We Came As Romans interview

Having released their third album and about to embark on an extensive European tour in November, we chatted to Joshua Moore and Dave Stephens of We Came As Romans who introduced themselves and discussed "Tracing Back Roots", produced by scene big-man John Feldman.

First of all, congrats for "Tracing Back Roots". How does it feel to be on album number three? Is there any extra pressure on you guys regarding thoughts like 'okay, this is now who we are, there is no going back', cause third albums often act as a defining milestone in any bands career.
JM: It feels great to be on album number three! I'm so stoked that it's out and being received well! Now...I just can't wait to start writing album number four! I think we've made it very clear who we are as a band, lyrically, and with this slight change in style, musically, I can't wait to see what the future holds!

How is "Tracing Back Roots" different from your previous releases? Were there any conscious decisions on alternative approaches you wanted to take for this new record?
JM: Everything about it was different! We recorded in California instead of Indiana, we recorded with John Feldmann instead of Joey Sturgis, and we wrote some different songs for us, stylistically. I think by taking a listen, you can really hear how these things made a difference, sonically, structurally, and the overall 'feel' of the CD.

How was it working with John Feldmann? He is kind of a big deal in the scene you guys represent and his input must have been invaluable.
JM: Working with John was awesome, and I can't wait to embark on future endeavours with him. He's a really great guy, and I really enjoy being around him. His work is amazing, and the work we did together...we made some of the best music our band has ever released.

A strong element of your music which your fan-base clings on to is the lyrical content...
JM: I think that lyrically, our message will always just be this continuation of what We Came As Romans is, this living, growing, group of brothers.

Tags and genres seem to have developed into a real nightmare for bands in your scene. What is your go-to response to 'So you're in a band. What type of music do you play?'?
JM: I always say "We are kinda like Linkin Park and 30 Seconds To Mars, but a bit edgier”. And that seems to get the job done, everyone knows who those bands are! And those are the biggest bands that we could really relate to.

We Came As Romans incorporates a number of electronic elements in their music, which seems to be an on-going trend for many bands in the -core scene. Do you think it is just that, a trend, or is it something that will eventually fade away?
JM: I'm not really sure, but for us, we've had that element in the band since day one, over eight years ago. So for us, it's definitely not a trend, it's just an ever-evolving part of our music.

All three of your LP artworks are done by Paul Romano, who is definitely one of my favourite artists, as his work with Mastodon is phenomenal. How is it working with him? What is the creative process when deciding the album cover for one of your releases.
DV: Paul is an incredibly passionate and talented artist. Our bass player, Andy is quite the artist as well and works closely with him on developing the visual concepts for all our covers. When it came down to who could continue the story our artwork has told, it wasn't even a question whether or not to work with him again.

You were recently announced as one of the main acts for the European version of the Vans Warped Tour in November. What do you think are the main differences between European and American crowds and audiences?
JM: In some countries there is definitely a little bit of a language barrier and it's hard for fans to understand what we say in between songs, despite them knowing the lyrics, but that never stops us from playing just as hard as we play in the US.

I think that is just about everything we had to ask. Care to share anything with your Greek fans?
JM: Hope to see you guys soon!