INTERVIEW: SECRETS chats return to road and new music!

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While you’ll find me at everything from A Great Big World to Dashboard Confessional today, I got my start by making cross state treks to Worcester to cover the “metalcore” and “screamo” genres or the many sub genres that exist within alternative rock. It’s how I got started and I tend to always find myself finding comfort in covering those bands still the most. Recently, I headed out to one of the first tours of the fall that found it’s way through Boston to chat with San Diego’s SECRETS.

It had been a few years since I caught up with this talented act, but this time around was the perfect time to catch up with the band considering it’s their first time back on the road in quite a bit of time. The band has been busy working on their new record, second with unclean vocalist Wade Walters joining up vocal forces with band mate Richard Rogers. I talked to the band’s incredibly talented vocal team before their recent date with Slaves in Somerville to talk their current tour as well as what to look forward to with the new record!

A lot of things are happening for the band. Releasing the new single and obviously the cover that you guys did but it has been a few years since a new SECRETS record. Maybe how has this tour been for the band, being out with Slaves?
Richard: Tour has been really rad and the response to the new song has been great.
Wade: It’s our first tour in like ten months and kids seem to be acting like we haven’t kept touring the entire time.
Richard: Yeah it’s pretty scary to be idling. Because you’re not moving, unless you’re moving backwards.

And is that something that you think is going to be a while new record wise, are you working on something right now?
Richard: No, we’re done we’re just finishing up a few things with it and working out releasing everything properly. So hopefully in the next few months, we’ll have more songs out. We’re trying to get it perfect before we unveil it.
And obviously Secrets has been a band for quite a long time now.
Richard: Yeah, six years.
There have been some line up changes over that time, you’ve put out several records as a band. Maybe something that is going to scream SECRETS on this record to past fans of the band and maybe something new you tried , something left field.
Richard: I think the first song was pretty new. And then this is the first time that we have Wade still in the band.
Wade: Writing everything together.
Richard: Yeah all of us sitting together and it helps a lot having the same person because you have more time to learn about them and their lives. You’re more comfortable writing stuff, it’s more meaningful.
Wade: Did you say it was the first record with the same screamer?
Richard: Yeah we have the same screamer. But left field wise, there is a lot of stuff that is definitely new.
Wade: I tried clean singing.
How did that go?
Richard: It went pretty well.
Wade: Need to keep working on it but yeah.
Richard: He was nervous but it went well.
Wade: Very left field, we would say.
Richard: Yeah we definitely kept along the lines of where you still know it’s us but we spike and do a few things that are new.

And you’re on tour with Slaves who have been a band for quite a long time as well, members being musical veterans but you have these newer bands out with you like Picturesque and Out Came the Wolves. Maybe advice to bands just getting started, I saw Picturesque a few months ago but they’re just getting started on a national scale, Out Came the Wolves is like one or two years into it. Maybe advice to bands just getting started, to keep at it. You’ve made it through the highs and lows.
Wade: I forgot what it’s like to get started.
Richard: We’re kind of getting started again too because we’ve been off for so long. So it’s kind of a major reboot. So I don’t think I have a good answer for that. Just write good music and make sure you can perform it live. And make sure it’s stuff that you’re passionate about because if you don’t care about it, people are going to see straight through it and then you’re going to fail.
Wade: Take the opportunities that have been given to you.
Richard: Yeah, definitely do that.

And like you said, SECRETS did take quite the break from being actively on the road and making new music but how do you think that maybe helped you? Did that maybe help you refine this record, make it something that you really are passionate about?
Richard: It gave us time to realize how much we wanted to still do this. Because when you’re going constantly, you get worn out. So that was a major thing.
Wade: Switched labels.
That’s huge.
Richard: Yeah, we switched labels. Had time to for the first time ever to write a record properly and record it properly. Everything came together perfectly.

Like we’ve been talking about, this is your first real return back to touring. Maybe the hardest thing you’ve found there is about touring and maybe the best thing, considering the amount of time the band has put in.
Wade: Hardest thing..
Richard: Being dirty. Being in close quarters with people who smell bad.
Wade: Not losing your mind over people that smell bad.
Richard: Yeah that’s the main thing.
Wade: Be a clean person.
Richard: Being tired too. That’s it. We’re fairly good around each other. Like I don’t really have much to complain about, being on tour. Being away from my loved ones is about it but I’ve always kind of loved it. I just have this gypsy soul. I think that you have to be willing to adapt to enjoy this type of life.
Wade: I love it. Best thing is communication. You get to see parts of the world that you would never get to see and play places you never thought you would and we have.
Richard: There isn’t a lot of bad we have to say about it.

So it’s mostly been good for SECRETS. Then like you said, the record’s mostly finished.
Richard: We might have a few more little touches but we’ll see.

And moving to a different record label like you said before, for the first time, having the same screamer for two consecutive records. Obviously you are the two singers in this band but what is the focus for the next few months? Is it something where this album is going to be coming out in the next few months, something that’s going to be a little more down the road?
Wade: It’s going to be a little more down the road.
Richard: We’re trying not to talk about it too much. It’s going to be a surprise.
Wade: More singles coming out but as far as the album is concerned, it’s a little bit down the road.
Richard: We have a European/UK tour in November.
Wade: Japan too.
Richard: Then we have Japan. So yeah, we’ve got stuff going on. And that will all be released soon surely.

About Author

Colleen

Colleen has been writing about music since 2009. Interviewing bands since the glory days of Warped and has continued to do so for now over fourteen years. As well as doing freelance for other publications, the love for everything rock continues today.