Recently we got to set up an emailed interview with Mayday Parades bassist, Jeremy Lenzo. Lenzo talks about Mayday Parade’s newest record, Sunnyland and also about headlining the very last run of the Vans Warped Tour. The Vinyl thanks you Jeremy for taking your time to answer a few questions. SUNNYLAND IS OUT JUNE 15th! Make sure to pick up a copy or download it!
The Vinyl: Please introduce yourself to those who may not be familiar with you, what do you do in the band?
Jeremy Lenzo: My name is Jeremy and I play bass in the band.
V: What’s the story behind “Sunnyland” is there a particular meaning or story behind the name of the record.
JL: The name Sunnyland comes from a defunct hospital we used to explore back in high school. Sadly it was torn down years ago, but we have fond memories of sneaking around after dark and exploring all of its halls.
V: What was the writing and recording process for you all on this record? Was there anything different/new you all did on this particular record?
JL: We did our standard writing process. Everyone writes songs individually while we are home and then when we get together to work on the album we show all the ideas we had been working on and pick the best ones to work on as a group. I think this time around we had around 85 different songs we had all written, so trying to narrow down which ones had the most potential was a little rough.
V: Is there anything you would’ve done different on past records that you learned when making Sunnyland?
JL: Not really, I think each record has different things that set it apart because we try new ideas each time.
V: How do you keep a current in an industry powered by social media and streaming apps?
JL: That’s a good question because I’m terrible at social media. When we started the band the only social media was MySpace and Facebook was still only for college students. It definitely is an important part of being an artist nowadays, and I guess we slowly realized that over the years. We have made it a point to always bring a photographer on tour so that we have things to post on our band account.
As far as streaming goes, as long as our music gets out there I’m ok with it. I guess the hope is you can reach more people that never heard you before, and that a few of those people may come out to your show, and maybe a few of those people buy a shirt or something.
V: Do you think that the way technology runs now a days it will change the industry and the way artists get their music out there?
JL: It has already changed so much in the past ten years. Labels and artist have both had to make changes every few years to stay with technology and current trends.
V: You all went From selling albums in the warped parking lots to actually playing the festival/ mainstages and now you’re headlining the last run of Warped tour, what are your feelings on that?
JL: It’s bittersweet. We love warped tour, and what it means for our scene. We are happy to be a part of it this last time, and are sad to see it go.
V: What are some of your favorite memories from warped?
JL: Hanging out late with all the other bands, playing cards or dice, just enjoying the night after the sun has beat down on you all day. I don’t have any memories that stick out to me in particular, but all the memories I have of it are good.
V: Since you have a long summer ahead of you, What are some plans you all have after Warped Tour?
JL: Hopefully after warped tour is over there will still be enough summer left I can spend some time on the lake and enjoy the sun at home. As for the band we will probably play some shows here and there and then go out again in the fall to support the new album.
V: Anything you would like to address to the public/fans that read this interview, we look forward to seeing you all at warped 2018!
JL: Be good to each other and come party with us at warped tour. It’s going to be the last one, so let’s make it memorable.
To keep up with Jeremy and Mayday Parade check out the links below!!
Jeremy Lenzo:
MAYDAY PARADE: