We are Thrice. Ask us anything!

Are you guys planning on touring with Brand New?

We'd love to do that again. They're some of our best touring friends. - Riley

Hey guys! Huge fan. I saw you at your Farewell Tour, and it was incredible.

From what I understand, you guys weren't too happy with the release of TAITA, because it was edited for a more commercial sound. I'd love to hear the album as you originally intended it to be. My question: Would you ever consider remastering TAITA and releasing it with the mix that you had envisioned? I would pay good money for that.

I think we'd definitely consider it. I know we've talked about it in the past... it's true that there were things that we did in that recording that didn't end up in the mixes, but it would be pretty difficult to get remixed and mastered if it wasn't something that Island Records was looking to do. - Ed

The other issue is that it is sketchy to revise history (see the reissues of the original Star Wars trilogy.) Where do you stop? Doesn't mean it won't happen but it's another piece to the puzzle. -Dustin

I would also clarify that it wasn't a commercial decision for the mixing, but simply a different approach from the mixer than we had taken in the recording process. Different preferences. It simply came out different than we had expected/wanted. - Dustin

Hey Dustin, Is it true that your beard has a Samson effect and is the source of your strength. Like if you were to shave would your real singing voice just be this weird out of pitch falsetto? Also, I love the new album. Riley, needs to team up with AdventureDrums again sometime too. Brobus was awesome! Keep being rad, guys!

Yes. This is true. -Dustin

Important life changing type question for you: pizza or tacos?

Tacos. I think I ate my weight in street tacos while we were recording. - Riley

Tacos! - Teppei

Tacos -Dustin

what is pizza? - Ed

Is hearing the beltsville crucible live a pipe dream?

They've said before that it just gets too slow towards the end, but I think if they re-energized that portion of the song (like they did for the end of Deadbolt live) it could be amazing.

Actually the end is the part we actually like :) We have played just the end live before, and possibly would again, but I doubt we will play the whole song. -Dustin

So glad to have you guys back! This question is mainly for Dustin.

What made you go with more of a social/political theme on TBEITBN versus more spiritual lyrics from past albums? I love TBEITBN, but I also love seeing lyrics taken straight from scripture. Your lyrics have encouraged me in spiritual and social/political ways, nonetheless!

Just happened to go that way. Aside from Alchemy Index, I don't usually have a specific direction before writing.

Hi Thrice! Thanks for the new album, enjoying it a lot. Two questions about live shows: 1. How do you go about forming a setlist? Do you decide as a band or is one of you guys in charge? 2. Which songs would be on the setlist (that aren't now) if you were not bound by fan expectations or restrictions of which song gets a good response from a crowd?

Can't wait to see you guys in Cologne in August! Traveling from the Netherlands to see you :)

1) Before tour rehearsals start, we (as a band) try to build a ~30-song pool that seems like it will pay homage to most (if not all) of our records, have decent dynamics, showcase the new record, etc. The challenge is making a few setlists that feel like they flow well, and aren't too schizophrenic, or feel like they lean too heavily on one particular record in certain spots. From there, we try to mix and match those sets, and make adjustments once we've seen how they're going over/being responded to. - Riley

We have to juggle a variety of things. We use BandHelper now to help with a lot of this. We have a bunch of different tunings and have to consider the flow between tuning and guitar changes. Teppei has different guitars for different songs tonally and have to consider this as well. We also try to balance doing songs that we know are big fan favorites with others so that we don't just have the same set all the time. We try to have a decent balance between records and I have them color coded in BandHelper to help visually see if this is happening. We also play songs that might not be our favorites but are songs that we know people love. It's a ton to balance especially since we have put out more than 100 original songs at this point and it takes a at least a few hours for us to generate the initial setlists before a tour. - Dustin

Hey Teppei! When I saw you playing Hurricane live, the chords looked almost like barre chords. That confused me haha. Is it in Drop C or Standard D? Thank you! :)

Yup, it's in drop C. - Teppei

Thrice's classic 3 bars logo - I've had the tattoo for over 10 years now, it was my first. Who created it and does it serve a specific meaning other than a representation of the band?

Our good buddy Dave Gorum made it for a merch design. We liked it and it stuck around. - Teppei

Dustin: favorite band that inspired you? Eddie: favorite sandwich? Riley : first vehicle you've owned? Teppei: favorite movie after 1990?

A red 1993 Isuzu Trooper. It looked like a sad fire truck and felt about as safe as driving a tin can. - Riley

Hi Dustin, Eddie, Riley, and Teppei! My question is, have you ever considered doing an anniversary tour for any of your albums?

We have thought about it but no decisions have been made. It is a possibility. -Dustin

Do you have any ritual you do before the shows?

High fives. - Riley

How much do you guys love your tour mates? I saw you a few years back when you toured with La Dispute and it seemed like they were the perfect group to open for you.

