"Take your time, Things will be just fine. Don't bite the hand that feeds, 'Cause nothing is ever mine. And just wait your turn, And always try to learn To love the ones that don't show love in return." The song is "Black and White". The artist is Tempe based Alternative Rock band The Maine. They're the perfect lyrics to describe the band, who are five of the most upstanding guys in the music industry. I was inspired to write this post after watching the band's latest video for their song "Am I Pretty?' It reminded of all the things that make The Maine truly outstanding and deserving of their success. There's no band more fitting to start my artist spotlight series with. For this post, I wanted to touch on (almost) all of The Maine's career so I invited a few friends, who I know also love the band, to contribute to this post. They were all immediately interested in helping out which was awesome. Each person is credited in their respective section(s)!
Imagine a voice spectrum; on one end you have the pop-punk "accent" (think Tom DeLonge, Alex Gaskarth, Jeremy McKinnon) and on the other end you have a warmer, more even tone with clear enunciation. Lead singer John O'Callaghan's voice hovers delicately on this spectrum, sometimes leaning towards one extreme or the other, but never spending too much time in one place. Lyrically, CSWS covers a few subjects. Of course love is one ("I Must Be Dreaming") and heartbreak is one ("Into Your Arms"), but the album is also about the incredible bond between friends and what moving on feels like. It's difficult to explain, but sometimes an album comes into your life at the most opportune time and you feel it so deeply. You feel every emotion in your gut and every single note and lyric hits you the way it was meant to. Can't Stop, Won't Stop is one of those albums for me. It was the soundtrack to my youth. When this album was released and The Maine was touring in support of it, I was 15-16 years old and I continued to listen to it throughout high school. At the time I thought that everything happening in my life was a big deal. Every experience I had with relationships, friendships, and life choices was the most significant emotional experience I had up to that point. As an adult, that's laughable, but at the time my feelings were real and The Maine put them into song form. For me, some standout tracks on CSWS are "Time To Go", "We'll All Be", and "You Left Me" (a song with an extremely unexpected sound), but no song means as much to me as "We All Roll Along". The opening guitar chords always make my stomach drop in a nostalgic way that transports me back to a different time in my life. The lyrics of the chorus are full of cliches, but they hit the nail on the head with what it feels like to grow up, deal with fear of the unknown, and yearn for a time when things were simpler: We're alive and we drive to the center of it. Where we know we're all fine and this just can't be it And in the end we all know we only breathe for so long. So tonight's the night we all roll along. The line, "You're all a part of me" and the way John sings it may be simple, but it is so intentional and meaningful. "We All Roll Along" will never not be my favorite song by The Maine. During this time, my friends and I were what you'd call "fangirls". I want to be clear about the fact that there is nothing wrong with being labeled as such. When I was 16, music and the bands that made the music I loved were my entire world. I could go to a show and actually meet the person whose photos covered my binders at school. More importantly, I could actually talk to the person who wrote the songs that made me feel better when I was sad. The Maine were already adults at the time and it must have been weird for them to see young fans obsess over them and cry when they met them, but the band members were always so understanding of what their fans were experiencing. On top of that, they were appreciative. They realized the role that we played in their career and they made it clear how grateful they were for us. The first time I saw The Maine, they held an "after party" at a local Denny's. There, they met all their fans after the show, took photos with us, and signed our merch for a couple hours before hitting the road again. The second time I saw them, they took photos with us before the show and gladly obliged when we all asked for hugs. And the third time I saw The Maine, one of my friends jokingly asked John to prom and they took a prom pose photo together. It's important to remember that they did all of these things (and continue to do all of these things) when they don't have to. Bands have no obligation to hang out before and after shows. After a long day of driving, setting up, soundchecking, and playing, they have every right to get back on their bus and drive on to the next city. The Maine don't pick and choose when they they meet their fans...they do it after every show on every tour. Not