Ixion: Who am I speaking to, and what do you do in the band?
Adam: I'm Adam and I sing for Absolve.
Ixion: How did Absolve form?
Adam: Well, it's quite the story actually. I used to sing for a band called Trustfall. I did so for about 2 and a half years up until September of 2000. At this point me and my previous band mates parted ways because of personal differences. In order to keep their band going however, they needed a new singer, so they had the singer for another local band, Particle, join them. Particle's guitar player also went along for the ride. About a month later I was at a Colepitz show in Boston and I ran into Particle's drummer, Heath. We got to talking about our respective situations and we decided that the remaining members of Particle and I should join forces and "build something new out of the ashes" so to speak. So me, Heath and their bass player Paul started jamming. We started looking for a guitar player right away. We tried out a few which were all horrible, so as soon as Matt came down a few weeks later we were blown away and we knew he was the man for the job.
Ixion: What type of crowd do you normally play out to?
Adam: I don't really know what you mean by "type", but I guess the "type" of crowd we play to are kids who care enough about music to go looking for new bands on their own without radio and mtv shoving it down their throats. These are kids whose lives revolve around music, and it's always amazing playing in front of them.
Ixion: How would you describe your music?
Adam: I'd describe it as Heavy Rock that floats in the same waters as bands like Boy Sets Fire, Glassjaw, Sevendust, Grade, etc.
Ixion: Since the release of, "The Anxiety of Influence" you've recorded a few additional songs. Will those songs be available to the public?
Adam: Yes, in one way or another.
Ixion: Do you plan to include those recordings in any future releases?
Adam: Possibly. We had an itch to go back and record, so we went back in and did 4 new songs. Those sessions turned out great, but we already have an e.p. out and we want our next release to be a full length. So if they don't end up on a compilation or something, they'll probably be on our next CD after we get a little more time in the studio.
Ixion: What are the songs "Contingency Theory of Leadership" and "Concept of One" about?
Adam: I don't wanna be that guy who says "It's up to your interpretation" but I really do prefer that people take from my lyrics what they want to take. That said, I will say this: Contingency Theory is about being afraid of disappointing someone, but at the same time resenting that fear. Concept of One is about giving up. It's about someone I know, someone very selfish. If you read the lyrics carefully, you'll know what it's about.
Ixion: What are the bands current plans?
Adam: Our current plans are to keep on rockin the North East. We're just playin whatever shows we can get on, getting the name out about our band. I'd like to have our full length out by summer.
Ixion: Label status?
Adam: Labels? We'll see what happens. Right now we're just enjoying ourselves, playing music we love. I think far too often indie bands focus so much on "trying to get signed" that they forget to enjoy what's happening around them. We'd obviously love to get our music out there to more ears, but I'm happy to take it step by step.
Ixion: Over the summer you played a date of Warped Tour. How was that experience?
Adam: It was a great time. It was a great opportunity to reach some people that would've never heard our music. We were outside in the warm weather, we had a bunch of our friends there, I couldn't have asked for much more.
Ixion: Any lasting memories from that day?
Adam: Yes actually. I got to talk to Kyle from Grade for a little while. They're probably the closest thing I have to a "favorite band" so I really enjoyed that.
Ixion: Will you be playing any Warped Tour dates this coming summer?
Adam: Probably not, but we'll see.
Ixion: As far as the musical process goes, do you do anything else besides singing?
Adam: I do play guitar and I've written some of our songs, but the whole thing is collaborative. We all put our ideas out there and our primary goal is to write a great song.
Ixion: Absolve... how did you come about choosing that name, and what does it mean to you?
Adam: It came about after a long search for an appropriate name. First off, absolve is a very powerful word. It's just strong, short and to the point. I really liked that. Secondly, it's meaning: "to cleanse from sin", shouldn't imply that we're a religious band, but the "cleanse" piece of the definition really struck a chord with me. Considering what had happened just prior to forming with our previous bands, I thought it was appropriate.
Ixion: A couple months ago I purchased "The Anxiety of Influence" ep, and it was definitely worth it... for those who may be less familiar, how could one go about purchasing the album?
Adam: You can get the CD from us at shows, as well as through our website at AbsolveMusic.com. We have it set up so you can order it with a credit card through Wonderdrug Records if you so choose, or send a check or whatever.
Ixion: Absolve recently opened up a street team. What does Absolve as a band hope to accomplish with the street team, and what are some of the goals you're setting for the teamers?
Adam: We're really just looking to get the name out there, as well as get the word out about our shows. We have some really amazing fans who were always emailing about us getting a street team together, so I figured now was a good time. One problem I found was that when we played in places outside of Boston directly, people just didn't know about the shows unless they were on our mailing list. The Street Team will help to get the word out with flyers and what not in cities that we just can't make it out to personally to promote.
Ixion: Are there, or will there be any incentives for the teamers?
Adam: Yes there will be. Those who really put an effort in will definitely get some cool stuff from us. We have lots of love for those who want to help us, and we're all about showing that. I don't want to say what exactly they'll be getting, but it'll be cool.
Ixion: Any final words?
Adam: How about a "What UP?!" to everyone reading this who is a fan of our band. Thanks for supporting us guys. We love you.
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