Now Reading
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The XCERTS Are Giving WEEZER Vibes, And We’re So Here For It!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The XCERTS Are Giving WEEZER Vibes, And We’re So Here For It!

The XCERTS

On today’s episode of Cool Band’s We Got To Interview, we’re bringing you an absolute BOP! With heavy inspo from WEEZER and Hole, The XCERTS (made up of Murray Macleod, bassist: Jordan Smith, and drummer: Tom Heron) somehow knew exactly the kind of music we needed in our lives in 2023 when they released their song ‘Jealousy,’ the third single off of their upcoming album!

It’s got that iconic WEEZER sound we live for, but with an added element of The XCERTS flare! On top of that, it’s got a music video with a familiar nostalgic aspect that is reminiscent of many of our favorite bands like Sleeping With Sirens, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, My Chemical Romance, and more! Check out the song and video below or stream it here!

Now, for the reason we know you actually came here for – an exclusive interview with the band themselves! We got the inside scoop on the song, the upcoming album, and more! So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

You guys have been on the scene since 2009 when you dropped your debut album, In The Cold Wind We Smile, how did you get your start as a band, and how different is the music industry now compared to when you first started out? We started the band when we were in school and I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Aberdeen which had an incredible scene and community when we formed. We were 15 years old and there were so many fantastic venues in town which put on matinee / all ages shows which allowed us to build a solid following at such a young age. I guess the main difference between now and then is the power of the internet. We formed the band pre social media / streaming platforms so it was all very DIY. Printing and handing out our own flyers, burning our own cd’s to sell at shows and relying heavily on word of mouth around town.

Your latest track ‘Jealousy’ is off of your upcoming album Learning How To Live and Let Go that’s coming out in August! The instrumentals on that track are very reminiscent of WEEZER Circa ‘Beverly Hills’ era! Is that the sound we can expect from the entire album or is it a mix of different sounding tracks?
I very much appreciate the WEEZER nod as we definitely take a lot of inspiration from them. The record is definitely our most diverse yet. In all honesty, none of the singles indicate the overall sound or overall feeling of the record. We worked really hard on making an expansive record that really bends genres. We feel at our most comfortable when we are undefinable.

Which unreleased track from the album are you most excited to release into the world? What is it about that particular song that makes it so special and meaningful to you? I’m extremely proud of the entire thing but I’m excited for people to hear a song entitled ‘My Friends Forever.’ It’s a really tender song and we tapped into our of love of jazz for this one. I think it’ll really catch people by surprise but it still sounds authentic. It’s a song about the boys in the band and a friend of ours who we lost a few years back. It’s basically a really heartfelt love letter to friendship.

You have stated that the overall theme for the album is that of acceptance. Did you know ahead of time that that message was what you wanted to portray or did all the tracks written just eventually stir the album in that direction?
It wasn’t until we wrote ‘It Ain’t Easy’ that the theme of acceptance became apparent. We knew it would be the last song on the album and when penning the words, it felt like a huge sigh of relief. It kind of sums up the whole record in 4 minutes and feels like an epiphany whilst closing out the album. The whole project feels purposefully chaotic and claustrophobic until you reach the last two songs which was very much intentional.

The XCERTS
Image Source: Zak Pinchin

Learning How To Live and Let Go is your band’s 5th studio album. How would you say your sound and artistry have evolved since the release of your first album? What elements have you maintained throughout the course of your career?
Our intention since making the first record is to push the boundaries of simplicity. We’ve been really focused on making our songs as lean as possible which at times can be really hard to do but I think we’ve really tapped into something special with this record in terms of songwriting and even the sonics. We just feel very revitalized I guess. For a long time it felt like we should conform to this imaginary idea of what a ‘rock band’ should be, it almost feels like we were censoring ourselves for whatever reason, but the reality is, we’re three dorks who grew up in a subculture of skateboarding, punk and emo. I think we’ve strived for individuality for a long time and we finally feel free.

This album sees you tapping heavily into a pop-rock sound, and we are digging the three singles we’ve heard so far! What are some other genres you hope to be able to stick your toe into as the band progresses? What has been your favorite type of music to create so far in your career?
Thank you! I feel like we’ll be able to explore other sounds and ideas so freely after this record is released. It will all make sense once people hear it and i think will really allow our fans to trust us with where we’ll take the journey which is important. I definitely think we’re going to focus on beats moving forward. Grooves can really change a song and I’m getting a massive kick out of looping beats and using them as a starting point for a song. I want to make music that people can riotously dance to. I would also love to do something a bit more raw and stripped back at some point, tap into our love of certain songwriters and the more tender side of a band like The Replacements. One of my favourite things about the new record is how noisy and lush some of the rock songs are. We’ve been striving for a long time to blend the two sounds, but haven’t quite nailed the vision, until now that is. I’m really excited to continue to push that idea farther with the next one.

There’s so many things that fans can take away from this album. We want to know what you want your fans to take away from it. Any particular message or underlying meaning you hope that listeners will pick up on?
Honestly, I just want people to get to the end of the record and feel compelled to reach out to loved ones and check in on them. Ask how they are / tell them you love them. The overall theme is that of acceptance, like we discussed, but that can only happen with the support of people you love. I’m beyond fortunate to be surrounded by the best people on the planet who care so deeply for others and those people are very much present within the album. Life is short, cherish the ones that make it beautiful.

We love the music video for ‘Jealousy!’ It has a lot of elements that are very nostalgic for us, very 90s and early 2000s! What was your favorite part of filming the music video? Did you draw inspiration from any of your favorite artists’ videos to come up with the visual concepts we see throughout it?
We made the video with our friend Zak Pinchin who should take the spotlight for his work with us. He’s incredibly talented and we love him dearly. ‘Say It Ain’t So’ by WEEZER was referenced, and I was also desperate to tip the hat to Refused in hanging upside down and screaming. I loved shooting that but it was super sketchy and painful! Even though my back and legs would beg to differ, it was totally worth it. We all grew up watching MTV2 religiously, specifically a late night show called 120 Minutes, and we’ve definitely been looking at certain aesthetics from that time when creating all the visuals for the project.

How do you guys, as a band, prepare for live shows? What can fans expect from a The XCERTS show (aside from a killer performance)?
There is a lot of pre-show dancing and stretching. I’ll steam my throat for a while and then myself and Jordan will do a 20 minute warm up. We all drink Jameson and ginger ale which is known in our camp as ‘showmanship juice’ to settle the nerves and get us feeling nice and loose. People can expect a lot of passion and sweat!

See Also

There you have it, honey poppers! We can’t get enough of this song OR the band! We are so stoked for the album! Big shoutout to The XCERTS for chatting with us!

~Pre-save/pre-order The XCERTS new album here!~

We want to hear from you! What did you think of ‘Jealousy?’ Are you as excited for The XCERTS new album as we are? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Buzzin’ for more on your faves? We gotchu, HONEY!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE XCERTS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

What's Your Reaction?
Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0
View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2022 The Honey POP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Scroll To Top

Discover more from The Honey POP

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading