Without inspiring lyrics, the whole glue that keeps the punk and hardcore scenes alive would simply collapse. Alright… maybe that’s a bit idealist. But if that element of punk and hardcore vanished, all we’d have left is vanity-based chatter and unbridled cynicism. It would not be a pretty landscape. Fortunately, SET YOUR GOALS are like Google right now of positive lyrics and energies. The title track to their debut full-length Munity boasts the following: In this vast network of sharks and minnows Where the minnows outnumber the sharks a million to one Why is it that we have yet to converge? To take on the upperhand? Why have we been so scared? Well not today. Not anymore. This is us growing up. Still young, but no longer impressionable. We have come to pillage. We have come to burn. We have come to incite the riot. We have come to take it over! Heroes have betrayed. We sing for better days. The beauty of the above-posted lyrics is that they can apply to so many situations. From the music industry, to politics, to simply overcoming personal hurdles, “Mutiny” is an open song for everyone. With that in mind – Pastepunk probed open the mind of lead vocalist Jordan Brown via an email interview in January of 2007. We hope you enjoy Jordan’s sense of enthusiasm as much as we enjoy the band’s music – Jordan A. Baker.

Pastepunk: How do you guys manage to seamlessly bridge the gap between hardcore kids and kids who like pop-punk? I know my 27 year old editor digs the crap out of your band at the same time as the 15 year old skater kid down the street. Is it a combination of your influences mixed with your youthful energy that makes you guys so accessible for different age groups?

Jordan: I can’t really say exactly, other than that we are equally influenced by a wide range of old and new hardcore bands the same way were are with pop-punk bands. Matt [Wilson, co-vocalist] and I had an idea before we dove completely into SET YOUR GOALS, and that was to start a band that played every possibly style of music on the same album, each song committed to a different sound and style. Well, we obviously didn’t do that all the way with SYG, but the different sounds are still there I’d say, we just try and make sure they all mesh well together on the same record. That’s always been our writing style.

Pastepunk: In my mind, a mix of the dual vocals and constant gang vocals easily makes the vocals the most important aspect of SET YOUR GOALS. If you were to somehow rank the importance of each aspect of the band, would the vocals top the list? Why or why not?

Jordan: It’s been said that vocals can make or break a song, and I don’t believe that to be entirely true. The way I see it, vocals are no more important than a driving bass line, a well constructed percussion section, or a “killer” dueling guitar bridge, not to make us sound like we’re some “DRAGONFORCE” or anything, but my point is that we put just as much focus into every instrument on each of our songs. Lyrics are also a big part of writing a song. We never wanted to be singing about things we weren’t 100 percent serious about. I really do have to say it would be next to impossible for me to ever rank the importance of the musical talents in our band. Acapella SYG wouldn’t go over so well I don’t think.

Pastepunk: When I think of bands with two non-instrument-playing vocalists (at least live) at the helm, THE BLOOD BROTHERS obviously come to mind, but not many distinct hardcore or punk bands. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having two vocalists on a stage where there are already four other guys? Also, how does having two vocalists affect the songwriting and lyrics process?

Jordan: Disadvantages: Mic cord entanglement is definitely up there. Matt finally got a wireless, but before that, we were practically married by the end of each set. I’ve also suffered numerous sprained ankles, due mainly to the amount of room we have to work with on a stage of 6 people. That and I’m prone to more accidents than anyone else you will ever meet. According to my fortune cookie a few weeks ago, I’m also highly prone to “marital strife” as well. Completely off topic, but what is that and what is it doing in a fortune cookie of all places? But getting back to the original question, two vocalists definitely has its advantages as well. For one, crowd interaction is a BIG part of our live show. In fact, it’s the main part. What’s the point of performing live? To play to and meet people with a like mind. So, where ever Matt or I may have a bigger vocal section we want to focus on, the other of us can get right up into the crowd with the mic. I never want anyone to feel left out when we play. Back of the room, front of the room, side of the stage. We’ll grab anyone who’s giving us something to work with, let them be heard the way they are hearing us. If it was just me up there, every night, it would be a much tougher job. For SYG there was no other way, and Matt and I ended up making a pretty good team. Practices can sometimes be just as fun.

