We chat to East-coast pop-punk quartet Real Talk about their brand-new EP Arrivals and more.
Formed in late 2013, New England rock band Real Talk wasted no time releasing their debut EP Maps & Miles which was recorded with Chris Curran at Apparition Sound (Four Year Strong, A Loss For Words, Pvris) and showcased the bands Drive-Thru era roots. In August of 2015 after numerous tours with acts such as Grayscale and Sleep on It; the band took a backseat as members graduated from college and transitioned into yet another time period in their lives.
Most recently, Real Talk began writing and demoing together again and came to realize what they were truly missing; their love and passion for live music. The band then spent 2017 continuing to rebuild, write, and record their new EP, Arrivals, with Seth Henderson (Knuckle Puck, Real Friends) creating something unique, incredible, and all their own. Arrivals showcases the band’s growth and commitment to each other despite their brief hiatus and has propelled them to new heights and their best music to date.
We talked to the band about their new EP, life on the road and more.
How did you guys get into music in the first place?
We all played in different bands throughout the New England area. We met through various shows in other projects and kind of handpicked the lineup for this band.
Let’s talk about your upcoming EP – what can fans expect from it?
We tried very hard to expand our sound. We wanted to show how our early touring and our transition into adult lives have affected us as people and as a band since the last release. I think it shows a lot.
Where do you take inspiration for your lyrics from?
I think the inspiration for the lyrics comes from the feeling of growing older and not knowing how to deal with some of the situations we’ve encountered.
If you had to describe your sound in 3 words, what would they be?
Huge 2000’s Hits
How would you describe your songwriting process? Do you have any rituals?
The writing process changed a lot for this EP. It was a more collaborative effort where all members were deeply involved. It’s tough for us because we’re all in different locations, so we’ll write skeletons to songs and pass them off over the computer. When they were close to done, we spent about 12 days at a studio, Black Door Sound, in Connecticut formally demoing the whole release before we ever went in to actually record it.
What would your dream festival line-up be, including yourselves playing?
Third Eye Blind, Weezer, The Starting Line, Silverstein, Shania Twain, Alan Jackson and Taylor Swift. How’s that for weird?
What has been your biggest challenge as musicians so far?
Our biggest challenge is distance. Our members are in Bangor (Maine), Portland (Maine), Burlington (Vermont) and New York City. We don’t have the luxury that some bands do of all living in the same city.
Stories from the road – what’s what funniest thing that ever happened to you on tour or at a show?
One time we had an overnight drive from Buffalo to Michigan and we accidentally drove into Canada. We turned around past the US checkpoint but before the Canada one and had to come back through US Customs. We woke Stephen up from a “slumber” and when we asked him where his ID was, he announced “I don’t know, I’m FADED” before he saw where we were.
What was the first album you ever owned?
Saint Anger (Metallica).
High Fives & Stage Dives 