Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Martin, Michael Schmidt and Devin Stiles.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Zach, Michael and Devin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Zach: Me and Devin (Bass/Vocals) started getting together around 2017 or so trying to come up with a sound we wanted to pursue, and we tried a bunch of different bands and musicians and couldn’t quite find the right people. We started talking to Michael (Drums) around the end of 2017 and started jamming Word Problems songs in January 2018, under a few different horrible tentative names that I’m glad we ended up changing along the way to recording our EP. We all spent years playing in smaller bands in the Atlanta scene before this band, so we’re lucky to know many of the great musicians already engrained in the Atlanta music scene as well, so it’s nice to be back out playing shows again, to new faces, while still sharing the stage at times with old friends in the process.
Has it been a smooth road?
Zach: We had a lot to learn before we could do exactly what we wanted with this band, I personally had to learn a lot about playing guitar and singing at the same time. Looking back, we all have grown a bit from being in Word Problems, but we’re just who we are. Ultimately, we have the advantage that we don’t put the band before our friendship, and we also agree on most of our decisions as a band, so we don’t really put our stress on each other. If anything we all keep each other sane.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Word Problems – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Zach: We play punk rock with math rock sensibilities. We like to be loud and thrash and jump around, but we also like to be dynamic, weird, sometimes off-kilter. To just name drop some influences, I try to think of it as a combination of old Green Day, Every Time I Die, and Pup. We don’t want to sound like anyone though. We all have vastly different influences and opinions on music, so that really helps us to avoid pigeonholing ourselves I think.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Zach: We love all of metro Atlanta, there is always somewhere to go and see live music, and there’s incredible food in the city itself. We would love it more if the police would not break up civil house shows, most people are usually just having a fun time at ATL punk shows.
Contact Info:
- Website: wordproblems.bandcamp.com
- Email: word.problems@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @wordproblemsatl
- Facebook: facebook.com/wordproblemsatl
- Twitter: @wordproblemsatl
- Other: wordproblems.bigcartel.com
Image Credit:
Severin Mangold, Stephanie Aylworth, Billy Willig, Zach Martin
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