EastDear Park interview! Awesome metal band from Gaithersburg, Maryland!

Who is answering the questions?

My name is Ben Rockwood and I play bass for the band EastDear Park! holla atcha Gburg boys!

Can you tell us about the formation of EastDear Park?

Shields (our singer) and I became buddies back in ‘09 my freshman year at Gaithersburg High School on the football team. He wasn’t really all that into heavy metal till I showed him Suicide Silence and Lamb of God and it really started to grow on him. After months of air banding to all those bands and jamming in our friend Charlie Thomas’ garage we decided to start a band. We just wanted to headbang while rippin some breakdowns ya feel me and what would be cooler than traveling the fucking world while playing killer shows with your best friends every night? I went to middle school and high school with our drummer kevin but didn’t become friends with him until my sophomore year when I met him at a Gburg party and we bonded over As I Lay Dying and all that good ol metalcore stuff. We started jamming as a three piece and started covering random songs as best we could, sometimes even in front of people! Then we started jamming with some guitarist trying to expand our sound but never got much done until I met Colin my Junior year in one of my classes and hit it off when i heard some metal blasting from his headphones one day. I then found out he played guitar and when he showed me a clip of him sweeping and stuff i was blown away! We then played our first song “Rats in the Ice Cream Cone” to a sold out crowd at our school’s annual Mr Gaithersburg for our friend Steven Kassasa. We started jamming and then i met Ryan (our other guitarist) through some friends and told him to come jam. Our first day of practice we wrote our first song “Bed of Roses” (LOL) and started jamming every day since then. We wrote our first ep in a month and started playing as many shows as we could right away!

How did you get to the band name EastDear Park, and what does it mean to you?

We grew up in olde towne on the east side of 355 off of East Deer Park. When we were deciding on a name we knew we wanted it to be neutral so that whoever saw it on a poster would have no idea what to expect from us. EDP is a lifestyle. It goes deeper than anybody could ever know. It represents who we are and what we come from. We were fortunate enough to grow up in an incredibly diverse city and the beauty of that is it taught us to never judge anybody by anything but their consistent actions. That’s the EDP motto. If anybody wants to be a part of the EDP family all you have to do is come to our merch table or wherever we are and say what’s up!

Nilda Keres

Photo credit: Nilda Keres

To an unfamiliar reader, how would you describe your sound?

If August Burns Red, Lamb of God and The Contortionist all had a crazy band orgy we would be the baby that popped out of that mess. We’re all definitely inspired by our metalcore roots but we also like to switch it up and slow it down while adding our own EDP flavor to the mix.

What bands have influenced you over the years, and why?

That list goes on and on! I find new inspiration all the time honestly. The main OG influences are definitely August Burns Red, The Contortionist, Lamb of God, Killswitch, BTBAM and Architects for my sound all around.

How did you get to the EP title ‘M’, and what does it mean to you?

All the songs start with “M” and so does Mike Wazowski from Monsters Ink so there’s that too.

Can you elaborate on some of the other main themes and influences that run throughout ‘M’?

The “MEP is represents the time period from when we dropped our album “Reflections” up until we hit the studio to record the “M” ep itself. It’s a story explaining everything that we saw and learned during that time period. We had our ups and definitely had some serious downs during that rollercoaster of a time frame but in the end we came out as strong as ever and I can truly say this EP is our band’s best work. The moral of the ep is that life will always get better no matter how dark it seems, but it’s up to you to make it that way. Mind over matter. The first song Metanoia is a summary of what the next three songs represent and the overall message we want to get across. The second track Malice was written during a dark time in my life when it seemed like nothing was going right. Metastasis (a root word that means change) represents when my eyes started opening and i started to realize that i had the power to change everything for the better if I set my mind to it. The last song is about how everything still isn’t perfect, but I’ve finally learned how to find the beauty in everything and work with what I got. People really underestimate the how much control they can have over their mind if they take the time to work on it. Being self aware is very important, so always take some time out of the day to get to know yourself. It’s impossible to get anything done in this life if you can’t be your own best friend.

Rachel Candela

Photo credit: Rachel Candela

What can you tell us about the recording process for ‘M’? 

We recorded the “M” EP at Spider Studios in Ohio with Tony Gammalo! It was a truly incredible experience and we definitely couldn’t be more proud of this EP! The studio was sick and the room was stayed in was awesome too. We recorded the EP in about 8 days working about 10 hours a day! Kevin did his live drums first, then we recorded our guitars and bass all through Axe-Fx and then Shields laid down his fire vocals on top! The whole process was very smooth and we definitely owe a lot to Tony and Ben for making our stay there as amazing as possible.

What song means the most to you from “M” at the moment, and why?

My favorite song is definitely Malice because it was a song that lyrically let me properly release all the shit i had bottled up in my head for a long time. I have a lot of problems with anxiety and depression and getting that song down was a huge weight off my chest, It was my first person telling of what an anxiety attack feels like. Not being able to move, everything seems to pile up, and then since you’re anxious as fuck it makes you mess up even more things which then adds to the already huge anxiety. I want anybody who hears this song to feel free to talk to me at the merch table and vent about what drives you crazy, and maybe we can discuss some ways to help you cope with it better. A lot of the times the key is to just vent it out and release that energy properly in a positive way. My way is through EDP.

