- 2 days ago
Kellin Quinn and Nick Martin from Sleeping With Sirens join Megan Holiday to talk about the band's new album 'An Ending In Itself,' playing Warped Tour and more!
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00:00What's going on? It's the world famous K-Rock. I'm Megan Holliday, and I'm here with Nick
00:04and Kellen of Sleeping With Sirens. What's up? It's good to be here. Thanks for having us.
00:09Hey, K-Rock. Album release day, an ending in itself. It is officially out in the world.
00:16How does, how does it feel? Well, it's called an ending in itself,
00:20but this is truly the beginning, the beginning of the ending in itself. It feels good. It's like
00:27you work really hard on a record. I think this one took a lot longer than other albums,
00:32and I think because it took a little bit longer, we had time to really sit with it and make
00:38sure all
00:38the songs were the right ones, and because of that, I feel like it's the most cohesive record
00:43we've ever made, so I love it. Front to back, it feels like it flows really well. No skippers.
00:49Zero skips. It feels very classic, Sleeping With Sirens. The fans are just going to be totally
00:56stoked, and I think that people are in a phase of life right now where we need nostalgia. We need
01:03that feeling of take me back to better times, to simpler times, and I really feel like this album
01:08is going to deliver that for people. Yeah, we need stoked. Yeah, that's it. I think that this record is
01:17very hopeful. I think that like the last two albums, this one kind of rounds out all three,
01:22and I feel like the first record was kind of like, you know, how do I handle like the darkness?
01:29The second record, Complete Collapse, was kind of like we were in the middle of, oh, we just got out
01:33of COVID, so it was like, how do we approach the world now? And this one feels very much like
01:40a discovering of the person you want to be, you know, and to not like lose hope and to keep
01:46moving
01:47forward. And I think that this record is, it's, it's, it's very good for the times. Yeah, oh,
01:521000%. And you guys have always been kind of that lifeline band for people, you know, it's like,
01:57when I go and walk around at Warped Tour, if I ask people, what's a band that changed your life
02:02or
02:02helped you get through some of the hardest times, they're gonna, they're gonna say Sleeping With Sirens.
02:06How does that make you guys feel like after all these years and doing this thing for almost 17 years,
02:11just knowing that you're still making this impact? I don't know, it means the world to us. It's,
02:16wow, because I think we're, we're on the outside of it. So when, you know, people approach us and say
02:22those kinds of things, it's, I mean, it's honestly the most humbling thing to be told as an artist,
02:27you know, because if you can make an impact on someone in such a positive way through our music,
02:32us just with our guitars and vocals and just like putting songs out and that like helps you
02:38throughout your day or through your life or has gotten you through tough times. Like,
02:42I mean, there's nothing, there's nothing beyond that. Like that's, that's pinnacle for me. So it's an
02:47amazing feeling. Do you ever feel like you've had a connection with a fan before that in a way maybe
02:52made you feel like it helps heal some part of you as well? All the time. Absolutely. All the time.
02:58Yeah. There's always people that come to shows. And I mean, one of the, one of the stories I've been
03:03telling lately is like, we've been watching like YouTube reviews of like the singles and stuff,
03:08just to see how it's going. I like to, I like to watch them. I send them to the band
03:12all the time.
03:12He does. And, um, one guy was at a festival. He's like an older dude and had like a panic
03:19attack at
03:19a festival and ending in itself, he said, reminded him of like how he was. And he like broke down
03:25the
03:25whole song. He was like, dude, this song, I feel like this song's about me, you know? And it was
03:29like,
03:29really cool to, to hear that because even if it's not specific to like your life in the way that
03:38I
03:38thought it would be like for my life personally, like it makes sense for people in their own way.
03:43And I think that's like the best thing about music in general, like, cause every like song that's got
03:48me through like hard parts of my life, it's been like that same exact thing, you know, listen to it,
03:53whether it's getting you like hyped or it's getting you through a hard time in your life. Like,
03:58that's what music supposed to do. 100%. And then let's talk about the title track, uh, of the album
04:04and how that song really did come together because it definitely feels like it's sort of acknowledging
04:11some really deep and dark feelings that you don't really want to, but finally kind of being ready to,
04:16to face them for me anyways. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. It's like, to me, that song kind of kickstarted this
04:22whole record and set the tone and the pace for it. I, I never know like what an album is
04:26going to be
04:26about until we have like three or four songs. And then it kind of all, somehow it kind of starts
04:30to piece itself together. And I feel like from the jump, like this song was the first song we wrote
04:36together as a band. Uh, it's the first song we like tracked the demo for in the studio. And I
04:42was like,
04:42okay, I think I know what this record is going to be about. And I think like the song is
04:48about just
04:50keeping your head up and moving forward. Cause there's a happy ending. It'll change with time.
