They are saying that music is the soundtrack of your life. I can’t keep in mind a time that The Maine wasn’t taking part in within the background of mine. I found them as a preteen, again earlier than Spotify, once I was ripping YouTube audio and downloading songs to my iPod. I do know songs like “Into Your Arms” and “Whoever She Is” from their debut album, Can’t Cease, Received’t Cease, just like the again of my hand. Between Warped Excursions, their very own headlining exhibits, and as assist for different bands within the scene, I’ve misplaced rely of the variety of instances I’ve seen them dwell. Their exhibits have at all times felt like a secure area for my buddies and me. With songs about rising up, younger love, and common emotions of angst, I’ve at all times felt proper at house.
From Phoenix, Arizona, The Maine is made up of John O’Callaghan (vocals), Jared Monaco (guitar), Kennedy Brock (guitar, backing vocals) Garrett Nickelsen (bass), and Pat Kirch (drums) They’ve spent the final 19 years cultivating a group of music followers via their impartial label, 8123, which can also be namesake of their fan base after the beloved Arizona parking storage the place the band would meet of their early days. The quantity has gone on to be a motion, with a stacked roster and inception of 8123 Fest.
8123 confirmed up for the band’s sold-out present on the historic Brooklyn Paramount. I arrive on the theater 4 hours earlier than doorways to interview the band, and followers are already lined up, able to sprint to the barricade. Many are sporting inexperienced, the thematic shade of their tenth studio album, Pleasure Subsequent Door. Others are sporting merch that some would now name “classic” from previous eras of the band.
I be part of the band in Brooklyn Paramount’s unique Ella’s Lounge. The fellows are unfold in regards to the area, frontman John O’Callagan taking part in notes on the piano. I introduce myself, regardless of having met them a handful of instances at free meet and greets through the years. One in all their ongoing band slogans is “why would you pay to satisfy a human?” It’s a refreshing tackle fan to creative interplay in an business the place the whole lot is monetized. We talk about Pleasure Subsequent Door, shade decisions behind every album, and mirror on the final 19 years.
In spite of everything these years of touring, I can solely think about what number of instances you’ve been to New York Metropolis. Do you will have any memorable moments from being right here through the years?
John: I at all times take into consideration the primary few instances that we visited the town. It was at all times in a van and trailer. We didn’t know the way to type of traverse the streets. We had been on a Garmin GPS, and folks had been honking the whole time. Quite a lot of excessive stress.
Kennedy: I keep in mind looking for parking.
John: All of that paired with the joy I keep in mind feeling. These emotions on the identical time are at all times going to be the very first thing that I consider in terms of New York. Scared and anxious, but additionally extremely thrilling.
Do you keep in mind what yr that was?
All: 2007.
John: The primary time was a showcase.
Pat: It was identical to a random bar.
Jared: It wasn’t even actually a venue. It was only a bar that had a stage.
Pat: Then the following time we got here again would have been after we performed The Knitting Manufacturing facility, that was additionally in 2007.
John: I acquired my faux ID stolen.
Pat: It was the primary correct present that we did within the metropolis, and it was superior.
2007 is nuts. 10 albums later, Pleasure Subsequent Door is right here! John, you shared on Instagram the day the album got here out that this was the hardest album to make up to now. May you share extra about that?
John: I feel at this level, they’re all going to be powerful. I in all probability mentioned the identical stuff in regards to the final document. I feel the explanation that they get more durable as we go is that we’ve finished it so many instances and don’t love to do the identical factor twice. Which may trigger some rigidity and headache. With this one, it had an open-ended timeline when it comes to launch, and I feel that added additional stress. Now, with the luxurious of hindsight and retrospect, I feel that truly made it really feel prefer it was prepared, proper, and excellent for our requirements and for what we had been making an attempt to perform. If we’re lucky sufficient to have one other crack at extra albums, I do know that they may simply repeatedly be laborious, and they need to be laborious.
You’ve been on tour for about two weeks now and have been performing a handful of the brand new songs. Have there been any favorites with the group? Or your favorites to play with one another that you just didn’t anticipate?
Pat: “Die To Fall” is the primary one which got here out, so it has an unfair benefit. It has a tempo to it and a tempo that’s quicker than some other tune that we’ve within the set. In order that simply brings a sure type of vitality.
