Interview: Ryan Neff of Miss May I

We caught up with Ryan Neff from Miss May I who are currently headlining The AP Tour with The Ghost Inside, Like Moths to Flames, Amity Affliction, and Glass Cloud.

State your name and role in the band, please.

Ryan, Bass Player, professional complainer, F1 champ in the making.

What are the best things to give you guys when you are on tour?

Gift cards to Starbucks or Chipotle. We spend more time going to those 2 establishments than anywhere else.

On a day off in a city, what do you do with your time? How do you find out which restaurants to go to?

Just depend in the city. Today, we had bus trouble after a wheel flew off the trailer, so we arrived at 4:30 instead of 1:00, so luckily I had been here before and knew Chipotle and Starbucks were both within a few blocks.

How is your diet on tour different from what you would eat at home?

I eat like an idiot all the time. I have a taste for unhealthy things I guess so it’s pretty similar. Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle, and pizza most days.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc

I stretch, warm my voice up, warm my hands up to play, and take a few shots of Jack Daniels usually. Then I just try not to stress out before we go on. Playing well for me has always been a mental battle. If I approach it in a good mood it’s always better.

What are some tour rules that you have established?

Designated bunks and hotel rooms are a big one. And on bus tours we try to designate “G Rated” times if you will for when family visits and such.

Which song do you look forward to playing the most every night?

My favorite song to play is “Day by Day” but we added a few new ones that I’m into.

Who is your favorite up and coming artist out there at the moment?

I love the new Glass Cloud album. Stoked to have them supporting us on this tour

Will there be a deluxe reissue of At Heart?

No plans for that right now.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Being a main stage Warped Tour band was a big honor; and being selected to headline the AP tour is pretty awesome. Hard to pick 1 moment with so many good ones.
 
When a tour ends, what do you most look forward to about going home?

Relaxing for a bit. No deadlines, no stress, just hanging out!

What do you put into your music to differentiate yourselves from other bands in the genre?

We try to incorporate our inspiration from all genres/bands that we each individually enjoy. At Heart is a much different sounding album for us because of all the great music we were inspired by, and without allowing those different influences to make an impact on us we wouldn’t ever write anything new. Change is good in our book.

Last question: What advice do you have for bands or musicians trying to make a name for themselves today?

Have fun. If you’re in it for the glory and money you’re probably in for a rude awakening. 

Ryan Neff (Miss May I) Interview Questions

Any questions for Ryan Neff (Miss May I)?

Interview: Levi Benton of Miss May I

Miss May I are currently out on tour with Parkway Drive, and we had a chance to interview Miss May I from the road. Levi and I spoke about the tour, finishing their new album in the studio, meaning of the album art, future touring, and more!

State your name and role in the band, please.

Levi Benton Vocalist in Miss May I

You’re currently on tour with Parkway Drive; how is the tour going for you guys? Is it nice playing to a different crowd than maybe you guys are used to?

It’s been great so far on this tour and HUGE! Also yes it’s been so nice to play to a real metal crowd and the fans are being great to us as well. Most of them are seeing us for the first time and they are great! Can’t wait to come back!

I noticed the release date for At Heart has been pushed back to June 12th; was it due to a change in the album cover? I know numerous people have wanted the lion to come back.

I know we have been bashed quite a bit on the new album cover but I feel like since we are finally having an OFFICIAL Lion Logo for Miss May I then the story and meaning of At Heart would be lost with just the logo. Also the packaging is great so just you wait ;) The push back was due to some last minute changes on the album.

Speaking of: what’s the significance behind the album title, and how does it tie in with the album art?

Throughout the album artwork it shows how each song is sang from the heart and that is all that matters. No more just trying to be tough and in a metal band but play music worth playing and feeling. The child on the cover shows that even from the beginning of life you have to speak from the heart.

What’s one thing that you can tell us about the album that everyone wouldn’t know on their own?

The album is actually all recorded with the same microphone I play with live a SM58 and its the first time I ever held a mic in hand and recorded on a album.

How is At Heart a progression from your last album, Monument?

Well, we definitely spent way more time on this album more than we have ever spent on a album before. We actually got a chance to do pre-production and sit back and listen to the album before we tracked it so we made sure the best of the best made it to the album.

What song changed the most during the recording process?

The biggest track of the album and the most meaningful song “Hey Mister” probably changed the most and got rearranged at least 3-5 times before ever officially tracking. But the final product turned out great!

What guest vocals did you have on the record, if any? I’m guessing Telle from The Word Alive returned the favor since you appeared on “2012”.

We actually didn’t have any guest vocals this time on the record. We are more about playing live as good as possible and we feel the more guest vocals that clutter the album the more it would not sound the same live.

Did you return the favor on Attack Attack’s newest album? (not This Means War; they made an announcement that they have completed ten songs, produced by John Feldmann, for another album)

Actually I didn’t and I wish I could have!

At Heart is your third album on Rise; that being said is your contract fulfilled, or can we expect another album on the label?

It is our last album on Rise Records but we have not yet looked into new labels yet. WE have put most of our time into making At Heart as large as possible first.

Any more songs about video games like Rust?

Not yet haha. If it was up to us though there would be one about Skyrim or Battlefield 3 on this record.

In your live performances, as soon as your start screaming, you have a much harder time doing more demanding vocal parts. Eventually by the end of the set it sounds like you find it almost impossible to hold a scream out. What impact has this had on how you arrange your set list, and how you take care of your voice outside of your performance? Have you considered going to Melissa Cross for vocal lessons?

I have went to Melissa Cross and I have had a great performance ever since!

I’ve read in other interviews that you’re influenced by As I Lay Dying but what do you say to the critics who think you’re a watered-down version of AILD?

