Bio- Every band waits for their moment. They wait for that one moment where all of their talent and hard work suddenly pays off and they stand on the brink of something huge... at the precipice of great opportunity. This is where New Jersey foursome Armor For Sleep stands now, clutching in their collective possession a dynamic, compelling third addition to their ever-evolving catalogue of music. The record, Smile For Them, a vastly diverse assortment of 12 tracks, is the impetus propelling the group to take full advantage of the enormous possibility that lies ahead.
Sweat makes everything taste sweeter. After forming in the suburban utopia of northern NJ in 2002, catalyzed by singer/guitarist Ben Jorgensen's songwriting and desire to form a band centered around it, Armor For Sleep began slowly building the massive, supportive fanbase that they have today. The release of the group's debut, Dream To Make Believe, in 2003 on independent label Equal Vision Records, thrust them on tour where receptive listeners were attracted to the genuine, personable sensibility of the band and their music. But 2005's critically acclaimed concept-based follow-up, What To Do When You Are Dead, set them far apart from the other bands swimming in the deep sea of "emo" bands, and put them distinctly on the top of the bubbling genre. Selling over 220,000 records to date, the album solidified the bond between band and fan, and eventually peaked the interest of Warner Bros., and drew them to add Armor For Sleep to their roster in 2006. The band signed to Sire, home to many legendary bands including The Ramones, The Smiths, Depeche Mode The Pretenders, as well as Against Me! Tegan & Sara and Regina Spektor.
Now backed by a heavy-weight record label and driven by a sincere motivation to create something truly meaningful, the foursome set their sights on their major label debut- a memorable, layered disc that defies expectations and shatters generic barriers. Armed with what Jorgensen calls a "junkyard of ideas" compiled since the recording of What To Do, Armor For Sleep penned a record that grapples with the current state of reality and strives to ascend the band's sound to new levels, by, as Jorgensen says, "challenging ourselves more than we ever had."
How’s the tour been so far?
It’s been awesome, made a lot of new friends, played some big shows, on tour with Linkin Park ; just kind of living large.
Has it been what you expected?
I didn't expect the fans to be so cool. I kind of thought we would be in the defensive but the kids at the shows just want to come and rock out, so it's been good.
What has been the best moment so far?
Playing our hometown like New Jersey was fun because we got to play venues that we never normally play that we've always gone to shows at.
In the 120 second interview, Ben stated that there was 40 songs written for the last cd, what happens to all of the songs that didn’t make it?
We have an ep coming out that has 2 b-sides and 3 new songs that we just recorded.
Do you guys feel like an underdog band especially on this tour?
I've always thought of us as an underdog band. Especially since we are opening the tour, that's the biggest underdog position you can possibly be in.
In making the last album, did you guys get the creative freedom you wanted? Was the atmosphere good?
It was a kind of a weird atmosphere. We started recording it in LA and spent a lot of time out here, and ended up not liking the whole vibe of the recording. We ditched it, and then went back to machines. It probably made for the best cd that we could have made. Next time around, we are going to try and make better decision in the beginning.
What are you planning on finishing 2008 with?
After this tour, we are going to be writing and hopefully recording the next record. Not too sure yet if we are going to be doing a tour directly after that, and probably not touring this fall. We would like to finish the record by 2009, and touring in the spring of 2009.
With a major label, have guys hit a point where anything was compromised?
The labels are pretty cool. It’s not like they’re telling us to do anything. We kind of make decisions altogether with the band, the management and the label. It’s kind of like an Armor For Sleep democracy.
Any last words:
Thank you for reading. We have an ep coming out, but not too sure of when it’s coming out, but just something to look out for. We’re doing a digital 5-song release.
Now available for download “The Way Out Is Broken