Pastepunk: I’ve read a lot of comments from people that claim you guys are a bit sloppy when playing live. What is your response to a comment like that, and do you think that a less-than perfect performance is justified given your sound and ethics?

Jordan: The sloppiness comes with the territory I guess. Our shows can get pretty crazy, and though we never mean to compromise how well we play for how much energy we give off, it’s sometimes hard to balance the two I guess. There’s been some shows I’ve been really proud of how we sounded, and others not so much. With those shows, you just gotta run with it anyway and have fun. You can’t let little things like that get you down. We chose this job instead of the relatively financially secure ones because this [is] what we love to do and what we have fun doing. Dave [Yoha] breaks a string, Delio’s [Flores] foot switch bugs out, Joe’s [Sauce] strap breaks, Mikey’s [Ambrose] cymbals fall off the riser, our mics go out, and the crowd I still jumping on top of each other without fail, and so we carry on. They come to forget about whatever worries and have a good time for at least one night, and so did we. That’s what really matters at the end of day.

Pastepunk: As mentioned earlier, the SET YOUR GOALS sound has an accessible edge that could easily draw young fans of more poppy music into the distinct hardcore sound, possibly making SET YOUR GOALS the gateway band for a whole generation of impressionable listeners. Do you see yourself as the kind of band that could open a whole bunch of doors for this kind of fan?

Jordan: I would hope so. I think there’s a lot of great music out there and most of our fans may have only been exposed to just one style. It’s gone both ways actually. In fact, many hardcore kids have told us that they were never really into any popular bands before they heard us, and now they are all about it. One of the main reasons we started SYG was to get people in the know about the bands that had influenced us to start this band. We’ve never thought of ourselves as doing something new, but something old, and that was something we never want to lose sight of. We don’t have much to prove. We’re just trying to keep honest lyricism and music alive and well.

Pastepunk: If you look at a band like NEW FOUND GLORY, they had very similar origins to SET YOUR GOALS – kids that were from the hardcore scene who brought in hardcore song structures and matched them with massive melodic hooks and choruses. Given the way NEW FOUND GLORY has matured over the years, much to the point where their hardcore edge has almost been entirely removed, do you see SET YOUR GOALS taking a similar path? What do you think causes a band to progress in that way?

Jordan: I have to disagree a little with just the last comment, about their hardcore edge being removed entirely. For anyone who has followed that band’s live show for the last nine or ten years, you can see how they are the exact same people on stage that they’ve always been. And even with the last album, there’s some pretty distinct hardcore influence in a lot of those tracks. They’ve always had a unique way of bleeding everything together, and that, along with their diehard touring ethic is part of what drove us to mold our band after theirs (not to exclude other bands from our influences list). You asked if we see ourselves progressing the way they did, and I would very much like to, cause they are doing it in the most honest way you can. We have the greatest fans in the world, and every show we play might get a little bigger, but there are always the familiar faces among all the new faces. It’s the best feeling. I would never want to lose that. And with music, I don’t even know what we’re gonna write next. We write with whatever we are listening to right at that moment. I don’t think we could ever stray too far from the beaten path, but in anything any artist does, there will be critics. As long as we can keep connecting with the kids who listen to our songs, that would be more than enough to keep me going for the rest of my life.

Pastepunk: Personally, a lot of the lyrical matter on Mutiny! was lost on me at first as I was mostly focused on the energy in the songs. However, there’s a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle messages throughout the album. First, I’d like to focus on the title track, which seems to be a gutshot toward “impure industries.” In the song, you guys state, “Don’t sign our lives away.” As of now you’re with Eulogy, but say this album blows up and bigger labels start to approach you guys, would you completely rule out signing with them?

Jordan: A lot of people thought that we were implying these “impure industries” were “major labels”. That actually wasn’t entirely the case, and I wish we’d have been a little more clear. I’ve seen as much corruption in the underground music scenes as the above. Every level has its good and evil. Our main point we wanted to stress in the song was “don’t buy into empty promises. In anything you choose to do with your life, people are going to approach you and want a piece of you, they will turn the innocent into something undesired and possibly even destroy everything you might have worked for.” We never said we wouldn’t work with a major label, and we never said we would. We’ve met plenty of people in the mainstream side of the music business, and there can be a lot of good if approached in the right way. You just gotta look out, no matter what you do. That’s all.

Pastepunk: You guys are from San Francisco and CRIME IN STEREO are a bunch of Long Island dudes. So I have to ask, where’d you friendship start and how’d you manage to get some of the guys to cameo in the “Mutiny!” video?

Jordan: The friendship started via email in early 2004 when I got a copy of the split 7″ they did with KILL YOUR IDOLS and absolutely fell in love with what they were doing. They filled a void that was left when other bands from their area had broken up. I got in touch with a couple of the guys and we started making plans to bring them over for some shows in July (of 2004). SET YOUR GOALS had just finished our demo and I sent it over to see if they’d be interested in hooking up for those shows. We were excited to find out they were way into it, and we met up soon after (July 23rd – 26th of ’04) for a short Northern California weekend of shows. We all got along really well and just kept in touch from then on. Last year we got together for a proper 3 week tour in April, just after their album The Troubled Stateside had come out. Hopefully everyone who reads this who hasn’t heard that album checks it out, cause it was definitely one of the best of 2006. It was on that tour we took a day off to shoot the “Mutiny!” video, and we asked them to be in it. It should also be noted that Kristian [Hallbert] and Alex [Dunne] totally stole the show that day. They were in “A&R” character the entire shoot and we all hurt at the end of the day from laughing so hard. You can still catch the video on kevinwildt.com for those who would like to see what this is all about.

Pastepunk: “An Old Book Misread” could possibly be looked at as the most controversial track on the disc as it seems to reference Christianity, or organized religion in general. In the song, it seems to me as if though you’re saying it’s not for you but that you can respect someone that it is for, which seems great in a sense that many other bands try to push their beliefs or non-beliefs toward an audience. Here it seems like you’re letting the listener decide, while giving your story. Can you go into detail about the inspiration for this song, primarily how it states that it’s about your disgust with the way you were ALMOST brought up?

Jordan: I was raised in a strong Christian household, primarily by way of my Mother’s side of the family. I love them all dearly, which is where the line, “I respect you turing that page…” comes from. I didn’t want anyone I cared about to feel offended in anyway, but it was time we cleared things up, as my beliefs have obviously shifted immensely from what I had been taught. Matt and I came up with the idea for the song together as he himself had also grown up under heavy, sometimes maybe ‘forced’, influence from an organized religion. Having grown up the way I did, I was exposed to so many people who just didn’t practice what they preach. I also began to raise questions at a young age, and was always told that was wrong, and that what they said was true because they just knew it was true. I didn’t feel the same way at all. I actually did witness some “brainwashings” (as harsh as that word can be) and they happened to many of my friends around me. It wasn’t mild at all, either. These people had completely changed and would become almost psychotic at the slightest discussion of God, Religion, and their own Spirituality. So much so, I started to worry for my own physical and mental well being. Those were experiences that ultimately led me further to think for my own self and less to follow what someone else told me to. Religion is a topic of much debate, and I still try to stray from getting too far into it with people I don’t know all that well, but the song “An Old Book Misread” was for us, more than anything, a means to vent years of pent up anger, years we weren’t given as much of a voice as we have been given today.

Pastepunk: In a recent issue of Alternative Press – you stated that you suffer from bipolar disorder, but do not take medication for it. As bipolar disorder can be a seriously disabilizing mental illness, does such affect the operations of the band at all? Is there a ‘one-eye open’ kind of mindset amongst the band in making sure you’re doing OK?

Jordan: I’ve definitely done things on stage, after shows, on tours, off of tours, that have affected myself and the members of this band. I’ve talked with Mikey about it before and he was really understanding. I will at times become this completely irrational person, and I don’t know what sets me off. Often times I’m aware of what I’m doing but it’s like I can’t even control my own actions. I’ve talked with a couple doctors about it and have tried to understand it as much as I can. I have a couple friends who have been diagnosed with the disorder as well, and I’ve contemplated medication at times, but I’ve also seen how its disabled parts of who they once were. Medication in general scares me. I was improperly diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder in high school and was on a drug that I still believe may have potentially caused serious damage. It’s another thing I’ve stressed concern of with my doctor and hope to treat more seriously. I’m being rather open in this interview, and I in no way mean to scare people away from our band or stopping by to say “hi” at a show. The point of me bringing that up in the Alternative Press article was a way of explaining how I’m able to contribute to SYG a more positive message. It’s really another form of therapy for me, more than anything else.

