Interview with Dan Hayes
We’re not letting a lockdown get us down, today I had a chat with following the signs vocalist Dan Hayes to talk about the bands EP and to get an insight on what we can expect when the world goes back to normal.
Q1. Your band ‘Following The Signs’ released their debut EP ‘Far from over’ last October, how do you feel about the reception so far?
Dan: ‘Far from over’ was really welcomed by a lot of people, its mad because we knew we had a lot of people that were pumped to hear it and we were just as pumped to release it and show people what we were doing and i’m ecstatic and thankful for everyone that’s listened or shared and looking forward to getting some more stuff out there
Q2. On social media the band said they were writing new music, how is that going?
Dan: So far we’re just diving back into it and working on some new things together and its going really well. We’ve got some surprises planned for new music, can’t give away anything right now but we will keep everyone updated as we go!
Q3. Shows and festivals have been cancelled because of the pandemic, has that effected you in any way?
Dan: I think shows being cancelled has been the main setback, we all write at home and and get to jamming together as much as possible, but when it comes to shows and linking up with bands you’ve played with before and catching up and catching up with anyone else at the show is definitely the toughest .
Q4. Is there anything in the works you’re allowed share with us?
Dan: The main thing I think i can give away is that we’ve got merch being sorted out, hopefully get some t-shirts in stock real soon, we’re definitely aiming for some more projects and ideas in the works really soon though.
Q5. Are there tour or gig plans for when this is over?
Dan: We definitely plan to gig as soon as possible once all this pandemic blows over, I think other bands in Ireland have that same mentality to just hit the ground running and get back to business as usual, we’ll definitely be back on the circuit as soon as we can.
Q6. Its clear you guys work hard for what you do, do you ever feel pressured by how hard writing and music in general can be?
Dan: The pressure can definitely be felt but I think when you’re with people that have your back and support your ideas and you support theirs it really helps take that pressure off by us being able to pick apart things and come to solutions or have an idea to fuel something together is what i think pulls myself and the lads through it.
Q7. Are there bands you’re hoping to collaborate with when gigs start up again?
Dan: Definitely, I wouldn’t know where to start but definitely aiming to get back on bills with the likes of ‘The risen dread’ and ‘Death can wait’ two bands we had the pleasure of becoming good friends with in the last year and there’s a lot more bands out there to play with again for us, we’ve enjoyed playing with everyone and would love to get back around to doing it all again
Q8. How did you learn to do the harsh vocals?
Dan: I was very influenced by Chester Bennington when I was younger, I heard ‘Hybrid Theory’ at five years old and as I got older and dived into metal more I wanted to learn as much as I could, I spent hours watching tutorials online and reading up about harsh vocals and eventually started to practice it.
Q9. Are there plans for a new EP or an album in the future?
Dan: Definitely, we haven’t exactly set a timeline or confirmed EP or album but there’s definitely gonna be new projects, ‘Far From Over’ was the beginning and i’m looking forward to releasing new music
Q10. Do you have advice for people staring out with music?
Dan: The advice i’d give is STICK AT IT! music is never easy and sometimes you tell people that’s what you want to pursue then do it, its not going to be easy all the time but when you get out there and write songs and end up playing shows, the bands you play with, the people you meet, the bonds you make are exceptional and that makes the whole thing worth it.
I want to give a huge thank you to Dan for chatting with me and you guys for reading, Follow following the signs on social media @Followingthesignscork on instagram and @FTSbandcork on twitter and check out far from over on youtube and streaming services, stay safe guys