They Aren't Just "Crooks & Cowards:" An Interview With Goodbye Blue Skies
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They Aren't Just "Crooks & Cowards:" An Interview With Goodbye Blue Skies

“No one is perfect, but there's still room to grow.”

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They Aren't Just "Crooks & Cowards:" An Interview With Goodbye Blue Skies
Noelle Ann Photography

Toledo metalcore/rock band Goodbye Blue Skies graced me with an interview for you all. This band is made up of Victor Berrios (vocals), Chris Marshall (guitar and vocals), and Brian Smith (drums). I am so excited to dive into what they are all about!

Click that play button while you read!

Q: Who are some artists or bands that inspire you?

Chris:

I'm a pop punk kid at heart, so Blink -182, Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, etc. But for heavier bands; Misery Signals, Underoath, Poison the Well, Every Time I Die.

Brian:

Growing up, I really liked watching Keith Moon from The Who. He was a wild man on drums and was so unique to watch. I also was a punk rock kid liking Rancid, Alkaline Trio, Blink-182, Millencolin, and then I progressed into heavier bands, which truly inspire me.

Victor:

I would have to say Deftones, Underoath, Glassjaw, Finch, and Inhale Exhale.

Q: What made you decide to start a career in music?

Chris:

I went to my first local show in Atlanta at this venue called Swayzes, I can't think of the band's name, but seeing how they interacted with each other and the crowd made me want to really buckle down, be a better guitarist, and find people that had the same passion.

Brian:

Going to Warped Tour at age 13, I saw all these great bands and said to myself, “That’s what I’m going to do. I’ll be up there one day.”

Victor:

Honestly, I just wanted to be a part of something. I moved to Ohio from Oklahoma when I was a freshman in high school and I didn't know anyone. But I started to hang out with a group of kids that were in bands. I saw how much fun they were having and thought I would do the same.

Q: What brought you together as a band?

Chris:

Brian and I had a mutual friend who threw a house party. We randomly started talking about music and our favorite bands. Turns out, the band I was in after moving back to Toledo from Atlanta was playing his band's last show, so we bonded over that.

A few weeks after the show and when I was no longer in that band, Goodbye Blue Skies’ original vocalist gave me a phone call and asked if I wanted to come jam out with them. It went well.

We started to write some music, but Brian and I weren't clicking with the vocalist and bassist as they wanted to do different things, so our second bassist told us he had a friend he used to jam with, which ended up being Vic. The rest is history and a lot of lineup changes lol.

Q: What is the basic timeline of Goodbye Blue Skies?

Chris:

We started writing music in 2007 but didn't start playing shows until 2008.

Q: What genre is your music and why did you choose to make this type of music?

Brian:

We always have a hard time answering this, but if we have to say a genre, I guess metalcore. I know I picked this type because of how fun it is to play and how energetic it can be!

Victor:

I would say post-hardcore. I never really knew what style I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted it to be aggressive with melodic tones. I love the balance of both sounds.

Q: What is your favorite song to perform?

Chris:

That's a tough one, I'd probably say a toss-up between “Crooks & Cowards” and “Better Days.”

Brian:

I’d probably have to go with "Time Signatures." It’s super fun to play and listen to.

Victor:

I would have to say either “Better Days” or “Sandcastles.”

Q: What is the most influential lyric for you?

Chris:

“No one is perfect, but there's still room to grow” from “Better Days.” Stop living life like you live in a glass house. People make mistakes, but if you learn from them that will only make you a better person in the end.

Victor:

The most influential lyric for me would have to be John Lennon's “Imagine:” "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

This lyric speaks volumes to me. We all have dreams and we should pursue it at all costs because we only have one life, so make the absolute best of it. Tomorrow is never promised.

Q: Is there a venue that you would like to play?

Chris:

Any venue that would want us to play pretty much!

Brian:

Honestly, I’d love to play The Fillmore in Detroit. It’s such an amazing venue and I’ve seen so many of my favorite bands there.

Victor:

The venue I would love to play at would probably be The Fillmore in Detroit. I've seen so many of my favorite artists there that it would be so surreal.

Q: What is your craziest memory together?

Chris:

Vic almost killed us…twice, a bar fight, we almost missed our Warped Tour set, the list goes on.

Brian:

Oh wow…so many! Cleveland. Cleveland every single time. Cleveland is like our city to make the craziest memories! I won’t say too much more!

Victor:

Craziest memory would probably be the time we got into a bar fight in Bay City, Michigan. Totally not our fault, by the way.

Q: What makes you passionate about making music?

Chris:

Just being able to create something you enjoy. I'm not talented at anything else, so writing music is a big passion of mine.

Brian:

Creating something from nothing. Making an emotion with sound. Then seeing others react to what we created whether it be positive or negative. It’s such an amazing and one of a kind feeling.

Victor:

There's no other feeling like playing and creating songs with people who have the same passion and drive as you.

Q: What does the writing process look like for you?

Chris:

It works in a lot of ways. I'll write by myself, demo it out, show the rest of the guys, and we'll work from there letting them put their spin to what I started. We also just sit in a room and write together.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your music/lyrics?

Chris:

Daily events, relationships, stuff like that.

Brian:

Plain and simple everyday life.

Victor:

I get my inspiration mostly from past experiences. Writing helps me deal with those situations. It's like therapy for me.

Q: What is your main goal with music?

Chris:

Just to be able to share our stories with everyone and hope someone out there can relate to what we go through.

Brian:

To create something that others can enjoy and relate to. Also to express myself through music.

Victor:

The main goal is to share our music with as many people as possible. Hopefully, our music helps them as much as my favorite artists did for me.

Q: Do you have anything in store for the future?

Chris:

Playing out more again. We've kind of been on a hiatus and not playing out as much. We look to get back in the swing of things very soon.

Q: Do you have any tips for aspiring musicians?

Chris:

Have fun, don't worry about the social media stats, that will come in time. Just focus on your craft and make sure you're creating with people who are just as passionate as you.

Victor:

Be passionate, respectful, patient, and humble. Have fun, but never lose sight of the big picture.

*Responses have been edited.


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