Maybe there’s something in the air, but over the past few years we’ve seen a bunch of bands come back from the dead. From Autumn To Ashes are one of the most recent resurrectors, and they recently wrapped up a West Coast reunion tour where they played a bunch of songs spanning their entire catalog.
Back in the early 2000s when FATA formed, they immediately caught fire and became part of the vanguard that led the post-hardcore/screamo movement. Over the course of several years they put out four studio albums, toured all over the globe, and then abruptly went on hiatus in 2008.
So what’s it like coming back seven years later into a world of status updates and hashtags? We sat down with guitarist Brian Deneeve and bassist Mike Pilato to find out… and to relive some fond memories from the early part of the millennium.
Too busy to watch the whole thing? No worries – here are the main takeaways:
00:03 – One time they put a bunch of trash in Poison The Well’s van and it ended up becoming infested with maggots.
00:53 – A memorable moment from back in the day was playing Hellfest 2001 — “It was our first experience with a really big festival. And then seeing people there who actually knew our songs.”
02:02 – There were a lot of hardcore shows in Long Island that helped the band get their start. They played a lot with Taking Back Sunday.
03:35 – Hellfest 2002 was the tipping point when the band exploded. That’s when they realized things were blowing up.
05:04 – Reemerging into a world of social media: “I post a picture on Instagram everyday and hope for the best.” Watching videos on YouTube of your show is a great way to critique yourself.
06:50 – Is social media important for bands? “People need to be interested in the first place… enough to at least look at [you].” They had a 16 year old who came to one of their shows who discovered them on Spotify — that’s a trip.
08:33 – Are they surprised by the success of bands like Coheed and Cambria and Taking Back Sunday? “[Coheed] didn’t sound like anything else.” If you start something truly unique, you have a much greater shot at longevity.
09:51 – Coheed used to open for FATA. “I loved them from the first second I heard them.” They grew with their success and became more polished over time.
10:25 – What’s it like revisiting old songs? It was rough at first, but “we actually play those songs better now.”
12:01 – New material? They’re not opposed to it, but it’s not something they’ve thought of. They’re just having fun hanging out with old friends and visiting cities they haven’t been to in a while.
13:03 – Some bad advice people gave them? “My parents told me not to quit my job but I did, and it worked out.”