I’m posting in this News section since it is timely and also because we’re about to run a lengthly featured interview with Magic Bullet Records later this week (What? You’re not tired of seeing the same DEFEATER image after 10 weeks?!?). If you can, definitely go to the Long Island Fest this summer and see SKYCAMEFALLING. You will not be disappointed. Many thanks to lead singer Christopher Tzompanakis for answering these questions.
Pastepunk: SKYCAMEFALLING has not been a part of the LIHC ‘reunion’ scene up until now, what’s different this time around?
Christopher: I never would have imagined that we would be playing a reunion show. The idea came up about a year and a half ago, shortly after Cameron left THE SLEEPING. All of us went in different directions and had different goals after we broke up so it the timing just never felt right. It was not until recently where all of us seemed to be on the same page or at a crossroads in our life that it seemed to all make sense. For all of us I believe this is actually therapeutic, its more like something we need to do for one reason or another.
Pastepunk: Since the band called it quits nearly seven years ago, what have the members playing the festival been up to musically and career wise?
Christopher: The lineup is actually going to be our original lineup minus our guitar player John. We respect his decision and understood his reasonings, much like he understood our passion for wanting to move forward without him. So essentially the lineup is the same one which wrote the demo, the first EP as well as the full length. It’s one that I never would have imagined would reform but time healed a lot of old wounds for us and to be completely honest, after losing Matt and Parker, we never actually felt like the same band.
Cameron formed The Sleeping with Sal & Joe, who were both a part of Skycamefalling’s final lineup. He actually relocated to the UK shortly after leaving the group and continues to teach music.
Matt is pursuing a teaching degree and moved to the Carolinas. He continued to play music with a experimental group FOOS as well as a short stint with FAREWELL TIDE.
Parker has been working 2 jobs lately. He ran a clothing company after he returned to Long Island, joined a MISFITS cover band and later joined the second lineup of Farewell Tide.
I work for a computer software company, continued to run the label One Day Savior for awhile, formed Farewell Tide and played in a few other local bands.
Pastepunk: So much has changed in the way hardcore bands promote themselves since SCF’s demise – the realms of social networking and digital distribution are a whole new frontier, relatively speaking. Do you feel like an outsider looking in now?
Christopher: I think all of us have pretty much stayed involved in music and the scene in one way or another so we certainly have adapted to the ways that bands and the music business have progressed as a whole. It started to move in that very direction toward the end of the band so I don’t necessarily think its come as a shock to us nor made us feel like outsiders in any way. I mean, all of us could say that the days we were going to shows or playing shows, that the scene was better or more diverse or whatever, but the fact of the matter is that we all have fond memories of the scene that we were a part of when we were younger. So when kids are going to shows now I am sure its that very same emotion for them. I think Long Island has an incredible scene with both diverse and remarkable bands, so I dont think its fair for me or any one to say how things were or how they should be. As long as these bands have a place to play and a group of people that respect one another and want to make a difference, well that’s what makes it important.
Pastepunk: So will this be a one time show or do you plan on doing more, possibly regrouping?
Christopher: I dont think any of us really know exactly what the future holds for the band. At this point its just going to be one show but it’s difficult for any of us to say exactly what is going to happen. The 4 of us have not been in a room performing music together for almost 10 years. I dont want to rule anything out but I certainly don’t want to make any predictions either. A year ago I don’t think any of us would have thought we would have even come this far.
Brooklyn garage punk rockers PREGNANT are streaming their new full-length on their MySpace page. Details are slim on the release (Label? Self-released? Anyone know? They last released a 7″ on Don Giovanni). The band was recently mentioned in a (mostly useless) NY Post article about ‘hot trending bands in Brooklyn!!!!!!!!!’.
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