Colours is a band that consists of two people: Rico (Lead Guitarist) for Forever The Sickest Kids and Phillip. Colours consists of two people determined to make an impact on the world through their music because being a 2 person band the odds are against them. Phillip could not take no as an answer and so with his creative mind takes Colours in a direction where success is ultimately the outcome. Colours is an Indie/Rock/Pop band and Phillip transitions to that from being in a Pop/Rock band.
I had the great privilege and opportunity to interview Rico via email, which is an opportunity I will never forget. I want to thank him very much for that opportunity and enjoy the interview because these responses will blow your mind :)
Here is the links to Colours:
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Colourstheband
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/colourstheband
Their Merch Store: http://colours.bigcartel.com/
Here are the responses to the questions you all have been dieing for:
1. What inspired you guys to play music?
I started to really get into music in middle school. Nirvana was the first band I got into. Their energy and ability to write simple, but powerful songs gave me the crazy idea that maybe I could do it too. When I was 13, I wanted a guitar so over the summer break I worked for my dad to save up enough money to buy my first. I think my parents saw it more as a phase at first, so making me work for it was a way of showing them that I was serious. While my friends were sleeping in and enjoying their school break, I was waking up at 5am to work with my dad for minimum wage.
2. What strategies did you guys take to make your band known?
I started off touring working for other bands. Before making Colours official, I was working with Forever The Sickest Kids as a stage manager and guitar/drum tech. I was already surrounded by several bands that were doing what I wanted to do, so it was a great learning experience to see the day to day or how bands work. On the side, we worked hard with our social networks (Myspace, Facebook, Purevolume, Twitter, Stickam) to push our music and make people aware of the band. Substream Magazine gave us a full feature before the release and covered us as a "Band you need to know" on a very successful issue with Owl City. I was basically living on my lap top 24/7 talking to fans and finding better ways to promote and spread our name. It was shortly after that in 2010 I was offered a job by The Almost (Aaron Gillespie, Underoath) to be their Tour manager for a headlining tour and for their support tour with Switchfoot. Being that I was already committed to Forever The Sickest Kids, I had to kindly decline. At that time, The Colours EP "Alive & Well" was fairly new and The Almost had heard it. They came back with a counter offer of taking Colours on tour with them, if I would agree to take the job tour managing them. My shock response was "I'd love to, but we don't have a full band, it is just Phil and I." They immediately responded with "We will learn your songs and play in your band."
Members of the great rock band "The Almost" offering to take Colours out on tour, plus learning our songs and performing with us for free? Of course we had to do it!
3. Where did you guys get the name of your band from?
Like any band, it was a long struggle of finding something we both liked so it ended up changing several times. We had begun recording "Alive & Well" under another band name, but towards the end of the record we found out the name was taken. One day Phil and I were writing at my house and out of the blue I suggested "Hey, what COLOURS? But with a U?" And that was pretty much it!
4. What bands do you guys listen to and how have they shaped your music?
This is always the hardest question for me because there are just far too many to name. I am a big fan of music and anything that puts a smile on our face. Melody and writing something that actually means something to you. We have taken things that we have learned and loved from several bands that have influenced us throughout the years. Being open minded to all types of music, whether it is old or new helps in not being afraid to try something new and allows you to grow as a writer.
5. What does your family think of your music?
My parents have always been supportive of everything I have done. Out of all the bands I have been part of, I really feel that COLOURS is the one that really took them by surprise. It was completely different than anything I have ever been part of and the process was very hands on for me. We are a band of only 2 members, so we wrote everything together and played all the instruments. Phil and I would work on ideas we both had on guitar and if we felt it was going somewhere good, I would hop behind the drums set and we would begin writing other instrument parts, there the songs would take shape. Recording our EP "Alive &Well" was the first time we ever heard our songs we wrote in their full form. It was something very amazing to be part of and to prove to ourselves that we could be a band no matter if we were just two. All that mattered was that we shared the same ideas.
6. What is your favorite food to eat when you are on tour?
I am not a picky eater. It is so easy to eat unhealthy all the time on the road, so home cooked meals are missed. I try my best to avoid eating like an 11 year old and try to make as many healthy decisions as possible.
7. What do you think about when you are on stage?
I am just happy to be doing something I love. I think about how grateful I am that I am able to play my music and that it has been able to reach people further than I knew possible. I love playing music and being able to travel and meet people. I have been blessed to tour whether it is with COLOURS or playing guitar in Forever The Sickest Kids. I would of never guest in my wildest dreams that I would of have been able to see/tour the world playing music with my friends.
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