only does The Maine always come out to meet their fans, they do it with smiles on their faces. I don't know anyone who has ever walked away from an interaction with The Maine thinking, 'Wow, they weren't as nice as I thought.' or 'I wish I hadn't met them.' The Maine wouldn't be where they are today without the fans and they have never lost sight of that fact. They are truly the most genuine, kindhearted musicians I have met in my ten years of going to shows and working in the music industry. In the summer of 2014, I was working as a Customer Service intern for Superfly, the co-founding company of the Bonnaroo and Outside Lands music festivals. It was my last week in San Francisco and I was working at Outside Lands, which felt like a vacation compared to Bonnaroo. The other intern, Frankie, and I were driving a golf cart around the festival grounds near the operations trailers. As we drove, I saw two men walking along the dirt path. I told (not asked) Frankie to pull over...I had to get out and talk to them for a minute. I approached the two men and said, "Hi, I'm Mary. I wanted to stop and say hi because I've been a fan of The Maine for years and I wanted to thank you." Who had I run into? John O'Callaghan, lead singer of The Maine, with his long, blonde (at the time) hair, wearing faded, light blue skinny jeans that were cuffed at the bottom and circular, John Lennon style sunglasses. (He had been walking with Eric Halvorsen...A Rocket To The Moon anyone?!) John was so incredibly nice. When I told him that their music had been the soundtrack to my high school years he said, "Thank you so much. That' s awesome!" He then proceeded to ask me, with genuine interest, what I was doing at Outside Lands and what I want to do in the music industry. He told me he was most excited to see Tom Petty live for the first time that weekend, I told him to enjoy the festival and we parted ways. It was a brief encounter, but it meant so much to me. I was no longer a teenager and was so proud to be finally working in the music industry. John being so genuine and kindhearted felt like the perfect culmination to my teenage years. It was so refreshing to know that I loved The Maine for all the right reasons. They are part of the reason I pursued music as a career so it was amazing to know that they are truly exactly as they present themselves. Growing Up: The Black and White EraBy Hannah Larson Black and White was The Maine’s second studio album released back in 2010. From the upbeat, energetic single "Inside of You", to the “ballad” of sorts that is "Growing Up", to the catchy, more mature lyrics of "Right Girl", Black and White offers something for everyone all while sticking to The Maine's signature sound. It was Black and White that made me fall in love with The Maine. I remember watching their behind the scenes footage of making Black and White and being so excited for it to come out just because of how they spoke about it. John, Jared, Garrett, Kennedy and Pat were so proud of this album and what they had created. You can tell how important it was to them by listening to the lyrics and the meanings behind each song on the album. The Maine is one of many bands my friends and I have bonded over throughout the years. From going to concerts together, to dancing and singing their lyrics at the top of our lungs, to staying after shows just to meet the band, The Maine has had a huge impact on all of our lives in many ways. Each album and each song has had different meanings for everything we were going through at the time and still do to this day. I remember each and every time I have seen The Maine in concert and I still get excited to see them when they come to town. The energy they have on stage is amazing, they never disappoint and they take the time to meet fans after each show. One of my favorite memories is going to one of their shows in Buffalo with all my friends. After the show we waited outside to meet the boys. My friends had talked me into asking John O to prom and caught the whole thing on video. Every time I watch that video it brings me back and reminds me just how much The Maine meant to all of us back then. I don’t think there is a song on Black and White that I don’t like, but there are a few that meant, and still mean a lot to me. I remember hearing "Color" for the first time, listening to the lyrics, and thinking how amazing of a message it sends. The line, "we’re just trying to find some color in this black and white world” always sticks out to me. It's a song everyone can relate to whether you like The Maine or not. The lyrics serve as a reminder to stay positive and let everything fall into place, that you’re not alone and that it’s okay to feel “fucked up” sometimes. "Right Girl" is another one of my favorite songs on the album. While it sticks to their signature sound, we see a sense of maturity in the context and lyrics of the song, which is about being drunk and messing up a chance with