Glide recently spoke with Brandon Phillips, lead vocalist and guitar player of mid-western alternative rockers The Architects. The four member Kansas City band that includes three of the brothers Phillips recently wrapped up a tour with My Chemical Romance.
How was the Vans Warped Tour? I’ve heard that it is a lot different than most other tours.
It’s completely different. I love it because all of the regular hassles that you have to deal with on a regular tour are gone. Everything is taken care of by the tour. If there was one thing to complain about, it would just be the fucking heat. But I love the Warped Tour, it is probably one of the most fun things we have done.”
How did The Architects all start with your brothers?
We started a million years ago. Basically, it was us jamming in our mom’s basement. My brothers were in a band and did not have any songs. So, I wrote songs for their band and then ended up in their band. The other guy was in the band but he quit, got kicked out, or his mom wouldn’t let him play. So then we had a band.
Before The Architects you guys were called The Gadgets. Did The Gadgets consist of the same members as The Architects?
The Gadgets” went thru one other guitarist and a couple different keyboard players. But me and my two brothers have been the same people.
Where did the name The Architects” come from?
We thought up of one hundred good names and said “these are all good names, lets pick a shitty one”. So we picked the Architects. It’s like … this is what we are stuck with, fine.
Do you have a favorite venue in the Minneapolis area?
Well, I would be an asshole if I complained about First Avenue because this is a wonderful venue and the security here is super cool. But I would also be an idiot if I did not love playing at The Triple rock, that place is great.
When you’re not on the road touring, what do you usually do?
“If we are stuck at home for a while, everyone just works their day jobs and walks their dogs and shit. Just pretty normal stuff…nothing really off the charts. I prefer touring but it’s not bad.
What is your favorite part about being on the road?
You and the lifestyle kind of have to find each other and if you love it, you will find it and that is what you will want to do forever. Since I generally really like being on the road, I don’t think I have a favorite part. I don’t really hate anything about it either. There are things that aren’t my favorite like little pet peeves. But there is nothing to hate when on the road, just so much to love. I would have trouble prioritizing a top ten or anything.”
Do you and your brothers get along usually?
I think all the other brother bands must have used up all the shitty karma. We will have fights but we never fight about important things. It is always some dumb shit. If you were to see me and my brothers fighting, it would seem like we were speaking Arabic. You would not understand what was going on. This is what I have been told from people who have seen us fight. They have no idea what we are fighting about or why. But those are really the only fights we have.
How is the tour going so far with My Chemical Romance?
It has been an awesome tour. I have absolutely no complaints about this tour. My Chem have been super welcoming and have gone out of their way to make sure we have everything we need and that we are comfortable every night. They are awesome and their crew is awesome. They are not dickheads or prima donnas on this tour. I can’t say enough nice things about them and My Chem’s fans have been really welcoming.
What do you and the band usually jam to on the road?
If people who like our band come in our van and listen to what we listen to, they would probably want to throw rocks at us. The other day we did an eight hour country session…nothing but, Slim Whitman, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, and Johnny Paycheck. It was nothing but eight hours straight of 60’s, 70’s, and a lot of country. It was great. But usually it’s anything but rock, I want something different.
What advice would you give bands that are starting out?
Focus on the important shit. Have songs and play in front of people. Don’t worry about management, social media strategies, industry politics, endorsements, or any other stupid crap that is going to distract you from the important stuff. Eventually, your endorsements will run out or you realize that you got an endorsement from a real shitty guitar company. Or you might realize that your manager is an asshole, your lawyer is cheating you, and all that crap that you wasted half your career on, you should have been playing in front of people. No one will take this advice because all that has the glitz and glamour to it. No one will take this advice and I know this because this advice was given to me fifteen years ago and I didn’t take it. But I’m giving it none the less. Just play in front of people and everything will sort itself out.