What songs are you really enjoying playing live from ‘M’ at the moment, and why?

Right now it’s a tie between Malice and Metasis. The riffs in Metasis are so bouncy and groovy and just fun to play, while Malice is a bit more challenging but also a bit more meaningful and way heavier, so I always headbang a little harder.

 

Shay Boimov

Photo credit: Shay Boimov

What was the hardest part about putting ‘M’ together for you guys, and why?

Well we went through a lot of ups and downs as a band while writing it. We were all super busy trying to adjust to the adult lives we got thrown into having to figure out how to fend for ourselves. We were all balancing jobs, living on our own, and every day life at a very young age all while trying to make the band work with no financial support. We grinded our asses off to get to where we are today, and i can definitely say getting through all that made

What can you tell us about your latest single?

Everybody goes through struggle. Everybody has obstacles that they have to overcome. No path to success is ever straight forward and smooth. Our latest single “Metasis” is about playing with the cards you’re dealt to their fullest potential. My favorite line from that song is “Tomorrow is never certain, so kill today before it kills you.” The meaning of life is simply to just live life. Seize every moment and maximize your potential every chance you get. It always baffled me how people would always be living in their past and hopeful future, consistently missing out on what was in front of them, and sadly I let society’s criticism get to me for a while and make me think i was wasting my life doing what I love, but fuck that. One day I decided i wanted something more, and since that day I’ve refused to settle for anything less. That’s what that song represents.

How did the artwork for ‘M’ come together, and what does it mean to you?

We wanted a nuetral cover that would leave whoever saw it wondering what our music could possibly sound like.

Touring wise, can you give us a couple of personal highlights from your time on the road?

EDP gets down. We’ve stayed at a lot of random peoples house and met really cool people that way. Lot’s of partying. One time a crackhead tried to rob our taco bell. I honestly have to save most of the stories for a video so i can put in the true emotion it deserves.

How would you say the sound of EastDear Park has grown/progressed over the years?

When we first started we literally just put a bunch of riffs together and called them songs. Since then we’ve all really progressed skill wise at our own instruments and definitely put a lot more effort and thought into the song structure now. We just like to write what we think sounds good and is fun to play. We always try to push ourselves musically, especially Ryan. Lyric wise I’ve definitely tried to work on making it a more consistant theme for each song and tell a story in every time. Playing together for five years plus has definitely helped our chemistry too. I remember when we first started playing shows it would just be awkward silence between each song, but now our sets definitely flow a lot better and we’ve also definitely improved at bringing the party on stage too.

 

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What sets you apart from any other band out there right now?

We just go out there and handle our shit. What you see is what you get. EDP doesnt need gimmicks or any of that shit to throw down at a show. We’re just five normal dudes who love to party and try our best to promote positivity and having a good time. We will never forget where we come from and always want our fans to know they can always approach us whenever they see us!

What is the music scene like in Gaithersburg, Maryland?

Gaithersburg, Maryland was a very diverse place growing up. When I was in middle school there were a lot of ska and punk bands but not too many metal bands. When we started playing we were fortunate enough to get into contact with Mikey and Wali of Apex Booking (love those guys) when they were booking shows at the firehall in Mt. Airy. Shows there back in the day were SICK! The majority of the shows there and kids that filled the crowd were associated with the hardcore scene which was totally new to us coming from that classic metal core head banging goodness, but they still took us in and made our first show a memorable one for sure! That first show we played at one in the afternoon as the opener and we just kept playing and playing till a year and a half later we started seeing our name creep to the later and later slots on that show flier till eventually that became our spot! We’ll never forget what Mt Airy did for us! We also grew up playing a lot of shows in Baltimore and gathered tons of crazy memories from that crazy city. Once we started developing that bond with the local scene, we started throwing our own shows, setting stages where we could and inviting bands to open! It’ crazy to see a lot of the local bands we grew up playing with fall apart, but it’s also been amazing grinding a long side some bands we’ve been playing shows with since we first started 5 years ago. All the Maryland bands know each other nowadays, and I can definitely say it’s a tight knit community. Shout out to Hydra Kyll, The Enigma Code, Delenda, Paper Trails, An Obscure Signal, In Dying Arms, Phantoms, Living Means, Vacive, Mirrors, and every other local band that is on that grind like we are! We’re all in this together! It’s all about helping each other out and remembering that!

What else can we expect to see from EastDear Park in 2016?

We’re gonna be hitting the road and playing as many shows as possible once the summer is over! I just want anybody who reads this to please check out our music, especially our latest “M” EP available on Itunes, Bandcamp, Spotify, and more! Also check out our Youtube channel EastDearParkOfficial because we have tons of EDP videos on the way! Really get to know us! Come to a show and say what’s up at the merch table!

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