November
03
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Thousand Foot Krutch
After several interviews, I can only imagine that bands grow tired of getting asked the same questions over and over. I always try to do my best with research and read and watch as many interviews as I can before talking to people. What I learned is that over time, the bands’ answers start to sound the same…rehearsed. On an interview I had seen on YouTube, someone had asked Trevor what one of his pet peeves were about interview. His answer was when people ask the same questions over and over….like the standby, “How did you get your band name?”
So I thought that when I got a chance to speak to McNevan, I’d test out his patience to see how he’d react if I set the interview up as if I was going to ask those redundant questions. My assistant Melissa and I pulled into the parking lot of the Machine Shop in Flint. Didn’t quite know which tour bus was TFK’s…but we were greeted by Chad, who came out of the larger of the two buses…go figure. Anyhow…we made our way onto the bus, got situated in the back and engaged in some small talk as I was getting my shit situated. There’s always a moment of awkwardness before interviews happen only because the nature of the encounter is set and you never know how people are going to connect with you, if they do at all.
We got comfortable and I had told Trevor that I had some really intense questions for him. I don’t know if he felt like I was going to quiz him or something, but you could tell he didn’t know what to expect. “So….the first thing that I would really like to know is, how did you guys come up with your band name?” Not only did I ask this question, but I did so with a very serious look on my face as if this was the best question int he world. A brief pause and then with raised eyebrows he said…”Ahhhhh, well….I guess” and before he could finish that sentence I interrupted him. “I’m totally kidding. I’m not really asking that question.” A look of relief followed by laughter. I then explained to him I was couldn’t decide whether to lead the interview like that or with a thick Asian accent and pretending I couldn’t speak English well and try the interview like that for about ten minutes. He laughed, saying both were good…”the two together would’ve been epic,” said McNevan.
In all seriousness, this band has really kicked some ass over the past couple of years. While charting and selling music is part of the whole thing, it seems like these days it’s more about exposure and reach. Visibility and making an impact so that people can remember your band name, name a few of your songs, and go to your shows. It’s not like how it used to be. In terms of song placement, Thousand Foot Krutch’s music has been used in EA games and soundtrack, promos for the NFL, WWE, NASCAR, ESPN among other sports related events. Tracks include “Light Up the Sky,” “We Are,” “The End is Where We Begin,” “Let the Sparks Fly,” “Fire it Up,” “Rawkfist,” “Move” and more. With all that sports love, I was wondering…if the guys in the band were even into sports? Just because they are from Canada, doesn’t mean they’d love hockey right? Of course it does!!! All of the guys have had played sports at some point, but drummer Steve Augustine, still actively plays hockey. While they do love their Maple Leafs, Steve is a huge Red Wings fan (love!!). It was determined that since Michigan is so close that we’re like practically cousins with Canadians. So hockey love, is hockey love.
Trevor has played in bands all his life. In fact, outside of Thousand Foot Krutch, he and Steve were in another band, FM Static. The Christian pop punk duo was formed in 2003 as a side project. As of 2013, the band has released four studio albums, with their last album My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go! in 2011. So what would McNevan do if he couldn’t be in a band? “I think there will definitely be a season i my life where I produce and song write, that sort of thing. Believe it or not, I have a children’s book that I wrote that I was waiting til we had kids to pursue…that’s just something fun on the side. But music is always going to definitely be my home.”
Like many musicians, the songs that they write have to do with experiences that they’ve gone through themselves and are deeply personal. Do musicians ever lose it on stage as far getting emotional when performing a song? “Yeah, I think especially so many of these songs really come from the heart that there’s just moments when you might be going through something or that connects with that lyric or sometimes it just takes you back to that place when you wrote it. There have been songs that have been tough to sing for a while.” At the same time, songs that have become fan favorites can wear on a band as well after playing them ten million times. At the moment, if such song existed it’d have to be “Rawkfist probably right now. It came out in ’03. It was intended to be the theme song for the wrestler, “The Rock” (Dwayne Johnson). Everything was looking good and we were all stoked and then he put in his resignation and said he was going to be an actor. So we put the song on the record. We love the song. It’s truly been awesome for us and has been fun. But it’s really one of those songs that’s hard not to play at shows.”
One of the things that I always find amazing about musicians is how they just know how to come up with their material and put it together with other musicians when in many cases, no one is really a “trained” musician but rather “self taught.” I’m floored and I only say this because I can read music and have played piano for about 13 years or so. It’s been a long while and it’s fair to say that I’m probably not that good anymore, but that is beside the point. I’ve tried many times to write something of my own….and it’s futile. Often when I ask people how they got started, it always seems like people started on the piano and then discovered the drums or guitar. Was it any different for Trevor? Nope. “I did actually start off playing the piano. That’s funny. But yeah, I just have always played by ear. For me, it’s fun to write that way…there’s just no rules. If it sounds right to you, then it’s right.” Having this ability and talent, at what point does a person decide that music is what he/she was meant to do so? “I guess around the age of 8 maybe is when I knew music was it for me. It wasn’t even that I decided to do it, but rather I felt like it chose me.” As a kid listening to Michael Jackson’s Thriller and to watching Kiss and Iron Maiden videos, a lot of different kinds of music have been both inspirational and influential.
McNevan has written song for other artists including TobyMac, Hawk Nelson, FM Static and many others including co-writing along side Carrie Underwood for the country act, Two Story Road. Outside of performing music, Thousand Foot Krutch is involved with charitable organizations such as Compassion International which is an organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world and Your Life Counts which is dedicated to offering immediate assistance to people who are at risk for suicide and for suicide survivor loss families.
After returning from Russia, late this month, the band will be back in the States in December where they will join Alice Cooper’s Annual Christmas Pudding event which has come to be one of Phoenix’s signature holiday events. The show benefits Solid Rock and The Rock Teen Center. Visit: http://www.thousandfootkrutch.com for more information about the band.
Schultz - Detroit 