Pierce the Veil, a progressive post-hardcore band hailing from San Diego, California, has made themselves popular with teenager and young-adults alike. Embracing their Hispanic roots, they bring fire to the stage and make all of their live shows unlike any other. This four-piece group consists of singer Vic Fuentes, brother and drummer Mike Fuentes, bass guitarist Jaime Preciado, and lead guitarist Tony Perry.
From Warped Tour to Soundwave plus countless of headlining tours, Pierce the Veil has done it all. I had the honor of asking Vic a few questions regarding himself and the band.
Who or what was your biggest influence with you becoming interested in playing / performing music?
“My Dad was my biggest influence. He is a Jazz guitar player and taught me how to play when I was about 16. I actually quit the first time because I couldn’t grasp the difficult Jazz chords he was teaching me, but I eventually got over the hump and picked it up again. He always taught me and my brother Mike (our drummer), to play with a lot of soul and to “feel the notes.” I still use this advice everyday.”
Prior to Pierce The Veil, were you performing with any other groups?
“I played in a fast punk band with my brother and also a more rock n roll band with my best friend. I used to play bars with my best friend doing 4 hour sets. Tons of covers and a few original songs thrown in there. I feel like those were the years that really made me a better guitar player because I learned to play so many different styles of music.”
What made you want to create Pierce The Veil?
“Well my brother Mike and I have always and will always be making music together. We started Pierce The Veil after our last band broke up after 1 album. We knew that we wanted to dedicate our lives to touring and making music so we found Tony and Jaime. They have the same excitement and commitment that we do so it was a perfect fit.”
Where did the name “Pierce The Veil” come from?
“I was in college and my sociology teacher said something about “piercing the veil”, which meant to go directly to the root of a problem and cut it out completely at the source. I always thought this was good general life advice, to not let things build up over time.”
How has the band evolved since it’s creation back in 2006?
“Pretty naturally actually. With every album we have gotten better at everything we do. I’ve gotten better at playing guitar and writing songs, taken tons of vocal lessons over the years. We are a band that realizes that there is always room to keep progressing and getting better at what we do.”
How has the response been from your latest album, Collide With the Sky?
“It has been the biggest response world wide that we have ever received and has taken our band to so many new and exciting places. We have never really had any buzz in the UK, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.. until this album. It’s been an exciting ride and we can’t wait to make more music to keep things rolling!”
What inspired that album?
“Our fans inspired a lot of our new album with their incredible stories and letters that they have shared with us. Some of the things that they have said to us made such an impact on me that I ended up putting it into songs.”
Why is a Pierce the Veil show, something someone should attend?
“We try to push things to a level that people have never seen before each time we play. We want our fans going home and telling their friends and families all about the show saying “then they did this…” and “then this happened!” We want to make some incredible memories for our fans every time they see us play.”
You guys are currently on the Spring Fever Tour with All Time Low, Mayday Parade, and You Me at Six. How does this tour compare to the many others you have done?
“This is by far the most enjoyable and successful tour we have ever put together. It’s special for us because we chose all the bands because they are our close friends that we have toured with and sort of grown up with over the years. It’s been incredible to see a lot of these shows move into arenas and bigger capacities than we have ever played before.”
2013 has been a pretty great year for you all so far. I had the honor of attending your show in Lowell, Mass last week, where you announced that that was the largest crowd you and the guys have ever had. What were your thoughts leading up to the show and how were you feeling after?
“We have been overwhelmed by the response and so thankful that we are playing for these crowds. When I look back at the coffee shops and VFW halls that we used to play, it’s so amazing how far things have come. I personally have taken these shows to a next level as far as my vocal warm ups and preparation for the shows go. I really want to show our fans the best performance that my body and my voice will allow me.”
If you were to turn someone on to the band that had never heard of you which album or songs would you start with?
“Always the new stuff. I think that as a band, every new album should be your best album, and thing that you are most proud of.”
What was the reason for the 3 year gap between the releases of A Flair for the Dramatic and Selfish Machines?
“Those were some very important building years for the band. We toured our asses off supporting as many bigger bands as we could and we waited until there was an actual demand for a new album. We needed to build a small fan base before we felt the need to make more music.”
Which situation has the biggest challenges: the recording studio or the road?
“The studio is definitely where I almost go completely insane with every album. The things we put ourselves through to make a new album are pretty incredible and shocking. I feel like if you don’t push yourself creatively to your breaking point, then you aren’t putting your heart and soul into it.”
Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers?
“Just thanks to our fans for picking up our new album “Collide With The Sky” and supporting us in so many different ways.”
Special thanks to guest contributor Eric Gesualdo for this great interview follow him on Twitter @ericgesualdo
