{"id":1913,"date":"2017-06-22T10:10:21","date_gmt":"2017-06-22T10:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/interview-every-time-i-die-wrestling-with\/"},"modified":"2023-01-24T15:47:37","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T15:47:37","slug":"interview-every-time-i-die-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/interview-every-time-i-die-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Every Time I Die – Wrestling With Consistency"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cWe always say \u2018if the thing we\u2019re doing currently isn\u2019t as good as what we just did, then there\u2019s no point in doing it anymore.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/h1>\n

\u201cYesterday we played in the Swiss Alps, and we literally played to a mountain,\u201d<\/i> states Every Time I Die<\/b><\/a> guitarist Andy Williams, as he returns to the Download Festival<\/b> for the third time. \u201cI consider this the big one, but there are no mountains here. They need to step it up,\u201d<\/i> he jokes. While there might not be any mountains on show, he\u2019s surrounded by good company; band mates, old touring buddies and some fellow professional wrestlers. Before talking to Already Heard<\/b> in the press area, Williams was in catering with WWE NXT \u201cSuperstars\u201d Kassius Ohno and Roderick Strong.<\/p>\n

Since forming in 1998, Buffalo, New York\u2019s Every Time I Die<\/b> have to become one of metalcore and hardcore\u2019s most consistent bands, with each album succeeding in quality than the last every time. \u201cTo think our band has been around for 20 years and people are still gloating about our music is pretty rad,\u201d<\/i> says Williams when reflecting on the response the band\u2019s eighth studio album, ‘Low Teens\u2019<\/i>, has received since its release last September. \u201cThat\u2019s something we take pride in. We always say ‘if the thing we\u2019re doing currently isn\u2019t as good as what we just did, then there\u2019s no point in doing it anymore.\u2019 That\u2019s what is keeping us going and the fact that everything we put out, we think is better than what we put out before. Once that doesn\u2019t happen, we\u2019re going to break up.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

It is a credit to Every Time I Die<\/b> that at eight albums deep into their career, they still have a hunger to better themselves, whereas many bands in a similar position would easily \u201cphone it in\u201d and go through the motions of delivering something inconsistent. However, despite their consistency, Williams did experience some doubt as the band ended the touring cycle for ‘From Parts Unknown\u2019<\/i> in late 2015.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe had really bad luck. Keith (Buckley – vocals) had some family issues, and when we were over here the shooting happened at the Bataclan and we cancelled those London shows. That tour we did with Jason [Butler of Letlive.] singing with, and as rad as it was, it felt like we were phoning it in. That\u2019s the first time it has felt like that,\u201d<\/i> Andy tells us. \u201cEvery Time I Die has always been, even though there\u2019s been members come and go, it\u2019s always been me, Keith and Jordan (Buckley – guitar), so to play a show without Keith is really weird. There hasn\u2019t been a show like that since.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Coincidentally, and unfortunately, in the days following our interview, Keith once again had to leave the band and head home to see his daughter, Zuzu, in hospital. While the band continued where possible, fulfilling festival appearances in France and Belgium with members of Trap Them (Ryan McKenney), The Devil Wears Prada (Jeremy DePoyster), While She Sleeps (Loz Taylor) and SHVPES (Griffin Dickinson) taking over vocal duties. All being well, the quintet will be able to soldier on as normal with their remaining plans for the year. First on their agenda is a lengthy US tour supporting emo-rockers Taking Back Sunday. It\u2019s a run that Williams suggests \u201cshould be interesting.\u201d<\/i> They also have a headline Canadian run pencilled in for the Autumn, where they will be joined highly rated hardcore up-and-comers, Knocked Loose.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, Williams hopes to turn his focus to another hobby; professional wrestling. \u201cI\u2019ll be 40 at that time. I\u2019ll officially be an old man wrestling as a rookie,\u201d<\/i> says Andy. Having befriended a wealth of wrestlers during his time on the road, Williams began wrestling in 2014, even making an appearance during Progress Wrestling\u2019s late-night shows at Download in 2015, power bombing Jimmy Havoc through a table. \u201cWe\u2019re friends now. He shows up at London shows and jumps on my shoulders,\u201d<\/i> Williams tells us.<\/p>\n

Since making his debut in 2015, and when Every Time I Die<\/b> haven\u2019t been in the studio or on tour, Williams has been training and wrestling a handful of matches, mostly for Canadian independent promotion, Smash Wrestling. He\u2019s scheduled to wrestle his \u201crival\u201d Braxton Sutter along with Joe Coleman in a tag team match in July. Williams\u2019 partner will be Kevin Blackwood before taking on Sebastian Suave, the owner of Smash Wrestling, the next day. \u201cThat\u2019s going to be pretty interesting, to have the boss in my hands,\u201d<\/i> Andy hints.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you call a match, that is just like writing a song.\u201d<\/em><\/h1>\n

