Music Q&A: Attack Attack!

Attack Attack! plays at Bogart's Friday. (Credit: Provided)

It's all about the O-H-I-O for the Westerville, Ohio, quartet known as Attack Attack! They're bringing their metalcore/electronica sound to Cincinnati's Bogarts this Friday with Escape the Fate.

We caught up with frontman/lead singer Caleb Shomo before heading into their big, "This World Is Ours" tour. We learned it's more about making music and having a good time than success, his favorite new song to play live and just how much he loves the local Ohio State cuisine.

You guys are on the "This World Is Ours" tour with Escape the Fate right now. How's that been going?

We start pre-production and rehearsal for the tour today and I couldn't be more excited. Should be an incredible show! Escape the fate is an amazing band and great friends of ours so we're incredibly stoked to share the stage with them.

You guys recently dropped your This Means War album, that's been very successful on the charts. What do you think of the reception of the album?

We're incredibly blessed with how well people have received the record. It was so cool to see a record we put so much work into and devoted so much time to end up with a lot of people being able to relate and take something from it.

Obviously a lot of production within the band and recording took place with you as your own member/producer. How do you think that effected the overall outcome/sound?

There was nobody involved in the making of TMW except for the band. I had the honor of producing the record as well as mix and master it. There's a lot of emotion in the record because of this.

What are you most proud of with the new album?

Honestly I'm proud of all of it considering I got to mix/produce etc... Every song has a lot of emotion lyrically and musically. We put so much effort into it and I think it shows.

Do you have a favorite new song to play live and why is that special to you?

I love playing "The Betrayal." No real reason other than its a fun, high-energy song and it's a lot of fun to sing.

What will be your next single/music video and what type of theme will that one hold?

We just shot a video for "The Revolution" directed by Drew Russ. It has the feel of an old samurai martial arts film. I'm incredibly excited to see the final product.

With some of the lineup/sound changes, what do you think of the whole "old AA vs. new AA" that separates some of your fanbase? How do you react to all that?

We just write music we want to write. We grow up, mature, our musical tastes change, and we have had member changes. We are obviously going to start sounding different. Everybody who says we "lost our roots" knows nothing about us personally and our musical roots or tastes. We put out those older records with some different members and we were five years younger. They have absolutely made us who we are as a band, as friends, and musically, but people need to understand we have not "lost our roots," we have just grown up.

I saw that you've already got more tracks in the works as far as new material; do you think Attack Attack! will have two full-lengths out this year for 2012?

Not sure if it will be out in 2012 but we have a LOT of material in the works.

What do you see Attack Attack! conquering next?

Hopefully we can establish a bigger presence globally. We love traveling and want to be able to play everywhere!

What's one goal or one major accomplishment you'd like to see your band do in the future?

I'd love for us to have a gold record someday. That would just be awesome. But if not we have accomplished so much more than we could have ever dreamed of and are so happy with what we have done as a band.

You've got a lot of hometown love; do you have a hometown show that really sticks out in your mind?

The first show of the "This Means War" tour was in Columbus at the Newport (Music Hall -- which I'm sitting in right now as we rehearse for our next tour) and it was amazing. Such a good time and such great people. O-H!

What are some of your favorite things to do locally?

The OSU campus is the place to be. So much good food and good friends. There's always something to do. Hound Dogs Pizza is the jam. Same with Dirty Franks and Gooeyz and a ton of other places. If you're ever on OSU campus check those places out!

What are you most stoked for playing in Cincinnati at Bogarts?

Hanging out with our families and playing a show for the beautiful O-H-I-O!