I recently had the pleasure of interviewing (via email) Thousand Foot Krutch frontman, Trevor McNevan. His passion for God, music and their fans makes me more of a fan that I already was…and I will even forgive him for calling me a man.
First off, love the new record. I’ve been a fan since the first release of “Set It Off” and couldn’t help but notice that some of that classic TFK sound has made it onto this album, what inspired you to bring it back?
Thx man! It was an inspired decision, and nothing more really, it felt right. This record is very uninhibited, and I like that about it. TFK has always had a lot of layers to it, so who says a record has to have just one? I think it def. touches on our roots in some songs, picks up where we left off with others, and steps into some completely new territory in others. We spent a lot of time making sure the production/feels were right. I’ve always loved hip hop and used to put out my own hip hop records back in the day when I was 13 and 16 yrs old.
This album was funded (partially?) through Kickstarter. How was that whole process? Clearly, your fans support you in your calling, what does that mean to you guys as a band?
Honestly, we were blown away. We had no idea what to expect! That helped in a big way! We’re funding it ourselves and it costs a lot to properly record an album/market and promote it/manufacture and distribute it/push it to radio & video etc. We wanted to do this together, and they made that possible, we’re so incredibly thankful. It was so inspiring to see the impact and read the stories and encouragement. Thank you everyone who wrote and supported, you blessed us in a way we’ll never forget.
How was making this record different from others being that it was an independent release?
Much the same really, except now we’re the label. We had always had creative control while on Tooth & Nail/EMI, and had been independent for years before signing with them, so it’s a new venture, with a new team, but doesn’t feel that foreign. I get excited about the endless possibilities of making/releasing music this way and what that will mean for the next generation of bands/artists coming up.
And the big question, why the decision to part with Tooth & Nail after such a long history?
This wasn’t a decision we made lightly. We’ve been doing this a long time, and have been through and seen a lot. We had great options and some incredible deals on the table, but after much thought/prayer, we really felt this was the right move for us. It was definitely a faith step we had to follow our hearts on. What most people don’t know is we were independent for a LONG time before signing with Tooth & Nail/EMI. We used to manage ourselves, book ourselves, hire our own radio/video, and everything in between. We ended up selling 80,000+ records out of our van and were on the road 300 shows a year. God is good! So we’re no stranger to getting our hands dirty, haha. We’ve hired an incredible, passionate new team across the board, and couldn’t be more excited! It’s always been about that connection for us, being able to grow this together with the people who support this band has been an incredible experience. We’re so thankful. The end is where we begin!
You recently came off the REDvolution Tour with RED and Nine Lashes, any plans for a spring tour? Are you guys planning on hitting up the festival circuit this summer?
We’ll be playing all of the festivals and touring extensively in 2012/13. Some exciting tours in the works, but I can’t say yet!
Finally, Trevor, what happened to going by “Lipsick”? 🙂
HAHA! Wow. Haven’t heard that since 1999! Before we handed in the “Set It Off” record (literally in the 11th hour), we were all sitting in the studio hallway and had this brilliant idea of making up nicknames for each other. And….that’s the story. A week later we hated them and never spoke of them again.