Rock and metal and wrestling has a long history of overlapping one another. From a plethora of band\u2019s music being used on World Wrestling Entertainment\u2019s (WWE) TV programming to music-themed wrestlers, although some of them didn\u2019t turn out too well; for example check out Man Mountain Rock<\/a>. Nevertheless, when it came to stepping into the ring, Williams realised how being a musician benefited his ability to structure a match.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you call a match, that is just like writing a song. You have to have peaks and valleys, and bridges and choruses and stuff like that,\u201d<\/i> explains Andy. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy when I got to understand how to call a match, I realised how close it was to writing a song. It\u2019s so easy now. If I have someone that I\u2019m wrestling and they\u2019re a musician, it\u2019s so cool. I can be like ‘hey man we need a bridge, let\u2019s get to the chorus, let\u2019s get to the breakdown.\u2019 It\u2019s just opened my mind completely to how things are set up and how to work a crowd. It\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

For many wrestling fans, WWE\u2019s annual spring event, WrestleMania is the pinnacle of pro wrestling. And while Williams is yet to step foot in a WWE ring, he found himself in Orlando this past April taking part in one of the many independent wrestling shows taking place over \u201cWrestleMania Weekend\u201d. ‘Joey Janela\u2019s Spring Break\u2019 saw Williams in an inter-gender tag match alongside Penelope Ford defeating Braxton Sutter and Allie. However, as Andy explains that wasn\u2019t always the initial plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy to think about where it went from when I first started talking to Joey about it. He was like ‘hey I need you to be apart of this thing. Will you wrestle Nikolai Volkoff (80\u2019s and early 90\u2019s WWE wrestler)?\u2019 and I said ‘What? You want me to wrestle an 80-year old dude?\u2019 Then Joey asked ‘do you want to wrestle Glacier (90\u2019s WCW wrestler)?\u2019 and I was like ‘No. Just let me bring my guy (Braxton Sutter) down and we\u2019ll wrestle\u2019. It ended up being really rad.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

From speaking to Andy and reading about what happened at ‘Joey Janela\u2019s Spring Break,\u2019 it\u2019s clear this wasn\u2019t your run-of-the-mill indy wrestling show. Most noticeably, the ‘Spring Break Clusterf&*^\u2019 match was just as its title suggest with a host of unique characters and wrestling \u201clegends\u201d of the past appearing. Williams told us about an interesting encounter he had with one of wrestling\u2019s former \u201csuperstars\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat night I got punished by Virgil (80\u2019s and early 90\u2019s WWE wrestler\/signed autograph seller),\u201d <\/i>says Williams with a grin. \u201cHe was backstage telling me ‘if you wanna make money in this business, you\u2019ve got to sell out Madison Square Garden!\u2019 Yeah I\u2019ll get right on that man. I\u2019ll probably just set a show up next week. ‘Madison Square Garden? Go away man!’\u201d<\/i> laughs Andy.<\/i><\/p>\n

From speaking to Andy, it\u2019s clear he\u2019s not just a big guy looking to wrestle for fun. He\u2019s a genuine, longtime fan. During our talk, he speaks highly on a host of British wrestlers who are making a name for themselves in both America and Japan. \u201cThe kids coming out of England is fucking insane,\u201d<\/i> he says, while name checking the likes of Jimmy Havoc, Joe Coffey, Wolfgang (\u201cI like the fact that he looks like an old 90\u2019s wrestler\u201d), Zack Gibson, and El Ligero. Williams also comments on the current WWE United Kingdom Champion, Birmingham\u2019s Pete Dunne.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the one punch cutoff he does. I went to BOLA (PWG\u2019s Battle of Los Angeles) last year and he wrestled Mandrews (Junior\u2019s Mark Andrews), and Mandrews came off the top and he [Pete] hit with that punch. I remember that more than Lucha Bros (Penta el Zero M and Rey Fenix) doing the coolest shit against each other, but that match [Pete Dunne vs Mark Andrews] was one of the best I\u2019ve ever seen in my life.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

When it came to asking Andy about his favourite matches of the year so far, there was only one match that instantly came to mind. \u201c[Kazuchika] Okada and [Kenny] Omega (at New Japan Pro Wrestling\u2019s ‘Wrestle Kingdom\u2019 event) was insane. I don\u2019t give a fuck what anyone says. That match was great. I wouldn\u2019t say it was perfect, but it was great.\u201d<\/i> Within 24 hours of talking with Andy, Okada and Omega delivered a 60 minute broadway draw.<\/p>\n

As for Williams and Every Time I Die<\/b>, they\u2019re sure to fight through everything that has been thrown at them so far and continue to be one of the scene\u2019s most beloved bands.<\/p>\n