| Band name | Cinders |
| Members | Jordan Zabriskie, Montana Smith, Adrian De La Cruz, Chelsey Powell, Austin Harris, and Brad Bennett. |
| Location | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Formation | 2015 |
| Sounds like | Grouplove / The Front Bottoms / Manchester Orchestra / Motion City Soundtrack / The Head and The Heart |
| First release | Cinders (2016) |
| Latest release | Looking Forward to Looking Back (September 29, 2018) |
| Links | Website | Facebook | Instagram |
| The Music Addict’s Verdict | Fun, energetic pop-rock |
How was the band formed?
Some of us were friends from high school and others we met later in life. But we all came together to start the band at the same time. In one interview we called in “magical” how it all came together. We really regret saying it that way but honestly it kind of was. Everything just fell together at the right time in all of our lives.
What’s your songwriting process like?
Every song is different. Sometimes Jordan will write a guitar part and a verse, and then the rest of the band gets added, sometimes we start as a full band with a little idea and it slowly expands, and other times we have a full song written, but it doesn’t turn out great so we scrap everything but the lyrics and put it to something better. Every song has its own story.
What are your influences?
Say Anything was a a big inspiration for us. Their gang vocals and raw emotion is definitely something we try to emulate in our own way. Without their influence we would have never come up with the yelling line in Moody Blues of “Hey Frank she doesn’t care about your cat or about that one time at band camp!” You can still hear their presence in our newest record with songs like 100 Foxes, Gigantic, and Tree House where we have huge gang vocal parts. I’d also say The Head and the Heart. Their beautiful harmonies and up beat songs definitely had an impact on our writing more positive songs. As much as we yell, the songs remain pretty positive.
How would you describe your music?
Our favorite description that we have heard is definitely Rowdy-Acoustic-Pop! A recent magazine write up has called us “the next in line as one of the kings of pop punk”. We don’t necessarily think we are a pop punk band but we won’t complain if people think we are! We write songs that are very energetic with powerful emotion. We do everything we can to carry that over to our live performances as well.
What’s the one thing that makes you/your band stand out from the rest?
What makes Cinders stand out from the rest is that we are 6 different people with pretty different music tastes even within the band so we all have factors we add to break the “mold” of indie/alt music. Also we are all pro spike ball players.
What’s your latest release?
Looking Forward to Looking Back is our brand new album that just came out this September! It is our second full length record and our best work to date. We spent the last 2 and a half years working on the album and it was definitely worth it. It has been so cool to see how our fans, friends, and family have reacted. We have received so many amazing messages from fans talking about the record and what it means to them. We are seriously so grateful to all of those who have listened to it and shared it. The album is out now on all streaming platforms!
Have you ever played in Montreal?
We haven’t played Montreal yet but our fans keep messaging us to come there! It is definitely on our list for 2019 and we want to get there as soon as we can. We hear the people are the nicest you’ll ever meet so we have to see just how nice they are! Boise, ID may have some competition.
What are your touring plans for the next few months?
We are gearing up for our Winter/Spring tour coming at the beginning of 2019! We will be stopping at some of our favorite cities across the Western United States. We are stoked to be back on the road again and hope to be in a city near you! If you do want us to play in a specific city, shoot us a message on social media or through our website!
He's also a regular contributor at the excellent news site Montreal Rampage
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