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Author: Melanie Gomez
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Interview with Awsten Knight from Waterparks
Between touring with Sleeping With Sirens on the End The Madness Tour and recently being on the Vans Warped Tour, Waterparks (Awsten Knight, Otto Wood, and Geoff Wigington) has been a busy band this year. To top it all off, the band also released their debut album titled Double Dare.
Awsten: I’ve been playing and writing music for so long that it honestly didn’t seem like anything else was really an option which I’m totally fine with. I did some college to make my parents happy because I get it, it’s scary for your kid to be like, “I’m not going to school because I’m gonna be in a band.” If my kid said that, I’d shit myself out of fear that they’d be broke forever like a lot of band dudes end up. To get back to the question, it’s corny but whatever, entertainment is the only career path that really makes sense to me.
We caught up with Waterparks’ lead vocalist, Awsten Knight, and discussed their new album, their latest music video “Stupid For You,” how the band got their name, and more. Check out the interview below!
Strife (Melanie Gomez) Every person has a reason for pursuing a music career, when did you decide music was something you guys wanted to get into and why?
Awsten: I’ve been playing and writing music for so long that it honestly didn’t seem like anything else was really an option which I’m totally fine with. I did some college to make my parents happy because I get it, it’s scary for your kid to be like, “I’m not going to school because I’m gonna be in a band.” If my kid said that, I’d shit myself out of fear that they’d be broke forever like a lot of band dudes end up. To get back to the question, it’s corny but whatever, entertainment is the only career path that really makes sense to me.
What inspired your band name? (Aside Awsten’s hair being constantly as blue as an ocean lately.)
Awsten: Love this one. We all had our first public boners at Waterparks and it was an embarrassing thing for each of us at the time. However, we see it as growing up. We see it as a new chapter in our lives full of growing hair in new places and trying desperately to keep up with shaving it off. Waterparks represents puberty.
So you’ve just released your debut album Double Dare via Equal Vision Records. What were some of your favorite and most difficult moments writing the album?
Awsten: We did. The fun part of writing the album was the freedom around the lyrics. There were so many demos that it felt like I could say whatever I want because the songs might not get picked for the album anyway. Then when it came time to actually make the track list it was like, well damn, a lot of these uncomfortable songs are now gonna be heard by the world, alright I guess.
You also just released a new music for “Stupid For You.” What inspired the “boy band” themed music video. We couldn’t help but smile the whole way through!
Awsten: Thank you! Honestly there’s not deep metaphorical stuff behind our videos, it’s just like, “what do WE wanna spend a day doing and how can we get someone to give us money to make it?” And that time we wanted to pretend to be a boy band because that’s tight. I wanna be in a boy band so I can dance and buy a house and stuff.
Which song and lyrics off of Double Dare mean the most to you and why?
Awsten: They all mean the most in different ways because they’re about different important things in my life. Some songs are me at my happiest, and that means a lot for me to be able to capture because that feeling is rare sometimes. Others mean so much in more negative ways that I don’t even listen to those songs because they ruin my mood. This question is like me having 13 kids (yikes) and asking which means the most haha they all mean the most to me in different ways.
What would you say makes you stand out from other bands when it comes to your live performances?
Awsten: Have you seen Geoff’s ass when he wears his show pants?
What’s been your favorite song to play live lately and why?
Awsten: “Hawaii” is the most fun to sing, but it’s a close call between that and “Stupid For You” because I freak when people are singing along and usually that song gets a looooot.
Do you see a headline tour in your future? Our readers are looking forward to one!
Awsten: I don’t know. If enough people buy Double Dare, yeah haha. I’m really just trying to see that HEB or Whole Foods sponsorship in the future WHAT UP. Praise Larry Keel. Follow me on Twitter.
Strife: Psst… if you’re reading this… which we know you all are… Awsten’s Twitter is @awsten… 😉
As of now, you’re on tour with Sleeping With Sirens, Tonight Alive, and State champs! What has been some of the coolest moments on the tour so far?
Awsten: I threw a basketball at a wall and it went in the hoop twice in one night, that’s all that really matters. I’ve been able to pet dogs all around the country, that’s nice too. Meeting people after shows is cool too.
Speaking of meet people after shows, we did hear you’re doing meet and greets after Sleeping With Sirens’ set. Is this true? Do fans have to buy anything to meet you guys?
