INTERVIEW - SHANE TOLD, SILVERSTEIN Lead Vocalist

By Kat Northey

June 2012

Kat: Your Australian tour dates always seem to be back to back, do you get to fit in any Aussie sight seeing while you’re here - or at least sample vegemite?

Shane: Oh boy I've had Vegemite and it is quite an acquired taste. I'll just say I haven't acquired it yet. But we've done all the kangaroo feeding and koala holding several times and it's been rad, but this time not sure what we'll do. Maybe we'll get crazy like riding dingoes or something. You can do that right?

Kat: You guys have constantly evolved but even in the Rescue album you have stayed true to your punk hardcore roots, is this something you find important to exist on each of your albums?

Shane: I mean I think the punk hardcore influences are more prominent than they used to be. When we started we were trying to get away from that. We were trying to make our own blend of different genres. It wasn't until lately we embraced it to the point where we were going to have pretty much full on punk songs and hardcore songs. We wouldn't have done that in 2002.

Kat: Shane being a vocalist and a screamer, your voice must undergo a lot of strain and pressure how do you keep your vocal chords from failing?

Shane: Yeah it's not easy but for the most part my voice holds up okay. There's no real good way to scream and not do some damage on your voice, at least I haven't figured it out. I get up there and scream my head off and sing as hard as I can. So over the course of a tour there's points when it's harder than others. But I get through it okay.

Kat: Looking back from playing in Joshs garage to where you guys are now what has been your favourite moment of success for the band?

Shane: We did the Decade DVD and 4 shows where we played each of our albums from start to finish. That was so cool for us. It was amazing we got through 10 years of this and also that we were able to play all of our songs and have people travel from all over the world to be there. It was awesome.

Kat: Being with several major record labels such as Victory and Universal what is it that Hopeless did to win you guys over?

Shane: We were on only Victory for our first 4 albums. Now we're on a few different labels. Universal in Canada, Roadrunner in Australia and Hopeless everywhere else. Hopeless is just a label that gets it. They understand that this is first and foremost a band we play in because it's fun, but they understand it's our job and we have to make money to live as well. It's a really great partnership there.

Kat: Your album Shipwreck In The Sand seems to tell a story from start to finish was the story a natural progression of songs or a carefully calculated decision?

Shane: Carefully calculated and a total pain in the ass to figure out. I'm glad we made that record, im proud of it, but I lost a lot of sleep. It drove me crazy.

Kat: Is there an artist fans would be surprised to hear is one of your favourites - for me, it's Dean Martin?

Shane: I celebrate Cannibal Corpse's entire catalog. I'm a big fan.

Kat: Performing countless live shows to millions of adoring fans do you ever still feel nervous before playing a show?

Shane: Sort of. It's not the same nervous feeling you feel if you have to make a speech in front of your school or something. It's more like an excitement. You feel the adrenaline and it's go time.

Kat: The album Shipwreck In The Sand debuts the eerie pirate-like title song - one of my personal favorites. Where did the inspiration for such a image provoking song come from?

Shane: It's just an analogy of the whole rest of the story. In the actual story, it's the main character reading his daughter a bedtime story.

Kat: I love the song title Texas Mickey and Anthony Raneri really adds an edge to the rock feel to the song, where does the name of the song actually come from?

Shane: A Texas Mickey is a 3 liter bottle of liquor you can buy in Canada. My friends got me one for my birthday once and we tried to drink it in one night. We succeeded but it ruined our week.

Kat: In Memory of … is a beautifully heartbreaking song on the Rescue album and really hits close to home for me was the song inspired by a personal experience?

Shane: Yes it is about my cousin who passed away in 2006. It took me a long time to write and get those words out.

Kat: Give us the dirt who have been your favorite and least favorite band to tour with - besides your friends Bayside of course?

Shane: August BurnsRed, Rise Against, Devil Wears Prada, Blessthefall and Under Oath, are all awesome. In terms of not awesome, I won't name names but you'd be surprised how cool most bands are!

Kat: Do Canadians really eat pancakes with bacon and maple syrup?

Shane: Well I eat veggie bacon but hell yes! Doesn't everyone?

Interview posted 6 June 2012