Interviews

Mike Fuentes - Pierce The Veil (Audio Interview)

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Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Aug 4, 2016

7 min read

In a world of increasingly popular hardcore/post-hardcore bands, there has come a time where musicians have to go above and beyond in order to get some form of recognition for their musical talents and some bands work their arses off for years before they finally get the chance to have their music heard or perform for large groups of fans across the globe. One band who has been working hard since 2006 is San Diego act Pierce The Veil who have gained international success in that time and are dead set on taking over, if their previous releases and touring style have anything to do with it. The four piece have collectively gained a mass fanbase of millions upon millions of fans across their various social media pages, managed to score over 200 million plays on youtube and most recently even scored a performance slot on Conan O'Brien's talk show, skyrocketing the band further than ever imagined.

We had a chat with founding member and drummer Mike Fuentes about their success and opportunity of a lifetime to play for the whole of America on such a prestigious and cult followed show (viewed all over the world) to which he replied:

"That was crazy, we're all big fans of his show. We got in there at 10am to soundcheck and had to wait around until 5pm that night and that's when we played the song and got one shot at it."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ9ZAAx3aIU&w=640&h=360]

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And it seems that bands in the heavy metal/hardcore genre are getting exposed to a bit more airtime with late night shows in the States (Lamb of God and A Day To Remember have also performed to name a couple) but does it look like the heavy music scene is becoming more mainstream? Mike seems to think so:

"I think people are seeing our genre as a thing that's popping off because the crowds are getting way bigger for our genre and you can't deny that... Those bands are becoming the mainstream and it's proven by all the fans coming out!"

Which is both exciting and frustrating for fans who have been pushing hard and campaigning for these acts to be heard by ears all over and now, finally, it seems like we're getting heard. Pierce The Veil have been getting some airtime on commercial stations in the USA and it still blows their mind how it's all happening and how people are resonating with their music. But being in a band isn't just about how many songs you can write and how many chicks you can pull on tour, a certain percentage of your time goes into your stage shows and fans can expect some big things when the boys return to Australia in a few weeks time:

"We put so much work into our live shows, almost as much work as we put into working on an album. We get off tour and start working on production for the next tour. Its just never ending."

And when you're almost at the top of your game like the PTV guys are, you can't let it slip. In a world where consumers.fans want more and more out of you, you have to keep going further and delivering more of what they want to not only please them, but yourselves as successful artists, all the while not letting the fame game get to your heads. But you're also allowed to have fun along the way as Mike found out when he attempted a "rap/hip-hop" career to fill the time on tour and his alter ego Mikey Whiskey Hands blew up bigger than he anticipated:

"I was really ill at the time and I rapped over a beat and my voice sounded super low, and it actually sounded cool, so we said fuck it lets do it while we're bored. We made a couple songs and they kinda got popular... I think when I started getting offers for tours and stuff I was like This Has Gotta Stop."

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But for Australian fans who may have never have had the chance to witness this monster masterpiece, there's still hope when Mike gets here:

"I know Australia parties super hard so I could do like an after club/special appearance, who knows."

Pierce The Veil kick off their Australian Tour in Brisbane on August 16th alongside Beartooth, Silverstein and Storm The Sky. Tickets for some shows are still available but get in quick. Listen to our full interview with Mike Fuentes below.