Seasoned hard rock veterans, As Thick As Thieves celebrated the release of their aggressive new album, Whiskey Bent earlier this year, and as 2016 begins to wind down, they’re looking toward the future. With raucous growls, group vocals, heavy instrumentals and a raw sound that is entirely their own, Whiskey Bent promises to launch As Thick As Thieves forward before the end of the year. Read what the band had to say about their home state of Arizona, the new album, and the rest of their year below!
Interview by Dom Vigil
Can you tell us a little bit about As Thick As Thieves for any readers who may not be familiar?
Absolutely! We are a hard-rock band from Phoenix Arizona and we’ve been together since 2012.
Arizona has always had an incredible hard rock/metal scene. How do you feel the local scene has affected or shaped you as musicians?
Most of us have been involved in the music scene here for more than a decade. We’ve seen it grow, change and evolve into what it is now and we’ve had to adapt to those changes to stay relevant. You have to constantly reinvent yourself to stay fresh and keep people’s attention.
What is your favorite part about your local scene?
We have a very diverse scene in Phoenix. It isn’t uncommon to see cross-genre shows and still have all the fans being supportive and involved. It would be exciting to see that type of diversity on a national level.
You guys recently celebrated the release of your new EP, Whiskey Bent in July! What was the highlight of writing and recording these songs?
The writing process was very long and arduous. We actually intended on releasing a full length, but ended up spending so much time in the studio that we had to narrow it down to the four songs that ended up on the EP. However, that was probably the reason that WB ended up being what it is, as we made sure the songs were exactly what we wanted to represent us as a band. It was a blessing in disguise.
What goals did you have in mind when working on Whiskey Bent? Was there anything you wanted to achieve with these songs?
We just wanted to bring back a taste of raunchy rock n roll to the scene while still showcasing elements from past projects that we hold so dear.
Lyrically, what was your focus when working on the EP? What do you want listeners to be able to take away from the songs?
We really want to connect with the audience. All of our songs are about emotions and life experiences that many people share. From anger and desire to struggle and hope, there is something any human being can relate to in our music.
What was the most difficult obstacle you came across when working on Whiskey Bent? How did you overcome it?
Time was never on our side. We blew past deadlines and ended up cutting out several songs. But we were able to work with our producer on off days or between sessions and ended up finishing the record just a little behind schedule.
With the EP out now, do you have any plans to hit the road in the remainder of 2016?
Touring is always difficult for an unsigned band with no booking agent, but we are locked and loaded and ready to pull the trigger as soon as something comes our way! We will definitely be hitting it hard before the end of the year!
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! If you haven’t already, please stream or download Whiskey Bent online now. It’s available everywhere!
STAY CONNECTED WITH AS THICK AS THIEVES: Facebook | Twitter