Push to Fire: Alternative Music Webzine

Hit Me For Six - An Interview with You Me At Six
Interview by Rachel Wade, photos by Suzy Witts

Arriving at the venue a couple of hours before the doors were due to open for the nights show, there was already a gathering of people huddled in the freezing February weather to reserve their front-row standing for one of the most energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated young bands in the current scene - You Me At Six. Push To Fire talked to band members Josh, Max, Chris, Matt, and Dan to find out more...

Backstage at tonight’s second headlining date on the You Me At Six tour, the boys look calm and quietly confident about the show ahead. "Our main date started yesterday, we were will New Found Glory for a few days before that, but yesterday was incredible, in Liverpool to 350 kids, sold-out, people flying everywhere - it was messy!" they enthuse, "Our tour manager came on stage with us and started playing drums, it was epic, a good laugh. We’ve played some really fun shows but definitely last night was a different level. It was a good way to start off the headlining tour - it’s a big confidence-booster because everyone’s feeling really positive today, so we can go yeah, last night was good, but we want to top that".

You me at Six by Suzy Witts

The five-piece, who were nominated best newcomers for the 2007 Kerrang! Awards, have been joined by We Are The Ocean and All Forgotten on the tour - two names who You Me At Six are certain everyone will know and love soon enough. "It’s like one big family because we all know each other really well, so it’s fantastic. With this tour, we wanted to bring through not only our friends, but bands that we know who, in a few months time, are going to be doing exactly what we’ve just done. I want to see as many UK bands doing what we’ve done" nods Max, "There’s a huge scene in America - there’s a scene in the UK but not a big one. This is a good genre of music and there are some good bands who need a bit more help from the press and stuff - we’d have a very big scene if that were to happen".

YMAS - York (15/02/08) by Suzy Witts

The band have been keeping themselves busy with a seemingly never-ending list of tours with some incredible bands - last year saw them around the UK with Fightstar, while 2008 had the band playing dates with New Found Glory and Paramore before beginning their own headline tour. Afterwards, they’ll be playing dates with The Audition in late February and March, as well as playing the Give It A Name festival in London and Sheffield. "Playing a show every night is just amazing, but when you have a day off it’s like ‘oh I wish I was playing a show tonight’. We’d done it back in October on the Fightstar tour, we did like two tours back to back, so we sort of learnt how to live together and pace ourselves" the band explain, "Touring’s not that hard if you’ve got the right attitude. Touring is the best part of being in a band ’cause you get to go out, meet new people, convert people who may not have liked you or may not have heard you - it’s just cool. We all hate being at home, so when we get on the road it’s like, way better; our lives get way better...". The guys then take a moment to show their love of touring with a small soupēon of singing... "On the road again... I can’t wait to get on the road again...". In the rare moments between their dedication to life on the road, the band have their own favourite ways of relaxing when they get the chance to. "We like to eat Nando’s, play Call of Duty, and Pro-Evolution Soccer - we do like a bit of football!" they confess, "We never really get much time off anywhere - whenever we’re at home we’re practicing like five to six times a week sometimes. After this tour we are so busy. We’re doing production for the album, then we’re recording the album, then there’s Give It A Name and all the festivals in the summer, then it’s the headline tour, more festivals - it’s pretty much none-stop until the album comes out".
One of the greatest opportunities for the five-piece will be the chance to play 16000-plus capacity venues alongside the likes of Finch, Billy Talent and Anti-Flag when they play the Give It A Name festival. "I’m already nervous... playing in front of that many people" admits Max, before Chris continues, "I can’t wait. I mean we’re playing on a slightly rockier day, with glassJAw and 30 Seconds To Mars. It’s going to be hard but it’s just an opportunity to play with amazing bands. I remember when we got told about it, it was just like ‘right, yeah, you’re playing Give It A Name but you’re not allowed to tell anyone’ for about a month, and we’re all sitting there like ‘I need to tell someone!’". Max agrees; "That was the worst part - you’ve got all that excitement in you and you want to share it with other people and you can’t really", before Josh confesses, "I did tell my mum, I’m sorry...".

