We recently had a chance to pick the brains of While She Sleeps’ very own Aaran Mckenzie. This was shortly after the release of their incendiary latest effort, “Brainwashed” (read the review by CLICKING HERE). We had also named them as our Artist of the Week with good reason. Read up on the interview below to find all kinds of info on the band. This includes who she is and why she’s sleeping.
AM = Aaran Mckenzie
CP = The Circle Pit
CP – First and foremost, how the hell are you guys?
AM – We are great thanks! Just on the road doing a festival run in Europe before we head over to the States!
CP – You just released the album Brainwashed. How are you feeling about the response?
AM – You can never really determine how well your albums get perceived by the fans really unless you go out and tour the album. That’s when you get to see if the parts you wrote on the album have actually worked and people sing along. Also people actually attending your shows. Haha. We have just finished our first Headline tour since the album came out and we were absolutely blew away with the response so we are super stoked on that!
CP – Can you tell us about the record and what went into making it?
AM – It was a long process in the making of this album. It began to get written on Warped tour 2013 in the back lounge of the bus. Then we moved straight into our practice space for a couple of months, living under each other’s feet to finish everything before we went into track drums. We wanted a really live/raw feel to the structures of the songs so all of us living together and being able to jam things out the whole time really made the album what it is.
CP – Now, we’ve compiled a fair number of burning questions from your fans worldwide for the core of this interview.
Who is she?
AM – She: the personification of an old sunken ship lying in rest at the bottom of the sea.
CP – What does a “normal” band practice look like when you´re not touring?
AM – It normally entails us devising and playing through new set lists before different tours coming up. Then getting restless and start fucking around playing random shit on the spot. Haha
CP – What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on tour?
AM – So much shit happens on tour it’s so hard to pin point anything. But for a random story.. In Barcelona on the In Flames tour last year, we got hammered drunk in a rock bar after the show, skated down to the beach and went skinny dipping in the ocean, then couldn’t find our way back to our bus so we ended up sleeping out side. (Sean slept in a tree) haha
CP – Will Sean be doing more play throughs for Brainwashed?
AM – I’m sure he will! We’re just so busy with touring right now but I’m pretty certain he will when he gets time.
CP – What’s the most fun you’ve had filming a music video?
AM – Music videos are so hard. Hours and hours of back breaking rocking out to the same tune over and over. BUT when we filmed Seven Hills, it was at the last Barn party we ever had, so at least we were all drunk as hell with our mates haha
CP – How was the tour with In Flames?
AM – The In Flames tour was amazing. They are really nice down to earth dudes and really looked after us. It was great to play to an older audience and have them tell us we made a new fan out of them.
CP – What were your musical influences while writing Brainwashed?
AM – To be honest, our own band. We listen to a lot of music but nothing is a direct influence. We try to work and develop our new sound from our latest work.
CP – What’s your favorite song to play live?
AM – Personally, right now it has to be the title track “Brainwashed”. The pace of the song gets my endorphins going somersaults.
CP – What other bands do you want to tour with?
AM – Marilyn Manson and Slipknot ;)
CP – Goals for While She Sleeps?
AM – While She Sleeps have and always will be about the music. We will continue to be in this band for along as possible. We will persist to seek greater success however to spread what we feel is a positive and worth while message to humanity.
CP – Any plans to do an Asian tour?
AM – Yes we have.. But nothing I can reveal right now.
CP – How can you still go to bars and stuff without the fear of getting mobbed?
AM – We don’t get mobbed so the fear doesn’t exist haha.
Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch
