aaamusic | On 06, Oct 2014

AAAmusic: Who are you and where are you from?

I am Jared James Monaco, I play guitar for The Maine and I am from Phoenix, AZ. I’m a native to AZ, and most of the guys in our band are as well. We grew up playing shows in different bands around town and, one day, we ended up doing it in the same band. That band is this band. The Maine.

AAAmusic: What inspired you to get into music?

At a really young age, I found a Nirvana cassette tape at a garage sale down the street. It was a single of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. I was about 10. I had no idea what to do with it. I loved it though. For some reason it took me a really long time to actually become a true fan of Nirvana, but hearing something so emotionally powerful at such a young age must have lit a fire, subconsciously, for me. My influences nowadays are all over the map.

AAAmusic: What have you done?

Well, as I write this, we’ve been a band for going on eight years. I’m pretty proud of that in itself. More so, we have created a group of people who also enjoy sharing this experience with us: our fans. They have been there every step of the way, and their support has allowed us to make this transformation into a band we all really want to be in. I think I’m most proud of our attitude and willingness to protect our integrity. We almost flushed it down the toilet while we were on Warner Brothers Records but we kicked and we screamed and we made it known that we wouldn’t just lie down and become some dull product that sells singles. There will always be more to us than that.

AAAmusic: What are you like live?

We’re like a rock band playing (GASP!) real instruments on stage. I think amidst the current wave of DJs pressing buttons, it’s nice to be able to call ourselves a rock band. Our set is real, it’s full of energy, it will contain mistakes, and it will never be scripted. Oh, and it’s not a photocopy of the album. Thinking back, one of the best tours of recent memory was the 8123 tour in the US. I’m really excited to bring that vibe over to the UK.

AAAmusic: What makes you different?

I don’t think we strive to be different necessarily. We each have a few favorite artists that differ across the board. I think that helps a lot with how we each approach writing a song. In the end, we have accidentally become a melting pot of our favorite things. I think that gives us this musical fingerprint that you won’t find elsewhere. Our fans connect with our music simply because we aren’t faking anything. We’re doing things the way the FEEL they should be done. Vibes, man.

AAAmusic: Physical vs Downloading vs Streaming…How do you listen to music?

I’m not afraid of the shift to digital. Our band was lucky enough to be born and bred in the digital era. I could see how it would be terrifying to any band that existed before Napster or whatever, but we have learned how to navigate this new style of releasing music, and in my opinion we’ve become quite good at it. Personally, I love vinyl. I just know how much better it sounds and it’s great to own a jumbo sized version of your favorite albums. I also have Spotify. I’m not always right in front of my record player, and I’m not always near a CD player, and I have external speakers for the iPhone. It’s incredible how mobile it has become. From a band’s point of a view, you just have to put out great music. Tour on it. Make your money elsewhere. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, especially when that basket is changing so rapidly.

AAAmusic: What have you been listening to?

I’ve just about worn out the new The War On Drugs record Lost in the Dream. It’s such a masterpiece. Also I’ve been jumping back into a lot of Bowie, specifically Low and Scary Monsters. Oh, also John O recently reminded me that Interpol are an incredible band. Their new record is awesome.

AAAmusic: What are your aspirations for the future?

We’re going to tour for the next month or so both in the UK and in the US, and then it’s back into the studio. We’re trying to spend as much time as we can crafting this new album. We’ve already written a good chunk of it, and I think we’re just itching to bring it into the studio now. As for the not-so-near future, we just hope to keep writing and releasing music, touring the world, and connecting with our fans.

Questions answered by: Jared James Monaco (guitar) of The Maine…

The Maine are currently touring the UK. Check out our review and photos of the Manchester show here…