Long Island’s Approaching Troy are heading in a new direction with their new EP, Best Intentions. More grown up and more fearless, the songs on Best Intentions are Approaching Troy at their strongest yet. The band, who just wrapped up a string of tour dates and dropped the new EP on August 19th, recently talked with us about their goals, the writing of Best Intentions and what the future holds. Read the full interview below and pick up Best Intentions now!
Interview by Dom Vigil
Can you tell us a little bit about Approaching Troy for any readers who may not be familiar?
Hey, we’re an alternative rock quartet from Long Island, NY!
You guys are just released your new EP, Best Intentions. How do you feel you’ve grown, either musically or personally with the writing of these songs?
Yes, we’re so excited. I think we’ve grown both musically and personally with the writing these songs. In these songs we showcase a much more mature sound along with more intricate instrumentals. Lyrically, we have started to talk about other things rather than just past relationships, which I think really shows my growth as a writer too.
When you went into working on Best Intentions, did you have any major goals in mind? What did you want to accomplish with this EP that you haven’t had the chance to do before?
There’s a bunch of goals we had when writing this EP. One was to expand our musical capacity along with sharpening abilities. For example, both singles incorporate electronic beats, which we had never done before. There’s also a song called “DDCM,” which features two completed goals. Those being a really heavy breakdown and a key change which was really hard to work out live.
What was the best moment you had when working on Best Intentions?
The best moment I had when working on Best Intentions was the moment when we finally completed the break down in DDCM. It took a lot of creative reworking, rewrites and movements out of our comfort zone to create what is now the final version. We all listen to it now and are so proud of it.
You recently released “Sparta (This Isn’t Over)” from the album, which has some really powerful and emotional lyrical content. Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind the song?
Definitely! “Sparta” is about a past relationship I had throughout high school, and a little bit of college. A lot of things were happening at that time. Moving away from home for the first time, trying to work through a long distance relationship, figuring out where my life was headed, it was a lot on my plate to deal with at one time. This song really showcases that relationship aspect of that time in my life. I was hopeful that the relationship could live through all of those changes, but at the same time, I was scared. Scared that I was about to lose the last thing left from my childhood. That’s how the lyrics came about. That’s not to say a lot of people don’t go through this, “Sparta” is just how I dealt with it.
What makes “Sparta” a standout for you guys?
Sparta stands out for us so much because it’s the only song that showcases equal parts of our roots and the new direction we’re going in. It’s a pop punk song with early 2000’s emo (if that’s what you wanna call it) influence, fused with post hardcore, electronic elements. Personally, this is my favorite song off the album.
You also recently hit the road for a short run of tour dates in support of the EP – what was the highlight of these shows or the most memorable experience while on the road?
Oh man, there’s a lot of good ones on this tour. We met so many awesome bands on this tour. A lot of local bands, who have such unique sounds and looks to them. There was this one band who was in FULL makeup who we thought were gonna be so heavy, that ended up being just a touch heavier then us. It was different.
Can fans expect any more tour dates or show announcements after the EP drops?
We’re probably gonna take a break from full out touring, but there’s definitely gonna be shows. We have a few lined up already, waiting for them to be announced. We like to do a lot of weekend warriors, so always be on the look out for those.
What would you like listeners to take away from your music or live performances?
Definitely a memory. We always strive to put on a memorable and fun shows. On the musical side of it, we just hope people to relate to it. I think that the ep is something that I felt very close to, and all we can hope for, is that it helps people get through whatever their going through.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for having me. Definitely check out Best Intentions on any streaming platform!
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