Could you give our readers a quick introduction (who you are, your role in the band, and a little bit about you)?
Travis: Vocals, I am 20 years old, and I hate when people say “itch” instead of “scratch,” like “itch my bug bite” instead of “scratch my bug bite.” I HATE it.
Alex: Guitar, I’m afraid of bees.
Matt: Bass, my favorite color is yellow right now.
Logan: Drums, my favorite shape is a square.
Seth: Guitar, afro boy.
Where are you guys from, and how long have you been a band?
Travis: We are from Portland, Maine. We started this group under a different name and released a couple songs under that, so if you account for that we’ve been a band for a little over a year, but as Patchwork it’s only been a few months.
What inspired you guys to form Patchwork?
Travis: Alex and Matt are brothers, and I met Alex our sophomore year of high school and just immediately clicked — mostly from just having such similar music tastes. We bonded over our aspirations to play in bands ourselves, and that was really the start of putting together a project together.
“What You Wanted” is the first single off this EP; could you tell us a little about it, and what it means to the band?
Travis: “What You Wanted” is about watching a loved one struggle with their mental health to the point that they completely spiral, make bad choices, and push people completely out of their life. It also touches on how to that can affect you; how badly it hurts to not only watch someone struggle, but also feeling betrayed, and how it can just make you feel like you’re not enough and you’re not worth someone to stick around for.
What are some of your influences/inspirations for this EP, but also in general as artists?
Travis: Musically, we wanted to be more guitar-driven and a little rougher around the edges. It kinda feels like a lot of bands are getting softer and lighter, which is cool, but we knew we wanted to stand out a little more and do something a little different. Specific bands I think had influence over us are Mayday Parade, Sum 41, and Waterparks. We listened to a lot of Katy Perry as well so who really knows what came out where.
You’ve been working with Blake from Oh, Weatherly, what has that been like?
Travis: Blake’s incredible. He was super patient with us, and really helped us get some of the ideas we couldn’t find out into the world. He really inspired us to step up, take control, and just believe in ourselves and our abilities.
What does this EP mean for the next chapter of the band?
Travis: Hopefully we can start putting more pieces together, more shows, maybe small tours. Overall, it’s just another stepping stone to get where we’re trying to be. We don’t want to be a band that’s just minorly successful and after a few years of popularity fade off into obscurity; we want the world, and this is just a small step in getting there.
What are you most looking forward to with the EP release coming up?
Travis: I think we’re just looking forward to people really hearing us and our stories. We’re really hoping these songs can connect with people and help them through anything they’re going through. These songs are very honest and personal for us, and hopefully people like them.
If you could pick anyone to tour with, who would it be and why?
Matt: One band we have all dreamt of touring with is As It Is. All of their shows are high-energy, and they are just an amazing live band.
Travis: As It Is would be fire — I’ve been following them since the very first song. Right now, though, I’d literally kill someone to tour with Mariana’s Trench.
Do you guys have a favorite song right now?
Travis: Right now I’m really enjoying The Faim’s album State Of Mind; I really love the track “Infamous”.
Matt: Hands down favorite song right now is “High Definition” by Waterparks.
Alex: The whole Phantoms album by Marianas Trench was killer. If I had to pick one, “Your Ghost” would probably be my favorite.
Seth: “We Belong” by Pat Benatar. I really like the build of this song, and of course, the guitar part.
Logan: Suffer On by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal is really good.
If people could take one thing or message from your music after listening to it, what would you want it to be?
Travis: If we could have people take away one thing from us, it’s that it’s always better to just be yourself. Don’t pretend, don’t fake it, people see through it, nor is it beneficial for yourself. I’ve spent so long trying different things and changing who I was to appeal to people and it got me nowhere, and left me more confused and bitter than anything. Love yourself and take care of yourself.
Matt: One thing I definitely want people to take away from our music is that it’s okay not to be okay. Everybody has hard times and challenges, and that’s not something that you should be ashamed of. I really want our music to help people going through those hard times, and help show them that everything’s gonna be alright in the end.
Alex: I just really want this to motivate people to pick up the pieces, and to reach out for help if they need it. I want people to feel not alone in this.
You can stream “What You Wanted” here. Make sure to give the band a follow so you can hear more about their upcoming EP!
