|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

So, I, along with the other SF girls, am a sucker for local bands. There is just something cool about going to your local venue, paying $10, and hearing amazing music from the local scene. First One Out is one of the amazing local bands that Manda, Caity, and I saw earlier this month. Their stage presence, energy and raw talent got the crowd pumped that evening. So, on the same cold, Maine, January night that I talked to Jared from Too Late the Hero, I also sat down with the hilarious Bangor, Maine based quintet in a local pizzeria and talked about their lyrical message, the close knit Bangor music scene, and Kris Kross (cause they make you jump....jump.)

"Mike's pretty. So we're kind of hoping that'll work out for us. I mean, look at the rest of us... "
- Cory: First One Out

For our readers who don't know who you are, could you please introduce yourself, and what you do for the band?

Dave: I'm Dave, I play bass.

Mike: I'm Mike, I'm the lead singer and rhythm guitarist.

Cory: I'm Cory, I play drums.

Dave: I'm Dave, I play keys.

Shawn: I play guitar... I'm Shawn...

Okay! How and when did the band form?

Dave: ahh, like three years ago.

Mike: Yeah, it was like, we had the band, and then we've broken up, and then we've been in two separate bands, and me and Shawn had started this band, and then Dave came in and the other dave came in, and then Cory came in. Like a month ago. So yeah, it pretty much started like a month or two ago.

What influenced your decision to form a band?

Cory: ....we live in Maine. (laughter)

Mike: Yeah. I mean, we all love music, and we pretty much like the same kind of music.

You are based out of Old Town, what's the local scene where you are, and did you find it particularly hard to crack into?

Cory: Dave is the scene veteran...

Dave: Ahh, there isn't a scene in Old Town. Most of us live in Bangor, and there were clubs to play, but there isn't anymore. Other than the 103...

[Jordan's Note: The 103 Ultra Lounge is a local club in Orono, ME, where we were headed to that night to see them play]

Dave (cont'd.): Was it hard to break into? No. If there are shows, most of the people producing them are pretty good about letting us in.

For those that haven't seen you play live, can you describe your live show?

Cory: We haven't had one! Dave and I were in different bands from the area, like more... I don't know what kind you would call it, ... they called it like Shimmy-core, shimmer-core... I have no idea what that means, but we have been on stage before, but not with this particular band. We've played performances in my livingroom. And there we don't really do much.

[Jordan's Note: At this point, the interview is paused while the boys receive their drinks and put in orders for Pizza. We learn that Dave eats disgusting pizza.]

So, speaking of your shows, is there anything that gets the best reaction from a crowd that you do? Songs... actions... setting people on fire?

Shawn: (pointing at Mike) It's his pretty face.

Cory: Mike's pretty. So we're kind of hoping that'll work out for us. I mean, look at the rest of us...

Mike: If I keep moisturizing, I think that would be the key...

What inspires your lyrics?

Mike: Um....

Shawn: ...say it. just say it.

Mike: ...personal experience.. past relationships...

Shawn: Just say it.

Mike: Ex-girlfriends! That sums that all up. (at Dave) You make me sound like a... um... Hussy? Can we say that?

You don't have to sensor yourself...

Mike: You make me sound like a slut!

Caity: You might have to sensor yourself a little, seeing as there are small children at that table over there...

Cory: Way to go, Mike. They gotta learn somehow.

Is there one specific lyric that means the most to you?

Cory: I like "She Bangs..."

Mike: ...not ours... Umm. I can't really put it down to one. It's all like, a part of my life pretty much. We only have I think one song where--

Dave: (Hands a tissue to Mike and draws tears down his face, laughing)

Mike: They're all pretty sad! I think we only have one song that is actually happy. All the others are pretty much just like rejection...

Dave: But we have a lot of fun.

Dave: We don't take too much seriously, we have interviews at a dive called Pats Pizza in Orono...

What kind of message are you trying to get out with the band?

Cory: I'd say, just have fun. Also... look: fauxhawks... (laughs at Shawn who points out his own fauxhawk)

Dave: I have one under my hat, too...

Mike: I'd like the lyrics to affect someone... like, I've had one person tell me that one of our songs pretty much told the story of her recent-...

Shawn: Was it your ex-girlfriend?

Mike: NO! It wasn't! But like, some people say that it was actually, like a part of their life.

What has been the biggest moment for the band?

Mike: hmm... Getting a band together! Probably. We've had such a hard time.

Cory: This is like the fourth time we've had this group of people attempt to be in a band. And this is the first actual show that we've had. (At this point he laughs at something that Dave said quietly) If you haven't figured out yet, we're brothers too... (Dave, on keys, not bass)

So would that be your biggest challenge?

