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I've been listening to Canadian band Social Code now for a few years. They opened once for Good Charlotte, I picked up their CD, and have loved them ever since. I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to Social Code's vocalist, Travis, about their new album!

"I brought it in to the guys and was like, 'oh man! This is going to be the rock song that saves all rock songs!'." - Travis Nesbitt, Social Code

Introductions! Who are you, and what do you do?

I am Travis Nesbitt, and I sing in the rock and roll super group, Social Code.

So you guys released your new album, Rock and Roll, earlier this month, how do you feel it compares to your other albums, and do you feel like your sound has matured, and if so, how?

This record... we definitely took a different approach with it. We all kind of sat down at the beginning and asked ourselves what kind of music, and what kind of band is this? Who are we and what kind of band? ... I guess also, what kind of bands do we listen to, who influences us? What kind of a record do we want to make? And it was kind of an exercise on all four guys, kind of getting on the same page. And it was pretty cool, because once you get that the creativity started flowing a lot easier, and quicker than it has in the past. I think that was the biggest maturity, just kind of figuring out who we were and kind of... our identity, and laying that down on tape.

Nice, so sitting down and doing some soul searching?

Yeah! Just ask yourself who you are, and kind of write music to represent that.

Awesome. So you gained a fair bit of attention with your last album with singles like 'Bomb Hands', 'Every Day Late November', and 'He Said, She Said'. Because of that, did you feel pressured to try and follow it up?

You know what? Our first two records came with a lot of pressure that we put on ourselves that was a little more of a trendy thing, and what was happening now in music, and this and that, and in that old line of thinking, maybe we would have been thinking, Oh, we had this success with the last record, and blah blah blah, now we have to write something to better that. We kind of threw that line of thinking right out the window. It was kind of more about us four guys in the room, writing music that we liked rather than trying to write that big hit that's going to make us rich and famous. It wasn't about that, it was about just writing and feeling good and having fun and in the end I think we wrote some really great songs that are singles, it was just a different way of looking at it.

What is it that inspires your lyrics?

Every day we kind of just open our eyes and see what's going on day to day. A lot of times it's just... music can kind of be therapy too, and get you through where you are in the world. On the last record, 'Late November' kind of opened up that concept up for us where it was kind of what we're going through at the time as a band, and all the obstacles we were trying to crawl over. That song was kind of pivotal for it being reflective of where we were in our own brains. On this record, songs like 'Rock and Roll', the first track on the record, that was just kind of a reflection of the fact that I was just wasn't finding anything inspiring in modern music anymore.

Yeah, it really comes across when you listen to it. It's very bare, I really love that song.

You know what's funny? Is that when I wrote that song, and I brought it in to the guys and was like, oh man! This is going to be the rock song that saves all rock songs! I had the biggest vision for this song! I wanted guitar solos and pick scrapings, the whole works! And when we started playing it, our producers was just like, "That feels great, but how about we make it the lowest, most bare-bones track on the record?" And I was just like, what? No! There's going to be pyro in this song! But no, we stripped it down, and I think it means a lot more for me, and it's a lot stronger that way.

Listening to the lyrics, I can see how you'd want it to be the big rock song, but personally at least, there's just so much more to it bare, with it so stripped down. I love that one.

Yeah! And I mean, just how conceited would it be if we did that, you know what I mean? The song that saves rock music! It's not really about that, it's more about my viewpoint on modern music.

Now that the album is complete, looking back on it, if you could re-write any of the songs you'd written, which would it be and why? And if you wouldn't change any of them, again, why?

No, I wouldn't change any of them. Collectively and personally, as a band, and me, we've never been more proud of anything we've ever put out. Those ten songs are us. They're exactly us. They're the songs that we wanted to write, and there's nothing that I would change. Every single song I love in different ways. It's like having ten children. You can't pick your favourite. Everything was very intentional with this record. At the end of the day, if it felt right, if it felt like it was really us, then it got on the record.

That's really all that matters. It's really good to hear. So, on your MySpace, the bio mentions that the new album 'strips away the pop-punk and radio flavor of the day tracks that Social Code has been known for.' Now, is that to say prior to this album, you weren't making music that was completely true to what you wanted it to be in order to be more radio friendly? Or is it simply saying that your sound has changed over the course of writing this album?

