Fresh from their recent UK co-headline tour with Miss May I, we caught up with We Came As Romans at Slam Dunk Festival in Leeds.
Flying straight from a giant headline US tour to the UK just days before Slam Dunk, it’s a non-stop touring schedule for the guys in We Came As Romans.
The guys finished up their three SD appearances before heading on a tour across Europe including festival slots at One OK Rock and Rock Camp Festival.
Ahead of their Slam Dunk debut on the Atlas Stage in Leeds, we sat down for a chat with frontman David Stephens to find out more about the band’s love for the UK and their dream Slam Dunk collaboration.
Hey David! So how has it been for you guys going straight from a US to UK tour? Do you find it easy transitioning between the two?
It’s much different because we’ve been touring America for like eight years, we definitely have much more of a following over there for that reason. It took us a lot longer to come here because you’ve got a lot of flights and you’ve gotta buy Visas, it’s difficult for American bands to come here just as I’m sure it’s difficult for English bands to come to America. We’re still getting on our feet here. It’s kinda funny playing here, it’s like rewinding a few years on our career in America, but it’s kind of refreshing and cool. We’re playing these little clubs and we’re just working like we did back then in America, trying to meet as many fans as we can and hang out and make new connections. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just refreshing and different.
In terms of your live sets, they’re so energetic no matter what the venue – what is it that keeps you going?
We just like what we do y’know? I don’t know if I could jump around and go crazy like that if there was nobody watching us, but when you put a bunch of people there and you can feel the energy from the crowd, it’s like you get this adrenaline going.
Have you had much time to explore the UK this tour?
Yeah! Usually, we get in at like ten in the morning or so and we have almost all day to walk around and do whatever. I think I’ve seen all the historical sites and the stuff I wanna see so this time it’s been about trying restaurants and pubs, it’s more that this time instead of ‘let’s go and see Big Ben’.
Has there been anywhere particular in the UK over the years that you guys have a soft spot for?
This is my second time telling this story today, but it’s so funny I have to as it’s literally my favourite memory of the UK. It was Andy’s (bassist) birthday and we were in London and the next day we had a really early flight so our tour manager was like ‘alright you guys have gotta go to bed early, lights out at 11pm and I’m gonna come by and make sure you guys are asleep’, so we’re like ‘alright cool’. He came by our room and knocked on the door and we’re like ‘yeah we’re just getting ready for bed dude!’ and we’re in our pyjamas and he’s like ‘alright cool’ and shuts the door. We get changed real quick and hear his door shut so sneak out of ours, shut the door real quiet and run down the hall to catch the bus to take us to the train station and took the train to central London. Andy and I just hit like every pub and went crazy for his birthday and then caught the last train, or one of the morning trains, back and the next day he had such a hard time waking us up. It was one of my favourite nights in London, just figuring out how to get there and him and I just going crazy. It felt like we were fifteen/sixteen again sneaking out of mum and dad’s house so I have a soft spot for London just because of that.
So how does it feel for you guys to playing Slam Dunk?
This is our first time so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I got out of the bus and went looking for some coffee and there was like stages set up in-between buildings and the crowds in the street, it’s really cool. We haven’t played anything like this before, it’s exciting!
If you could collaborate with anyone else on the line-up who would it be?
The Word Alive are some really good friends of ours and they’re crazy musicians so I think it’d be fun to do a song with them. I’d really like to write a song with Aaron Pauley from Of Mice & Men, I’ve messaged him about it like ‘dude we need to write a song together sometime!’ so that’s who.
Stay tuned for the rest of our coverage from Slam Dunk Festival across the week and make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date with the posts!