Live Mic Records is continuing to show off Long Island’s immense musical talent. Today, Alternative/Emo band, Off Guard was announced as the most recent band to sign on with the label! Check out our interview with Off Guard below!
Band Members:
Matt Weiss (Vocals), Tyler Embry (Vocals/Bass), Matt Becker (Guitar, Vocals), Nick Kolokathis (Drums)
Genre:
Alternative / Emo
When/How did Off Guard first begin?
We have all been playing music together for almost seven years now. Off Guard was formed in 2017 after writing multiple songs together and realizing we wanted to take our music and performance to the next level.
What/who do you consider influences for Off Guard?
We draw a lot of inspiration from early Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy. Say Anything, Mayday Parade and Foo Fighters are also big influences for us.
What is the inspiration behind the music? Can you share a little on the writing/recording process?
A lot the inspiration comes from our personal life experiences, including relationships and mental health. We usually start writing all of our songs on just an acoustic guitar. After self recording some ideas, we bring them to our producer/engineer Matt Lagattuta.
What do you feel is the best song you’ve ever released? Why?
Matt W – I feel that ‘Lights’ is the best song we’ve ever released because we put so much emotion into the writing/recording process and I feel that the lyrics really resonated with people.
Tyler – ‘Tension’ – This song has a lot of memories behind it. I can remember where and when every line was written. This is the one everyone shouts back and there’s no greater feeling to me than that.
Matt B – ‘Caught in the Rain’ – I feel like it hits people on an emotional level and gives them something to connect to while also having a great overall dynamic from soft to heavy.
Nick – ‘Bounce House’ – Jumpy song with technical beats and instruments that gets crowds rowdy.
If the band could cover any song live, regardless of genre, what would it be?
The Box by Roddy Ricch
What is your funniest tour memory?
Probably when we managed to pack Nick’s entire drumset into his Kia Soul and then drove to Jersey clown car style.
If you could have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
We’d want our fans to remember the heart, soul and charismatic energy we put into our music and live shows.
You recently joined the Live Mic Records roster. What about this label made you want to make the jump?
We really wanted to take our career as a band to the next level and when we were offered the opportunity, we had faith that Live Mic Records would help us get there.
What can fans expect from Off Guard within the coming months?
Fans can expect a lot of new music, tour dates, videos, merch, and much more from us within the coming months. Stay tuned!
Any final words?
THANK YOU to our family, friends and supporters for helping us get to where we are now! We can’t wait to show you what’s in store for 2020!
Check out music from Off Guard right HERE on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!