You me at Six and Rachel by Suzy Witts

Despite the nerves that the festival crowd of up to 20000 may bring, You Me At Six still have a lot of experience with playing shows, particularly at smaller and more intimate venues, the memories of most they’ll never forget. "We played Water Rats in London, that was incredible. There wasn’t a barrier or anything and there was like 200 people in there - at one point there was like 50 of them on the stage - we were all pushed up against the walls!" the band remember, "We always have good reactions from Scotland. When we played there in Edinburgh on the Fightstar tour, I think that was the first time we realised that kids were starting to get out music, and get what we were doing".
From support slots with amazing bands and festival appearances throughout the year, to a Kerrang! Award nomination and a series of unforgettable live shows, it seems like the only way onwards for You Me At Six is upwards, but what do the band hope to achieve? "We went through a phase of saying world domination but I guess I’ve changed my mind" muses Max, "I just want to be a band and in fives years time" I just want to be doing this for as long as I can. I think the position we’ve got to at the moment, I feel like we’ve achieved something as it is. If we doing anything more, I just feel like we’re achieving something more". His band mates agree, "We all just want to do what we love for the rest of our lives and just be in the industry I guess until we die or until we retire. We’re all happy with where we are at the moment - we’re really appreciating everything".
With their unquestionable talent, doting fan base and down-to-earth attitude, You Me At Six are a shining example of how a young band can get the success they deserve with a bit of originality, a lot of dedication and a smidgen of good humour. "Dan does, he’s the party boy!" comes the reply when the band are asked if anyone knows the dance routine to the Soulja Boy song. "I hate that song" Dan replies, "It just scares me... there’s just all these rude boy’s shouting at you, it’s like, arghhh...".

You Me At Six release their single ‘If I Were In Your Shoes’ on the 17th March in limited edition CD and vinyl formats (video can be seen on Kerrang! channel and YouTube). Make sure you catch the guys when they tour with The Audition and on the Give It A Name Festival dates in London and Sheffield.
Thanks go to You Me at Six for taking the time to talk to us, their manager for letting us interview the band and Carina for arranging the interview for us. Also thanks to Fibbers. Check out our photo galleries for more photos from the York Show.

