So with COVID-19 fresh in the air and Guardrail pushing their new EP “YIKES”. It was the perfect opportunity for me to catch up with Kevin the singer for a quick 10 question written interview. We had a good chat check it out below:
Why did you name your next EP “YIKES”?
The overall theme of the EP is approaching age 30 in this day and age. "Yikes" is a word that's passed along in our group of friends all the time and it seemed to really sum up the feeling of the EP.
How many songs are on “YIKES”?
The overall theme of the EP is approaching age 30 in this day and age. "Yikes" is a word that's passed along in our group of friends all the time and it seemed to really sum up the feeling of the EP.
What is your favorite song off this EP and why?
It's hard to choose honestly, it seems to change everyday. Currently I'd probably say "Shipwrecked". It has one of my favorite vocalists Garret Rapp from The Color Morale doing vocals on the bridge, and it's just an intense song that lyrically really seems to hit home with everything currently going on in the world.
What was your favorite part recording this EP?
Working with Nick Diener (The Swellers) is overall a great experience. He's a great dude, he immediately became a great friend. He truly cares about the music, and he really helped make these songs the best they could be. The Swellers was a great band and they didn't write a bad song in my opinion, so it was great getting to pick his brain and create with him.
How long was the writing and recording process?
Well we spent months writing these songs. Some of them stemmed from ideas we had laying around for years, others were completely fresh and new. We wrote and demoed out the songs ahead of time, then spent 6 days with Nick up at Oneder Studios. The first day we just went over each demo and heard what ideas Nick had for each one. Some of them didn't change much at all, others changed drastically.
Who inspired you to come up with the lyrics and songs off the EP?
I will say that Jaret Reddick from Bowling For Soup really inspired me this time around. We actually opened for his solo show here in Chicago in February 2019, and his set was around 2 hours including songs and stories. I love how he lets his personality into his songs, and I wanted to try and do more of that while writing from now on. Those who know us personally know that we're silly fun-loving people but we also really give a shit about mental health and social issues, so attacking those topics with a smile always helps. I also love throwing references to movies and songs that I love in the lyrics. On the EP, I have nods to Christmas Vacation, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Ramones, Bouncing Souls, and more.
What was your favorite part about recording the video for
“Til We’re Dead”?
We filmed the video in early June. It was the first time we were all in the same place since our last show on March 12th due to the pandemic. So getting together to create something felt like a breath of fresh air.
What is next on the agenda for Guardrail?
We're currently working on a full-length record, which will be released sometime next year via Open Your Ears Records. Hopefully we can play shows again next year, we're stoked to actually play these new songs on stage and play out in places other than Chicago.
Where can your fans check your music out?
We're on all the major streaming platforms. We have more music in our back catalog as well that you can check out!
Anything you would like your fans to know?
We're grateful for all the support with this record so far, and we can't wait to see you (hopefully) soon! Until then, we'll be trying to do what we can to stay in contact. Livestreams, Twitch, social media, anything we can do.
As Always Support the Local Music scene at the following links below.
Guardrail Is:
Kevin, Ken, Alyssa & Doug
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