Awsten: Super true. And nah, we just hang out, play with Snapchat filters and talk shit on our bassist, Blake.
What are some of the most rewarding things a fan has told you when it came to your music? (If any, or multiple fans).
Awsten: A good amount of people have told me it’s “saved their lives” but I don’t really like hearing that to be honest. If someone’s mentally not well, I don’t want them to rely on us for a temporary fix, I want them to go get actual help. My favorite thing to hear is “I didn’t know who y’all were but I loved your set so much I got the album” because that means we don’t suck live and we work pretty hard to avoid the whole “sucking at our career path” thing.
Do you have any advice for your fans who want to pursue a career in the music industry?
Awsten: Take your time. Compare what you’re doing to your favorites. If what you’re doing isn’t as cool as what they’re doing, keep working. Because no matter how hard you promote it, if the songs and recordings aren’t there people won’t be into it. Don’t rush anything. Be honest when you write and think outside the box. It’s 2017, who am I kidding? Make some melodyne-heavy YouTube covers and get good at Vine before they shut down. Also buy Waterparks merch, I heard it’s lucky.
Be sure to check out their new record Double Dare available NOW.
You can also follow the band on social media via @Waterparks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
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LIVE REVIEW: Melanie Martinez Brings The K-12 Tour To New York City
If you’ve seen photos, videos, or been to Melanie Martinez’ K-12 Tour, you probably know that it’s truly a magical experience. The time and dedication that she took into making the album K-12, and the film for the album was insane, so we can only imagine what went into turning her masterpiece into a live show. Between the backdrops, the decor, the merch, and the tour outfits, you can tell that everything was carefully put together. When you enter the venue, you’re entering the world of Melanie Martinez. You’re entering the world of K-12.
Unlike her past tours, this one featured a lot more dancing. After watching her behind the scenes footage (only seen if you watched the K-12 film in theaters) Melanie explains how hard she worked when it came to getting better at dancing, even if it meant bruised legs.
It was all worth it because all her dancing was on point! And we can’t forget all of her dancers. They were the cherry on top. In between songs, some of her dancers would come on stage to act a scene and make the crowd feel part of it. At one point, one of the dancers even asked a member of the audience, “Do you know when class starts?”
The setlist on the tour went in order based off of the songs on K-12. Many might’ve thought the show was over once she sang the album in full, but she took the crowd took back to the Cry Baby era with a few surprise songs. Those songs were “Sippy Cup,” “Alphabet Boy,” and “Mad Hatter.” She then added one last surprise song that goes back to the K-12 era, but it’s not necessarily on the album. She played “Fire Drill,” which was first released during the end credits of her the K-12 film. We didn’t expect that one, so it was definitely a treat!
Check out some of our photos from the show below:
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PHOTO REVIEW: Waterparks Play A SOLD OUT Show in New York City
What keeps us coming back to a Waterparks show? The music of course, but also the members of the band. When watching Waterparks, you feel like you’re watching your best friends on stage. Awsten Knight is constantly joking around with fans in the crowd and telling stories, making you feel like you’ve known him your entire life. He even went on to play, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” by Guns N’ Roses probably over 7 times, knowing it would crack everyone up or even annoy them. Annoy them in a good way though, kinda like the one friend that you adore too much that you can never get mad at.
It was hilarious to watch because honestly, some people got so confused about what was going on. At one point we all ended up singing “The National Anthem.” No, I do not know why. But hey, it was a cute patriotic moment! But that’s what makes it a Waterparks show. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know you’re going to smile A LOT.
You can tell how happy Geoff Wigington and Otto Wood were to be there, as Otto had his face when he was younger as the background at one part of the show (it was silly), and Geoff happily rocked out, while still paying attention to the crowd. Although they don’t talk as much as Awsten, it’s all the little things that they do to show they care about their fans throughout the show. And let’s not forget all the guitar picks that were thrown, along with the Limited Edition New York City hoodie that was available to purchase to the first 200 people at the show.
With songs like “Watch What Happens Next,” “Easy To Hate,” and “Turbulent” along with classics like “Blonde," "Stupid For You," and “Lucky People” on the setlist, this was one of their best shows yet. It was so simple yet very well done. And extra points to whoever thought of the lighting to make Awsten’s hair glow neon green in the dark throughout the show. It truly was the icing on top.
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