An Interview With: To Paint The Sky

To Paint the Sky are an emerging post hardcore/alternative band from Seattle. Although only having formed in 2009, the band have played alongside names such as Aiden, As I Lay Dying, Blood On The Dancefloor, Letlive and many more! I was lucky enough to have an interview with Ryan Cariker, Bassist and Screamer of the band.Here he gives us an insight into; how the band started, what’s to come, as well as the latest addition to the band – a tour dog? Enjoy!

Starting off with a little history of the band. When and how did the band form? And how did the name ‘To Paint The Sky’ come about? Is there a story there?
Jamie and I (Ryan) started jamming together around 5 years ago and through the years we have had some member changes making, To Paint The Sky, the solid unit we are today!

What would be a strange or weird fact about the band that not many people know?

Allana recently got a new puppy. We are trying to train him to be our Tour Dog: Hang out in the van with us. Sell merch, handle the money. Etc. normal Tour Dog stuff

Who would you say that as a band your main influences are? Who would you compare yourselves to?
Our influences come from many different areas. Each member has their own flavour which they bring into this band. From AFI to Eminem, we appreciate it all. Some have described our sound a bit like Evanescence or a metal Paramore.

Are there any existing songs by any band/artists that you wish you’d written?
We are happy with what we write. But in a realistic sense, if we could have written one song. It would be Michael Jacksons Thriller. That song is legend. Best song ever written.

I’ve heard some pretty horrific stories from bands about their first live shows, what was your first ever live show like?
Our first live didn’t have anything too bad. But our audience only consisted of the other bands playing that night. Haha we considered these shows “earning our stripes”

What’s been the best show you’ve ever played and why?
Our best show can’t be narrowed down to one. We have our best shows when the crowd is having a good time and there’s real connection that the band and audience share together. It’s a beautiful thing

Any funny band/live show stories you wouldn’t mind sharing?
A couple years ago, we were playing a friends house party and the stage was super cramped. Jamie went to jump back off our stage boxes and ended up going straight into the drumset. But we kept playing. Nothing stops rock n roll!

Is there anything that inspires you when you are writing the music and lyrics to your songs?

Our songs are like an open diary of our lives. We sing about what we have felt, what we have been through. and hope others have felt the same.

Your video for “The Ghost” currently has over 155,000 youtube views! What was it like recording for that music video? Did you expect this kind of positive response for the song?
We had hoped for the best, and were more than happy with the outcome. It was really fun filming our first video and a good learning experience so we can make our next one even better!

What would you say is the hardest thing about being an unsigned band trying to make a name for themselves?
There are pros and cons to our DIY. And a lot of struggle and hustling you have to do to keep moving in a positive path. I would say the hardest thing was finding other members that were dedicated enough to work through the struggle.

You guys have played alongside some really great bands, but If you could choose any bands to go on tour with, i.e a dream line up/dream team; who would they be and why?
AFI and Avenged Sevenfold have been some of the best shows I have ever seen in my life. It would be a dream come true to tour with them.

What do you hope 2013 brings for the band? Anything in store for your fans?
We are releasing a new song every month starting in Jan. Planning a summer tour. And Writing new songs! We hope 2013 is a great year for TPTS. Just like 2012 was!