When you begin to listen to Pastimes, you may think, "Ah, just another pop/punk band with too many emotions." But soon, after a sea of catchy riffs and hard hitting drum fills, you get punched in the face by vocalist Adam Comer's voice, and you feel all of it. Pastimes, hailing from Danvers, Massachusetts, has been writing songs for years but just recently released their first EP "I Wish I Could Change." It is four songs of head banging, heart-tugging punk rock. I was fortunate enough to talk with the boys from Pastimes to hear about their adventures.
Who does what in Pastimes?
Adam Comer plays guitar and sings, Adam Spaziani plays bass, Chris Ponder plays guitar and Jericho Grillo plays drums.
How did Pastimes come to be?
Adam Comer: Adam and I have been jamming for years now. Throughout those years, we always knew we wanted to play in a band but we had no one to play with until we met Ponder through a mutual friend (I'm looking at you, Mikey). We wrote and released our first EP without a drummer because finding one around where we are was apparently impossible. We put out "I Wish I Could Change," and then Jericho hit us up wanting to try out. He came out, we instantly clicked and here we are now.
What made you guys want to play music in a band?
Adam Comer: Growing up going to shows was sick and had a huge impact on us. We all knew this is what we wanted to do.
Adam Spaziani: We all share a love and passion for music and writing songs. It's what got us started and what keeps us going.
Who are your main influences musically?
Adam Comer: We try to pull influences from a lot of different kinds of music. Collectively we like Such Gold, Crucial Dudes, Knuckle Puck, Rage Against the Machine, Blink 182, Gnarwolves, Title Fight, Transit, Rush and the list goes on.
You guys have been playing around Massachusetts recently. Any good stories from shows?
Adam Comer: We've played two shows. We're new here. No stories ... yet.
Any pre-show rituals?
Adam Comer: Pray to our dude, Fred Durst. He's what got us here.
Adam Spaziani: RIP Fred Durst, killed by obscurity.
You guys just released your first EP "I Wish I Could Change," recorded at Bridge East Studios working with John Dello Iacono. What were some themes behind those songs? How was working with John?
Adam Comer: First off, John was great. We had a ton of fun with that dude, and he's super easy to work with. He's a f*cking wizard. As for the songs, they are really just about shit that happened to me in the past and me reflecting on it, having regrets and trying to move forward.
If you guys could play a dream show opening up for three bands, who would be on the bill?
Adam Comer: Nickelback, Korn and Limp Bizkit headlining.
What's your favorite spot to eat on the North Shore, Massachusetts?
Adam Comer: Charlie's Roast Beef in Middleton. It's super close and tasty, but a close second would be Uncle Benny's in Haverhill.
Chris Ponder: Honestly, New Deal Fruit in Revere is good.
What are the pros/cons of being in Pastimes?
Adam Spaziani: Pros: Being able to do what we love and write music that we enjoy playing. Cons: Social Networking. Half of us don't even know what Twitter is.
Chris Ponder: One more con: coming home deaf from every practice.
Any future plans? Where can I catch the next Pastimes show?
Adam Comer: Our new EP is being mixed as we speak by Daniel Florez over at Getaway Recording Studio, so that's something to look for. Other than that, we will be doing some small tours this summer and playing as many shows as we can. Come hang.
Any shout-outs?
Adam Comer: Toluca Lake. Those dudes are rad. They got us on our first show. Dan Florez for recording our band, Erick Droegmoeller for managing our band, Fred Durst for being the backbone of our band and anyone that has given us a listen, bought a CD, or come hung out at a show. It means a lot to us. Thank you.
Also, thanks for taking the time to interview us!
