Before their performance, Ryan and Tommy of Automatic Loveletter meander around the parking lot, looking exhausted and a little bit nervous. When they are stopped for an interview, their spirits seem to instantly perk up. Employing a tag team retort, they alternate in giving me answers.
Are you guys really exhausted now that Warped Tour is almost over?
Tommy: Yes! It’s been extremely progressive; we’ve made a lot of progress. Warped Tour has to be the hardest tour in the world.
Ryan: Our bus driver, Bobby, always say that this tour is the hardest to do, and he drives the Allman Brothers! This guy has been around; he’s driven for Marilyn Manson and a bunch of people.
What was your favorite part of Warped this year?
Ryan: Scranton, Pennsylvania was awesome. It was in the valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. Great venue, great people, huge Warped Tour.
Tommy: Remember New Mexico? With the huge mountain range?
Ryan: That was gorgeous.
Tommy: And yesterday in Chula Vista, there was a huge mountain range as well.
I take it you’re mountain enthusiasts. Have you caught any acts here that you were surprised you like?
Ryan: There were a few bands that, not so much I was surprised that I like, but I just liked more than I thought I would.
Tommy: There were lots of bands I’ve never heard of and I was totally like, “Wow”!
You don’t say? Like whom?
Ryan: Like iwrestledabearonce.
Tommy: They were amazing. Closure in Moscow.
Ryan: Fake Problems were fantastic.
Tommy: AM Taxi is really good. There is a laundry list of bands that made me think, “Wow, there is some good ass music out here.”
Ryan: But that’s the cream that rose to the top.
Cool. Did you guys go to the Warped Tour when you were a kid?
Tommy: Yeah, are you kidding me? I’ve been to like three different shows.
And you, Ryan?
Ryan: Like, eight.
What are your plans with the band after the tour?
Tommy: We get a month off to chillax. Then we plan on going into the studio for some pre-production stuff. Just demos. After that we’re touring in the Fall and into the Winter, nonstop around the U.S. We’ll be in Japan, Europe, America. When we get back early 2011 we’ll go into the studio for real.
Do you have material already written?
Tommy: We write on the bus.
Ryan: We probably have half the record done.
And what is that going to sound like?
Tommy: “Heart Song” is the general direction we’re going in. It’s the single for our new record. We made a new music video for it. It’s a simplistic dirty rock n’ roll song. Within the same vein as White Stripes or Joan Jett with a little more pop appeal.
Sounds good. Automatic Loveletter, I’m excited for your performance today. Good luck!
Photos by Pamela Lin
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