The Wrecks: Band On The Rise To Spend The Summer Opening For All Time Low

Photo Credit: Sophie Baird

The Wrecks: Band On The Rise To Spend The Summer Opening For All Time Low

Los Angeles-based indie rock collective The Wrecks are gearing up to spend their summer vacation touring across the country opening for the one and only All Time Low.  Consisting of Nick Anderson (vocals/guitar), Nick Schmidt (guitar), Westen Weiss (guitar), Aaron Kelley (bass), and Billy Nally (drums), the up and coming band recently issued their debut EP for Another Century Records entitled We Are The Wrecks.  Managed by Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines of the legendary Drive Thru Records fame, The Wrecks are sure to crash into the consciousness of all whom encounter their supremely infectious reprieves.

In this interview with Highwire Daze Online, The Wrecks discuss signing to Another Century, their thoughts about touring with All Time Low, jelly donuts, and a whole lot more!  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in The Wrecks, and how long the band has been together.
Nick (vocalist) and Aaron (bassist), here! We started the band in November 2015 as just the two of us, and quickly began looking for members to join. We looked into our past to find them as we ended up recruiting a few old friends of ours that we met through other musical endeavors.

Where is your band based out of and what is the music scene like there?
Aaron: We are based out of Los Angeles, but all of us grew up elsewhere. We’ve lived here for a couple years now. Everything happened so quickly for us that we didn’t really have the opportunity to establish roots in the LA scene or experience a ton of it. In the beginning, we took any show we could get in LA which led to some great shows, and some empty rooms – something we’re certainly used to after all the years playing in bands growing up. We’ve spent the majority of our time as a band on the road, but hopefully we can get some more LA shows under our belts soon.

How did you wind up signed to Another Century Records?
Nick: They were the first label showing interest in our band, and they were coming out to every show we’d play in LA. After meeting with and speaking to a handful of labels, we still felt the most comfortable with them and felt they truly understood what our vision is as a band. They respect our hard-work creatively, and they’ve treated us super well since Day 1.

What inspired the lyrics for your single Favorite Liar?
Nick: Nostalgia, really. I had the verse melody and guitar riff written for so long, but couldn’t come up with any lyrics that felt right. I tried to write that song every day for an entire month, and nothing came out. One day, I plucked the riff and sang the lyrics, “I remember going out to see the big rocks,” and immediately knew what that song was going to be about.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming tour with All Time Low?
Aaron: The size of the venues, and the fact that a lot of the dates are already sold out. We feed off the energy, so I know this tour is going to be crazy.

What could one expect from a live The Wrecks show?
Aaron: ENERGY!

What has it been like working with Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines, the founders of Drive Thru Records?
Aaron: Nothing but amazing. Most of us in the band met each other because of Richard and Stef. They have so much knowledge and connections in the industry and it’s just been an amazing experience so far.

Nick: Richard has the best ear for music I’ve ever encountered, and Stefanie is a hardworking badass. They’re a great duo, and they work so hard for their bands. I’m grateful to have met the two of them, and I am a much, much better songwriter, and performer for it.

If The Wrecks could open for any bands either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Nick: The Beatles. Hands down. I mean, have you seen those shows? Go watch Eight Days a Week if you haven’t.

If the music of The Wrecks was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
Aaron: It would be a Jelly filled donut because it’s oozing with emotion and energy… haha

Nick: I hate jelly-filled donuts.

How close are you to writing and recording your next EP or full length album?
Aaron: We just finished recording our second EP a couple weeks ago with Eric Palmquist in Los Angeles.

Nick: Yeah, we’re really hoping to have some new music out before the tour this summer. It’s getting frustrating playing shows and only having three songs out. Luckily, the crowds we’ve been lucky enough to play for have all been very receptive to our new music despite never hearing it before.

What’s up next for The Wrecks?
Nick: Well, we have a couple more college shows coming up. After that, we’re playing The Gathering on June 16th in Louisville, Kentucky at the Mercury Ballroom, and in Cleveland, OH on June 17th at Mahall’s. And then we gear up for the summer tour!

Any final words of wisdom?
Nick: Measure your success in happiness.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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