|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

MySpace is a fabulous place for folks like us here at SF. We go lurking around trying to find random, amazing bands, but sometimes we luck out and the band finds us. That was the case with The Welcome Home. They added us, and whether they knew what they were getting into or not, after giving them a listen, we told them we were, in fact, a webzine, and that we definitely wanted an interview.

“I can tell you we will please those ears, and dance those feet.”
Jason Castro – The Welcome Home.

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

Gabe: My name is Gabe Mouer, I sing and play guitar and do everything else for these mother f*ckers.
Dallas: Drums saving lives and keeping Gabe in his place ;)
Jason: My name is Jason Castro. I sing and play bass for The Welcome Home.
JJ: I'm Justin Jay Hamilton, and I tickle the ivories.

How did The Welcome Home come to be, and where did the name come from?

Jason: We had to do a lot of moving. Dallas had lived in Washington all his life. Gabe, during the high school years, moved from Austin, Tx (My Hometown) to Olympia,Wa. Dallas and Gabe became great friends, and they shared their passion for music together during their way younger years. Gabe and I talked over the phone all throughout high school and Community college, always about playing music together, as he had a friend Dallas who played drums really well. So I gave it a shot after a year and a half of Community College. Moved from Austin to Olympia, JJ joined after recording our first demos last spring and bam we are here.

JJ: My 3 buddies made the band, I recorded their demo, and when I did so we fell in love and I joined. They made the name, they'll be able to tell the story better than me :)

Gabe: Jason came up with the name, we are all young and searching for what 'Home' is to us, I feel like the band is that calling.

You're based out of Lacey, Washington, how is the local scene there? Did you find it particularly hard to crack into?

Jason: It is definitely a transition to crack into the scene. Just a few months ago people had no clue who we were, and didn't even know we existed in such a small town(no offense oly...you're still good looking), so it took a couple of shows played to start getting some eyes and ears. Thankfully it is naturally happening as we keep playing more shows, meeting more new people, and getting some great connections.

JJ: The local scene here is struggling, but it's coming along for sure. There are a few good hardcore supporters that are keeping it alive, and they're starting to get somewhere.

Dallas: The Oly scene has actually come a long way. Our last two shows in Oly have been pretty awesome!

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

Jason: I can tell you we will please those ears, and dance those feet. We love to be sarcastic on stage, and talk shit to each other, but all with love. So into the mixture of dancing, there is some comedic influences in our live show.

Gabe: We do our best not to take ourselves too seriously, we are just a bunch of dorks playing music we love. I think that having Dallas on stage gets the best reaction haha, girls love Dallas.

Dallas: um..Rupert gets the best reaction (He's our penguin buddy.)

JJ: Its all about the penguin, baby.

You recently released your EP, The Dictionary Tree, how was the recording process for that, and how has it been received so far?

Gabe: The EP was our first experience in a real studio with a real producer, it was intimidating but I think we came out of it smarter musicians. It was also one of the funnest experiences of my life. Since releasing it back in October we've sold a few hundred copies, I know thats not a phenomenal amount but Im just glad people are listening to it!

Jason: For me, I stressed out the whole time haha. I had to finish up my song, "Art Galleries” so the pressure was on!

Dallas: We had a blast recording it and hanging out in the studio with Ryan. I like to think its been well received I guess! ha! You tell me.

JJ: It was a really good bonding/learning experience. People seem to have liked it so far, Ryan did a handsome job fo sho.

What is it that inspires your lyrics, and is there one lyrics that means the most to you?

Gabe: The journey haha. Its a split, half of our songs are about finding yourself and the other about love, some are both. our song "its frequent in french" is one that resonates with me the most.

Jason: Everything has inspired my lyrics. Whatever event comes my way, whether it is completely dramatic, or just clicks in my brain, is taken accounted for.. It all depends on my mood at the time of songwriting. The lyric that means the most to me is "You know-I'm gonna miss you-and when I am 30 years old-with so much life left I'll be thinking of you".

What other artists are you inspired by? What do you take from that inspiration that applies to your music?