Hit Me For Six - An Interview with You Me At Six Interview by Rachel Wade, photos by Suzy Witts
Arriving at the venue a couple of hours before the doors were due to open for the nights show, there was already a gathering of people huddled in the freezing February weather to reserve their front-row standing for one of the most energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated young bands in the current scene - You Me At Six. Push To Fire talked to band members Josh, Max, Chris, Matt, and Dan to find out more...
Backstage at tonight’s second headlining date on the You Me At Six tour, the boys look calm and quietly confident about the show ahead. "Our main date started yesterday, we were will New Found Glory for a few days before that, but yesterday was incredible, in Liverpool to 350 kids, sold-out, people flying everywhere - it was messy!" they enthuse, "Our tour manager came on stage with us and started playing drums, it was epic, a good laugh. We’ve played some really fun shows but definitely last night was a different level. It was a good way to start off the headlining tour - it’s a big confidence-booster because everyone’s feeling really positive today, so we can go yeah, last night was good, but we want to top that".
The five-piece, who were nominated best newcomers for the 2007 Kerrang! Awards, have been joined by We Are The Ocean and All Forgotten on the tour - two names who You Me At Six are certain everyone will know and love soon enough. "It’s like one big family because we all know each other really well, so it’s fantastic. With this tour, we wanted to bring through not only our friends, but bands that we know who, in a few months time, are going to be doing exactly what we’ve just done. I want to see as many UK bands doing what we’ve done" nods Max, "There’s a huge scene in America - there’s a scene in the UK but not a big one. This is a good genre of music and there are some good bands who need a bit more help from the press and stuff - we’d have a very big scene if that were to happen".
The band have been keeping themselves busy with a seemingly never-ending list of tours with some incredible bands - last year saw them around the UK with Fightstar, while 2008 had the band playing dates with New Found Glory and Paramore before beginning their own headline tour. Afterwards, they’ll be playing dates with The Audition in late February and March, as well as playing the Give It A Name festival in London and Sheffield. "Playing a show every night is just amazing, but when you have a day off it’s like ‘oh I wish I was playing a show tonight’. We’d done it back in October on the Fightstar tour, we did like two tours back to back, so we sort of learnt how to live together and pace ourselves" the band explain, "Touring’s not that hard if you’ve got the right attitude. Touring is the best part of being in a band ’cause you get to go out, meet new people, convert people who may not have liked you or may not have heard you - it’s just cool. We all hate being at home, so when we get on the road it’s like, way better; our lives get way better...". The guys then take a moment to show their love of touring with a small soupēon of singing... "On the road again... I can’t wait to get on the road again...". In the rare moments between their dedication to life on the road, the band have their own favourite ways of relaxing when they get the chance to. "We like to eat Nando’s, play Call of Duty, and Pro-Evolution Soccer - we do like a bit of football!" they confess, "We never really get much time off anywhere - whenever we’re at home we’re practicing like five to six times a week sometimes. After this tour we are so busy. We’re doing production for the album, then we’re recording the album, then there’s Give It A Name and all the festivals in the summer, then it’s the headline tour, more festivals - it’s pretty much none-stop until the album comes out". One of the greatest opportunities for the five-piece will be the chance to play 16000-plus capacity venues alongside the likes of Finch, Billy Talent and Anti-Flag when they play the Give It A Name festival. "I’m already nervous... playing in front of that many people" admits Max, before Chris continues, "I can’t wait. I mean we’re playing on a slightly rockier day, with glassJAw and 30 Seconds To Mars. It’s going to be hard but it’s just an opportunity to play with amazing bands. I remember when we got told about it, it was just like ‘right, yeah, you’re playing Give It A Name but you’re not allowed to tell anyone’ for about a month, and we’re all sitting there like ‘I need to tell someone!’". Max agrees; "That was the worst part - you’ve got all that excitement in you and you want to share it with other people and you can’t really", before Josh confesses, "I did tell my mum, I’m sorry...".
Despite the nerves that the festival crowd of up to 20000 may bring, You Me At Six still have a lot of experience with playing shows, particularly at smaller and more intimate venues, the memories of most they’ll never forget. "We played Water Rats in London, that was incredible. There wasn’t a barrier or anything and there was like 200 people in there - at one point there was like 50 of them on the stage - we were all pushed up against the walls!" the band remember, "We always have good reactions from Scotland. When we played there in Edinburgh on the Fightstar tour, I think that was the first time we realised that kids were starting to get out music, and get what we were doing". From support slots with amazing bands and festival appearances throughout the year, to a Kerrang! Award nomination and a series of unforgettable live shows, it seems like the only way onwards for You Me At Six is upwards, but what do the band hope to achieve? "We went through a phase of saying world domination but I guess I’ve changed my mind" muses Max, "I just want to be a band and in fives years time" I just want to be doing this for as long as I can. I think the position we’ve got to at the moment, I feel like we’ve achieved something as it is. If we doing anything more, I just feel like we’re achieving something more". His band mates agree, "We all just want to do what we love for the rest of our lives and just be in the industry I guess until we die or until we retire. We’re all happy with where we are at the moment - we’re really appreciating everything". With their unquestionable talent, doting fan base and down-to-earth attitude, You Me At Six are a shining example of how a young band can get the success they deserve with a bit of originality, a lot of dedication and a smidgen of good humour. "Dan does, he’s the party boy!" comes the reply when the band are asked if anyone knows the dance routine to the Soulja Boy song. "I hate that song" Dan replies, "It just scares me... there’s just all these rude boy’s shouting at you, it’s like, arghhh...".
You Me At Six release their single ‘If I Were In Your Shoes’ on the 17th March in limited edition CD and vinyl formats (video can be seen on Kerrang! channel and YouTube). Make sure you catch the guys when they tour with The Audition and on the Give It A Name Festival dates in London and Sheffield. Thanks go to You Me at Six for taking the time to talk to us, their manager for letting us interview the band and Carina for arranging the interview for us. Also thanks to Fibbers. Check out our photo galleries for more photos from the York Show.