Smile Empty Soul

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Orlando Florida Guide Interview with Ryan Martin Bassist of Smile Empty Soul.

OFG: Why did the band decide on making the record self titled?

Ryan: It's our first record and our name (Smile Empty Soul) is already a mouthful. So we just decided it's the easiest way to put out a record. So it's not like there was a ton of thought behind it really.

OFG: I listened to "Silhouettes" and "For You" I think they are the most underrated tracks on the album. What's the inspiration for the songs and how emotional was it to record and play the songs live?

Ryan: Not really. Sometimes when I play music on-stage I'll close my eyes and I kinda see the lights hitting me, especially when we play "Silhouettes" sometimes I can get lost for a minute and open my eyes and there's the fans. I know when we were recording those songs it was a relatively easy process. "Silhouettes," I came in did my bass lines and left. "For You" was recorded completely live. We all played in the same room and that was a lot more intense for us as a band because we could see each other and we're putting it to tape and it was actually one take. One take and we kept it and that's on the record.

OFG: What's your favorite song from the album and why?

Ryan: I really like "No Where Kids." I like all the songs. Sometimes I'm like I like this song or that song. Right now we're really into "No Where Kids" it's our new single that just came out and we have a video for it. When we play it live it just seems like our fans get this energy out of nowhere. It's good it's our next single. The crowd response has been awesome for it.

OFG: What will the first and last song be for tonight's show?

Ryan: First song should be "Every Sunday" I think that's the first song. "Bottom of a Bottle" should be the last song but sometimes Shawn does an acoustic song at the end of our show. Maybe he'll do "This Is War." We'll see what happens.

OFG: "This Is War" must sound unbelievable acoustic.

Ryan: Yeah, acoustic just him and the guitar.

OFG: How does the Band decide this?

Ryan: We sit down and think about we when we play these songs live and where we are. Some people like certain stuff and sometimes were in a different mood and just want to put together a set. For the most part it's what we have gotten the best responses with.

OFG: What are some of the practical jokes you've played on other bands?

Ryan: We were on tour with Trapt, for about 4 months. They're great guys and at the end of the tour we were at the Norva in Norfolk, VA. The place is great and as we were playing "Bottom Of a Bottle" Everybody from Trapt and their crew came on-stage with Sillystringe and silly stringed the fuck out of us. Everywhere just covered and we just said shit, we have to get them back. I don't know if you know what antiquing is. Your suppose to do it when they're asleep. It's were you grab a handful of flour and you toss it in someone's face. So they're (Trapt) on-stage and we're off on the side of the stage with wadded up toilet paper that was all wet and chucking it at them it was hitting them and then got on-stage with handfuls of flour throwing it right at them and they're all sweaty (from performing) so the flour just turns to dough in their hair and shit. So Derek goes over to Erin their drummer and he has a big fan next to where he plays and Derek dumped the entire bag of flour into his fan and all the flour just shot up all over him. We got those motherfuckers really good. Laughs.

OFG: What is your most memorable concert experience?

Ryan: For me, I remember seeing Stone Temple Pilots when I was about 18 with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and it was an amazing show. Seeing AFI this summer at the HF festival and I was totally blown away. They were so fucking amazing and we're all huge AFI fans. Then actually Puddle of Mudd, I had met Wes one time before and they're great guys and we played with them for the first time a couple of nights ago in Atlanta and I was totally blown away. Their stage set up for this tour is fucking awesome and the so is the lighting. Last night Wes came out into the middle of audience and sang a song and it was just nuts the crowd was going crazy. More memorable concerts for me are the shows we play were really cool stuff happens and the bands we get to meet that's how it is for us because were at so many shows.

OFG: What does the band do to kill time on the road?

Ryan: Oh gosh. Acid. Not the Acid you trip on but the Acid on my laptop. Pro Tools, video games and sleep.

OFG: Isn't Acid an audio program?

Ryan: Yes it is. I've been fucking with it and it's pretty cool. Actually, I did our Intro that your going to hear tonight on acid and it came out pretty good. (Editor's note: Orlando Florida Guide can attest to how good it sounds.)

OFG: If you could pick one artist or band alive or dead, past or present to perform with who would it be and why?

Ryan: I would love to play with The Beatles. I mean it's probably, ah man it's The Beatles and all of us kinda grew up listening to them. I know for me it's definitely them. Good stuff. I didn't like them when I was really young then someone gave me Magical Mystery Tour and I was singing "Blue Jay Way" for days.

OFG: Their lyrical content is superb. If they had 12 songs on an album the twelfth song was as good as the first song that was the lead song.

Ryan: Absolutely. They didn't make singles for the radio they made records and the cool thing about The Beatles is technology didn't permit them at the time to do what you can do today in the studio and so they did so much with what they had with four track, balancing down tracks, all the different mixing and panning. It was just amazing stuff and now people want to try and get the kind of sound and they spend millions of dollars doing it and it doesn't sound half as good.

OFG: One of the things they would do is plug in a guitar amp to say a Piano or something like that.

Ryan: Right so they could get the right sound!

OFG: Exactly. An artist once told me he hopes his work stands the test of time and The Beatles music definitely does.

Ryan: Absolutely. The way I see it if the Beatles dropped a record today it would be a hit because their songs are that good.

OFG: A person comes up to you and says your album has really moved me and I want to become a musician like you what advice would you give them?

Ryan: I would be totally flattered of course. I would just tell them it's a lot of hard work and you have to practice and be persistent and be able to take constructive crictism. There's just so much you know? I would just say put your heart into it mainly. Just put your heart into it and have fun.

OFG: How long did it take Smile Empty Soul to get Inked to a record deal?

Ryan: About four years. We've only been signed since like December - January. So about four to four and half years.

OFG: Where do you see "Smile Empty Soul" 5 years from now?

Ryan: Hopefully if were lucky enough traveling still playing shows hanging out with fans still doing what were doing now maybe a little bigger scale.

OFG: How can a person join the Smile Empty Soul Street Team?

Ryan: If you want to join our street team go to our website at smileemptysoul.com and click on where it says street team and they'll send stuff to your house and you can put up stickers. I want a more aggressive Street Team. I'm trying to work out stencils so kids can just go everywhere and spray paint "Smile Empty Soul" stencils everywhere. I don't give a fuck I think that's cool as hell. (Laughs).

OFG: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans and our readers?

Ryan: Everyone in Florida kicks ass and our fans kick ass so thank you very much and best of luck.

Smile Empty Soul Tour Dates

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