Having been together for the better part of three years, the guys in Carry the Day know that success does not just happen overnight. The So-Cal alt rockers have worked hard to get to where they are now, tirelessly promoting their music and pushing their sound to new heights. With the release of their first single of 2021, Carry the Day are ready to take the year by storm, and we had a chance to chat with them about the new track, upcoming projects, the future of rock music, and what they have accomplished as a band so far.
Photo via Instagram (@carrythedayofficial)
Photo via Instagram (@carrythedayofficial)Carry the Day is (from left to right):
Luke Tazbier – bass guitar
Isaac Vizcarra – lead guitar
Christopher Huynh – vocals, rhythm guitar
Brandon Saldana – drums
Melodic Mag: How long have you all known each other?
Carry the Day: Well, our drummer, Brandon, and I have known each other since the second grade, and just grew up tormenting the neighbors with loud drums and distorted guitars! Luke, our bassist, and Isaac, our lead guitarist, met in 2015, and had their own respective project prior to Carry the Day. It wasn’t until 2018 that we would all meet and become the great friends and bandmates that share the same burning passion for music! Long story short, we’ve known each other for a good three years now!
MM: When you first started the band, did you have a sense of which type of music you wanted to make, or did it take a while to land on a sound?
CTD: I think, in a way, the type of music that has always influenced us is 2000s alternative rock, metal, and punk. Our sound at the start of the band was the best representation of what we thought our sound was at that time. However, it should be noted that artists are changing their sound and type of music they want to make. As artists, it’s in our DNA to push the boundaries and evolve our sound after every release because a true creative is never satisfied.
MM: Your first post on Facebook is for an event in 2018 at the Toxic Toast Theatre. Was this your first gig?
CTD: Toxic Toast Theatre was actually our second official performance as a band! Our first show was actually at a now closed down bar/music venue called Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, home to punk rock legends, Pennywise and Black Flag. Being 19 and 20 years old at the time, we heard that a national touring band called Eyes Set To Kill was coming near our hometown, and we thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool for our very first show to be for a big act like that?”
Knowing full well we weren’t 21, we were stupid and willing to take a chance to weasel our way into the lineup. We had reached out to the venue and asked if there was an opening slot on the line up, and sure enough, they booked us without even asking our age! But on the day of the show, we came to the venue and understandably, management was pissed at the booking agent for booking an underage act. The stage was our little island, as they were so strict; the venue wouldn’t allow us to touch the ground off the stage. We ended up playing to a small and self-occupied room of 10 people for our set, and got booted right after. Probably our worst gig ever, but hey, you never forget that first show, and it’s sad to say, but $100 is the most we’ve been paid for a gig to this date!
MM: Your first single, “Someone Else,” blew up fairly quickly after you released it, and it remains one of your top-streamed songs on Spotify. Were you expecting it to do so well?
CTD: The success of our debut single, “Someone Else,” was not an accident. We put our all as an independent artist to push that first single throughout streaming platforms, and we’re just glad that hard work came to fruition. We’ll continue to push and find our audience, as I genuinely believe that we are one of the best independent artists around, and can stand our ground against the juggernauts of the active rock scene of today.
MM: How did you go about choosing the tracks that made it onto your first EP, Perspectives?
CTD: We actually had a lot of partially written songs during that era! But, the half-finished demos we put to the side, and put our work into the partially written songs that we thought had great potential. Eventually, we put our best collection of tracks into the Perspectives EP that we thought had a cohesive sound!
MM: Despite the lack of live shows in 2020, bands and artists were still able to thrive via virtual concerts, TikTok, and other forms of social media. With all of this technology, do you think it is easier or harder for new bands to get noticed?
CTD: Though some bands and artists are still able to thrive via virtual concerts, most if not all of these bands are well established national touring bands. Independent bands are going to have a much harder time due to the fact that they are building a fanbase, and who is going to tune into their virtual concert if that person has never heard of that band? I think live shows are sorely missed, in that you can have an-in person connection with everyone. As for TikTok, it’s undeniable that the impact of short-form content has skyrocketed. However, for the common musician, I don’t think pushing your song on the platform is sustainable. Songs that usually get traction from TikTok tend to just be the next jingle. What I mean is that it’s circulated for a month and then disposed of and forgotten about for the next dance trend or challenge.
MM: What was the inspiration behind your new single, “Liar (Set Me Free)”?
CTD: Time and time again, we see examples of people who hold themselves to the standards of others. They might be afraid of showing their true colors to people around them, in fear that they won’t be accepted. So, “Liar (Set Me Free)” is a song that signifies that very struggle that some people endure in regards to being themselves. We tend to put up a mask and cover what’s truly inside, keeping us locked in this self-constructed cage that we won’t be free from until we throw that façade away and learn to be ourselves.
MM: There have been a lot of debates about the state of rock music, from Gene Simmons claiming that the genre is dead to Alice Cooper mentioning how it is not as shocking as it once was. Do you agree with them? Why do you think this is happening?
CTD: Put simply, the spirit of rock will never die, but the mainstream appeal for rock has been dead for a long time now. Long gone are the days where labels would invest in the artist, especially now since Covid has impacted the music industry in such a way. Even the alternative rock stations have had a loss of identity. They end up playing the same 90s/2000s rock songs, and anything new on the stations is either the latest jingle off TikTok or something that sounds so commercial. As a result, these stations gate-keep to the point where they are disconnected to their listener base.
If the only “shock” factor portrayed to the media about rock today is multimillion-dollar rappers making the transition into rock by putting out an already done pop punk record, I think that is a huge problem. By all means, I like what they are doing, however, I don’t think an overproduced imitation of the past is going to push the genre forward in the long run. The bottom line is, there needs to be a change. Take a risk and invest in the artists that are truly doing something different because I’m sure that there are amazing and groundbreaking rock artists waiting to be discovered.
MM: Do you have more new music scheduled to come out this year?
CTD: Absolutely! We spent most of 2020 pouring our heart and soul into some tracks that are sure to knock your socks off in the upcoming 2021 season. So, stay tuned!
MM: What are some venues that you would love to play in the future?
CTD: The Hollywood Bowl would be awesome. We’ve had a few chances to play at Chain Reaction, which is a killer venue with extreme energy when it gets packed. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, we’d be stoked to play just about anywhere to be honest!
MM: Final comments or shout-outs?
CTD: Huge thanks to Melodic Magazine for taking the time to interview us. We really appreciate it! Make sure to go listen to our first release of 2021, “Liar (Set Me Free)” on all music streaming platforms, and keep your ears open for our other releases VERY soon this year!
Thank you so much, Carry the Day! We cannot wait to check out your upcoming releases, and we will be sure to visit you at the Hollywood Bowl some day!
You can listen to “Liar (Set Me Free)” on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with Carry the Day: Facebook // Instagram // YouTube