Jared: It’s a enjoyable one for Pat to play. It’s very quick.
Garrett: “Quiet Half Loud” is an fascinating one due to the best way the stage is ready up. We’re on risers and it’s the primary time in any present we’ve ever finished the place I’m not likely taking note of the group. I do know that sounds bizarre, however all of us simply in a second collectively, and that’s by no means actually occurred. It’s this bizarre, cool dynamic the place I zone out into simply us taking part in, virtually like a rehearsal. Then I look over, I’m lastly on the finish, and I’m like “Oh shit, there are nonetheless individuals right here.” It’s this bizarre tunnel imaginative and prescient.
I wish to discuss in regards to the shade inexperienced. I used to be making an attempt to suppose again to whenever you began taking part in with shade in your albums with American Sweet and blue. How did that begin? What made you resolve to proceed with shade?
John: It was with the blue fits we wore on that album.
Pat: We had selected that album cycle that blue was simply going to be it. This was again when individuals had been making an attempt to make their Instagram feed an aesthetic.
John: Like a Tumblr web page.
Pat: We had been placing a blue tint on the whole lot, acquired the blue matching fits, and had the blue backdrop on Warped Tour that mentioned “You’re watching a band referred to as The Maine.” At some point I wrote a caption like “the summer time of blue.” Then we did it once more the following yr, and the colour was pink.
John: From there, we simply prescribed a shade to the primary three albums that didn’t have one, after which it was type of unintended, and extra issues for individuals to understand exterior of simply the music. With the fits, it was at all times a professionalism factor. Possibly even subconsciously like, all proper, you’re going to work. Despite the fact that this can be a foolish job.
With inexperienced, it was that collective consciousness factor. All of us landed on the thought of latest development, however not essentially new beginnings. Issues have been fairly cyclical for us. We put a document out each two years, and this being our tenth, we’re simply so lucky to have one other go at it. It felt like inexperienced was simply supportive of all of these issues.
I can’t consider there have been 10 albums. I’ve favorites from all of them. “Rising Up,” “When We Had been Younger,” “Sound of Reverie,” to call a number of. These songs, together with a lot of your physique of labor, embody themes of nostalgia. Is {that a} aware throughline? Or has it simply come naturally?
John: Ray Manzaric from The Doorways had a quote about music: “You don’t make music for immortality, you make music for the second, capturing the sheer pleasure of being alive on planet Earth.” When desirous about lyrics, I’m not likely desirous about what I feel will resonate probably the most. I simply attempt to converse as authentically as doable. Hopefully, that’s what individuals gravitate in direction of in terms of our lyrics. The identical goes for music; we’re not making an attempt to pander. It’s actually necessary that authenticity is paramount.
Speaking to those guys over the past 20 years, there are plenty of emotions that every one 5 of us have as a result of we’re throughout the identical age, going via comparable issues. I like speaking about these issues, and I like reminiscing. Typically I’m so hyper-focused on the longer term and the following step that I feel possibly that’s my type of remedy or manner of coping.
One of the crucial particular issues about going to your exhibits through the years has been the 8123 group. Did you ever anticipate 8123 to be what it’s now?
Jared No. I feel what’s loopy about the way it’s developed through the years. We begin this factor, we’re so obsessed with what we’re doing, after which it type of slowly begins to translate to love different individuals. They begin selecting up on that and sharing. It simply snowballed. We by no means might have imagined that it will be virtually 20 years later, and it’s stronger than it has ever been.
We owe the whole lot to 8123 as a result of that stored us transferring in so some ways. It pushes you to be higher at actually each single factor that you just do, and likewise makes it a bit bit simpler to take dangers. I really feel like there’s folks that will likely be behind us it doesn’t matter what we’re doing and consider on this.
Kennedy: What a reward it’s to have individuals from the group round it.
John: In highschool, these guys had been all in bands earlier than this band. For Jared and I, we went to that parking storage. I wasn’t even in a band, I simply liked being round my buddies and liked the camaraderie and friendship that was music. The particular half, like Jared mentioned, it had type of transcended our band. Our band nonetheless does imply one thing to individuals, however you would argue that 8123 has overshadowed the whole factor in a lovely manner, in the best way that it did for me once I was at school and wasn’t doing music. We’re simply very lucky, we’ve that on our aspect and we’re nonetheless rising with it as effectively, even virtually near 40. Fuck.
