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Don't you love it when you're cruising MySpace and stumble across something that completely and utterly rocks your socks off? If you just said no, you're a sarcastic fibber. Who doesn't love finding new stuff? Especially when it's phenomenally awesome! Well, that's exactly what happened when I stumbled across Lacerda's myspace page. Now the cool thing about my job here at Sound Faction is that I get to not only discover new music every day, but I even get the chance to pick their brains a bit. We approach our interviewers as fans first and foremost. So sit back and join me into the psyche of Lacerda...

“I try to have one surface meaning that is easy and relatable to everyone and then I try to have other layers of subtle jabs at what I am talking about. Not to take away from the meaning of the lyrics but to remind us that life is a silly little game.”
Milenko - Lacerda

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

Milenko: Vocals and Programming
Bryan Baker: Guitar
Mark Forster: Bass and Vocals
Brad Sharkey: Drums
Jamie Watkins: Guitar and Vocals

How did Lacerda come to be, and where did the name come from?

Milenko: Well, originally I started Lacerda as a solo project. It was a sort of artsy electronic project. But I have always had an undeniable love of catchy, pop music. So I decided that the next logical step in the evolution of Lacerda was to get a band and start writing hook after hook. I found Mark and Brad on a message board. Jamie had been writing music with Brad for years and they sort of came as a package deal. The two of them were also friends and fans of a local band that Bryan was in. So Bryan was asked to join and that it how the current line up came to be.

I am a big fan of Hunter S Thompson's writing. In the novel and movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" there is a character named Lacerda. I always really liked the sound of the name. I am also a big fan of inserting subtle pop culture references in anything that I am involved in.

How did it feel to be included in Alternative Press' Canadian Rock Special?

Bryan: It felt like a dream. We grew up reading that magazine and it was an honor to be included among so many amazing bands that we love and respect.

Your EP "For Love And Hope" is on presale on Evelmerch.com, how was the recording process?

Mark: It was a very long, tedious, experience. We got into a lot of arguements and did a lot of re-writing and re-working in the studio which led to a lot of frustration. But it was a really rewarding experience and we're incredibly proud of the final product.

What inspires your lyric? Is there one specific lyrics that means the most to you?

Milenko: As I mentioned before I am a big fan of pop culture. I am really interested in emerging trends and I like to try and take them apart. The way people respond to commercial art is fascinating. A great deal of art starts the same way in someone's bedroom or basement and it somehow goes from that into stadiums and on radio. That jump is really quite amazing. All the layers of changes and processing that have to happen to soemthing before it can become a product that can be marketed and sold, and yet this product somehow has to remain personal and relatable. Its all very pre-packaged. Most people are bothered by this but I find it really interesting and I find it to be an art in itself. I try to keep that balance in my lyrics. I like to take that idea of big commercialism and tie it together with personal experiences about lost love or my beliefs and have fun exploiting it all. There's a lot of double meanings in my lyrics. I try to have one surface meaning that is easy and relatable to everyone and then I try to have other layers of subtle jabs at what I am talking about. Not to take away from the meaning of the lyrics but to remind us that life is a silly little game.

I think on of my favorite lines is actually a title of one of our songs. "Beauty is Only Skin Deep, But Ugly Goes Straight Down to the Bone". The reason I like it so much is it sort of gives you the hint of those layers of meaning I was talking about earlier. You have this common phrase "Beauty is Only Skin Deep..." that people often say to make other people feel better about themselves. And then the second half of the line completely reverses the meaning. It gives you the hint that while the lyrics of the song may sound like they are about one thing they are about something completely different.

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

Milenko: Above all we want people to have fun. That is what catchy music is all about. We want people to sing along, we want them to get excited about hearing our songs and seeing us play live. It would be really cool if someone got a deeper meaning through the lyrics, but it is not a primary goal of ours. That would just be icing on our musical cake.

For those readers who haven't seen you play live, can you describe your live show? What gets the best reaction from the crowd?

Brad: We seem a lot heavier and energetic

Mark: Jamie's guitar throws get a pretty great reaction.

Milenko: A lot of people seem to also respond well to Brad's drumming. He gets really into it and is singing every single word while whipping his hair all over. Plus Bryan's quite the looker so he's popular with the ladies.

What has been the biggest moment for the band? What has been the biggest challenge?

Mark: The biggest moment so far was playing Warped Tour. That was defininately an amazing experience. To be sharing the same stage as so many great bands.

Brad: We actually won the chance to be on warped tour through Ernie Ball battle of the bands. Ernie Ball was really amaizng through the whole thing.

Bryan: We ended up winning a bunch of free swag from playing the show. Cymbals, guitar strings an acoustic guitar. It was amazing.

For the kids out there with bands of their own who are trying to crack into the industry, do you have any advice or words for them?

Jamie: Give a 120%

Brad: Decide whether you are in it to just have fun or if you are really serious about it. If you're really serious about it there's a lot of money, effort and time that goes into it. You have to be really passionate.

What fuels your passion in this industry?

Milenko: The opportunity to get to do something we love and have it take us to different places we never would have dreamed of going.

what can we expect from you in the future?

Mark: We are planning on being in the States a lot more often.

Bryan: We are going to be touring extensively in the summer.

Brad: Our first longer tour is looking like it might be in April but nothing is confirmed yet.

Here at the Sound Faction we are five of the most random people you will ever meet, so we like to end our interviews on a less serious note with five random questions. Are you up for that?

YES.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

Jamie: I was always spiderman and if I wasn't I was a very upset ghost.

Milenko: my favorite costume was a judo champion.

If you could pass a law for the world, what would it be?

Milenko: Ban smoking

Jamie: Ban smoking

Mark: Ban smoking

Brad: Allow smoking everywhere

Bryan: Legalize it

If you could have lunch with any fictional character who would it be and why?

Mark and Jamie: We would love to have a double date with Meatwad and Carl from Aqua Teen hunger Force.

Brad: Taylor Hanson if he were girl

What girls fashion trend confuses you the most?

Jamie: Uggs are they slippers or shoes? What is that?

Who would you want to win a date with?

Brad: Taylor Hanson as a guy.

Jamie: Rachel Mc Adams

Milenko: OBAMA!!!!

Mark: Oprah cuz I'm a gold digger

And here's your shameless self-promo spot: anything you'd like to add about yourselves, the music, or anything else?

Milenko: www.myspace.com/lacerda, www.purevolume.com/lacerda, www.youtube.com/officiallacerdaband

We're the most talented, sexiest, best looking 5 guys to ever grace the stage. If you hadn't heard of us and died tomorrow you'd probably go directly to hell. We only listen to our cd's because ... what else is there to listen to. Shameless anyone?

A huge super-thanks to Lacerda for taking time out to talk to us and give us a bit of insight into their band. Check out the band's MySpace, PureVolume or YouTube pages to hear samples of their music and get to know them a bit more!

Also: check out Sound Faction's review of Lacerda's EP "For Love And Hope" Here!