Review Fix chats with Stars in Stereo Lead Guitarist Jordan McGraw, who discusses the band’s new album, as well as their current tour with Bullet For My Valentine.
Review Fix: What’s the inspiration for “The Broken”?
Jordan McGraw: The Broken is inspired by negative situations we all face at some point in our lives. No matter who you are, where you come from, or where you’re going, setbacks both large and small will try to hold you back. The ultimate message is that those trials and challenges are what can bring us all together, and give us the strength to over come them.
Review Fix: How do you think the video conveys the message?
McGraw: The video portrays a girl who comes from an abusive home. After being identified as one of “the broken”, she is led by an unknown figure away from that violence through the city towards a better place. It isn’t easy going, but she doesn’t give up. It’s a mostly metaphorical storyline.
Review Fix: How do you want the song to be remembered?
McGraw: Since everyone can relate to those kinds of ups and downs, I want everyone who hears the song to draw inspiration from it to help them overcome whatever in their lives might be dragging them down. We’re all in this together.
Review Fix: What’s your favorite song on the album and why?
McGraw: “Every Last Thing†is a universal favorite among the band. It was the first song we wrote together once we all got together. It’s gone through some evolution over the years, but it has remained as a keystone in our set. The message resonates with all of us and still gives me chills when I hear Bec’s vocals in the final chorus.
Review Fix: What have you learned in the recording process of this album that you feel will benefit you moving forward?
McGraw: Our producer Mike Green pushed us to the very limits of our musicianship, and quite often beyond. Instead of being a difficult process, it actually came a lot easier than I expected. Personally, I felt more pride in what we had accomplished by the end than any other recordings I had done before. I learned that I (and we) can always be better than we think we can, as long as I (we) just go for it.
Review Fix: What do you think separates you from other female-fronted rock bands out there?
McGraw: I wouldn’t compare us to other female-fronted bands. We’re a rock band, plain and simple. Many people do inevitably make those comparisons, and that’s a shame. All bands should be judged purely on their talent and songwriting. That being said, we’ve had the opportunity to tour with several female-fronted bands, and they’ve all been awesome. Each singer has had her own voice, does her own thing, and connects with the audience in her own way. Just like any other band.
Review Fix: What’s the band’s creative process like?
McGraw: Every song comes about in it’s own way. But we always sit down before writing and bounce ideas around and generate a list of themes. They can be a sentence, a short phrase, or even one word. One of us will have a riff or a melodic hook kicking around our head, and we just pair it up with something off our list that fits. Since all five of us play multiple instruments, it really can start with any one of us. From there we all contribute to grow the song. We each have home recording equipment, so we can record ideas as we go along. Sometimes it can be quick, some times more slowly and with more difficulty. Some songs we give up on halfway through, while some come together perfectly before we even know what hit us. One thing that sets SinS creative process apart from other bands I’ve been in, is that there is a lot less fighting over direction than I’m used to. We all have a remarkably unified vision for our songs.
Review Fix: What are your goals moving forward?
McGraw: We will continue to tour non-stop, getting to as many fans as we can, in as many different places as we can. Come see us, and be sure to stop and say hi after.
Review Fix: How does it feel to tour with a band like Bullet for my Valentine?
McGraw: Incredible, inspiring, and humbling all at once. They are so good at what they do, such ridiculous musicians. Once I got over the shock of just watching them kick so much ass every night, it really made me want to strive to be a better guitarist. Any musician at any level should always work to better him/her self, and touring with great bands is one of the best ways to watch, study, and learn. They’re also awesome dudes to hang with.
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