Her Campus Point Park had the exclusive opportunity to sit down with some of the talent at the Pittsburgh tour date of Vans Warped Tour 2014, as well as to photograph the acts from the photo pits of the live sets! We got to discuss Sydney & Noah Sierota of Echosmith’s 2nd time on VWT, where they told us about her New Year’s resolution, problems in the world, and how love drives their music:
Photo by Samantha Tarr
HC: Can you give us a run-down of how your band got started?
S: “Well, theyâre my three brothers so thatâs obviously how we know each other. We started playing music really young without any intentions of becoming a band, which is surprising to a lot of people! We just really worked on our craft individually, and six years ago we decided to do it together.”
HC: How is being on Warped Tour different than doing regular club shows?
N: “Weather really affects what youâre doing! In clubs it doesnât really matter if itâs hot or cold, but here you could be out playing in 105 degrees or a rainstorm with lightning and thunder going on, so all of that could really affect a show and the crowds. I think it leaves it all up to chance and leaves kind of a fun mystery to this tour- every day you donât know what it will be like!”
HC: How has the reality of Warped Tour been different from your expectations of it?
S: “We didnât realize how much had to be put into this tour. You have to put your whole self in mentally and physically. Last year was pretty crazy, but we realized hard work really paid off. Weâd put up 150 posters every day and chalk everywhere, go up and down the lines with free pins and CDs, so itâs cool to see how itâs changed this yearâs shows. People will be like, âhey, I got this free CD from you last year and now I hear your songs on the radio!â Itâs cool to have that connection with your fans. But thatâs kind of what surprises us; it really is true that if you try hard on this tour you get a good turn out.”
N: “Even if youâre not a great band, if youâre out there promoting yourself and talking to the kids yourself, youâll draw people in.”
S: “Theyâll at least show up to the first song!”
Photo by Samantha Tarr
HC: What is the coolest or craziest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention?
â¨S: “On our fall tour, there was a guy with his friends who really wanted attention. He took off his shirt and I was already like⌠okay, weâre indoors. But he was super sweaty and I only knew this because he threw the shirt onstage and was like âyou can have my shirt!â and I touched it just to move it and was just like⌠this is so disgusting. He came to another show later on the tour and asked if I still had his shirt, but I threw it away right away!”
N: “People bring me candy! Thereâs this one Japanese candy I love, but kids drive for like hours to find me this candy, and I donât know why but they do, and it makes me very happy.”
HC: Do you have any secret hobbies or guilty pleasures outside of music that might surprise your fans?
N: “I love to cook and to do culinary things. Iâm teaching Sydney!”
S: “It was my New Yearâs Resolution to learn how to cook! Iâve learned via the Internet and my brother, and Trader Joeâs recipes. But I really love yoga, Pilates, and working out in general.”
N: “Itâs good to be healthy on the road! Thereâs so much crazy stuff going on, and some bands are out partying until 1am. But for us, we want to stay alive and young, so itâs all about living a healthy lifestyle and eating right.”
HC (to Sydney): What is it like to be a female front in a band made up of your brothers?
S: “Thatâs a really common question because itâs so unusual. A lot of people ask that relating to feminism, which I get! I think people like to capitalize on the feminist stuff and talk about it more than itâs even happening, but I think thereâs bigger problems in the world than just girls getting crap; thereâs people who canât eat food every day, and some who are homeless, and Iâd rather help deal with those problems.”
N: “Having a girl in the band hasnât really stopped us too much. It draws a lot of Paramore comparisons, but I donât think it hinders us! Itâs all about perspective.”
HC: What advice do you have for the students at Point Park who want to work in the business end of the music industry?
N: “Being patient is a good thing. All of the people who are on our team and have stayed on our team have been patient for years. Stuff is just now happening and theyâre starting to get something out of it, so I think being patient and finding acts youâre passionate about. If you have just one or two who you really believe in- not just the band but their message, the music, and the fans that theyâre reaching- youâll do a lot better and youâll be a lot more fulfilled.”
HC: So what is the message you want to send out to your fans?
S: “Weâre all about love. A lot of people like to categorize that as for your significant other, but we see it differently. We want people to know that love is bigger than that- itâs loving your friend and family and the person checking you out at the grocery store. In whatever you do, it doesnât matter if youâre playing music or working at the grocery store; everyone you come across needs love. So itâs really important to keep that in mind that this life is about love rather than money, status, and your career. Even though we love doing what we do! But it doesnât make us any more important or cool because we make music. Some of the most amazing people in this world have jobs that people look down upon.”
N: “Even though we have songs about different subjects, but at the root of it all itâs about the love for other people and our fans and for each other. Even if itâs a song about wanting to fit in or not worrying about the problems ahead of you, itâs all rooted in that belief.”
HC: What can we expect from Echosmith once Warped Tour ends?
S: “A fall tour!”
N: “Weâll be traveling the country, and hopefully more of the world! We have a portion of the country set right now and want to hit as many cities as possible.”
Photo by Samantha Tarr
URLS:
- http://www.echosmith.com
- https://www.facebook.com/echosmith
- Twitter & Instagram: @echosmith