Interviews: Century Thirteen

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the  Pop Punk band Century Thirteen, from UK. Check out this band and give them a like on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that? 

Scott: We went through a few potential names before settling on Century Thirteen! It's kind of about feeling like you have an endless streak of bad luck - a century is a long time and thirteen is an unlucky number, so it's kind of like a bad day that never ends!

2.Why did you want to play this genre? 

Kevin: We are inspired be a lor of genres - pop-punk, alternative rock... it's something we all think of as fun to play. Our album just turned out this way from the influences we all put in and we had a lot of fun creating the mix of sounds we ended up with.

Scott: We're all into all kinds of music and we like bringing new sounds in to keep things from stagnating. The last thing we want is to get pigeonholed into a specific sound, so we're always ready to try something new whenever we write new material.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Kevin: Me and Lewis our drummer were in a band together back around 2012-2013, which ended when the bass player quit, so we knew each other from that.

Scott: I used to work with Kevin so we've known each other for quite a long time as well. 

Kevin: Scott joined us after me and Lewis decided we would continue and start a new band. We still needed a bassist, so we put up an ad and Dale got back to us, and we've had the same line up since. It turned out Dale actually grew up with the old bassist from the previous band, small world!

4. Each band member favourite band? 

Kevin: If I had to pick one, it would be Green Day, they've always been one

of my favourites.

Scott: It's hard to pick just one, but I'll say Metric. But I'd probably

give a different answer if you asked me tomorrow - I guess it depends on my

mood!

Lewis: It's hard for me too! But I'll say Devin Townsend Project.

Dale: Zebrahead - they're also the band I've seen live the most - 8 times!!

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Kevin: Life events mostly, I like to tell a story but want listeners to take their own story from the songs too.

Scott: I usually write songs about my own experiences but with inspiration mixed in from books, video games, movies, comics and things like that. So what started as a song about a personal experience might turn into a story about zombie pirates from space, or something like that! 

6. Where was your last gig? 

Kevin: Bar Bloc+ in Glasgow

Scott: It's a great venue, I go there quite regularly to see bands play and it's always fun to play there when we get the chance.

7. Where would you like to play? 

Kevin: We'd always like to play bigger venues than the ones we've already played, like in Glasgow maybe the o2 venues. Also it would be cool to play at some more festivals, its great getting to play outside! And festivals are a great chance to check out loads of other awesome bands too.

8. Who would you like to support?

Kevin: Green Day would be amazing!

9. Who not? 

Kevin: We would be happy to support anyone, as we love all kinds of music. I'm not a fan of Tom Jones though.

Scott: Tom Jones is a legend, I'd totally be down to support him! Not sure what his fans would think of us though!

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

Kevin: I have, many times! I tell myself to imagine I'm the only one there, that usually works for me.

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Kevin: For me, Green Day were the first band that made me want to play the guitar - the first song I learned was Hitchin' a Ride. I loved their sound from the first time I heard them - the fact that they have so much energy, after I saw them live they also inspired me to want to play in bands as their stage presence is like nothing else I've seen. Another big one would be The Offspring with their catchy fun sounding punk songs, and also Nirvana with Kurt Cobain's awesome voice and their heavy guitar sound. Jimmy Eat World, Damien Rice and Linkin Park are some more that have the most influence on my writing. 

Lewis: For me, Nirvana are a big inspiration. Dave Grohl was the first

drummer I watched in the video for Come As You Are - that's what made me

become a drummer. Godsmack are another one - Shannon Larkin inspired me to be more animated with my performance and I llove their in-your-face attitude. Dave McClain from Machine Head showed me that metal didnt just have to be the same generic beats over and over, and his unique playing on tracks like Imperium, Old, and Locust just to name a few inspired me to be different and more creative in the band. Vinnie Paul from Pantera was also a huge inspiration for me when I was little. But I'd say Blink 182's Travis Barker is by far the drummer that has inspired me the most. His unique way to play made me play with the same energy at live shows. I want to stand out like him. He proves that you don't need a ton of drums and cymbals to be an amazing drummer. He has very little and is always impressive.

Dale: I'd say my main influences are Less Than Jake, blink-182, Zebrahead and Sum 41. Less Than Jake was probably the first ska punk band I got into but they also showed me there was more to playing bass than just root notes, and I love how energetic and upbeat their songs are. They became one of my favourite bands and I always make sure to see them live, they also got me through many tough times in school! Sum 41 got me into music so they are kind of the band that started it all for me, and led to me becoming a big fan of pop punk and punk rock. Blink-182 was the band that really got me wanting to learn to play an instrument and when I was 15 I decided to start a band with some friends (even though we couldn't really play anything!) so I bought a bass guitar. What's My Age Again was the first song I learned on bass and Mark Hoppus became one of my biggest idols - I love the way he doesn't just stand around on stage and puts in a lot of energy. Zebrahead much like Less Than Jake inspired me to write really catchy bass parts and also I love their live shows as well - they're one of a few bands I'll go crazy for when I see them live and that takes a lot for me! I also love the dynamics of the shared vocals between Matty and Ali. 

Scott: Muse were a huge inspiration for me when I was a kid and the reason I started playing guitar was the Origin of Symmetry album, that CD blew me away at the time and really inspired me to start playing and writing music. Matt Bellamy is a huge influence on my guitar playing, I learned to play pretty much everything they released back then! Radiohead are another big one - I love the way they keep evolving with every album, you never know what to expect from them, but it's always amazing. Thrice are also a big inspiration for me, I love how they take the energy of punk and hardcore and blend it with so many different sounds and styles, their discography is so varied but at the same time so consistently good. And from a songwriting perspective, Elliott Smith is a huge influence, I love the way he told stories with his lyrics, turning some pretty dark feelings into fantastic songs, and his guitar playing was perfect along with it, he could write these fantastic chord sequences that sound so distinct, like you know it's an Elliott Smith song as soon as you hear that guitar. I listen to all kinds of music though so I'm always hearing new sounds that influence my writing and I like to write music in a lot of different styles so that keeps it fresh for me.

Lewis: Also want to mention Buddy Rich - To me Buddy Rich should be every

drummers inspiration. He is so talented and is so fun to watch. Just watching his drum solos and performances with jazz bands back in the day was always a treat. My drum teacher Iain Cheazny introduced me to him and I was blown away. His drumming made me want to just add in anything that he added to his arsenal. Still so much that I want and need to learn from his live videos.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

Kevin: We once had a guy come up to us after a local show with a proposition

to become our new singer, that was pretty weird.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

Kevin: They're amazing, really down to earth and fun, it's always good to

talk to them at shows!

14. What do you think of our site?

Kevin: Forever a fan! I didn't realise Nintendocore was a thing though! The

site looks amazing.

Scott: It's great, I've already checked out a few bands I read about here!

15. Something to add?

Kevin: Just to say thanks for supporting out band, it was fun answering all

the questions! Our new album is out on July 13th 2018, so we'll have more

updates coming soon! Check out our social media and hopefully see you at the

gigs!