04:54But for now, like being like, okay with whatever you're going through and like being present,
04:58like, that's something that I tell myself all the time. It's like, dude, just, just do today.
05:03Like, don't worry about tomorrow. Don't worry about what's coming next. Just like,
05:06be here today, be in your body. And if you can do that, then it makes life a little bit
05:10easier.
05:11It was a, and it was a really interesting, uh, day. Cause like Helen said, it was day one with
05:16our
05:17producer writing for the record. And that was the first song that came out within like the first two hours
05:21of
05:21being there. That's crazy. And it was just a wild day because earlier that morning,
05:25I got a call that my grandfather passed. And, um, I think that song just holds such a deep
05:38place for me. Like it was, it was, there was like energy that was channeled with what I had to
05:43go
05:44through that morning. And then being with these guys and then writing this incredible song
05:47and Kellen with the delivery of the lyrics of that day, it was just like, just a very,
05:52very, very special song for me. Yeah. It's like, he was in the room, you know,
05:57he was there with you. Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm so sorry to hear. Oh no,
06:01it, you know, no, but again, that's like the connection to our music and what we do is like
06:08from such a raw place, but is also so, um, it was positive for me. It was therapeutic. And,
06:14um, um, as an artist, you know, again, that's reaching like pinnacle levels of creativity in
06:21like a dark time, but also making positive light of it. And, you know, Kellen just does such a great
06:26job with his lyrics and again, making that connection. He wrote about something that he was
06:32connecting to whatever it was emotionally that I connected to that other people also connect to
06:38and different ways. Yeah. And that's, uh, like the universal language with music that is, you know,
06:44a really, really beautiful thing. Yeah. And I think that's the power of just authentically telling
06:49your truth because we're all feeling similar things at the same time and we're just not necessarily
06:56talking about them. And another song that just feels so emotionally huge is forever. Always.
07:02Yeah. Um, to me, that's, it's a massive song. I, I really, I love it so much. And I don't
07:08know if
07:08you want to touch a little bit, um, about that song. I mean, yeah, that song's about
07:13my significant other and we were going through really hard time this last year, just like with
07:19just a ton of stuff. Like, I don't know why, but we decided to just check off like every health
07:24issue
07:24you could ever possibly go through, like everybody in the family. And it was just, it was a crazy,
07:29crazy experience, but just saying like that you don't have to go through things alone. And if you've
07:35got somebody in your life, that'll be there for you, like you're going to be okay. And I think that's
07:39the most important thing about like getting through this life is just having people that
07:43you can like lean on because going through it alone is really, really like hard. So like that
07:48song to me is like just a shout to anybody you have in your life, whether it's like a best
07:53friend
07:53or a significant other or like a family member, whoever it is, like sibling, whoever it is,
07:59having somebody there for you and letting them know that like you're there for them and they're
08:02there for you is like huge. Yeah. I just love the overall general message. I think you said this
08:09album is the light at the end of all the hardships, you know? And, uh, and I think we're, we're
08:16at a
08:16place right now where we need this, this glimmer of hope and light and that, you know, music you can
08:21listen to, that's just going to encourage you and keep you going every day. And something else
08:25that really does that for, for all of us that grew up during the time of Warped Tour is the
08:31fact
08:32that, you know, it's now back. I went to the first return of it last year now happening again. And
08:37you
08:37guys, I think this is going to be your fifth time playing Warped Tour, unless Google did me dirty.
08:43I think it's more than that. Is it more? It might. I mean, yeah, it's probably more than that.
08:48Yeah. So how are you feeling? Yeah. What going into playing Warped Tour again?
08:52I mean, it's a little strange cause like Warped Tour was like a tour and now they're just like,
08:58kind of like these select shows. So I think it'll be cool, but like, it's, it's probably going to be
09:04like doing the anniversary that we did, um, a while back. And I think that's the last Warped Tour we
09:08did.
09:08But, um, yeah, I kind of miss doing like the whole thing, you know, I do, but I don't.
09:14We say that now. Yeah, I do, but I don't like doing like doing like seven shows in a row
09:19is
09:19pretty crazy. Like, thank God they were only 30 minutes long, but I think it'll be cool to like
09:24be back and to see everybody that we know and love from like the Warped Tour crew and see the
09:31other
09:31bands and be able to like be a part of it again will feel like kind of like a homecoming,
09:36I guess.
09:37Yeah, tapping into that nostalgia again, like we said, Rick, I feel like we all need that more
09:41than ever right now. So to have Warped Tour be back and for us to be a part of it
09:45is just,
09:46it's special. It's going to be a blast. It's, it was so fun last year and this year's going to
09:50be.