The more press I do, that question kind of comes up saying, well, does it reduce what the other records were, but I think what it is is that we've just kind of grown to a point, artistically, that kind of felt like we could bare more of who we are on record. On the last couple of albums. I personally just didn't know how to do that as much as I do now. Maybe that was just growing old, or maybe just looking at things differently. So the first two records are still held really dear to me and those songs, and what we put into them and... quite honestly, this album wouldn't have happened without the first two. So there's a lot of truth and honesty in them, but we kind of grew to a place personally where this record is just a little bit closer to us.

So the first time I ever got to see you guys live was a few years ago when you were opening for Good Charlotte and supporting 'A Year at the Movies'. Your live show was amazing, and I love you guys and try to catch you when you're in Toronto, simply because your live show is so entertaining. Do you feel like you gain a lot of your fan base through the energy in your live shows?

The most important thing about being in a band... you can get kind of carried away with the numbers of the music industry, and how everyone is complaining about records sales, and downloading and all that crap, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is the relationship between you and the audience. Playing live, your audience is right there in front of you, you know what I mean? It's just this raw energy, and it's just... in my opinion, the show is just this exchange of energy between you and the audience, and to me it's just the best part of it all. You're stuck in the studio for however long writing this record. For a year we've been off the road, and then you get a chance to get out there and be on stage and just let loose, it's just awesome, it's the best part.

Again, that makes me really happy to hear. I love when people have answers like that!

Cool! Well, thank you very much for loving us, it's great!

No problem, you guys make it easy!

(Laughs)

So what do you think each member of Social Code brings that's special to the band? What does each of you contribute to the band dynamic?

Oh man! You know what? Our whole band, especially now that we're on an independent label and everything, everyone had their own job. Everybody kind of does their own thing. Morgan does all our video blogs, all that stuff. Logan and I do all the web design and graphic design. I do all the graphic design and Logan does all the website stuff. Everybody has their own part that they put into it. The thing too is that when we write, it's very collective and we work really well together, and I may come up with the first little chunk of a bunch of songs, and you bring it into the guys and they're able to rip the thing apart, but in a good way. Like Logan, he's the bass player for our band, he has opinions on lyrics, and everybody does, you know? So it becomes this huge cocktail of ideas and perspectives, and out of that, a song gets written. So it's not really like, well, Ben's the drummer, so he can't comment on lyrics and vice versa. Everybody is able to have a viewpoint of things, and puts in their two cents, and that's how we write.

What is it that fuels your passion for what you do?

I don't think I've ever been asked that question! That's crazy!

Sweet! I love being the first person to ask stuff!

You know what? I don't... even think I thought about that! It's what I do. I've had a whole bunch of other little odd jobs, and they just felt wrong. And this is the only thing that feels right. Even when times are tough with the band, and things aren't going as smoothly as we want... I always look forward to getting back on top. It's just what I do everyday! I wake up and just work with the band. The odd time you'd have a job where you would have to go and pick up garbage in a Walmart parking lot at midnight or something, and you'd be like... why am I here? I just want to be writing music! Or doing anything with the band! I guess my answer is just... it's what I do. It's the only thing that feels right.

So at The Sound Faction, we like to end all of our interviews with just five random questions to leave everything on a light note, are you up for that?

Sure!

If you could have one non-standard super power, what would it be and why?

Invisibility cloak! Because sometimes... I guess I just want to go to the mall and steal clothes! (Laughs)

Stuff them under the cloak and all of a sudden you have a whole new wardrobe!

That's right!

What movie title best describes your life?

The Adventures of Driving Across the Country! I spend a lot of time in the van, or a bus, or a plane, or... something.

I can imagine. If you could be any inanimate object, what would you be?

I could say something really dirty there... inanimate object... I don't know... a microphone! Ah! No! I wouldn't want to be a microphone! That'd be gross. I'd be all wet and stinky!

Very germy...

I'd be a flower!

Aw! If that's what she said, what did she say?

(Laughs)! There's no way for this to not be dirty (laughs)! ... 'Oh, that sure is big and slippery!

(Laughs)! Ahhh, there ya go. And last one, if you could be a scented candle, what would you smell like?

Most scented candles are just crazy. I don't like that stuff. Maybe... what's that stuff? It's like... patchouli? Yeah, let's go with that.

Okay! And last but not least, this is your shameless self promo spot, if there's anything I didn't cover, now is your chance to say it.

Cool! Go get our record, because it is the best thing we've ever done, and we love it!

Thanks so much to Veil Veil Vanish for chatting with us! Check out their MySpace to hear songs and learn more about the band!

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