the "right girl". On Black and White I liked that The Maine stayed true to who they are as a band, but edged it up a bit and have gotten a little edgier with each album after that. When I think of Black and White, I think of the song "Growing Up". I still remember a contest my friends and I entered years ago. We had to use "Growing Up" as our audio and create a video explaining what it meant to us in a video. Together as a group we worked on the contest using pictures that spanned from when we were babies, to growing up together over the years, to present day. We didn’t win, but listening to that song and watching that video, even now, brings back so many memories of our friendship and who we are. When I think of The Maine, I think of Black and White. I think of all the memories I have with my friends and the life lessons I learned from this album. Coming Into Their Own: Pioneer
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the path that Warner Brothers had mapped out for The Maine and with that, they turned down the demos and told the guys to keep working. The Maine were completely lost in their ways because they couldn’t see why such an amazing album could be turned down. In their eyes, it was the best work they had ever done. However, this set back only pushed the guys to create and record even more sound. So they went back to El Paso to finish what they had started. In the midst of this, there were talks about not being able to thrive creatively in this environment and the band coming to an end if they continued under these circumstances. They collectively decided to write a letter to their label expressing how they felt and how they would like to be removed from them completely. This entire experience with their record label lit a fire under them; their passion was so high to create something incredible and on December 6th, 2011 Pioneer was released. Pioneer was the turning point of The Maine’s career. In my opinion, it is absolutely overall the best work they’ve ever put together. Most independent albums never do as well, but this album is definitely a fan favorite. I was a very big fan of them at the time and didn’t really know that this album was being put together until one day on Facebook I saw The Maine post about a new album called Pioneer. I don’t know if I’ve ever purchased something as quickly as I did Pioneer. Yes, I was a fan of their music previously but I can definitely say with every fiber of my being that Pioneer is what made them who they are. It made me turn to them and really appreciate the artistry these five guys encompass together. From front to back this album tells a story with songs like “My Heroine” and “Time” overlaying each other and a hidden track called “One Pack of Smokes From Broke”. My favorite song of theirs is on this album and it’s entitled “Like We Did (Windows Down)”. It’s a song I turn towards when I need cheering up but it’s also one I can jam out to when I’m in a great mood. Throughout 2012, The Maine toured worldwide off of Pioneer’s success. I attended the tour in Upstate NY about a month before I graduated from high school and it was the best show I’ve ever been to of theirs. The feeling I had inside was something I’ve never felt before as confetti showered over me while the opening chords to “Identify” rattled in my ears. I felt at peace; I felt like this is where I needed to be; I felt at home. In the summer of 2012, they released The Good Love EP which was comprised of the B-sides to Pioneer. “Take Me Dancing”, a little tune about John’s father, was probably my favorite song off of that EP, but each song has its own feel and story behind it that just really stays with you. This EP got me through my first semester of college with its meaningful lyrics and uplifting sound. I actually bonded with my freshman year roommate over The Maine and our love for them (we still live together 4 years later). Something that I really appreciate about The Maine is how they truly do have creative control to put out their own music and how frequently they put out new tunes. It makes me proud to know how hard they fought for the right to have creative control and that they don’t take it for granted. Shortly after the release of more songs, The Maine introduced a new documentary entitled “Anthem For A Dying Breed” that would be available in December of 2012. The documentary would follow the process of creating Pioneer so that each fan could understand what they truly went through to get this music to us. Most of this information I’m spewing at you actually came from said documentary. Forever HalloweenBy Aimee Albright After months of worldwide touring, The Maine posted a new video on their YouTube channel. They started writing for their new album that won a spot in Alternative Press’ most anticipated albums of 2013 list. In February of 2013, The Maine went to Nashville to record their new album on tape. They worked with Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs to help make the vision of this album a reality. In Nashville, the guys worked out of a studio that was pretty spread apart in terms of rooms which was pretty ideal for what they were trying to accomplish. Album #4 was to be recorded completely live and on tape as well. Amps were in different rooms of the studio so that sound wouldn’t blend together, but Garrett, Jared, and Kennedy were essentially all playing in the same room as Pat. John would be in a separate room recording his vocals to get a precise acoustic sound and while this was all happening, Brendan was recording them on tape. This process hasn’t been done in years thanks to the technological advances in the music industry, but The Maine wanted to shake up their recording process a little bit. These guys seem to like trying new things, especially in the realm of recording and writing together, which they usually do all together, secluded from family, friends, and significant others. As a band, The Maine thought it’d be funny to send blank discs to random fans that contained a very disturbing loop of voices repeating “forever Halloween” for about 2 minutes straight. Very soon after some fans were deeply disturbed, they put a video of the same loop on their YouTube channel. This was their hint at their new album which would be entitled Forever Halloween and would be released on June 4th, 2013. The guys had some fun with these promotional tactics, like releasing a spoof song called “Pretty Pretty Balloons” that they claimed was on their new album, which it absolutely was not on. This kind of humor really shows the connection this band has with their fan base, which they are notorious for looking after. Forever Halloween has what I would call a more emo vibe to it, and I’m sure the guys would appreciate that. In all seriousness, this album had a darker tone to it which most can tell by the artwork on it (the singer, John, depicted as a skeleton with a black background). Songs like “Blood Red”, “Forever Halloween”, and “White Walls” have a darker sound to them. On the contrary, there are songs like “Sad Songs”, “Happy”, and “Take What You Can Carry” with a more upbeat sound but still had darker lyrical content. “Happy” was the first single released from this album which really gave the fans a taste of what this album would sound like. In the summer of 2013, The Maine and friends embarked on a continent-wide tour called the 8123 Tour. The tour featured Brighten, A Rocket To The Moon (their final tour), and This Century. I caught this tour in Asbury Park, New Jersey in July of 2013 and it was one to remember. I traveled pretty far for this tour and I’m glad I did because not only did The Maine play some new songs off of Forever Halloween, but they played classics like “Count ‘Em One, Two, Three” and a new rendition of “Whoever She Is” which I thought was amazing. But I can’t mention this tour without talking about the live version of “We All Roll Along” where the very important lyrics “eighty one, twenty three, means everything to me” were belted by all of the fans in the crowd. This simple phrase, which most people don’t understand at all, is something that I know creates a community of people who care so much about each other and these musical groups. After this tour, I met an online community of people who love The Maine just as much as I do. I’ve made so many friends through a 5 piece band from Arizona that I wouldn’t have ever come across if I hadn’t attended that Boys Like Girls concert way back when I was 15. The Maine were very busy at the end of 2013 and into early 2014; they simultaneously released an acoustic EP called Imaginary Numbers and created an acoustic tour. The sound of Imaginary Numbers followed Forever Halloween’s with that same darker feeling behind it. “Lovely Sad” and “Visions” perfectly describe this feeling with lyrics like “The what-if’s and the should-have’s, they start to eat my brain. The shadow of my youth has made the sun go black again”. The winter acoustic tour was called An Acoustic Evening With The Maine, an up close and personal performance that hit only a handful of major cities across the US. The band, knowing they only saw a fraction of the people who endlessly support them, released a video of their acoustic tour so everyone across the world could experience this intimate performance. The video was recorded at their hometown show in Arizona so that fans could get a feel for the special show they put on for their community at home. In the spring of 2014, The Maine announced that they would be joining the Vans Warped Tour all summer long. This was pretty big news seeing as how they hadn’t been on the tour since 2011. Later on in 2014, they also announced that they would be releasing Forever Halloween Deluxe Edition which would include five extra tracks. This news was huge to the fans because one of the extra tracks was the widely known “Ice Cave” warmup/tuning song they performed