Pat: When the band first began, there was like a scene that you would be part of. There was a transparent path of bands that had been in Different Press, and also you performed the Warped Tour, and also you toured with these bands. That was the group, and that’s gone away. We needed to type our personal factor, otherwise you’re simply on an island. It’s 8123 that changed that group for our followers. So now they’ve this different house that we’ve constructed with them.
Warped Tour, Different Press, that complete scene was so many individuals’s total identities, together with mine for a time period. The final time I felt like I used to be part of that very same group was the final Unhappy Summer time Fest in 2024. It acquired me pondering, “Wow, half of the instances I’ve seen The Maine, it has been with Mayday Parade.” What has camaraderie with them appeared like through the years?
Pat: We’ve finished a lot with them from early on to now. After we first toured with them, we had been in a van, and it was their first tour in a bus. They had been letting us sleep within the again lounge of the bus to have a break from the van. There aren’t a ton of bands which have survived this complete time. So the handful which have, I feel there’s this unstated bond that we’ve.
In spite of everything of those years, how do the 5 of you keep grounded as collaborators and as buddies?
John: Identical to any wholesome relationship, communication is vital. It’s unusual as a result of we haven’t toured in headlining mode for over two years. We’ve been within the studio lots, however then you definately’re residing in a 500-square-foot studio house on wheels, and also you’re actually sleeping on high of one another. So it’s twofold. I feel one half of it’s that we actually take pleasure in one another, and the opposite half is that we strive our greatest to convey out individuals who assistance on the highway who’re all good-natured and have a strong character, so no one looks like they’re on their own.
Jared: We’re tremendous intertwined at this level, the 5 of us. On the technical aspect of issues, taking part in music collectively, there’s only a manner that the 5 of us do issues. It’s second nature. If you take one piece away, it’s nonetheless nice. That’s a luxurious that we’ve and interprets to how we strategy different issues: roles within the studio, roles right here, there, wherever. After 19 years.
How have your relationships with touring modified over the past 19 years, particularly now that a few of you will have gone on to have your individual households?
John: It’s consistently evolving. Youngsters at these ages develop up so shortly, and so they change so quickly that you need to be as punctual and as versatile as doable. On the subject of time spent, I feel it must be as intentional as doable as a way to maximize your time away and likewise maximize your time when you’re at house.
It’s only a unusual gig throughout. We’re very lucky that our assist techniques are very sturdy and so they have been from the leap, which is a part of the explanation why we’re nonetheless a band, or why we even began within the first place, is due to our assist techniques at house. That hasn’t modified or wavered. We simply attempt to be as hardworking as doable in order that hopefully it doesn’t change for a very long time.
Let’s say 15 years down the road, certainly one of your youngsters tells you they wish to be in a band. What do you say to them?
John: None of us acquired into this pondering that we might make a livelihood out of it. It was all based mostly on ardour, naivety, ignorance, enthusiasm, and pleasure. No matter my youngsters present me, in the event that they present me that, I’ll go all in. It doesn’t matter.
What does 2026 have in retailer for y’all after the tour? Something you would share?
Pat Extra exhibits. We’re going to maintain getting individuals to listen to this album. 2027 is the twentieth anniversary of the band, so we’re going to take a while that yr to look again.
John: Right here’s some additional tea: we’ve a tune that we’re going to attempt to lastly drag over the end line that we couldn’t get finished in time for the discharge. We had been sure that it wanted to discover a place, however that is still to be seen; we simply must take it the additional little step over.
Later that evening, I head as much as Ella’s lounge as soon as once more to observe their set from the Brooklyn Paramount balcony. I make buddies with two women who’re dancing and screaming alongside to each tune. They empower me to do the identical, irrespective of who could also be watching. That’s what 8123 means to me. Making buddies with absolute strangers, and singing on the high of your lungs collectively.
As I strategy 30, The Maine turns 20. These are the songs I used to be crying to in 2011, dancing to on the most popular summer time days in 2014, and writing about in 2026. I’ll at all times be grateful to them for giving me a soundtrack to rising up and persevering with to create group within the indie-rock scene.
Stream Pleasure Subsequent Door & Join with The Maine
