Review Fix Exclusive: Versus the World Frontman Donald Spence Talks ‘Homesick/Roadsick’

Review Fix chats with Versus the World Frontman Donald Spence, who discusses the inspiration and creative process behind the band’s third album, “Homesick/Roadsick,” set for release this April. Known from their past two albums and appearances in video games the likes of “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” and the WWE series, Versus the World is a hard-hitting rock group that blends passionate lyrics and awesome musicianship.

Review Fix: What do you think you’ve learned from your first two albums and how do you think they affected this one?

Donald Spence: Every time we go make a record we learn something.  You get smarter.  We really got to understand the importance of preproduction.  It made all the difference in the world for this record.  For the last two records we had collections of songs that had been written over time.  This was the first time we had sat down and said ” let’s write these songs, with this idea, for this album.”  It’s really focused and was really fun to just check out of life for a couple months and just get swallowed by a piece of art.  It was all we did.  Wrote.  It was amazing.

Review Fix: What was the creative influence behind this album?

Spence: The last few years on the road.  We toured this record pretty hard.  We hit the US & Europe a few times.  We went to Australia, Japan and China… I never thought I’d see some of the places we got to go.  This record is, in a very literal sense, about the lives we lead over the course of our last touring cycle.  We made friends, saw things and shared experiences that were completely new to us.  Had friends pass away, a couple of us got married.  It was all worth writing about. So we did.

Review Fix: You guys have had a solid relationship with the WWE over the years, with your music being featured in their games. For one, how does it feel to have your music featured in a place where it can instantly be heard by millions and two, will anything from this album be featured on WWE programming?

Spence: I’m not sure if WWE is going to license anything from this record.  Might be worth an email. It’s pretty amazing how many people got exposed to our band through that video game. We all grew up playing video games, it’s a medium that I’ve always loved.  I think that Tony Hawk Pro Skater was a game changer to bringing music and games together.  I think it’s a perfect match.

Review Fix: What song on here do you think has the best possibility of getting hot on the radio or with long-time fans?

Spence: It’s always weird to see what songs people relate to.  Everyone in the band has their favorites and songs that they love but you never really know until people hear the record and you play the songs live.  My favorite right now is A Storm Like Me or The Santa Margarita.

Radio play has never been really important to us.  We’re not from a scene where that’s really a thing.  The people I look up to as song writers and most of our peers aren’t big on the mainstream radio… But they have impressive careers and strong fan bases.  I haven’t turned on a radio since I was a kid because the bands I loved weren’t on there.

Review Fix: What song on the album has the best story behind it?

Spence: The Santa Margarita and Seven Thirty One I wrote while I was grieving the death of our friend Tony Sly from No Use For a Name.  He took our bands on tour all over the world when we first started out.  I owe him a lot.  Those songs were written to sort of help me heal a little bit.  I still miss my friend.

Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone check out this album?

Spence: I thinks it’s good honest music.  No pretense.  We’re not hear to be the next U2, were just here to write good songs.

Review Fix: How do you want this album to be remembered?

Spence: As the third one… But not the last one.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Spence: Tour.  Play as many different places as possible.  See and meet new faces. Do that… Stay friends with these wonderful people I get to play music with.  Then die happy I guess.