Now that all of you screamo kiddies have accepted the fact Grade are dead and buried, it’s time to get all gooshy over a new Hamilton-based emotive outfit. Hacking around the underground punk scene since early 2000, Silverstein (named after some author the band adored as children… how punk) are just beginning to receive their day in the screamo sun.
See, they’ve recently signed a deal with Victory Records and released their second incredibly heart-wrenching album titled When Broken Is Easily Fixed. Singer Shane Told admitted he couldn’t be more surprised at the monster his band has created, musically speaking. Not expecting much from their early years Told is taken back by the swell of attention Silverstein receives, and it comes just as they shift gears. Originally known as yet another emo band, they’re moving away from those confines, straight into the darkness of hardcore.
“We just started off as a simple emo band,” Told says. “Of course, that was before Dashboard Confessional came in and fucked up that term royally. Originally we were trying to sound like The Get-Up Kids and stuff like that, but ever since we’ve added a former member straight out of Maharaj [a truly insane Toronto-based noisecore/metalcore uh, “outfit”], it keeps getting heavier! Now we’ve been moving steadily towards screamo. I don’t really get it because it’s not conscious. I’m not afraid to admit that we are an emo band of sorts, but we aren’t writing emo anymore.”
Either way it doesn’t matter as kids are sucking it up like pixie stix on a summer afternoon. Even Victory knows they’re onto something, pushing When Broken rather heavily as they book tour after packed-house tour and dropping dough on a big, fancy commercial on MTV2.
“I don’t really know if we intended to work with Victory, but it’s been the best move so far,” Told says. “Early on, we basically just sent out some packages to see what was out there to no one in particular, just sending stuff. Before we knew it, owner Tony Brummel called us and flew us up for breakfast. We were signed! It’s funny though, because I’d sent out those packages and less than a week later, we’re with a label! I’m still getting rejection letters from other places, they just don’t get it.”
No matter though, as the important people (that’s YOU, you little wallets with feet) do get it, so Told and crew are happy to enjoy the ride so far. In fact, where most bands are virtually frantic at the notion of a follow-up album, Silverstein are almost lax about it.
“Well, with all of the effort it took to finally get the recording done, get someone to do the artwork, finish the artwork and get everything prepared, man, I’m not in ANY rush to go record again. I couldn’t handle it! To be honest, we’re still kind of riding the shock that this album is doing well for itself. That’s enough for now. We’re not one of those bands (who are) like, ‘New album’s done, time to write!’ We’re pretty excited, but we are a little more laidback than that!”