The Slow Forward (Metal/Progressive Rock)

The Slow Forward
Posted Apr 25, 2007.


Rob-Guitar, lead vox
Jay- Bass, vox
Splinter-Drums

What is your website?
www.theslowforward.com

What is your myspace?
www.myspace.com/theslowforward

What gave you the idea for your band name?
Jay- “Well the name actually came to me in a dream.”
Rob- “Yeah, jay came up with the name itself; but if your askin what it means that’s a bit debatable. Personally, I think it’s a metaphor for life itself or humanity on a whole. A slow progression forward, ya know? But we like people to draw their own meaning from it.

If you had to pick the best venue to play at, what would it be?
Jay- “We’ve all been playing music one way or another for the last decade or so and played a lot of places, but for me I’d say The Glasshouse is my favorite.
Rob- “Absolutely. The sound is unparallel and the crowd is always going crazy.”

When, Where and How was your first show?
Rob- “ As for us, we’ve only been doing The Slow Forward for about a year. I think our first show was at a bar called The Backalley in downtown Fullerton.
We knew from the get go the further that we got from main streamhardcore/metal/rock,the longer our path would be, but that first night was I realized we were doing something right. Everyone in that bar loved it. It was very encouraging.

No matter who you are, there is always a band that you look up to and would love to open for, who would that be?
Jay- “ Well the majority of bands I love are long gone, but if I had to pick a band I’d probably say Isis.”
Rob- “ I would love to tour with Poison The Well, that new record is amazing”

What makes you want people to listen to your music?
Rob- “At the end of the day we write music for us. For personal therapy. We put music out in the hopes that people might use it to get through their lives the same way we do. “
Jay- “Our music is pure creativity and honesty. We play exactly what we want to without a single thought as to whether people will love or not. We put our souls
into this, that’s why I think people should check it out.”

What inspires most of your lyrics?
Rob- “I write about 90% of all the lyrics. They mostly come from my personal experience. I just write about what I feel. The late night drunken ramblings of a psydo-itellectual, haha”

How did your band together?
Rob- “We had all been playing in different bands off and on. Eventually all the suckas fell by the way side and we started jamming together.”
Jay- “We’ve tried writing music with other people but it just doesn’t work out. The three of us is the only way this can exist.”

When was your band formed?
Rob- “Around new years eve, 2006. We’re still a very young band.
Where do you think that your band will be in 5 years?
Jay- “Spain.”
Rob- “Hahaha, I don’t think that’s what they meant dude. I would like to see us touring, with a few albums under our belt. I really wanna get out to Europe and Japan.”

What do you think its going to take to get there?
Jay- “Money we aint got! Haha. Seriously though, we have every confidence that there are people who there who can relate to what we’re doing and really love it. I truly believe we just need to get the music to our audience and the rest will take care of itself.”

Where have you been playing lately and how has your response been?
Rob- “Ohhh yes. We’ve played 25 shows in the last 12 months. They’re all mostly dive bars, but screw it you gotta start somewhere, right? haha actually we've played the House of Blues a few times, and The Alley. The response is always good. Not everyone gets it, in fact some people hate it, but those that are enlightened enough to recognize, love it”

Do you have any upcomming shows?
Rob-“ We’re about to go into the studio to record our first full length album(!) So our gigs are mostly right near home in Fullerton:
May 4th @ Tropics
May 5th @ The Fender Bar
May 19th @ The Backalley

Do you have any advice to starting bands?
Jay- “Stop now, haha”
Rob- “I dunno man. My only advice would be just to be as original as possible. Always remember that what we do this for is fun.”

What is the best thing about music?
Rob- “To quote Bob Marley, one good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

Is their anything you want to see happen thru/to music in the future?
Jay-“ Get back to the basics.”
Rob-“Oh yea, I’d love to see the ancient corporate record labels die off, let the era of the independents begin!Also I wish I could see people in general just get back to judging music on emotion/feeling/skill/love and not on image.”

What do you think about UFOs?
Jay-“To dismiss the possibility is ignorant. We have no true idea of the actual depth of the universe’s possibilities.”
Rob-“Absolutely. This reality we live in so vast, it’s really not a question of them existing.”

What would you say to a kid who has no faith in himself?
Rob-“Remain Zen my friend. Energy must find a path. All life is energy, including you. You too will find your path.”

Anything you would like to say to your fans reading this interview?
Jay- “Take you vitamins.”
Rob-“If you haven’t burned our demo for every person you know, I am thoroughly disappointed, haha”

What do you guys do on the road to keep busy?
Rob-“Smoke a lot, honk at hot chicks, listen to lamb of god and tool.”

Do you have any advice to bands about to go on their first tour?
Jay- “Save money and stay home!”
Rob- “No, dude. Just know that your gonna lose cash the first few times out. Oh yea, don’t depend on selling merch for gas money to the next show… it doesn’t work out. Trust us.”

How did you come up with the title of your latest album "Trajectory"?
Jay- “It comes from an old Fugazi lyric.”
Rob- “Yea, we all kinda liked the sound of it. Plus it implies movement and direction, and that’s what we’re we at right now, just gettin started.”

Has it gotten any radio play?
Rob-“No because we haven’t started recording it yet haha.”
Jay- “Why? Can you hook that up??”

Where can we get it?
Rob-“ We are doing a joint venture with our label (Fevered Egos Records) and another label, so the album will be fully distributed online and of course you will always be able to buy it at our website www.theslowforward.com .”


What do you want people to get out of listening to "Trajectory"?
Jay- “Whatever they find.”
Rob- “A connection. With us, with themselves, with their 3rd eye, with the world, whatever. Just as long as they feel something from it."

What do you think of Big Smile?
Rob-“You’re the first one to ever give us an interview, I think you guys kick some serious GRASS!”
Jay-"Good work. Keep it real.