Music can be a labor of love or a release for the artist. Reid Henry sets us straight on the new Never Say Die material.
Reid Henry (vocals), Dane Hartsell (guitar), Brendan McMillan (bass), and Mike Langford (drums) are making some big waves in the music world with the release of the premier Never Say Die offering, Destroy & Rebuild. As their biography happens to state, they came together as a unit when a platinum selling band with a number one song in the US announced they were going on hiatus. Even to us at the National Rock Review compound that sounded weird, however, that was exactly the case when My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst was given the opportunity to front Three Days Grace.
National Rock Review recently grabbed the attention of Reid by dangling some Jägermeister goodness in front of him to answer some questions for us. He did so a lot faster then we could have believed. We might have to use this trick more often.
And after you get done with some great conversation, hit us up on our Facebook or Twitter feeds and let us know what you thought of the interview, their music, or if you’ve gotten to see the guys live on this tour. We love photos!
NRR: Thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for National Rock Review. What’s been going on with the band, Never Say Die, so far into the early part of 2017?
Reid Henry: We are on tour with Another Lost Year, playing shows all around the country in support of our debut record Destroy & Rebuild.
NRR: There is a EP in the works or maybe done by now, correct? Is there any updates on it you can share with me about it?
Reid Henry: We have an EP (Destroy & Rebuild) and another LP mostly written as of now… we write and record all the time in the van and our hotels.
“Never Say Die started in the front passenger seat of the My Darkest Days bandwagon… we had a relentless tour schedule. During over night drives I’d squeeze through a small window to the front of the bus and stay up writing, singing, and occasionally wedging my laptop on the dashboard to record.” ~ Reid Henry
NRR: A lot, if not all of the material we’ll hear from you on this first effort, was actually done on the road with a brutal tour schedule for another band. Is this the classic definition of a labor of love?
Reid Henry: It’s what we do for fun too so it becomes an obsession… You end up walking around trying to rework song stuff in your head all the time. For me writing songs has always been a kind of therapy.
NRR: Some albums that come out now are pretty sterile, but new and long time fans listening to your pristine record should get what kind of vibe would you say?
Reid Henry: The record is as much about destruction as it as about rebirth, so I think it’s a hopeful vibe… facing one’s demons and all.
NRR: Having a fairly good band and all of the experiences that comes with My Darkest Days, is the approach to this new adventure any different from the first time around?
Reid Henry: I don’t drink anywhere as much as I did back then… but I think we draw a ton from that experience.
NRR: Every band has a story of how they got together, some more interesting than others and some more real then you might think. Where does this outfit fall into the fray and how did you guys come to play together or was it just you were bored really?
Reid Henry: Brendan and I have played music together for years and always made song demos so we had a ton of raw ideas. We were fortunate to meet Dane our lead guitarist and Mike, who is an amazing engineer and producer, and helped shape the band into what it is now.
NRR: What influence(s) would you be able to hear in your style of play regardless of the genre that might have hatched it/them?
Reid Henry: I listen to some weird lo-fi synth pop stuff from the 90s and Depeche Mode sometimes… so that maybe creeps in.
NRR: If you were in the crowd after your set, and heard two people talking about Never Say Die, how would you hope the conversation might go?
Reid Henry: My goodness what a terrific group of fellas, that Never Say Die sure put on a first rate show.
Female Patron: Yes, let’s buy all their merch and follow them on Facebook.
NRR: Where did the ideas for the songs come from for the group and was there an active effort not to make them seem like another band with just a different vocalist?
Reid Henry: I sent Mike a pile of songs Brendan, Dane and I had made, he picked the ones he liked and then we worked on developing and finishing them one by one. There was no conscious effort to make it more or less like one band or another. We just tried to do each song justice.
NRR: Are you still music fans outside of being on stage, and if so, is there anyone you’d be excited to catch live or play with, and if so who and/or why?
Reid Henry: Tons of bands! I’m stoked to see Art Of Anarchy, Buck Cherry, Sick Puppies, Trapt, Adelitas Way… The list is huge.
NRR: My favorite question to ask is one that has given the National Rock Review fans some very cool stories from previous interviews. Not necessarily with this band, but if you had to recount your seminal Spinal Tap experience, what would it be if the statue of limitations is up on the details of said story, (laughing)?
Reid Henry: One time I got ready to go onto the stage from the opposite side I usually did. Change of pace, it would become harmless. Except no one knew where I was and our start time was delayed. Very hectic. Very Spinal Tap.
NRR: If an adult beverage maker wanted to throw money and product at you to sponsor a tour, is there a brand of drink that would be acceptable, no questions asked?
Reid Henry: Jagger!
NRR: Last but not least, where can people find your new offering and find out where you’ll be playing when you go out in support of the album or even to stay in touch with the band?
Reid Henry: Check out [the links below] to our social media as well as tour dates and links to our music!
