killswitch engage

interview with Justin Foley
By:kellie abrahamson
From: EU

New England metalcore band Killswitch Engage has been together for nearly a decade playing shows and paying their dues. Four albums later, the band has risen to the top of the genre. Their 2006 release As Daylight Dies received high praise from critics and opened at #32 on the Billboard Top 200. EU caught up with drummer Justin Foley during the Warped Tour, where their high-energy live show has become an audience favorite.

EU: How did you guys get together?

Justin Foley: Oh, [it’s been] forever. I don’t know, we just came together. We were in a bunch of bands and it just worked out.

EU: Who writes most of the music?

JF: We all get together and do it. Sometimes one person has a song that they’ve pretty much finished. Sometimes everybody puts a bunch of stuff together so that everything has gone through everybody by the time the song is totally done.

EU: How do you think you guys have evolved over the years?

JF: I think we’ve thrown in a little bit more of the melody stuff that we’ve always wanted to do. We sort of figured out how to do that, I think. I don’t think we knew exactly how to do that, then we sort of stumbled upon it and it seemed like a strong point in the band and we said, “Okay, cool.” We all liked that part, so we tried to develop that as much as we can. That’s kind of come out as something we do.

EU: Which do you prefer most, touring or working in the studio?

JF: Well, playing shows is the most fun thing to do, but being on tour isn’t always the most fun thing to do. It’s cool when you’re writing or recording because you’re around home, which is a nice thing, but when you’re playing shows, that’s the biggest rush, so you have tour to do that. Unless you just play a show at home everyday, but you probably won’t be able to do that for too long a period of time.

EU: You guys have played all over the world. Do you notice a difference in US audiences compared to those overseas?

JF: Not so much anymore. A while ago, yeah, the shows were a little crazier here, but now everywhere is basically just as crazy. The shows are just very, very cool everywhere we go. So, I’d say everywhere is basically the same thing, it’s very cool.

EU: Is there one particular band you always try to see during the Warped Tour?

JF: The one I’ve watched the most is Coheed [& Cambria] so far, because I’m a fan and Chris [Pennie] is an unbelievable drummer, so it’s cool to watch him.

EU: What are you listening to right now?

JF: It’s weird, I used to go in my bunk every night and put music on, but lately I’ve been going in and watching Office episodes every night…. So I’ve been listening to a lot of that and watching it, too. I haven’t listened to music in forever. It’s weird, I’m in a phase right now just watching the episodes over and over. The whole bus is pretty hooked on it right now.

EU: What are you doing after the tour?

JF: I think we have about a month off after this, which will be pretty sweet, and then nothing is totally set, but it looks like were going to end up going overseas for a little while because we haven’t been there in a long time. We haven’t been there since January, so we’ll probably have to go over there. And then, after that, either the year will be over or we’ll have time to sneak in a quick tour somewhere. Nothing is totally set up yet.

Killswitch Engage will be with the Warped Tour until the end of August. If you missed their set, thoroughly kick yourself and then be sure to check out their latest album As Daylight Dies in stores now.