Underoath: A Grill of One's Own

(andPOP) - For Underoath, loudness is just one part of the band's sound and style. But earlier this month, it was the single element that made my life difficult.

I was supposed to interview vocalist Spencer Chamberlain and guitarist James Smith at the Mod Club Theatre in Toronto. Usually this means comfortable dressing room couches, a table for my tape recorder and some seclusion from the surrounding hubbub.

Instead, I found myself perched on a small curb against a brick wall in the alleyway behind the club. With sound-checks for that night's show continuing through my scheduled timeslot, it was the only place quiet enough to hold a conversation. Like I said?this band is loud.

Some incarnation of Underoath has been playing angsty post-hardcore since 1998. Originally hailing from Florida, the band has undergone numerous member changes. In 2002, founding guitarist and major contributor Corey Steger left the group after only two albums. And just a year later, on the Vans Warped Tour, the band had a falling-out with front-man Dallas Taylor. He was asked to leave, and was replaced later that year by Chamberlain.

Their new album, "Define the Great Line," is the second release by Underoath's current lineup ? Chamberlain on vocals, Smith and Tim McTague on guitars, Chris Dudley on keyboards, Aaron Gillespie on drums and vocals, and Grant Brandell on bass ? after they first came together for 2004's "They're Only Chasing Safety."

"This is the longest the band's been without change in its existence," says Chamberlain, also perched on the small curb. "'Chasing Safety' was the first for half the band ? both me, James and Grant. This time, I got to be more myself, for sure. And I think for everyone it was just comfortable, we knew where we wanted to go creatively and personally, and it was right for the first time for everyone."

With their last record, both James and Chamberlain felt the band was physically and creatively limited. In addition to time constraints, there was a feeling that they had to adhere to the restrictions of their genre. But for "Define the Great Line," the writing and recording process was much more open.

"We had so much time to put it all together," says Smith. "For the last record, Spencer joined the band and we immediately started writing songs and recording and it all went pretty quick."

"We had a lot of time to soak it in and a lot of time to raise the bar musically," adds Chamberlain. "We could be like, 'Dang, that's hard, but it's so fun! Let's just work on it until we can do it.' And that's what makes music fun, y'know?"

Underoath also released the record on independent label Tooth & Nail, despite offers from some of the majors. As far as the band is concerned, it wasn't a difficult decision.

"I'm sure they wanted us to play all pop-ier songs, and the pop-y songs off the last record, before it even came out, we hated," says Chamberlain. "We didn't want someone to pinpoint us as, 'The style of your record should sound like this,' and, 'This is what direction you guys go,' and, 'Keep doing that.' You should have a fresh canvas every time you push the button, y'know? It should just be like, dang, if it's awesome it's awesome. Do it."

Though retaining the "independent" classification generally wins favour with the anti-mainstream crowd, Underoath has had their fair share of issues with the punk-rock community in the past. The fact that they're a Christian band seems to clash with the largely agnostic and atheistic attitudes traditionally associated with punk music. But as the band has become more established, fans and fellow musicians have realized that religion isn't first-and-foremost for Underoath.

"We're not singing praise and worship songs," explains Chamberlain. "We're not singing, 'O glory, how great is the world and we're perfectly happy human beings,' because it's not true. We just apply the way we live our life to situations that everyone goes through."

Though Chamberlain says that they haven't run into many religion-based problems with listeners or fans, he admits that it's occasionally an issue with tour-mates.

"Bands that haven't met us before are kind of sometimes skeptical," he says. "Like, 'Oh man, these kids are not going to be any fun.' They judge us for something that Americanized Christianity has turned into which is everything that we kind of stand against."

Luckily, when the band heads out on this summer's Warped Tour to support "Great Line," they'll have at least a few old friends waiting for them.

"Like [metalcore band] Every Time I Die," says Chamberlain. "It's going to be a lot of fun. That tour's fun, it's like a big camp."

"And we're friends with Joan Jett," jokes Smith.

It'll be the second run with the traveling punk show for Underoath's newest members, and the fourth run for the band as a whole. With all that experience, they've learned one or two lessons along the way.

"Bring extra water, and bring your own grill," says James matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, dude, for sure," agrees Chamberlain. "Because when you eat at five and you're up till four in the morning and you're out in the middle of nowhere most of the time ? bring a grill, cook some meat."