Mike: Yeah! Probably.. actually... is that the next question?

Yes, it was!

Mike: Yeah, that is the biggest challenge.

How does it feel to be the Hometown Homeboys tonight? One of the other bands is from Berwick (southern Maine), The other band is from New Jersey (we come to find out later that there are two other bands from Old Town, and Massachusetts as well, but the question stands...).

Dave: A lot of our friends will come out. And family, who don't get the chance to see us play often. Because we haven't played a lot of shows...

Cory: It's good, I think, being in town, because sometimes we'll have to sell tickets, you know... two hours away from us, and nobody knows who you are. But here, I can give the tickets to my fiancee, and she can sell five tickets or whatever... and it makes it easy when you only have to drive a couple miles to see a show, so I think that's going to help us. Especially in Maine, where everything is so far away from you.

What advice would you give to other local bands who are trying to crack into the music industry?

Dave: Don't take yourself too seriously.

Shawn: Move the hell out of Maine...

Cory: I mean, just meet as many people as you can, and be cool with all of them, because if you're a piece of shit, then nobody wants to talk to you. The more friends you make, the more places you can play.

Here at The Sound Faction, we are five of the most random people you'll ever meet. So we like to end our interviews on a less serious note with five random questions, are you up for it?

Mike: Sure!

Sweet. What was the first album that you ever purchased?

Dave: No joke? Kris Kross. No joke.

Nice

Dave: Jump, that song was epic.

Mike: Mine was a DMX cd. What was it... it was the one with the cross on it..

Cory: Wasn't Kris Kross the kids that wore their clothes backwards?

Yeah, and they were six.

Dave: (to Cory) What was yours? Journey?

Cory: These guys all make fun of me, because I like Journey.

Dave: Well what was it, then?

Cory: I have no idea... I can't remember back then. I've twenty-five, I'm the oldest one here. And they all called me like, the old-guy... but I'm like two years older than Dave.

Dave: And he's recently engaged!

Cory: I don't know what it was. I remember buying a Dire Straights album one time.

Shawn: Britney Spears-- no uh... Metallica's Black Album.

Who is your favourite Super Hero and why?

Cory: Fauxhawk dude...

Shawn: Jimmy Neutron! He's got it goin' on.

Cory: Immigration dude...

Dave: Bluntman and Chronic...

Mike: Why?

Cory: Yeah, why Dave?

I think it's self explanatory...

Dave: No, uh... I just saw The Dark Knight, so I'm gonna go with Batman.

Cory: I like the ones with the tight pants on.

Mike: Super man! Yeah! If you wear the underwear on the outside... you're bad ass.

What is your favourite Dinosaur?

All: (Speaking scarily at the same time) Velociraptor...

What is your hidden talent?

Dave: I can play the Saxophone.

Mike: Can you?

Shawn: I can palpate your liver! (thumbs up!)

Cory: With the best of 'em! ... I don't even know what that means. Hidden talent... um... High fiving myself!

If you could have lunch with a famous person from history who would it be, and why?

Dave: It would be John F. Kennedy. Because he had sex with Marilyn Monroe. AND Jackie Onassis.

Mike: Then why don't you just go for Marilyn Monroe?

Dave: because I want to learn how he did it! And he had Jackie O too! And she was hot.

Cory: What are you gonna do, Dave, write her a note? Do you like me? Yes or no...

Mike: I would probably have to go with like... Chris Farley. because he was hilarious.

Dave: Pass..

You could just start in the beginning and just go with Jesus...

All: JESUS!

Dave: Are we going to hell because we didn't think of him first?

Mike: He could make like... a mean bureau or something...

You could have a very well constructed house by the end of it!

Shawn: ...the dude who invented the fauxhawk!

Dave: It was probably the lead singer of Dashboard Confessional...

Okay! So just to end everything, here is your shameless self-promotion spot, anything that you want to add about yourselves, or the music?

Shawn: (pointing at Mike) He's single, ladies... single...

Cory: (pointing at his brother, Dave) He could be, for the right one...

Dave: If you can date me, and hate me at the same time...

Mike: this is BAND promo... so just come out and see us!

Shawn: If you're interested in seeing us play go to our MySpace, myspace.com/firstoneoutband, and message us, and we'll reply.

Mike: And we love you all!

Thanks so much to First One Out for letting us invade your pre-show dinner and talk to you! If you're interested in hearing more about First One Out, hit up their MySpace page to hear samples and look for shows near you!