with the name Still Remains?

TJ Miller: We formed around four years ago. We all just wanted to start a band and like I had to finish being in a band, and uh, a couple of the other guys were in bands as well, and both bands played together around town a lot, both bands broke up and we kind of just formed like a super group I guess you could say. We got out to the music scene, and I don't know, it kind of went from there. We needed a name for a flyer for our first show, we hadn't named our band yet, and Still Remains was something we just kind of came up with at random. It doesn't mean anything. We always told ourselves we'd end up changing it eventually, but we never did. So, it doesn't really mean shit, but that's how we came up with the name.

The Gauntlet: How did living in Michigan influence your music?

TJ Miller: Well, there's not a lot to do in Michigan except to sit around and try to find bands and try to broaden your musical taste, and so we just spent a lot of time listening to music, and a lot of that music has definitely influenced our sound.

The Gauntlet: Where did you record OF LOVE AND LUNACY, who did you record it with and are there any interesting stories that came out of the studio experience that you'd like to share with us?

TJ Miller: We recorded it in Vancouver, Canada with GGGarth Richardson, known for working with the Chili Peppers, Chevelle, Rage Against the Machine, stuff like that. Funny stories from recording? Let's see� I remember waking up one morning in the band house and going outside and there was a llama like looking right in the window. The neighbors owned llamas and so GGGarth let his dog outside and the dog was chasing around the llama. That was really cool.

The Gauntlet: What song do you feel was the easiest to record, the hardest to record, and the one you feel came out the best?

TJ Miller: I guess I'd have go with what I was going through personally in the studio. Hardest to record were probably "In Place of Hope" and "Stare and Wonder" because they were the two songs that we were finishing up in the studio. We had all the others written, but those two weren't finished yet. The first time that they heard it was when it was actually recorded and done. It was stressful on me because I hoped they liked what I did, which they did. The two that came out best was "In Place of Hope". I love how that one sounds. That is my favorite song on the record in general.

The Gauntlet: What can we expect from Still Remains for the remainder of 2005?

TJ Miller: Well, we are going to tour our butts off. We'll be on the road probably for the rest of our lives. Right now we are on tour with Haste The Day and Stretch Armstrong and a band called Kane Hodder. Next, we will be co-headlining a tour with Scars of Tomorrow. After that, we'll be out with Norma Jean and Darkest Hour, and after that we are still putting that stuff together. We were just nominated for Kerrang's Best Up and Coming International Artist Award, and we are pretty stoked about that.

The Gauntlet: How does a Still Remains song get written, and how did you get the title of the album?

TJ Miller: Well, we just kind of come to practice and Jordan brings a lot of riffs that he writes on his own. We kind of piece them together at practice. Zach will have stuff as well. No song is written the same way. It just all kind of happens the way it does. We don't have a certain way we try to organize things. The album title itself has a lot to do with where I was coming from lyrically with the record. It's a lot of stuff that I was going through this past summer, good things, bad things, you know, a lot of heavy emotional stuff.

The Gauntlet: What is your take on the current heavy music scene, and where do you feel Still Remains fits?

TJ Miller: I definitely feel it's growing a lot. It's come a long, long way these past few years. It's cool to see bands like Hatebreed and Shadows Fall, and Unearth selling hundreds of thousands of records. I think that's amazing. I'm pretty stoked about that. I think Still Remains kind of sits in that same category, as one of those up and coming new American metal bands that are trying to play for whoever we can.

The Gauntlet: How would you describe Still Remains to someone who's never heard you before?

TJ Miller: You'll like it, trust me. That's how I'd describe it. No, I'm just kidding. I'd probably say we are one of those bands that are heavy, we have some really catchy hooks and we incorporate a lot of really cool keyboards and ambiance, like a lot of experimental metalcore bands.

The Gauntlet: What are some of the topics of Still Remains songs, and are there anything that you've tried to incorporate intentionally, lyrically, and are there any topics that you wouldn't even deal with or write about?

TJ Miller: Well, for one, I'm not really a political guy. I try to keep that stuff to myself. So that is something that I really wouldn't think to write about, but stuff like where we stand with our personal belief in God or in Christ, that is one thing that I write about because I think that one thing about hardcore and metal music is that whether you are a Satanist or a Vegan or a Christian, people are standing up for what they believe in. That's kind of what Still Remains does. I've written songs about suicide, I've written songs about losing loved ones, and you know, usual stuff that bands write about, the stuff that they go through.

The Gauntlet: What new or old CDs are you currently listening to?

TJ Miller: Well I'm obsessed to the new Nine Inch Nails. I've been listening to like that whole category lately. Today I popped in, let's see, I'll give you my playlist for today. I listened to some Nirvana today, and that was kind of a blast from the past, I listened to Muse's ABSOLUTION disc. Right now I'm listening to Pearl Jam's VS.

The Gauntlet: What do you think sets Still Remains apart from other bands?

TJ Miller: I think that some of the things we are doing with keyboards. I know that a lot of the metalcore bands have incorporated keyboards, but I think we are doing it in a little different of a way. Some of the parts of the record kind of have a dance groove too, and that's something I want to work with when we start writing our new stuff. I want to get some really dance groove, like The Killer's type groove going on.

The Gauntlet: What comparisons do you guys get that you both agree and disagree with?

TJ Miller: We've been compared to Underoath because we have a keyboardist. I think we sound nothing like Underoath, which is a band we do all like by the way. One of the ones we kind of agree with but disagree with is Bleeding Through; we've been compared to them just because we are a heavy band with a keyboardist. I think in spots we can sound like them, but I think that they definitely have their own thing going on, separate from us.

The Gauntlet: Do you prefer playing live, or working in the studio, and why?

TJ Miller: Playing live because we get to meet new kids every day, and that's always really fun. Like in the UK we got to meet so many new friends over there. It's the chance to tour and see the world. I mean, it's boring in the van, but when we finally get out and we are able to just play.

The Gauntlet: Do you have any final words for the readers?

TJ Miller: Come out to the shows. We are all nice guys, we are on tour with Haste the Day right now, you can probably look up on the internet, MySpace or whatever, you know, go to the Roadrunner Records page and they've got all our date posted. We want to meet everyone and hang out with everybody and yeah, get the new record OF LOVE AND LUNACY.