This is a really great group of people. La Dispute is a phenomenal band, and the guys are such good/talented folks. The gates fellas are awesome as well. This is gonna be a really fun tour. We're thankful it's happening. - Riley

Best dudes! So happy to be able to tour with them again. It's an amazing experience touring with creative friends/musicians. - Ed

Did you guys make any b-sides to TBEITBN? Or were there any almost finished songs that didn't quite make the time deadline?

Yup, we ended up with one b-side. Not sure yet how it'll be released but I personally really like it. - Teppei

Oh yeah, important question!

Choosing what songs make an album and what don't really suck. I too really like a lot (if not all) of our b-sides just as much as any album track but it usually comes down to balancing the overall record best. I hate it though. It's like trying to choose your favorite child. - Teppei

Who in the band does the best Muppet arms? Asking for a friend.

Ed. - Riley

Riley: What song is the funnest for you to play? I have always wanted to see Where Idols Once Stood live... any chance that might happen someday?

Also, how often do people tell you that you look like Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

1) Usually it changes from tour to tour. On this run, I've enjoyed playing "Death From Above" and "Hurricane", but sometimes I'll get into playing something mellower ("Circles", "Beggars", etc.) "The Earth Will Shake" has been a favorite to play since it came out in 2005.

2) I've heard that a lot. FWIW: I'm available as a body-double, or to co-star in a buddy cop movie about twin brothers. I'm just waiting to get a call from Hollywood.

-Riley

Coming to the show tonight if I don't melt first. Will you guys be sticking around at all after?

We'll be around.

It's a dry heat -- less of a "melting" thing and more of a "food dehydrator" situation. Looking forward to becoming human jerky with you tonight. - Riley

Going to tonight's show in Tempe, any way you guys could pull out "Whistleblower?"

Also, have you guys thought about recording and producing by yourselves again like you did with the Alchemy Index?

Sorry ... not tonight, but we fully intend to play it on future tours.

And I think we'd self-produce again, but I'm not sure it's in our immediate future. Teppei handled the engineering and mixing duties on our self-produced records, and it's been nice to have him focused on being a musician in the studio rather than wearing multiple hats. - Riley

Are there any plans to reintroduce either version of So Strange I Remember You to your shows?

It's not something we've discussed, but it's not out of the question. - Riley

Hey thrice

I'm such a big fan and I love the new album and congratulations on your ninth album!

My question is, will there ever be a studio recording of Deadbolt with the extended chorus at the end that's not live?

Thanks

Doubtful -Dustin

Hey guys, been a big fan for awhile! My question is, what was the funnest thing you did on your hiatus? Keep up the awesome music!

I jumped around from odd job to odd job, started a baseball twitter/podcast (@ProductiveOuts), started some side projects (Puig Destroyer, Less Art), and got into working as a drum/bass tech for Jimmy Eat World and Weezer. Doing the latter was pretty fun -- getting to experience touring from that side of the curtain, seeing how different (larger) bands operate, meeting new people and learning more about gear was really fun. (The side projects are awfully fun as well.) - Riley

Quicksand or Gorilla Bisquits?

Danzig or Misfits?

Descendents or All?

Go!

For myself, Gorilla Biscuits Misfits Both -Dustin

Riley mentioned he played guitar on a TBEITBN song. Which song and/or which part?

I played everything on "Seneca" and most of the guitars from 2:20 on in "Death From Above". It was a really cool experience and I'm stoked that the guys let me do it. - Riley

First off, you guys rule and I can't wait to see this tour.

My question involves your creative process, whether it be writing lyrics, music ... anything related to the creation of your songs. Do you have any sort of ritual or routine to get you into the creative mindset and begin creating from there, or is it more of a spontaneous, happens-when-it-happens type of thing?

I'm pretty sure for everyone it's more of the "happens-when-it-happens" sort of thing; certainly for me. I can't really force myself to be creative, and especially musically, I find the coolest things happen when I'm not thinking about it. I think a lot of times your subconscious has a more pure perspective, free from whatever filters your consciousness might be imposing on you. - Teppei

Hey guys, I've been a huge fan since 2001 and it was a joy seeing you at The Shrine. I've got a couple of questions for y'all:

• 1) What was the thought process about having "Death From Above" and "Whistleblower" back to back on the new album? I know a lot of us enjoy having the bang towards the end (right before Salt and Shadow), but I know some have said they would have liked it if the songs were more separated.

• 2) Thoughts on the new Radiohead album?

• 3) You guys have toured with a wide variety of bands (Thursday, Poison The Well, Dashboard Confessional, etc). But what's one band you guys are bummed you never got to tour with?

• 4) What's the cringiest/funniest/strangest thing a fan has done or said during one of those Thrice alliance Meet & Greets?

Can't wait till I see you guys again this fall!

1.Sequencing is hard. I just did some math on this and there are believe it or not, 39,916,800 ways to sequence an 11 song record. I do think though that this was the easiest time we've have sequencing a record. We had a couple of anchor points that helped. We knew we wanted Hurricane first, and Salt and Shadow last, which was helpful. As far as Death From Above and Whistleblower, it just happened to work out that way. 2. Like it, need to listen more. 3. Realistically, we need to tour with Jimmy Eat World. Would be a great time. We've always been on opposite touring cycles.

