Like Pacific Interview

We had the pleasure of being able to talk to Chris from Like Pacific. He told us about their latest album, their up coming tour and what they have been doing with their time off. Here is what he had to say:

Info
Genre: Pop Punk/Punk
Years Active: 2010-Present
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Record Label: Pure Noise Records

1) What's your name and role in the band? 

My name is Chris and I play bass.

2) What made you want to be in a pop punk band, write punk music?

I got into bands like Good Charlotte and Mest in Grade 7, and that led to older punk bands like Rancid, The Bouncing Souls and Anti-Flag. Naturally, I wanted to play in a band and recreate what they have been doing.

3) Your band is from Toronto, What is the pop punk scene like there?

The scene here is healthy. There's bands coming in and out of the city and bands in and around the GTA just getting started or about to take off. It's honestly so great to see the scene doing as well as it is right now. Seaway, Safe to Say, Rarity, Coldfront and us have all been picked up by labels, if that's not a clear indication that the scene is well and alive, I dunno what is.

4) Why did you guys pick the name Like Pacific? Does it have a meaning?

Haha, there's absolutely no meaning behind the name. It was picked by our first guitarist many many years ago. Jordan and I wanted to change it after he left but people started catching on so we just kept it.

5) If you were to describe Like Pacific to someone on the street, what would you tell them?

Melodic and heartfelt Punk.

6) You guys are active on social media, answering, retweeting and joking around on all formats, why do you find this important?

It's so incredibly important that you maintain some sort of relationship with your fans. These people are the reason we have any sort of traction, without listeners, no one listens to your band. It's the very least we can do, answering questions and letting everyone know what's going on in the LP camp.

7 a) Listening to your albums, I feel your newest album Distant is more melodic and has a real catchiness to the songs, Why did you decide to go this route?

It wasn't necessarily a route we aimed to take, it just kinda happened naturally. There was no formula or expectation going into this record, we just knew we wanted to make something we would all wanna listen to. 

7 b) How would you describe the progression from your first album to the sound you have now on Distant Like You Asked?
 
The songs like you said, have much more melodies and are "catchy." We worked with Sam Guaiana and Derek Hoffman on it, so we had the best of both worlds when it comes to Toronto producers. I definitely feel the record has the same heart as our previous releases but the songs themselves have more structure and the musicianship has grown. 

8) You guys are about to embark on a US tour with Senses Fail and Counterparts, are you excited to get back on the road? Did you listen to Senses Fail’s album Still Searching?

We're very excited for this run, especially with Counterparts being on it. Those dudes have been big brothers to us for a while now, excited to finally tour together. The boys all listened to SF back in the day. That record is pretty iconic for the band so it's an honour opening up every night.

9) How was the UK tour? How were you guys received?

The UK was awesome. Great shows and great people all around, never in a million years would I have ever thought music would take me across the pond like that. 

10) What is it like going from playing small shows in Ontario to playing festivals and being on Warped Tour?

Wasn't as much of a change as I thought it would be. We did the Toronto stop of warped tour in 2013 & 2014, so we had a taste of how the festival operates. I've been going to warped tour since '03 so it was a dream come true for me. It got REAL hot last summer haha.

11) What have you been doing with your time off?

Hanging out with our loved ones and sleeping. Eating properly as well, soon enough it'll be Taco Bell and Gas Station snacks everyday.

12) How do you find it working with Joe Buscema in various different formats?

Might be a bit biased because he's one of my best friends, but Joe Buscema is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. It was a really dope experience having him out on Warped Tour last summer as our tour manager. He's genuine, passionate and truly understands the business aspect of this industry. That dude will have a great career doing what he does.

13) Which bands from around the local Toronto scene would you suggest to someone looking for new music?
 
Not quite from Toronto, but Check out Bearings from Ottawa, Gold Finch from Kitchener/Waterloo and Calling All Captains from Edmonton. Three hard working bands from Canada who deserve your attention.

Published 2/13/2017

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