I recently had a chance to speak with I Call Fives’ vocalist, Jeff, prior to their Warped Tour set in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here’s what he had to say.
You guys just recently released your self-titled album. How has the crowd reaction been to the new songs on the tour so far?
We’ve actually been playing three songs off the new album for the tour and ironically, it’s the most surprising thing in the world to me, everyone has been actually singing along to it already. It’s crazy. We’ve been touring for the past three years on three EPs and a split and we put out a full length and a week later, twelve states away, people are singing every word and it has been fantastic. We’ve been pushing this record really hard ever since we’ve been touring on Warped Tour. The crowd reaction has been awesome which we honestly really like because it’s playing something new and different after playing a lot of the same stuff over the years.
Out of all the bands on Warped this year, which band inspires and influences you the most?
There’s a few guys on the tour that I’m really influenced by. Yellowcard, New Found Glory, All Time Low. I grew up listening to a lot of these bands, especially New Found Glory. In fact, there’s a name drop in one of our songs called “Stuck in ’03”. I named three albums (Take This To Your Grave, So Long Astoria, Nothing Gold Can Stay) that had a big effect on me. Not only writing this record, but in growing up. On this tour, it’s kind of awesome to be sharing a stage with some of our idols. If I had to go with one it would be New Found Glory.
What was your reaction when you were told you were going to be on Warped Tour this year?
I remember the exact moment. We were touring Australia in November and we stopped at a weird 7-11 down there. I paid $6 for a drink and a candy bar. We were in the van on the way to a venue and our bass player, Drew, he says “Guys, I just got an email. They just asked us to do Warped Tour this year.” My immediate response was “Fuck you.” [Laughs] It’s been my life goal and ambition to tour this tour and I lost my mind. I started freaking out, jumping around the van. We had a driver in Australia, his name was Chuckie, and he goes [Australian accent] “Sit down you bastards.” He was a funny guy. It was probably the most not only relieving but exciting thing I’ve heard in my entire life. This is what bands strive to get to so the fact that we got here and not only got a good stage but are surrounded by good people. We get a great reaction every day. I don’t know. I’m loving life right now.
What was your most memorable moment this year on the tour?
Our most memorable moment was when we played our hometown show. I’ve played shows literally in front of no one before and I’ve played South Jersey a million times over, crowds of nothing to crowds of four or five hundred and I get to show up on a Warped Tour stage in front of my hometown, something I’ve been going to for the past ten years, and I get to stand in front of a crowd packed wall to wall of people, friends, and family. It was the most amazing thing to me to stand there with a huge crowd of people singing every word with me. I can’t even explain the feeling that I got. I had the biggest smile glazed on my face the whole time. I couldn’t even be serious. I was trying to talk to the crowd and get everyone into it except that everybody was already into it. There were people crowd surfing and clapping along. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.
Thanks so much for having me!
