Get to Know Wayward
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Allen Lewis and Chris Stanton of the up-and-coming band Wayward. Wayward is a band which is based in Reno, Nevada and is simply influenced by the music people around them. Allen and Chris agreed to answer some of my questions, so take a look! Maybe you’ll get to know Wayward a little bit better.
About Allen:
– Your name: Allen Lewis
– Age: 22
– Role in band: Guitar
– Favorite song (in general): That’s REALLY tough to say. It usually depends on my mood but right now I think it’d have to be “It’s Not a Bad Little War” by Bayside.
– Favorite song (within your band): “Maybe I” – It’s our most recently recorded song and we’ve only performed it a few times, therefore I’m not too sick of it… yet.
– Musical idol: Paul McCartney
– Anything else you’d like to add about you: I sleep with 6 pillows!
About Chris:
– Your name: Chris Stanton
– Age: 22
– Role in band: Vocals/Guitar
– Favorite song (in general): Yikes. Don’t think I could narrow it down to even one artist. But I’ve been jamming “Damned if You Do, Dead if You Don’t” off Funeral for a Friend’s new record a bunch lately.
– Favorite song (within your band): “All This Time” still really does it for me. Can’t really put my finger on why though.
– Musical idol: John Mayer and Anthony Raneri.
– Anything else you’d like to add about you: I have a one year-old black pug named Seamus (shay-muss). He sleeps on my head. Every night.
The Band:
– How did you all meet?
ALLEN: I’ve known Paul (the drummer) since I was born. Our dads have always worked together in a Beatles Tribute band called “Rain.” They’re currently touring the world and have their own show on Broadway. I met Chris in kindergarten, but didn’t start hanging out with him until 3rd grade. Paul, Chris and I started jamming when we were 12, playing Green Day and punk covers. Finally, we met Brad (our bassist) in late high school. It wasn’t ’til senior year that we started writing songs as Wayward. Aaand, the rest is history.
– What made you guys decide to start the band?
ALLEN: Growing up with our Dads being involved in music really made us want to push for it. We all started going to concerts around 7th grade and we just loved the whole “show” environment and knew it was something we wanted to be a part of. The crowds, the loud drums, the mosh pits…we definitely wanted it all.
CHRIS: Not only was it a huge inspiration having Rain around, but I grew up with a fascination and borderline obsession with the idea of being the source of the strong feelings and good vibes that music always gave me (and still do).
– Where did you guys get the inspiration for your sound?
ALLEN: We get inspiration from a lot of bands. Everyone from The Beatles to The Backstreet Boys have influenced us. It really depends on who we’re listening to at the time but we’re definitely all suckers for catchy hooks. Some notable influences would probably be bands like Bayside, Paramore, Yellowcard, All Time Low, and bands like that.
– How does it feel to have your band’s music out for the public to hear?
ALLEN: As times goes on and we become more and more confident with our music it becomes easier. It was difficult at first because our music has always been such a huge part of who we are. We give it our all. We’ve always felt that as long as we’re true to ourselves when it comes to our songs, it doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks. We’re very lucky that we have a strong following that truly supports every song that we write and every move that we make.
CHRIS: It’s funny, as new as we still are to all of this, part of me also feels so “used to” having our music out in the open for the public to hear. I almost have to step back and remind myself that it’s “public,” which a lot of people may not be able to say. I’m super grateful for that, even though it’s not too hard to have music out there these days. It’s definitely a great feeling though. Our music is just notes and chords without the feedback and emotional connection that our fans give us. We’re grateful to have it out there. Very, very grateful.
– From what I’ve seen it is so obvious that you guys adore your fans. Why is it important to you to have such a good relationship with them?
CHRIS: In band culture, it seems like things always revolve around the lives and ego of the band itself, rather than the fans that got them to where they are in the first place. That just doesn’t really make sense to us. And celebrating our fans is half the fun. We love talking and interacting with everyone. It’s like a huge friend network…we get to hear everyone’s stories and create bonds with them over time. We really see their personalities, and it’s become such a cool part of what we do. Simply put, I guess we just feel like the band-fan connection is every bit as important as the music when it comes down to it.
– What do you feel is the best way to promote the band?
CHRIS: Through people. Hands down. It comes with the good relationship we have with our fans. I’m a senior in marketing at UNR [University of Nevada, Reno] right now, and I believe full-heartedly that there’s no greater advertisement than the genuine voice of a human being. In addition to that, we also believe that social networking sites are among the strongest assets available to advertisers right now, when used correctly. We’re still learning, but we’ve been very staunch believers in having a strong marketing front from day one.
– Are you guys planning and major tours/shows any time soon?
CHRIS: No plans as of now. Our priority right now is to get our next EP released, then hopefully support that with a good run of shows/touring.
– Is there anything else you would like to add?
Talk to us! We’re super friendly and would love to meet you. You can get free music and keep in touch on our Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/waywardrock. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter…we’re goofballs. (@waywardrock). Thank you so much for your interest, and hopefully we’ll see you all really soon. 
XOXO
Also be sure to check out http://wearewayward.com
