Home > Interviews > Q&A – Pat Kirch, The Maine – September 2017
Earlier in the year you guys held your own festival, 8123 Fest. How did that come about and do you think that you might host it again in the future?
Pat: We wanted to find a way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band and thought that doing something special in Arizona was the perfect way to do that! It went so well that I think we have to do it again really. It’s going to become a big part of our band for a long time!
You released Lovely Little Lonely in April, which I think is one of the best albums that you’ve released so far. Have you been pleased with the public reaction towards this album?
Pat: It’s always a little nerve racking when you put an album out, but it seems that with this one people instantly latched onto it. We are really proud of it and now seeing people sing along makes it even more exciting. Now the trick is figuring out how to top it!
Is it correct that you recorded this album in a converted Airbnb? If it is, what inspired you to go that way with recording rather than opting for a traditional recording studio?
Pat: This is true. We were sick of feeling uncomfortable in someone else’s studio and not feeling like we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We were also done with having to record in the major cities where all the studios are located, so we decided we would build our own in a place that we wanted to make music. We did the same thing on American Candy and it would be hard to go back to recording in a traditional studio.
You’re about to embark on your UK leg of the tour and you seem to be constantly on the go. Do you get much time to relax on tour and how do you like to do so?
Pat: We have toured way more this year than any other in the past. It can get hard having to leave only a few days after getting home from a different tour, but the shows have been so insane that we just don’t want it to end. People have been wanting to come watch us play these new songs, so we aren’t gonna slow down. It might not always be the case that everyone is so fired up to come to the shows!
You treat your fans very well by offering various things like free meet and greets and in return the fans seem to be very loyal to the band. Do you feel it is important nowadays for artists to create this kind of respectful relationship with their listeners in order to create a loyal fan base?
Pat: I feel that it’s important for us to have a close relationship with our fans because they make it possible for us to continue doing what we love. We truly understand how much it means for them to decide to support what we do. Not every artist feels it to be as important, but we appreciate our fans and do whatever we can to show how much we appreciate them!
What has the band got coming up over the rest of the year?
Pat: Lots more touring! We are doing a tour in the U.S. called the Modern Nostalgia tour where we will be playing our two most recent albums in full. After that, we will probably mess around with some more music. We’re not ready for another album yet, but we will stay creative! Then more shows!
All work remains the copyright of its author, please don't duplicate without consent
Website by Hut Six Digital