Pastepunk: SET YOUR GOALS, at its core, seems to be about having fun, and “Flight Of The Navigator” seems to reference this directly with its mention of being with the guys in the van, playing shows for your fans, and having no regrets about it all. This is what makes SET YOUR GOALS tick, but do you ever find it hard being on the road, especially if those crowded, sweaty hometown shows turn into empty pits in far away places like Michigan or Ohio?

Jordan: (Laughs) Well, actually Michigan and Ohio are actually some of our best spots nowaday. True, that wasn’t always the case, but I think touring has become even more fun for us the more and more we do it. At first, we didn’t know anyone, anywhere in the country really. Now, I feel as though I could get dropped off on any street corner in the US and I wouldn’t have to worry about a place to crash for that night. We’ve made a lot of great friends playing in this band. In “Flight of the Navigator”, the line “Distant friends will be closer tomorrow” is about just that. The hardest thing about tour is leaving home, though. For sure. Long distance friendships and serious relationships can take a lot of work (see the song “To Be Continued…”). Keeping in touch is difficult, but it can be done. We’ve been at home for two months now without a single show, and it just reminds me how much I miss tour right now, and how there really is nothing else I should be doing with my life at the moment. And it never matters how small or big a show is for us. We have played to five people in a basement in Minneapolis before, and it can be just as exciting as opening a House of Blues tour to 1,500 people. After an eight hour drive, all you want to do is play, and all you want is at least one other person to hear what you are singing about. We’re about to head out on a tour with ANTI-FLAG in March. It’s a two month tour, but we filled all the ‘off-day’ gaps in between that tour with VFW shows in off-skirts of most of the major cities we’ll be playing. We’re always looking for that email from that kid who lives in that town we’ve never heard of. I want, for us, to get to any and every place where someone has been waiting to see SET YOUR GOALS. We just like playing shows and meeting people is all.

Pastepunk: How huge is that upcoming tour with ANTI-FLAG for you guys? What’re you hoping to get out of a tour with a mega-band like ANTI-FLAG, and ALEXISONFIRE in their own right? What are your thoughts on playing venues with a huge gap between yourself and the crowd with barriers and big, balding security dudes in-between?

Jordan: Well we were all thrilled to have been asked to open up for these bands. It’s keeping us going and exposing us to new crowds of people who haven’t heard of SET YOUR GOALS before. We’re all so grateful that we can go from touring with a band like GORILLA BISCUITS, to LESS THAN JAKE, to ANTI-FLAG and it all still fits with what the music we’re making. As far as the venues go, in an answer to your question, we got a taste of these kinds of venues on both the GORILLA BISCUITS tour last August and the LESS THAN JAKE tour in October. We were concerned at first, but once the shows started, not a single thing changed. All the barriers had amazing security for the most part who help us get in and out of the barrier and on top the crowd. After all, we need to get into the crowd. It’s a drug. There’s no way we could spend all that time on stage alone. No matter what type of venue you come to see a SET YOUR GOALS show at, be assured you are coming to see a SET YOUR GOALS show, and we’re always wandering about around our merch table and in venue lobbies. We always encourage people to come and talk with us, too. Tour could suck pretty bad if we didn’t have time to interact.

Pastepunk: Hypothetical time: Alrighty, so somehow SET YOUR GOALS gets booked as an opener on a show w/ DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH. What’s going through your mind while taking the stage before several hundred smelly kids in corpse-paint?

Jordan: What’s running through Dave’s mind, Matt’s mind, and Mikey’s mind is, “OH MY GOD WE’RE PLAYING WITH DIMMU BORGIR!” I’d be stoked on the face paint and getting dressed up, but mildly concerned the crowd might eat us alive. We’ve covered METALLICA and PANTERA at some Halloween shows before. If we could pull those off again, maybe we’d survive. I totally would never turn this show down though. (Laughs) DIMMU BORGIR is far too epic from what they have played for me.

– Promo photo #1 from kevinwildt.com, promo #2 from Mark Keraly of forevercaptive.com, and Jordan Brown/Matt Wilson shot from kevinwildt.com. All taken from Myspace.com/setyourgoals.