Yesterday I prepared a few questions for an online interview with Pentimento’s own drummer Michael Hansen about the issues with their previous label, the new album (which we reviewed several weeks ago and can be downloaded for free here), and touring. Here’s what he had to say in response.
Recently, you have gone through some legal trouble with your previous label. How has this affected you as a band?
The only thing it’s done is compel our band to make smarter decisions based on what’s right for Pentimento. Of course we’ve always had the band’s best interests in mind, but moving forward – we’ve learned a lot about the way the world works and have a much better understanding on how to handle ourselves. Sure, there’s trivial instances like the fact that we don’t have physical copies of our new record (yet), but all that will work itself out in time and our only focus at this point is to keep pushing.
Because of the legal issues, you released your self-titled album for free. Was it worth all the hard work you put into the album to receive no monetary payment in return? Is all the positive criticism enough to sustain you?
The initial response to the record was more than enough to make us feel like any hardship we’ve endured given the circumstances was completely worth it. Despite the issues, we’d go through this a thousand times just to get the record we care so much about to anyone and everyone interested enough to listen.
You just got off a string of tour dates with Such Gold and many other bands. What was your favorite moment of the tour and why?
The dates we had with Such Gold were a blast. They’re a great band full of great dudes, and while I realize that 99% of people who are fresh off the road with a band like that would say something to the effect of “great band, great dudes”, I sincerely mean it. My favorite moment of the tour was probably eating PBJ’s with crushed Oreos on them.
If you could tour with any band that influenced you, who would it be?
I think I’d say Taking Back Sunday if they played everything from Where You Want To Be. I’m always so impressed with their songcraft and structure. I’d be lying if I said the Where You Want To Be record isn’t in constant rotation. I think it’s perfect front to back and I’d love to pick their brains about it someday.
Have you had any “wacky” moments while together as a band and on tour?
Every single waking second.
What’s the most defining moment of being in a band for you?
That’s a great question. The most defining moment of being in a band for me is the culmination of the entire experience. When I’m on that last stretch of highway on my way to my apartment after tour, certain things hit me and I admittedly get a bit emotional. I start to realize how insane the fact that I get to do this – even at this scale & even as an extremely small band – actually is. I think about how there are people in the world who genuinely care about our band and our music, enough to come see us play, or talk to us after shows, or buy a t-shirt to help support us. I don’t know if people realize how much that affects us as a band and myself as an individual. These are the things we talk about when we’re at our most honest moments in the van. Realizing that it is our job as human beings who are lucky enough to have this sort of platform, however small it may be, to keep it real 100% of the time and let people know that when we say “it means the world”…we mean it.