This was written by Dustin FYI.

The lyrics of Wood and Wire... (another incredible song!) It's clearly about an innocent man on death row, showing the same hope and peace as the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4. Was there a specific person or account that inspired this song? "Fourteen years" is pretty specific. Is it a present-day representation of what Paul might sing about his own martyrdom?

Edit: 2 Cor.

Not a specific person. The details are there to give the song texture and reality. Not sure why 14. -Dustin

Shrine show was incredible, but most of my Bay Area friends weren't able to make it, any chance you'll add a Northern CA show to this tour?

Ed - Saw you with Knapsack, what has your involvement with AVA been like?

Thanks! Yeah, the Shrine was a special night for sure! We should be up to the Bay Area soon. Playing with Knapsack has been amazing. Great guys and really fun to play such classic songs. My involvement with AVA kinda wasn't. I shot a music video with them and that was it. There were plans, and then weren't. We never got together to work on music together. - Ed

Teppei: How many instruments can you play? Are there any more you would like to learn?

Not much even semi-proficiently, honestly. A lot of instruments are inter-related to one another so if you can figure out one instrument in a certain family, chances are you can transfer that knowledge to another quite easily. That's pretty much how it is for me. If you know one stringed instrument, chances are you can figure out another. If you know how to play one brass instrument, or woodwind, chances are you can figure out another. Piano translates to xylophone, vibes, etc. - Teppei

What are some tips you have picked up for performing live after touring all of these years?

For me personally, it's been important to learn how to not obsess or freak out over small mistakes/hiccups. Doing that just makes things snowball. We're human, it's only natural to make mistakes, and letting them roll off your back makes things a lot more enjoyable. - Riley

Hey there! Question in regards to the artwork; it's absolutely gorgeous. Did you have a specific direction/feel you were going towards with this? Who was the artist? Loving this new record a ton!

Christopher Royal King did the artwork and he crushed it. We discussed some stuff going into it but basically had him do his thing. He presented us with a handful of different options and we narrowed down and honed in from there. - Teppei

Hi guys, new album is absolutely fantastic. So excited to see you guys in a few weeks.

How has your live setup changed in terms of gear since the last time you guys have done a tour? Any new items that you guys are loving at the moment?

My set up has stayed pretty similar, aside from playing a couple smaller cymbals (I think I was using all rides on the Farewell Tour). FYI: I posted a gear rundown on Instagram yesterday (@rileybreck). My favorite new piece of gear is my 7x14" Q Gentleman's Series spun copper snare drum. It's amazing, I used it on all but one song on TBEITBN, and it's been sounding really great in a live setting too. - Riley

What motivates you to practice/create when it all just seems stressful?

I think writing/creating/practicing ends up being a huge escape from stress for me. I'll often write my favorite parts when I just need an escape. I can make noise and melody follow what my brain can explore musically. Other times I think seeing live music really inspires us. The stress usually comes when trying to finish songs... when you have to decide that the creating is done for a specific song. - Ed

What are your favorite tv shows and/or books as of recently?

Fargo is the jam. I do a lot of my fiction on Audiobooks these days and have been enjoying Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Just finished the second trilogy. Reading Paul Tillich right now, Dynamics of Faith.

Are you planning to make another music video for To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere?

Probably. Not sure which song yet. - Riley

I've heard some people infer that certain lyrics in your new songs allude to the Mars Hill leadership and break-up on a deeper level. For example,

I always thought that we were led by men with sober minds and sympathetic hearts

or the idea of Whistleblower, that when someone prefers to keep dishonest or hypocritical things hidden, there should always be a whistleblower there to tell the truth. Do you think there's a Mars Hill layer of meaning in some of these, or are you only focused on politics?

Edit: typo

All of the songs are in one way or another going to reflect my personal experiences and the way those experiences shape and color the way I see the world. There are definitely a lot of lyrics on the record that people have read as applying to issues surrounding MH that were not at all consciously written that way. Black Honey is a good example of this. It was written with the US's narcissistic approach to foreign policy but can easily be seen as applying to any situation where we act in a like manner (and we all do.)

Do you guys like small venues over larger venues? (money aspect aside)

They're totally different animals/experiences, each with their own ups and downs. I love that we're in a position where we get to sort of dip our feet in both pools. In the end though, I'd rather play a good small show for sure. - Teppei

Come to Brasil?

You're fired. - Riley

Huge fan from your early days, guys. So glad to have seen this pop up on facebook in time to ask a question:

How do you guys stay so fresh musically, and manage to make each album as unique sounding as they are?

Also - for Riley. From one drum freak to another - how many snares do you actually play?

I played a Ludwig Black Beauty reissue for years, but tried a couple Q Drum Co. snares about a year ago (7x14 aluminum and 7x14 Gentleman's Series spun copper) and they blew my mind. I'll be using one or the other for the foreseeable future. - Riley