By Amahli Vivian
Back in June this year, I interviewed Abbeys Garden, an alternative emo band based in Las Vegas. As they prepare for an upcoming record release, we talked about preparing for live shows, skateboarding, music influences and more!
Abbeys Garden is: David (drums), Jude (guitar/vocals), Liam (guitar/vocals), and Matthew (bass).
Amahli: How did Abbeys Garden form?
Liam: We were all in high school, and we’ve all been friends for so long. David was in a project back then, but I asked him, “Hey could you jam with us? I know you’re busy playing these shows, but we want to make some emo stuff and I think you like it.” The day we jammed and it already felt like it was supposed to happen. But then at the time he [David} went off; he was touring with this other band. Then he left that.
David: Yeah. I was just a fill in drummer for that other band.
Liam: And, our old bassist/drummer started a new project, which is super sick. And then these two dudes joined up and Jude’s to my brother.
Amahli: Is the band name a reference to anything?
Liam: It’s a Beatles reference, sort of. At that time [of coming up with the band name], I thought I was super different.
Amahli: It’s always The Beatles or Nirvana.
Liam: They’re the stepping stones to being cool.
Amahli: They really are. What other music inspirations do you pull from?
Liam: Basically everything. We don’t just listen to the emo adjacent genre. David comes from a super heavy background. And these two dudes too. If you look around the room…
Amahli: [reading sign on the wall] “I love Deathcore.”
Matthew: Shoutout Girl in Glass.
Liam: But yeah, these dudes are in that stuff. David’s super heavy drumming with some…twinkly tones and undertones, which just fit really well. And I like a lot of Radiohead and Jeff Buckley and stuff like that. I love Figurine, Death Cab [For Cutie]. And my brother Jude, same with me, listens to a lot of rap as well. I’m not going to lie, we f*ck with Nettspend.
Matthew: Who’s we?
Liam: We. I’m speaking for all of us (laughs). I really like Rachel Yamagata. For this new record we’re recording, I’m pulling a lot from Rachel Yamagata, especially lyricism and how to phrase sections of songs. I love her.
Amahli: Do you do the songwriting?
Liam: We all do. We go to the rehearsal studio and we just sit down for hours.
David: Jam it out.
Amahli: It’s more collaborative.
Liam: It is. Of course there’s some songs where one of us wrote and it’s like their song. But on this [new] record, we’re all really in-tune with each other.
Amahli: do you record live or is it more of a multi-track process?
Liam: I think it’s multi-track.
Matthew: We record everything separately.
Liam: I wish we could record live. I just don’t think the room is big enough for that. Everything would get muddy.
Amahli: Could you talk a little bit about your new record? As much or as little as you want.
Liam: I’m going to be honest, I think it’s the best thing Abbeys Garden has so far…and it’s not even out yet. It’s a lot different from the old EPs. Took a left turn. It’s a bunch of stuff just mixed into one.
Matthew: I’m really stoked about how it’s coming along so far. I think it’s kind of a different sound. It’s similar enough to the old stuff, but also totally different, if that makes sense.
David: All I can think about it is that it’s different.
Liam: And it is different from the old stuff and it’s going to be a long album. We have a song on there that’s like 17 minutes long.
Amahli: That makes me excited. I feel like long songs are kind of polarizing, but I love a song that’s longer than ten minutes.
Liam: I feel like that’s necessary for an album. And it’s still in the emo circle, but it’s straying away from it a little bit. And I think that’s the direction we’re going to take.
Amahli: Are there songs (released or unreleased) that you’re especially proud of?
Liam: My favorite, right now that we’re recording the first half of the album right now is called “My Machine” and that’s the one that’s 17 minutes long.
David: Mine is probably “War.”
Liam: Oh, yeah! I love it so much. But we’re dropping a single before we drop the album pretty soon.
Amahli: You’re based in Las Vegas. What’s the music scene like over there?
Liam: It’s pretty cool. We would basically say it’s everywhere else that has a scene, but it’s really not. Maybe I’m just saying that because we’re from Vegas and I feel like everyone hates where they’re from. But…it’s really cool. There’s a lot of dope bands right now coming out of Vegas and people are finally noticing Vegas. I think that’s really sweet because there’s a lot of young kids out here who go to shows, and now they’re starting bands, and that’s all what it’s all about. I just like seeing the youth at the shows we play or we go to, and then a month later, the same kids are on a bill.
Amahli: Why do you think that screamo/emo is really having its moment right now? It’s gaining so much traction.
Liam: Wait, when did we talk about this? Last night?
David: Yeah, I think so.
Liam: I think we talked about it last night. I guess history repeats itself. It really does. With everything happening and all these new media pages and platforms, it’s something to really grab onto and really make something of it, especially if you’re not in a band and you’re just a listener. It’s something you really can’t hold on to, which is intimate and every song is intimate. I don’t know how to explain it.
David: It’s definitely coming up. Again.
Liam: Again!
Matthew: I think everything in music always comes back around at some point. Like we were saying with all these new ways to share music.
Liam: It’s reaching everywhere. I remember being in high school listening to this stuff when we’re like 16, and now I’m like, “Wow, that’s crazy.” I remember when VS Self was such a little band, now they’re playing Coachella (laughs). And it’s not just emo and screamo that are getting more recognition. I’ve thrown this word out already, but it’s adjacent genres too. Shoegaze, deathcore, metalcore, all that stuff. Cool stuff is getting the finally light it deserves.
Amahli: It’s just kind of interesting how newer bands will hybridize these genres too. You’re opening for the band Oakwood this October, which is so cool! How did that happen and how are you preparing for it?
Liam: That happened out of nowhere. Their booking agency actually emailed us recently. The email said something about an open show, Oakwood, and October. And I was like, “Is this spam? Is this real?” We worked it out with them, put us on the bill, and it’s kind of nuts. We listened to Oakwood a while back. It’s kind of full circle. We’re preparing, but it is a little out in the future. We’re dialing in this new set for it. Of course, having some older stuff that people like, but we want it to flow through. We used to play a song and there’d be a minute or two intermission. Now we’re just “Bam, bam, bam,” really blocking it. Everyone’s playing with their eyes closed at this point.
Amahli: That’s how you know you’re locked in.
Liam: We’re really excited for that show. It’s in Arizona.
Amahli: What’s it like being on tour?
Liam: Personally, I don’t know anything about touring. But David is actually a touring drummer. We’re lucky to have him.
David: Tour is so fun. There’s something different about just traveling the country and playing music everyday in different places. It’s so silly because you can see different scenes too, rather than just your hometown scene. It’s so sick seeing how different things are, but at the same time it’s all love. I can’t wait to go on tour with these dudes. I’ve known them since high school.
Liam: We’ve been friends since middle school. I think we met when I was 12. We all met from skating and now it’s evolved into this.
Amahli: Do you guys still skate?
David: Here and there.
Liam: I’m pretty washed, but we used to be good. I’m not trying to toot our own horn, but we were solid. I guess if it wasn’t for that [skating], then we wouldn’t be into the music we listen to and have the friends we’re still with. Don’t want to sound too corny, but it really shaped us as people.
Matthew: Yeah, it really did.
This interview has been edited for depth and clarity.