Gabe: I started songwriting because of bands like Saves the Day and Jimmy Eat World, but as I grew up I started drawing influence from songwriters like Billy Joel, Ben Folds, Sufjan Stevens. They're so great at what they do that they've pushed me really to strive to be on their level, we'll see tho haha.

Dallas: As a drummer I'm constantly working on new ideas and originality. Listening to certain drummers helps me with ideas and inspiration, The drummer for Gatsbys, Mew, Deas Vail. and John Blackwell.

Jason: A lot of our cultural genre's bands are what I have to thank for getting me out of Linkin Park haha. I was a huge Thursday,Get Up Kids, and Jimmy Eat World Fan as a teen kid. These bands brought on so much emotion to everything they did. Nothing was fake with these bands.

JJ:For my piano playing, I'm really inspired by Chopin and Andrew from SoCo/Jack's mannequin.

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

Gabe: For me, I have to say that at our last show I saw kids yelling the lyrics back to me, I've never experience anything like that before. Its been hard to break out in a scene that cares a lot about aesthetics outside the music. I know we're not ground breaking but we really just do this for the love of music, but the business is way more than that.

Jason: The biggest moment for the band was actually recording our first EP. I think our finances are the biggest struggle.

Dallas: Ditto.

JJ: I think our biggest moment is right now, and our biggest challenge is right now. Things are starting to take off, and the band is moving to Portland together. Intense stuff

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

Gabe: I don't think we're a message oriented band, I write songs about my experiences and hope that others can get captured in them like songs have raptured me in the past.

Dallas: I think we're just trying to be real. get some positive vibes out there.

So what can The Welcome Home fans look forward to in the future?

Gabe: The Hunt for Bigfoot Tour '09.

Jason: ore experimenting with our sound, finding new ways to stir up feelings in peoples minds and hearts.

JJ: Attractive men.

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?

OF COURSE!

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

Gabe: I had a Rafael Ninja Turtles costume I wore 2 years in a row and nearly everyday in between, thanks mom.

Jason: I was always a veteran zombie. My dad left his army jacket behind, so I would wear that with torn up pants, and all sorts of fake make ups on my face to make me seem dead.

Dallas: um, the one i was most exited about was in kindergarden. I got to be the red Power Ranger.

JJ: Naked Man

What girls fashion trend confuses you most?

Gabe: The ones they won't let me be a part of...just kidding.

Jason: Those American Apparel looking head bands with emo cut.

Dallas: I think im in no place to pass judgement on fashion, ha!! I wear girl jeans...

JJ: The one where they don't make sense. Ever.

If you had to be stuck in an 80's movie, which one would it be and why?

Gabe: Thats easy, Teen Wolf, were-wolf in high school? No brainer.

Jason: Easy Money! Gremlins! Although it would suck to have to keep fighting Gremlins, it would be amazing to have my very own Mogwai, which I would in fact name "Gizmo".

Dallas: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It's pretty much what some of my days are like anyway, ha!!

JJ: The Neverending Story, for sure!! I wanna ride Falcor!!

If 'that's what she said', what did she in fact, say? (Let's just say we're looking for a punch-line, here...)

Dallas: "Just pop that sucker right in there!" referring to a DVD.

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

Gabe: Billy Pilgrim (Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5), he jumps through the time line of his life AND we was put in an alien zoo. That guy has got some serious stories, although Ive already read most of them haha.

Jason: I am going to go with Nicholas Cage's Character in Face/off as Caster Troy/ Sean Archer to ask him how it feels to be a scientific breakthrough in the 90's.

Dallas: Gabe Mouer...he's fooling you all, but I know the truth.

JJ: It'd be with Waldo, cause it would probably be in the most random/amazing part of the world. And that would also mean that I found Waldo.

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

We love what we're doing, thank all of you who have even just said hi to us! Thanks so much for interviewing us. much much love. Hope to see you on our “Old Folks Got Soul” Tour '09, coming to a retirement home near you!

Thank you again to the boys in The Welcome Home for taking the time to talk to us, and make sure you check them out! You can find their MySpace here.