Page 15 - Black Velvet Issue 85

BV85 pg14,15,16,17:BV85 pg15 13/06/2015 02:41 Page 2

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 15
One Of thOSe StrayS

music really. My dad’s record collection is a on stage with people is what built my confi- up in the same exact scene. So we essentially
vast, eclectic collection of albums. My dad was dence over time. It was a very self-conscious, started at the same exact time and then out of
born in Liverpool so growing up I grew up on surreal thing that happened between 18 – 21 nowhere we both got record deals at the same
The Clash and Sex Pistols and then he got me of touring and playing in bands. That’s where I exact time. At the time Mike definitely wanted
into classical music and introduced me to got my confidence. It was the one thing in my to stay with us, but we realized that our touring
Tchaikovsky and Mozart and then he intro- life that I felt confident about – playing and writ- schedules were going to start getting very hec-
duced me to rock ‘n’ roll like Led Zeppelin and ing music and getting on stage. That essen- tic and it was going to be very hard to have
Rolling Stones. He was always so cool, playing tially saved my life, really.” both bands going, so I told Mike many, many
such a vast amount of music. Growing up with- His first band was Underminded, which moons ago that I wanted him to stay with his
out him there’s no way I would have the taste also featured cousin Mike Fuentes on drums. brother because I knew it was important to him
of music that I have now if it wasn’t for him. It’s “We started a band when he was still in high and his family. So at the time we just had a
so cool – he still comes out to shows when we school and I was as well,” says Nick. “I was clean break and we said, “Hey, enjoy being
play locally, he’s always wearing our merchan- around 17 or 18 and at the time he was 15 or with your brother and doing what you’ve got to
dise. I can tell he’s very, very proud of me and 16 years old. We started a band and Vic do and we’ll go on our own journey,” and that’s
that means the world to me at the end of the started his other band in the same household. what we did.”
day.” It was in Mike’s room. There was this little Of course Mike has stayed with Vic to this
closet of a room, it just had a drum set, an amp day – and the brothers are now reaping suc-
hen Nick stepped onto the stage for and a mattress and that was really what his cess with Pierce The Veil.
Wthe first time he was terrified. “I was room was and that’s where we started all of our
taking speech classes in high school,” he tells bands.” ick meanwhile has joined Sleeping
Black Velvet, looking back. “When I first started Mike eventually left to play in the same NWith Sirens after being a member of
playing in bands my biggest fear was getting band as Vic though. Nick explains, “What hap- D.R.U.G.S., the band fronted by Craig Owens,
in front of a crowd. I never felt that my person- pened was, Vic was actually in another band previously of Chiodos. Black Velvet asks Nick
ality was developed at that point. Of course I that Mike wasn’t in, and then Vic started a punk how he first met Kellin, Justin, Gabe and Jack
was very fearful of what people would think of rock band which at the time was called Early of Sleeping With Sirens.
me or say to me. I was not confident, I was Times and it was crazy how both of our bands, “I met them many years ago when they
very scared. But being in a band and getting we were both from San Diego, we kind of grew were still starting out,” he reveals. “My buddy

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS