-Interview- Stick Shift (12/28/14)

Quakertown, PA based punk rock band Stick Shift gets interviewed and talks about their new album, their humble beginnings, the punk rock scene and upcoming plans.
www.facebook.com/stickshiftofficial
www.facebook.com/stickshiftofficial
From: Quakertown, PA
Sounds like: Punk Rock




1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Stick Shift” and is there any meaning behind it?

Sean, Drew and Cody: Stick Shift got started a few months after this one band Drew and I were in, it didn't last very long but I wanted to keep playing music, I had some songs made up and I wanted to start up a band. So I contacted Drew one day asking if he be interested in joining and he said yes. I also asked some other friends if they wanted to join, they were in it for awhile but they just didn't click.
I personally developed my music sound from my favorite band such as Green Day, Blink-182, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. Sometimes I'll be taking a walk or sitting down and a hear a melody in my head. That's what happened when "Don't Stop What You're Doin" was formed, I was walking then BOOM a catchy melody in my head. Then maybe after a week, a month or two go by then I started hearing my favorite bands music sound in there. Drew developed his music taste from listening to classics from his dad over the years, Aerosmith, Rush, Deep Purple, etc. I found my talent from a friend having a damaged bass, thought it would be cool to play, and started playing there. 5 years later, different/more tastes, and growing everyday. Cody doesn't know he just does.
My mother thought of the same Stick Shift, she told me the whole story where she saw the name Switchfoot and then some how came up with the name Stick Shift. Now there can be two different meanings to the name Stick Shift. One came from using an manual transmission and the other can be used in a sexual way. We sometimes use both or use one meaning more then the other.


2. What do you want listeners to take away from your music?

Sean, Drew and Cody: We want people to hear stories in our songs. You know the kind that people can relate to like getting into a fight, falling for a girl, giving up on hope, missing someone or even knowing that everything is alright now and enjoying themselves.


3. How would you describe your music to the average listener?

Sean, Drew and Cody: Our average listeners are punk, emo, goth, scene and rock kids.


4. What can people expect from your live show?

Sean, Drew and Cody: What people can expect the at a normal Stick Shift show is seeing 4 kids having fun performing on stage and when done talking to fans and having fun with them.


5. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?

Sean, Drew and Cody: Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, and Streetlight Manifesto.


6. Any crazy show stories?

Sean: I think the craziest things that happened at one of our shows was when we returned to the local venue in area after we were done our set a girl screamed "you have a nice ass" it was the first time getting told that by a fan. I also made a girl faint from eating a gummy bear she gave me in a weird rock star way and making one of the bands we performed with jealous cause there fans and merch girls we hitting on me and us instead of them.

Cody: My crazy experience at a show was a crazy girl jumped on stage, jump right over my set and took me out.

Drew: To be known in future terms.


7. What’s your take on the current state of punk/rock?

Sean: People always get punk rock confused with other bands and their genres. I always get into arguments with people about what punk rock is. People think that having a pop sound to it makes it punk rock when it's not. Punk is always been about human angst and people tend forget that, even safer calling punk a "fab".

Drew: Could be better, could be worse.

Cody: To be determined.


8. What’s the current music scene like there in the Pennsylvania both locally and state wide?

Sean, Drew and Cody: In the Quakertown Music Scene you have the punk, pop punk and rock music but in the Pennsylvania music scene you have scream, hardcore, country and pop.


9. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?

Sean, Drew, and Cody: Personally if you're in a band you feel ripped off from illegal downloading cause the person doesn't want to buy the song so they would rather take the cheap mans way out.


10. What’s next for Stick Shift?

Sean, Drew, and Cody: What we hope is next for Stick Shift is finishing our CD, make a few music videos, get more fans, go on tour, get awards and prove everyone that said "we will never make it" wrong.


11. Any shoutouts?

Sean, Drew, and Cody: Upfront, Ultra Violet, Narcoleptic Goat, Reble Stasis, Skinny Dip, Pansy, Memories of March, One-Click Waiting, Born Cages