Everlit Interview
Philadelphia based hard rock band Everlit is bursting onto billboard charts with their latest release Renovate. Before Everlit heads out on tour with Otherwise By the Barricade reached out to the band to learn a little more about Renovate and how the band tackles everyday troubles. Check out all the info in the transcripts that follow.
Ryan Panfil: Vocals
Jordan Panfil: Bass
Jacob Castro: Drums |
Anthony Michael: Guitar
Ryan, I hear a very pronounced difference between the vocal stylings of Everlit’s first single “A Phoenix Will Rise” and your previous work with Willpowerless. Was this intentional or did this develop over time with the new lineup?
Ryan Panfil: I think it’s just been a natural shift. I feel like every release we’ve done the vocals have gotten a lot stronger. I also think working with Taylor [Larson] helped. He really pushed me and made sure the takes were where he wanted them.
Everlit’s music video for “Break Away” was recently released. Were there any challenges translating the music to images?
Jordan Panfil: No not at all. We worked with Mitch Martinez to he did a great job. We were all excited about the story line after the first read. Anyone reading through the interview should definitely check out the video and leave some feedback for us.
The band’s latest release Renovate was produced by Taylor Larson (currently From First to Last). What were some of the specific technical critiques he brought to the table that weren’t there before?
Anthony Michael: He brought a ton to the table. It was our first time actually working with a real producer and I think that’s the biggest difference from Willpowerless to Everlit. He’s a great songwriter and a lot of the instruments wouldn’t be the same had we worked with someone else.
Throughout Renovate I hear a lot of lyrics pointing to the theme of starting over and overcoming boundaries. What boundaries have you surpassed as an independent artist?
Jacob Castro: There’s been tons of them. Every band goes through it and a lot snap and give up. There’s just the “everyday band issues”, trying to balance being in a band with real life, having amazing opportunities fall through . . . the whole rebuilding after loosing Craig in Willpowerless was a huge hurtle. At the time we were starting to do some really cool things, we had the best contacts we’ve ever had, and then just like that everything got put on hold or rebuild mode for a year and half. That alone can make you second guess continuing; especially as you get older.
“Square One” goes in a more ballad-like direction but keeps all of the album’s intensity. Did using more mellow instrumentals change the writing process at all?
Ryan: No not really. For me it was actually a lot of fun to write vocals to that track. I love hard rock but I also listen to a lot different styles of music. It was a blast writing it, and it’s actually one of my favorite tracks.
Everlit’s tour calendar is a little sparse. Are there any touring plans in the works after Renovate’s release show?
Jordan Panfil: We actually just picked up five July dates with Otherwise that we’re really excited for. There’s other dates in the works so there should be a lot more coming. Be sure to check our website for the schedule and see if we’ll be in your town!
In an interview with Flesh Wounds Jordan and Ryan talked onstage logistics with in ear monitors. How else have you honed your craft to make it a stand out experience?
Jacob Castro: Well I always play with everything I’ve got energy wise and so do the other guys. I’m not sure what exactly it is but every show, regardless if it’s in front of our home town fans or fans of another band on tour, the crowd always seems to really love it.
Boy Hits Car encouraged Everlit to focus on making connections behind the merch table, but Everlit has a significant online following. What do you feel are your best tools or strategies for connecting with fans on the internet?
Anthony Michael: Yea we do our best to chat with everyone online. Twitter really seems to be the best tool for bands. It’s a great way to interact with them and message back and forth easily.
How is Everlit staying everpositive?
Ryan Panfil: It’s tough in this industry but we’ve gotten amazing responses so far for the name change, the music, the image . . . basically everything. When things are looking up, it’s easy to stay positive.
Is there anything else you want to say to the readers of By the Barricade?
Jordan Panfil: Thanks for reading and we hope you take the time to check out our music! If you want to say hi, follow us on Twitter and then shoot us a message!
Keep it on Bythebarricade.com for tons of punk rock interviews, reviews, articles, and photos! Also, “Like” By the Barricade on Facebook to never miss a post. If you liked this article check out:
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