The Sonic Testimonies of Arm The Witness

The Sonic Testimonies of Arm The Witness

Arm The Witness is a dynamic post hardcore collective ready to rock and rage your world with their intensive auditory testimonies. Collapse is the name of their just unveiled EP, a devastating manifesto that sure to garner the band a good deal of attention above and well beyond their hometown of Johnson City, Tennessee.  They’ve opened for the likes of All That Remains and have played two local dates of the iconic Vans Warped Tour.  Highwire Daze Online recently caught up with guitarist Cody Cupp to find out a whole lot more about this exhilarating band on the rise.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Arm The Witness, and how long the band has been together.
My name is Cody Cupp, and I play guitar in Arm The Witness. The band has been together about 5 years, with the current lineup being solid for a bit over a year. After a few member changes we feel like we’ve really nailed down the perfect lineup for what we’re trying to do musically.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
The band is based out of Johnson City, TN. The local scene here is an eclectic mix of interesting bands. There are some fantastic bands doing really creative stuff musically here, and everyone is typically supportive of one another.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the EP title Collapse?
Collapse is really conceptually about how anything and everything can fall apart at a moments notice. We realized everyone’s lives are basically always on the threshold of a major collapse, whether it be a breakdown due to mental illness, a bad breakup, or being the victim of circumstances out of your control. These moments when it seems like your life is falling apart, these are the moments that often times define who we are as people. We wanted the people who are suffering and dealing with these issues to know they’re not alone.

Select two songs from Collapse and what inspired the lyrics.
Memories from Collapse is my personal favorite from the record, and it’s lyrically inspired by a terrible breakup. There’s nothing more frustrating than watching a relationship fall apart right before your very eyes, but it’s usually for the best, and you’re usually better off in the long run. Another favorite of mine is Newborn, which we just released a video for. It lyrically deals with mental illness like depression and anxiety, and how those things can negatively impact our lives.

Who produced Collapse and what was it like working with them?
Collapse was produced by Nick Scott and Kile Odell. Each producer is fantastic in their own right, and they’ve both produced massively successful records, so it was honor to have them help us achieve the sound we were going for.

What could one expect from a live Arm The Witness show?
We’re an incredibly physical band, and we pride ourselves on making you walk out of the venue a believer in what we do. We play every show as if it were our last, so it can get pretty wild. You can also expect our bassist Timmy to be drinking PBR and doing spins on stage all night.

If Arm The Witness could open for a band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
I’m not sure the other guys would agree, but I’m gonna say Metallica. If it wasn’t for Metallica, I wouldn’t have ever even picked up my instrument and honestly those dudes have been kicking ass since the 80’s.

What was the experience like opening for All That Remains and did you get to hang out with them at all?
Opening for ATR was a surreal experience considering we’ve all been fans of their music since the beginning. We did get the opportunity to chat with them briefly, and they were really down to earth dudes.

What are you impressions now that the Vans Warped Tour is coming to an end?
It’s unfortunate that it’s coming to an end. It really is the end of an era in a lot of ways, but the great thing about the music business is that even though it’s ending, there’s always the possibility that a new festival will be assembled in the future of a similar scale that showcases a variety of the best bands around.

Have you ever played Warped Tour and if so, what was the experience like?
Arm The Witness has played Warped Tour twice, and both occasions were phenomenal.

Has Miley Cyrus heard or commented on your cover of Wrecking Ball? Any interesting comments from Miley fans?
I wish she’d check it out haha, Miley if you’re reading this, hit me up on Instagram girl. As far as I’m aware she hasn’t heard it, and for the most part we didn’t get many weird comments, mostly just supportive ones from people who liked the cover.

What’s up next for Arm The Witness?
We’re gonna be touring to support the new record, release a couple of more videos, and then back into the studio to begin work on a new full length. We’re really excited about the future, and we are super thankful for everyone who has joined us for the ride.

Any final words of wisdom?
Life’s short, do what you love with people that you love.

Arm The Witness is:
Aiden Shaw – Vocals
Logan Bishop – Vocals
Mason Bishop – Drums
Cody Cupp – Rhythm Guitar
Trevor Rouse – Lead Guitar
Timmy Smith – Bass

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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