JuSnide

The four-piece band Wayward from Reno, Nevada recently released their second EP Without a Light.  This new EP includes four brand new tracks that have shown improvement from their 2009 release, Wayward.  Their first EP is personally one of my favorite albums and currently in my car’s CD player.  Even though Without a Light is released only a year after their initial self-titled EP, it is just as strong if not even stronger.  Wayward is definitely going to be a band you will hear in the future.  The boys are very friendly, reach out to their fans and are all very talented at a young age.  You can easily listen to both of their albums on repeat without even getting bored.  I can also say I cannot pick a favorite song on either album because, even with a catalogue of nine songs, there are a lot of strong tracks.  Without a doubt, Wayward’s music can touch anyone in any mood.  Make sure to check out their albums on iTunes and their MySpace/Twitter accounts.  Enjoy rocking out to this Reno band!


Without a Light - The album opens up strong and engaging with this initial song.  I want to get up and dance even after the first few lines.  ‘Without a Light’ is about a selfish guy towards his girl and friends, and a lot of songs from this genre do not deal with this topic.  It is an interesting idea.  Also, this song has an amazing guitar solo and the boys never stop rocking.
All This Time - Right off the bat I knew this song was going to be a great love song.  It is that song that every girl wants a guy to write about her.  The song demonstrates how a band can show emotion in their music.  You can feel the love and wanting of a perfect relationship.
See It Through - This track might be one on the weaker side, but still enjoyable.  The message of being confident in one’s self and to find your own way is encouraging.  I really like the group singing and instrumentals.  However towards the end, the song becomes a little repetitive.
Miles - The last song on the EP is slowed down a bit, but still characteristic of the band.  The vocals shine through on this track about a long distance relationship that can last through anything.  Their love will always bring them back together.  Overall, Without a Light ended just as good as it began.

Just to begin, what are the names of all the band members and what do you guys do in Wayward?
Chris Stanton - Lead Vocals/Guitar
Allen Lewis - Guitar
Brad Crane - Bass
Paul Curatolo - Drums/Vocals
 
How did Wayward become the amazing band it is today?
Haha well thanks for the compliment.  The bulk of our journey from our beginnings to right now, I’d say, lies mainly in us just being true to who we are.  We’ve been playing and writing the same kinds of songs we did in the beginning (although hopefully better than in the beginning hehe), and we’ve been really consistent and true to our own identity as a band.  We think our fans really appreciate the fact that we don’t change our sound or our look every time the “scene” changes its standards.  And in the same vein, we’ve kept the same lineup of members since Wayward started, which we think is really rare with a lot of younger groups, and we think it really helps us work better together.  We’re all equally invested in what we do.

You just released your new EP, Without a Light on June 1st, how do you think this EP is different than the previous EP?
Hmmm, well hopefully in a number of ways.  We like to think it’s a little more extreme on both ends of our genre.  It has music that’s poppier than anything we’ve written, but also music that’s darker than anything we’ve written before.  Also it has some in-between moments where it’s just plain different from anything we’ve written before, which we’re really excited about.  It’s always fun to broaden our horizons and “mature” as we move on to new material.  And so far we’ve gotten nothing but great reception from fans and reviewers.

What is your favorite song on the new EP?
Oh jeez, that’d be tough to choose.  Like I said before, we feel like they’re all so different that it’s hard to pick one favorite.  But if I had to I’d say “All This Time” stuck with me from the beginning.  I think just because of its outright in-your-face, upbeat and poppy feel.  But I dunno, the bridge section of Without a Light still hits me hard every time.  I can’t speak for everyone though, we all have our own favorites I think. =)
 
Are there any specific influences in your life that inspire you to do music?
Oh definitely!  I know for Allen and Paul that their dads’ highly successful Beatles Tribute band called Rain has been a HUGE part of their love for music growing up. For me personally, I’ve just always been so awestruck by the way a simple chord and melody can move you emotionally, psychologically, etc. that I just love being a part of that process.  And knowing that we can create those feelings in others by something we’ve written is just so huge for all of us.

Is there a certain song that means more to you than the others?
For me personally…lyrically and symbolically, “Without a Light” is by far the heaviest and most meaningful song to me.
 
What are some typical thoughts that go through your head while you are performing?
Hahaha, we’re weird guys, so a lot of times you’ll catch us making stupid faces or cracking inside jokes to each other on stage.  But we’re also really normal too, so if we’re nervous sometimes we try and find our “happy place” if it’s a big show or something, haha!

What can your fans expect from Wayward in the near future?  Any new tours?
We’re stoked about our Biggest Little Tour in August!  We’ll be touring some of California, Vegas, and hopefully a little bit of Utah.  We’re in the process of working everything out but keep checking back on our website and myspace for details!
 
What do you guys like to do in your spare time?  Any favorite video games/movies/tv shows?
We’re a really social band, so we love spending time with friends and whatnot.  We’re definitely gamers too…we gave up a week of our lives for Red Dead Redemption after it released a couple weeks ago, hehe.  Also love movies and tv shows.  Some favorites for us are Seinfeld, Arrested Development and Family Guy.
 
Would you rather be a Disney Prince or a Disney Villain?
Oh Prince, no doubt.  The Princes never have much to worry about.  In the world of Disney there’s no way the villain can win.  Laaaame!
 
Lastly, anything else you would like to share?
Just that we absolutely love hearing from everyone!  Drop us a line on our Facebook, our Myspace, our home page, anything!  We like getting to know the people who support us. Check out the new EP on iTunes and hopefully we’ll see you soon. =)