Well we are very big fans of AILD and I know sometimes it seems like we are alike but I guess thats what happens when you are inspired.

What do you hope the remainder of the year holds for MMI, with a new album looming and everything?

Well we will have the year packed with tours and magazine press and have some surprises already scheduled so keep your eyes peeled.

Last question: What are one book and one band that you’d recommend to anyone that listens to your band?

I don’t read books and As I Lay Dying.

Miss May I announce new album title and release date

Troy, Ohio melodic metal band MISS MAY I are pleased to announce the name and release date of their brand new full-length album. The new album, entitled At Heart, is being released with Rise Records and will hit stores on May 29^th, 2012. At Heart was produced by famed record producer Machine (Lamb of God, Every Time I Die, Suicide Silence) this past winter at Machine Shop in Belleville, New Jersey.

 Fans can view a special video announcement featuring MISS MAY I vocalist Levi Benton at the band’s official YouTube page now. “We are so stoked for everyone to hear this new record. It is the best thing we’ve ever recorded from beginning to end,” states Levi. “We decided to name the album At Heart because this is the first thing we have ever created from the heart. Everything is exactly what we have always wanted to say and we didn’t hold back. No gimmicks or computers. Just five guys thrashing their hearts out.”

 ”The individual member’s performances on this record are fantastic!  This is why I say, MISS MAY I has arrived as a BAND.  A real fucking band,” adds At Heart producer Machine. “We have created an unstoppable, pure, metal, freight train of a record. My instincts tell me that when people hear it, it will be infectiously unstoppable. There’s more feel and power musically, lyrically, than I have heard from the band before. It is a pleasure for me to work with such a young band who knows who they are and are not afraid to focus on the big picture.”

 MISS MAY I are set to kick off their upcoming tour with Whitechapel, After The Bruial, The Plot In You, and Structures this Saturday, March 10^th in Memphis, TN. The tour will travel through the United States until March 30^th, taking a month long break while MISS MAY I heads to Europe to tour with Parkway Drive, The Ghost Inside, and Confession, and kicks back up again on May 3^rd in Louisville, KY. The tour closes with two east coast shows, including the 2012 Bamboozle Festival in Asbury Park, NJ.

 MISS MAY I was discovered by Rise Records through the direction of former manager Chris Rubey of The Devil Wears Prada in 2008. The band’s first album, Apologies Are for the Weak, reached #29 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Their 2010 sophomore release, Monument, charted on the Billboard Top 200 and hit #10 on the U.S. Hard Rock chart. Churning out over 450 performances since 2009, the band is regarded as one of the hardest working young bands in the metal genre.

2012 TOUR DATES:

W/ WHITECHAPEL, AFTER THE BURIAL, THE PLOT IN YOU, STRUCTURES

3/10 - Memphis, TN @ Newby’s

3/11 - Knoxville, TN @ The Valarium

3/12 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre

3/13 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection

3/14 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre

3/15 - Springfield, MO @ Remington’s Downtown

3/16 - Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumount Club

3/17 - Wichita, KS @ The Scene-ary

3/20 - Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory Concert House

3/21 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

3/22 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre

3/23 - Fresno, CA @ Club Retro

3/24 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre

3/25 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café – Vegas Strip

3/26 - Farmington, NM @ Top Deck

3/28 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit

3/29 - McAllen, TX @ El Rey Theatre

3/30 - Corpus Christi, TX @ House Of Rock

EUROPEAN TOUR W/ PARKWAY DRIVE, THE GHOST INSIDE, CONFESSION

4/6 - Amsterdam, Holland @ Melkweg

4/7 - London, UK @ Indigo2

4/8 - Birmingham, UK @ HMV Institute

4/9 - Glassgow, UK @ ABC

4/10 - Manchester, UK @ Academy

4/11 - Cardiff, UK @ Uni Great Hall

4/12 - Obergausen, Germany @ Turbinenhalle

4/13 - Paris, France @ Bataclan

4/14 - Lyon, France @ Transbordeur, Rockstorm Fest

4/15 - Madrid, Spain @ Sala Heineken

4/16 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Razzamatazz

4/17 - Toulon, France @ Le Vox

4/18 - Milano, Italy @ Alcatraz

4/19 - München, Germany @ Tonhalle

4/20 - Wien, Austria @ Gasometer

4/21 - Leipzig, Germany @ Agra, Impericon Fest

4/22 - Wurzburg, Germany @ Posthalle

4/23 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehuset

4/24 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Trädgårn

4/25 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee

4/26 - Stockholm, Sweden @ klubben

4/27 - Hamburg, Germany @ Große Freiheit 36 

4/28 - Meerhout, Belgium @ Groezrock Fest

W/ WHITECHAPEL, AFTER THE BURIAL, WITHIN THE RUINS, THE PLOT IN YOU

5/3 - Louisville, KY @ Expo Five

5/4 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel

5/5 - Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco

5/8 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues

5/9 - Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live

5/10 - Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm

5/12 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall Indoor Stage

5/13 - Huntington, WV @ Big Sandy Supercenter Grand

5/15 - Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights

5/16 - S. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground

5/17 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre

5/18 - Asbury Park, NJ @ North Beach (Bamboozle 2012)

5/19 - Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon (NO Whitechapel)

 MISS MAY I is:

B.J. Stead - rhythm guitar

Jerod Boyd - drums

Justin Aufdemkampe - lead guitar

Levi Benton - lead vocals

Ryan Neff - bass guitar, clean vocals

 For more information on MISS MAY I, please visit these sites:

 www.facebook.com/MissMayIMusic

www.twitter.com/missmayiband

www.youtube.com/missmayiband