(This interview was conducted on December 9th in the bar at the El-N-Gee Club after the show. I would like to thank Ian of Reach the sky for sitting down and taking the time to talk to me and answer my utterly ridiculous questions.)

Josh Nacho: The hardcore scene seems to have a certain sense of unity to it, but there seems to be an even deeper sense of unity amongst the bands at Victory Records-none badmouths the other, they tour together-how do you feel about that on a whole, and knowing that coming into Victory when you did?

Ian: Well, I think that there'd be a few people that would argue against that it's not that much of a tight nit family, but by the same token, I think it's only because it's like familiarity. By the same reason that New York bands go out on the road with New York bands, and Southern California bands go out on the road with Southern California bands. It's just the familiarity-you're around each other. There's no greater example than Epitaph. Those bands go together as a package because the label puts it together. Whereas with Victory, it's more like... We've toured with All Out War and Buried Alive and that was more because we were all friends. It had less to do with the label and less to do with that we musically sound alike-because we obviously don't. But it was more like, just by your friends. And part of the reason we ended up on Victory was because of friends in Blood for Blood or All Out War, Buried Alive, Shut Down, Skarhead, Hatebreed- those were our friends beforehand. They all had something to do with us ending up on the label in terms of saying it's a good idea, and what not. But, some of us go out together and some of us don't. We'd love to go on the road with Catch 22, we've done stuff with Boy Sets Fire before, Snapcase, Hatebreed, you know, we've all played together at some level. I think it's just familiarity. In the big open sea of a million bands and a million things going on, it's good that I've got at least something in common, and that's where it comes from. Because there's just as many bands that are Jade Tree bands, or Revelation bands, or Initial bands that tour together. It's really more just like your familiarity with each other.

J.N.: This maybe something that you probably heard before, but there is a band on Victory that no one's really heard of any more called Thumb-have you ever listened to them?

Ian: I've never heard them. I mean, I know what they sound like.

J.N.: They have a song actually that says "reach the sky" in it.

Ian: Oh. (laughs)

J.N.: Did you know that?

Ian: No, I didn't know that. That's the first I've heard of that.

J.N.: 'Cause it's really weird, cause every time I hear that song I think of your band.

Ian: (laughs) Yeah, I mean, I've never heard them. I've heard of them, and I may have heard a track or something, but I'm not familiar with them.

J.N.: What are your thoughts on Napster?

Ian: Well, I think, for a band like us, it's a God send, because people-- I don't think it's good for any band when an entire album shows up on Napster, but say one of our songs from our new record shows up on there, I think that's a God send. I mean, that's a lot of people that are gonna hear it that may not always hear it. For a band like Metallica, it doesn't help them at all. I've heard some of their songs on the radio any way, so to have them on that, it hurts, I would assume. I mean, I couldn't even fathom what they're dealing with on a business expense. But, for me, I think it's great. I know when the promos come out for the new record in January, that shit is going to end up on Napster. I don't think it's going to be a good idea for the whole thing on there because people will just copy it, but for a couple of songs on there, that's just as good as if we made promo CDs to pass out with just a couple songs on it. It's great. I've never even used Napster- my friends use it-but my computer's too shitty to use it. But, I think at this point, it costs you money to use it, so I don't know how great it is now. But, for a band like us, I think it's a pretty good idea. For a bigger idea, it's probably not that great.

J.N.: You have the CD coming out "Friends, Lies and the End of the World," how is that going to differ from "So Far From Home" and how have things changed between when "So Far" came out to when you wrote and recorded "Friends"?

Ian: First and foremost, I think we've matured as a band. We've matured as people, it's been almost two years since we recorded it, so we've grown together. In these two years we've done a lot. So, by the same token of growing together as a unit, we've also grown musically and I think we took some chances on this record, but I think it's worked out. You'll find songs that are more melodic, catchier- I still think it's hardcore. There are some songs that are rockier. It's still a hardcore record, but I think we've kind of found what we've been trying to do. This is the record that I personally have seen in us. With "So Far From Home," because it was a debut record, I think we just took the safe route on a lot of things and didn't really expand. Because we've always had a lot of rock parts, or melody, but on "So Far From Home," I don't think we expanded on it. But here, I think we did. I think it's more cohesive. It's more comprehensive of who we are, what we want to do and where we want to go with it. So I think that's what you'll find. You'll find that songs are longer, they're better structured, they got different parts. We just took some chances. But I also think it's a hardcore record that I don't think it's going to alienate anybody, but hopefully other people will like it as well.

J.N.: Of the shows you've played, would you rather play on a hardcore show, punk show, or some form of a combination?

