Page 7 - Black Velvet Issue 95

BV95 pg07 7mih_BV95 pg07 19/12/2017 03:33 Page 1

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 7

wering the door
A An ns swering the door

arlier this year, U.S. pop-punkers 7 Minutes In Heaven (Timmy Rasmussen, Alex Rogers, Justin Mondzak and Brennan
EGilbert) released their ‘Symmetry’ EP. The six-track release is as essential as life. There’s a song on the EP called
‘Cellar Door’, which Alex says is “about the loudness of silence between hearts and minds, not saying enough or feeling you've
said or felt too much when it wasn't your place”. He also says, “It's about letting yourself reach for what you truly want to
the point of screaming into the void waiting for an echo or response.” Well, what we really wanted was to ask the band
some questions – all related to doors – so we got in touch and Alex did the honours.

Black Velvet: Which door have you most en- of this band and music existing and spreading about not only producing the best, but having to
joying walking through since the band has even to one person is a successful day. Real choose our favorites from those.
been in effect? success is as difficult as you make it, it all de-
Alex Rogers: Any door that has lead to a writ- pends how far your heart and mind want you to BV: If we walked through the door into one
ing/recording environment. There’s nothing like go. of your shows, what would we get or experi-
performing, but it’s the writing/recording ence?
process, and the people we’ve been lucky BV: You released your ‘Symmetry’ EP in Sep- AR: Probably a decent amount of noise, but also
enough to open their doors to us that really have tember and have said that it drew on real life an environment of welcoming and enjoyment of
a piece of our heart. Being able to create some- experiences, self-reflection, emotional music. Performing live is the end reason why we
thing from an intangible thought in your mind's hunger and a desire to understand yourself. all do this, so we like to share not just music but
ear can be an intensely enjoyable experience. What doors did it open inside of you? Did emotion amongst everyone at shows.
you uncover anything within yourself that
BV: Have you had any doors slammed in you hadn’t seen or heard before? BV: You’ve toured with bands such as Set It
your face? Has anything positive come from AR: Every new song or record is a long process Off and Metro Station, and taken part in fes-
any negativity? of uncovering something within ourselves or tivals such as Vans Warped Tour and SXSW.
AR: We’ve definitely had our fair share, whether dealing with the world around us, sometimes it How does it feel getting home after a tour
it be touring opportunities not working out, or opens a door in us we’ve been hiding in or and opening the door to your home again?
other avenues and endeavours we’ve chased to dwelling on for too long; ‘Symmetry’ was a And are there any tours that opened a door?
only find fool's gold, but very rarely has it left us strong pull on many doors and it proved to us AR: It’s always slightly surreal getting home
feeling defeated. If anything it has taught us to where we are and the amazing things we are from tour, it never gets easier dealing with
expect to not expect a thing from life, because capable of if only we have the strength and drive home/real life versus touring life, but opening
questioning a question only leads to more, and to make it happen and see it through. the door to home can be a very relieving feeling.
almost 99% of the time something better comes We all miss every tour we’ve been on; I don’t
along, or something very positive comes of the BV: You’ve said that ‘Symmetry’ was the part think any have been less memorable than the
situation later on. 2 to your previous release, ‘Side Effects’. last, but our first 2-month full US tour will always
How did the door from ‘Side Effects’ lead stick out in my mind as the scariest, but every
BV: There’s a quote, ‘The door to success into ‘Symmetry’? day was truly an adventure to remember, and I
may be in front of you, but you still have to AR: Not so much a part 2 but like the “where are would say every tour is a door to a new hallway
open it’. Do you think it’s easy to open the they now” segment of our non-existent reality TV of doors we open and traverse through while on
door to success? Would you say you’ve show. ‘Side Effects’ was a huge achievement for tour meeting many amazing people.
achieved any/much success so far? us as a band, and without the experience we
AR: The hardest part of opening the door to suc- had with that, ‘Symmetry’ could never have ex- Visit www.facebook.com/7mihband for more
cess is the fear that opening one puts a perma- isted. We spent a long time writing and prepar- info.
nent lock on any other doors that existed. ing for a full-length before we knew this would Words By Shari Black Velvet
Success itself takes a meaning for every person be another EP, so going into ‘Symmetry’ we had
Photo By Teri Cwiek
and is constantly changing, but I feel every day songs written we couldn't use, so it became
7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN