Couldn't get tickets to Push Play's Rocks the States '08 Tour? Can't wait to see photos of the boys performance at J-14's first ever InTune event in our October/November issue? Don't panic! The boys--who are working hard to get their new album, Found, out to you in December--will be at the 2008 Arthur Ashe Kid's Day in New York City on August 23! J-14 sat down with Derek, Nick, CJ and Steve to find out what it's like being on tour and what's up next for the band.
Q: What's coming up next for you guys?
Steve: As of now, we are currently in the process of writing new songs, and we are going to re-record the entire album Deserted as well as add a few new songs to the new release.
Q: What music are you guys into? Who are your biggest influences?
Nick: Definitely Brand New. They are a local band from Long Island, but they're very established now. I have been listening to them since I was about 11 or 12 years old, and they have really inspired me to continue with music. Just knowing another band got big and is now well-known really inspires me to do the same.
Steve: I listen to a lot of Raging Against The Machine and Incubus. Somebody may not expect that coming from Push Play, but that's what I grew up with. Those are the songs that we try and bring in there--it's a good mix between CJ and Nick liking the pop music, and Derek and I liking more of the rock end. It blends nicely.
Q: You're just out of high school, so how does your music sound like you've been playing for years?
Derek: We practice a lot, and we have all taken private lessons and have in someway mastered our craft. We spend a lot of time in what we do, and it really means a lot to us. We put our time and effort into it. We put our T.L.C. into it!
Q: Can you tell us about why you chose to perform for different causes?
Steve: We all come from very fortunate backgrounds. It was almost necessary for us to give back and it's something we have always wanted to do. We were hoping that other bands would look up to us and start a chain reaction.
Q: How has MySpace helped Push Play?
Nick: It is the biggest tool we use for marketing. It does everything for us. It's how we got majority of our fans--it's just the best thing ever. We have our private chat that we can use to talk with our fans. It has our music on it. It really does everything. I don't think we would be where we are without it.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't playing?
Nick: I love hockey. I used to play on a team for my school, but I had to quit because I really didn't have enough time. When I'm not with the band, I am definitely playing hockey a lot.
Q: What is your favorite song to perform?
Steve: My favorite song to perform is "Plastique," because it's the easiest to rock out to on stage. I love what we do with the drums. We can do a drum solo at the beginning or at the end of the song--or even during! I really like that a lot.
Q: Have you ever had a crazy fan encounter?
Derek: A fan bought us a star--in the sky. A legitimate star. It was called "Starlight Addiction" after one of our songs. I thought it was pretty cute.
Q: Any final words for our J-14 readers?
Nick: I love them, and they have to come to a show and buy my music wherever they can!