Ian: It doesn't really matter. We've played with ska bands, we've played with punk bands, we've played with metal bands. We'll play with anybody. I just think that if the vibe, that if the kids that are there and the bands that are there are all on the same level with the give and the take and the energy, I don't care if it's a folk band up there. If it's back and forth and everybody's feeling it, it's just as good. And I'd prefer to play on mixed bills. You know, not like totally dissimilar, but if you have four of the same style bands, it probably gets a little tiring for the guy or girl who comes to the show to watch it. But, I like shows that have a lot of spark, and a lot of energy. I get just as much out of a band that you would call an indie rock band that was just up there playing from the heart as I do from Buried Alive just kicking everybody's ass. So as long as it's just got that energy back and forth, I don't care. We've played with ska bands and they've destroyed bands just as much as when we play with Hatebreed and they destroy the place. But, as long as that energy's there, it doesn't matter what you're doing really.

J.N.: Do you feel that there's always going to be this kind of scene where kids can pay under $10 for a show, or a CD or a shirt, or what have you?

Ian: Yeah, I would think so. I think the economics of it may change, it may not change. I'm sure ten, twenty years ago, people were bitching between $5 shows and $7 shows, and now we're bitching between 8 and 10. I think the economics may change because of the economy, but I don't think there's anything going on today that didn't happen twenty years ago that would prevent this from moving forward. Nothing going on now is so unique and so spectacular that to think that if it ended, it wouldn't go on. There isn't a band out there now that if they quit the whole thing would fall apart. Just like say when Slapshot broke up, the whole thing didn't fall apart. Or when Youth of Today broke up, or Minor Threat. It always will progress. I think it'd be foolish to think that it wouldn't continue because there will always be people that are into it, just like shitty hippie music. That came out of nowhere and it still goes on because people still want to be a part of it. I think the same bullshit politics will always be the same, and the sick little trends will still come back like wildfire. Just like when I was young, everybody complained about the same things and how it was so much better a while ago, but it's still going on the same and I don't think it will ever change. But, by the same token, I think it will always stay as good because there's so many good things that go on. So, I don't see why it would ever not be there.

J.N.: What is your favorite part of playing live?

Ian: I don't know, it's such a blur. Honestly, for me, it's like, a blur because I'm kind of psychotic and I get a little lost. I guess my favorite part is either seeing smiling faces back, or afterwards seeing people exhausted like I'm exhausted. The fact that everybody's together I think is the best part. It's not like cool stage dives or big moshes or anything like that. I mean, that's awesome, I love that, when I see a band I wanna see everybody going crazy. I guess that's the best part is being a part of that, if I'm up there and I'm totally feeling it and I'm letting it show and people can react back, that's probably the thing that keeps me going the most. Obviously it seems like what I'm saying or what I'm feeling isn't lost on the people who are listening. I'm sure there'll be a time when people are just like, "I heard it," "you said it before" or "I don't believe you." But, until that time comes, I think you should just roll with it. If people can appreciate it, and I can notice that it's coming back and I can pick up on other people. Just like I know guys that sing in bands, and what they have to give is so genuine and so beautiful, but if they don't see it coming back, if people don't seem to care, then they just say fuck it, I've lost it. But, for now, as long as there's give and take, I think that's the best part about it.

J.N.: What's your favorite band that's not on Victory Records?

Ian: There's tons. Five of my top six records that came out this year weren't by Victory bands. Madball, Kill Your Idols, American Nightmare, Hope Conspiracy, Kill Your Idols-Did I already say Kill Your Idols?- and then Boy Sets Fire would be the band that's on Victory. But of those six best records I heard come out this year, five of them aren't on Victory. That's the beauty of this thing, that's there's so many bands and labels. That's not even getting into like, the Movie Life or Flogging Molly, or Jewel. I'm not just interested in one label, there's a lot of stuff out there.

J.N.: Do you think that lyrical content in songs should be positive or negative?

Ian: It's exactly what you want it to be. I think that music is a release and if I wanna sing about clowns and birthday parties, as long as it's not being contrived then so be it. I mean, within reason-if someone's up there being fucking bullshit offensive or saying something offensive to me, I'm not gonna stand for it. But, two of my favorite bands of all time are Suicidal Tendencies and Sheer Terror. My favorite band of all time is Blood For Blood. Maybe their content maybe negative, but essentially what makes it hardcore and so appealing to me is that it's genuine and it's sincerity. I don't care if they're saying upbeat or negative things. It's their release, and that's really where I think this whole thing stems from. Good, bad or indifferent, as long as it's genuine, that seems to be the most important thing-at least to me.

J.N.: Being part of a band, how do you feel about groups like N'Sync being referred to as bands when they don't play their own instruments or write their own songs?

Ian: At a minimum, they are. They're five people that have to work together. That whole world is so foreign to you or me, I could never really figure out what the hell's going on there. But, I guess by definition they are. They're five performers I guess.

J.N.: But they don't write their own songs.

Ian: Yeah, but I doubt that bands like Guns N Roses and Metallica actually write all their own songs too. That's what a producer's job is, to help out. Elvis Presley, he didn't write all his own songs. That's great for them, I guess. (laughs) It's so foreign I don't really know what's going on.

J.N.: We have come to an end... Any final thoughts?

Ian: Just remember that the record comes out on March 20th, and we'll hopefully be back on tour by then that you'll hear about beforehand. The old record's still out, and check out our web site- reachthesky.org And that's the low down. That's the info.