09:50It was crazy last year. I went for one day. I was there for all of three hours.
09:54It was so overwhelming. Saw a couple bands. I was like, I gotta go. This is too crazy. But it
09:58was,
09:58it was very, very cool. Is there more than one stage? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. It was a lot of
10:02stages.
10:02So, uh, who would you want to, who will you be standing in the crowd to watch this year?
10:09I really want to see Alexis on fire. Um, I feel like every band we know is playing.
10:16Yeah. So I'm going to do what I can just be running around
10:19and try to catch as many bands as I can. Um, Alexis on fire though, for sure. Thrice is playing.
10:25Thrice. Yes. Thrice.
10:27Absolutely. Taking back Sunday.
10:29That'd be great. That's what I'm saying. Like Jimmy world. Let's see it. The lineup is
10:33insane. It's so good. Who do you want to see me? Yeah. Um, you know, I really don't know who's
10:39playing. Yeah. Well, when you look, when you honestly, I don't, I don't know. I know that from
10:44first to last is playing and I will be there cause we're doing a song together. But, um,
10:48the use is playing. You'll probably go see the use. Definitely watching the use. If the use is there,
10:51I'm watching. Do you have any crazy like past memories from warp tour?
10:55A lot. Do you? Yeah. Any, any story that you would be willing to share about?
11:01I remember in 2004, it was the first warp tour. Well, the second year of warp tour I'd ever played.
11:07And I met Fletcher from Pennywise. Yes. Love Fletcher.
11:11And, uh, the first time I met him, I walked on, uh, the vandals bus and he was there and
11:17he was like,
11:18so I heard you're in a hardcore band. I was like, yep. And he hands me a knife and he
11:22goes,
11:23you think you're so hardcore? Chop off my hand right now. And I, uh, obviously he was joking,
11:29but I started laughing. He was like, I'm not joking around, man. He's like, you think you're
11:32so hardcore? Take this fucking knife and chop my hand off. He's like, it's insured. It's insured.
11:37It's all good. Chop it. I was like, who is this guy? And then later that night, he drove a
11:42golf cart
11:43into a lake and just abandoned this cart. Warp tour is so epic. It was pretty crazy.
11:50I live for this. Yeah. That's pretty wild, dude. You got some good work. Um, yeah, let me see.
11:56What do I have? I got, oh, okay. So after warp tour was done, we, a couple bands play,
12:04would play this game called werewolf where we'd all sit around in a circle. It's like a card game
12:09and you would get like a character to play and you weren't supposed to like reveal yourself.
12:16Like you had to like kind of keep it a secret, especially if you're like a werewolf or a vampire
12:19or like something like that. And so like somebody would host it and they would like tell the story
12:25and you'd act out like this character or whatever, and you'd have to like try to like vote people off.
12:30And so like, I was playing with my stepson. He was playing cause he was like visiting warp tour or
12:36whatever. And a couple of the guys from four years strong were like werewolves. And my stepson
12:41Ron's like, that dude's a werewolf. And he's like, I'm not a werewolf. And he's like, you are a werewolf.
12:46I know you're a werewolf. And he got so mad. He was like, yeah, they took that game very seriously.
12:51Everyone voted him off and he was one and he was just so mad. And I just remember like having
12:55so much
12:56fun playing that game. Cause it was like, it was like this thing where like, if you knew about it,
13:00you knew about it and you'd find like, there's like probably 80 people sitting in a circle like
13:05in the middle of the parking lot playing this game. So you show up, you get the text and it
13:09was like,
13:09I remember you playing. Yeah, it was so much fun. Uh, I just, that's what I love about warp tour.
13:13It's just, it was such a sense of community or it is such a sense of community, not just for
13:18the
13:18bands, but also for everybody who attends, um, you know, and I'm just really excited to get to see
13:25you guys playing this year. It's gonna be a good time. We're really good at playing shows.
13:29Yeah, that we can do. That is great news. Yeah, we're really good at it.
13:32So, uh, assuming that there's going to be a further tour announcement in the,
13:37in the near future as well, perhaps? Of course. Yes. Yeah. We got, we got a lot planned. So we're
13:44excited to start rolling everything out and support of the record and just, we just miss playing shows.
13:49We miss seeing our fans and just being back together, hitting the good old open road with my,
13:56with my buddy right here. I'm very, very stoked. Well, I know that everybody is going to be so
14:01psyched and congratulations on the new album. Thank you. So great to have you guys here. Thanks
14:06for joining me. Thanks for having us. Appreciate it. Awesome. It's K rock. We love you. K rock.
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