Times have been super busy for Make Do And Mend. They’ve just finished recording their new album, been part of an absolutely stellar tour across mainland Europe and were in the middle of a UK tour with Set Your Goals when we spoke to them.
The band’s debut album ‘End Measured Mile’ received great critical acclaim and helped expose the band to a much wider audience, being a truly genuine and passionate modern punk band that earned them well deserved support slots, most notably with Hot Water Music, another punk band for another generation. ‘Everything You Ever Loved’ is the band’s latest album and first through new label Rise Records, out today.
Already Heard spoke to the James and Matt Carroll about that aforementioned tour, working with Rise Records and unfortunate comparisons to Nickelback.
Already Heard: You’ve just come back from Europe recently and that was with Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats and Set Your Goals. How was that?
James: It was awesome. Yeah, it was really good. We’ve toured obviously with Set Your Goals before but didn’t really know the guys in Cancer Bats that well, didn’t really know the guys in Every Time I Die that well. It was awesome just like, good hangs, good shows.
AH: I can imagine it being like, a really insane live show as all of you are pretty energetic…
James: Yeah!
Matt: No matter how energetic any of us are ETID still blows everyone out of the water
James: It’s like before the tour we were talking about it like ‘alright, we should really try to you know, try to step it up a little bit ETID brings it every single night. It’s just every time they’d come out they’d top the last night.
AH: And now you’re back over here with Set Your Goals, Spy Catcher and Hildamay. How’s that been?
James: Awesome. Yeah, another situation just touring with great bands which is something we get to do very often but yeah, show’s been great.
AH: We’re here now in Kingston but this weekend you’ve got Slam Dunk Festival. Are you looking forward to that?
Matt: Really looking forward to it, yeah. Always heard good things about the festival. It’s weird, like, I’m really stoked to be doing these shows in the UK but everyone who’s going to the shows is also going to Slam Dunk so it’s like, everyone who’s going to the shows is like ‘Awww, I can’t wait for Slam Dunk! Fuck yeah!’ So I feel like it’s a festival that kids are excited to go to.
AH: Yeah, there’s always such a like, positive vibe and the atmosphere is so like… amazing! And everyone’s up for it…
Matt: It’s a good line up.
AH: Yeah.
Matt: I’m looking forward to it.
AH: Who are you looking forward to seeing? Any British bands maybe?
Matt: Funeral For A Friend.
James: Gonna watch Funeral For A Friend. Wanna see Gallows a lot. Saw them in the states not too long ago but we definitely want to see them over here on their own turf. I wanna watch Motion City Soundtrack. I know they’re not a British band but they’re one of my favourite bands.
Matt: I’m stoked to see Taking Back Sunday.
AH: I think everyone is really!
Matt: Yeah, I haven’t seen them in a long time. I remember when James and I went to see them when we were like, 14 in high school and I was like so fucking stoked and I don’t think I’ve seen them since so it’s gonna be a cool throwback.
James: Sharks, Sharks. A brilliant UK band.
AH: Rise label mates aren’t they? How’s Rise going then? How’s that working out?
James: Perfect.
AH: There’s a lot of similar bands like you guys, Hot Water Music and their new album really kicks butt.
Matt: It’s unreal.
AH: It’s so good and Rise are really doing something like, really good for the punk scene I think.
James: Well you know it’s a matter of a label being run by hardworking conscientious people and that’s sort of the bottom line of it like, they’re the most sort of straight ahead, straight forward thinking people you could ever work with and they work real hard on it. I think we are on the same page as them.
AH: We spoke to Man Overboard not long ago and they were saying the same thing you know like, there’s a really good work ethic, stuff like that and that’s all for the new album as well. Is that all finished now?
Matt: Yep.
James: All done.
AH: And we’ve had the new song ‘Lucky’ out a week, two weeks ago now. How’s that been going live? Has that been received quite well?
James: Yeah, they seem to be… I think it’s fairly positive reviews as with any new stuff, I think subject to people’s pre-conceived notions and that often skew how you listen to things, which is completely understandable but I think er… So I think for the most part people dig it. Definitely heard some funny er… some funny two cents that people seem to have but…
AH: What, like negative stuff?
James: Oh yeah! For sure.
AH: Really?!
James: Yeah. People are saying we sound like Nickleback now.
AH: Oh no…
James: That we’ve sold out. And clearly I mean… we’re rolling in the money.
Matt: You see, the problem is, I wish that when kids started calling you sellouts you actually started making money. That’d be really awesome so like *clicks fingers* as soon as they call you sellouts money just like, flies from the sky. That’d be awesome. If only these kids knew that I struggle to pay my rent every month then they might redefine the word sellout.
AH: So, the new album is out June 19th and do you have maybe, any tours or shows to support that?
James: We’re back, we play one show in London in September with a band called La Dispute, with a band called Title Fight and a band called Into It. Over It. all from the states and it’s going to be fucking awesome.
AH: That’s such a good line up. And that’s going to mainland Europe? There’s no plans to bring it here, like, a full run of UK dates?
James: I think London is the only UK show?
Matt: London is the only UK show.
AH: Anything else to add?
Matt: Check out the new album, out June 19th.
‘Everything You Ever Loved’ by Make Do And Mend is out on the 19th June through Rise Records.
