On the back of their new Greatest Hits Album, we had a quick chat with Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail.
Hey! What part of the world do we catch you in today?
Hello, I’m actually still at home right now in New Jersey, preparing to leave tomorrow for Warped Tour.
The Senses Fail greatest hits record is just around the corner now, how long has it been in the making?
I would say about 6 months.
How excited are you to finally get it out there?
Very excited. Interested to hear what people think about the new songs.
What was the selection process for the songs that have gone on to the record, was it difficult to choose which songs to include?
It wasn’t that complicated, we picked the songs that we did videos for and that were singles, as well as the songs we normally play live.
Are there any songs you wish could have gone on that you just couldn’t find the space to get on there?
There are a couple b-sides that I really wish made the record that I wanted to put on. I think we will do a rareities album at some point.
Attached to the Greatest Hits record you have a four track EP, talk us through what fans can expect from those four tracks..
Well I think these songs are more alive than the last two records we wrote. I like “The Fire” but I just feel there is more life and excitement in these new songs. It isn’t going to be a huge change to most peoples ears but I do think the vibe of the songs will be infectious and more like our older material.
Do you have a particular favourite of the four?
Yeah, Warpaint.
Now, you guys have been a band for ten years and a lot of things have changed in that time, what impact has the rise of things like social media and streaming services such as Spotify had on the band?
I could write en essay on the things that have changed sense we started. We are really a product of the internet, we all meet each other on the internet. I would assume we were amongst the first bands to do that and to go on and be successful. The impact of the internet to music is basically like the impact of Television to radio. It didn’t completely nullify or exterminate the other but it did change the game completely.
I read an interview with Property of Zack last week where you mentioned that you hate the ‘overuse of kickstarter by certain bands’ you don’t have to name names but can you expand on that?
I just think it is a cheap way for bands to make a buck off of people that want to be a part of something. I really have no problem with a band doing it for the right reasons but everyone seems to turn to Kickstarter now for a bail out or financial injection. I understand the tool but maybe I am too old school. I want there to be some mystery between bands and the fans, that is one of the things that makes music appealing. You don’t know how it’s made, where it’s made, under what circumstances, you don’t know the gory details. As a fan you experience the end product and indulge in it. I don’t think involving the fan in the music making or business of the band leads to better success or attchment. If anything I think it takes the mystery and magic out of the project and makes it just about the machinery and parts it takes to make music.
I know you guys are on the Warped tour through the Summer, what are your plans after that?
We’ll be going to South East Asia in the fall and then into the recording studio in November.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Senses Fail in the UK, do you think we can expect to see you back anytime soon?
Probably not until 2013.
With the release of the Greatest Hits records, I think this is the best time to ask this, what special moments from the past ten years of Senses Fail stick out for you?
Playing the International Taste Of Chaos, our first itme on the Warped Tour, Bamboozle. There are a lot of great moments, it’s hard to choose one.
Is there anything else at all you’d like to add?
Thanks to all the support from our fans!