by Melissa Komar
You toured on the epitome of Punk—Vans Warped Tour—in the mid-2000s together at the tender age of seventeen. You changed a fan’s life participating in the Make-A-Wish Foundation (touted as the band’s biggest accomplishment). And over a decade after forming, loyal fans still back your efforts on Indiegogo. So, how do you commemorate the decade milestone of making music?
According to Will Nutter of Amber Pacific, creating and releasing a new album (that just so happens to drop today) is the logical “birthday” celebration. “I think the big celebration was getting back in the studio and making another record,” Nutter, lead guitar and lyricist of the band, says during a phone interview. “I think that was the stamp of 10 years of being able to get back together, write these songs, and get them recorded and being able to release them again to our fans who have stuck around for 10 years. Having that kind of support for that length of time for being an under-the-radar type of band is really special. And that’s really the best celebration.”
And AP fans should definitely be pumped about the forth-coming, final product. The full-length LP with 10 tracks (the deluxe has 14) features the majority of the original line-up—Justin Westcott on rhythm guitar and Matt Young as lead vocalist—and the legendary Mike Herrera (MxPx).
“A lot of the guys in the band consider that a one-time thing,” Nutter said, “I mean, when can you say Mike of MxPx played bass on your record, like all of the record?”
Aside from working with Herrara, reuniting (none of the members ever parted on bad terms) with the original members made the process of the fourth album more fulfilling. “We came to a point where it just really worked out for everyone,” Nutter says. “It never quite feels the same as when you had the first batch of guys who you experienced all those things with like touring for the first time, recording for the first time, you have those memories with those people and when you get back into the studio with them, it just feels the best when it’s the original members.”
With the guys all back together, fans can expect to hear classic AP elements in addition to some cool synths and strings, according to Nutter. While life has happened—marriage and babies—to many of the guys in the past decade and the music is from a different perspective and their craft more perfected, Nutter says he still draws inspiration from the music. He cites Blink182, Greenday, and Drive-Thru Records bands that were popular when the band first formed.
“As far as music and inspiration, right now I’m not a huge fan of what’s popular on the radio as opposed to what was popular when we first started out,” Nutter says. “I tend to listen to stuff that is still from that era when we were first starting [glad this writer’s not the only one who still plays the 2004 Warped Tour compilation CD when I’m cruising]. Music right now hasn’t really influenced me at all. Today’s songs are really all about dancing and partying and shaking and it gets really repetitive.”
Although the music scene may be a little watered down, the social media mecca has exploded. Remember when Myspace was the hot thing? For a band like Amber Pacific, not signed to a major label, social media has been a positive asset. “It connects bands with their fans on a level we’ve never been able to do,” Nutter says. “Having all these social media outlets allows bands to reach their fans directly and promote their new album. In the past, you would have to pay $1500 just to get into a magazine to have your album promoted. Now you can send out a blast on your social media site and reach just as many or more fans.”
Connecting with fans is what AP hopes to do more of in the future, specifically by touring. Currently, the band is looking to tour overseas in the spring (a first-time event for the band; they’ve never ventured further than Canada), followed by Warped Tour in the summer. Regardless of where AP tours, making music for fans is the long-term goal.
“If we get a good response and the record does well, I don’t see any reason why we would stop making new music,” Nutter shares. “We really want people to know how appreciative we are. So for anyone who read this interview, anyone that talks about our new record or promotes us is always appreciated and also keeps the band going, so the more the better. It always an awesome experience to go out there and play songs and make music for people.”
To check out the latest from Amber Pacific and hear songs from their new album, The Turn, visit https://www.facebook.com/AMBERPACIFIC.