at many shows over the past couple of years. Many fans were awaiting a studio version of this song, which had gained a lot of attention over the internet since most fans didn’t know what was happening every time they performed this little tune. In the summer of 2014, I attended the Vans Warped Tour date in Long Island and there I got a taste of how The Maine promotes in a very different way than most bands. I was at guest list waiting to get my bracelet when I saw Kennedy and Pat walking around with signs and boxes of CDs. They were selling the deluxe edition of Forever Halloween for the reasonable price of $5. I had the chance to talk to Kennedy and grab a CD from him while I was waiting in the brutally sun. The Maine weren’t playing until later in the day so I had some time to kill and enjoy the atmosphere around me. I was baking in the sun by the time I got to see some bands I was dying to see and meet some band members. Something I notice about The Maine is how good they are at creating a community at these types of music festivals, but it honestly can’t compare to the intimacy of a show of theirs in a smaller venue to a familiar crowd. Once The Maine finished their summer at Warped Tour, they embarked on a new tour which would start in the later part of 2014 called “Farewell Forever Halloween”. A lot of people took this title the wrong way and thought the band was breaking up, which is when I passionately told people the correct information. I distinctly remember getting a little too feisty with someone who thought I didn’t know my facts and I honestly think I scared them a little. This tour was supposed to commemorate the era of Forever Halloween and help the group move onto the new musical era. This tour also hit only a few large cities around the country so the guys could get back to making music. After Halloween of 2014, The Maine announced that they would be taking a break from social media in order to write a more intimate album together. The band set off for Joshua Tree, California where they were secluded once again to push out another piece of audio work. This silence was known as “The Blackout” and lasted until after the New Year in 2015, about a two month long period. This was unusual and very difficult for some fans because this band is always so diligent about keeping the fans up to pace with what they’re doing in the studio. Forever Halloween had multiple studio and writing updates, but with this new album we were left in the dark. Although, I can’t say it was completely awful because it was so refreshing when they finally came back in 2015.
The lyric video for “English Girls” was the first glimpse of the new music back in February of that year. Then, after the album was released, the actual video for the song came out in June. Visually the clips in the actual video show a story of vocalist John O'Callaghan having the same occurrence at a bar happen over and over again. In the original occurrence, a random girl, whom he’s attracted to, collides with a waiter causing drinks to spill everywhere. From then on out, John has the same situation happen over but tries to stop it each time. Each time he “saves” the girl but keeps flashing back to the beginning until he eventually wakes up in a bed with drummer Patrick Kirch. Musically the track is the classic, upbeat style the Maine has been known for in the past with O’Callaghan singing one of the catchiest chorus lines the band has ever been a part of: He said, “Smoke whatever you've got left, It's getting late and We don't have much to lose” Well she said, “English girls they just like sex” I couldn't believe when he said, “I've got news for you American boys do too.” “English Girls” set the tone for sure but American Candy as a whole is a work of art without a bad song on it in my opinion. It’s rare when you can put on a record and just play it front to back without skipping a single track. I honestly believe each song could be a hit of its own. American Candy was no doubt one of my favorite releases in 2015. I jam to it every month still and try to get as many people as I can to give the songs a listen. The video for “Am I Pretty?” sends an absolutely beautiful message. It begins with interviews of fans who’ve been through various individual life obstacles such as confidence issues, abuse, and gender identity. With this short film the band tries to emphasize self-acceptance no matter what flaw one may have. In reference to the video, O’Callaghan wrote, “you are beautiful because there never has been, nor will there ever be anyone else on this Earth like you,” on the band’s Facebook page. This message hits deep for many people. The lyrics of the song even express the self-doubt of oneself: Am I pretty? Do people like me yet? Is there a party? Am I invited? Another notable track is “24 Floors” for me. The song handles the topic of depression and suicide with the imagery of the protagonist considering jumping from a hotel room. Kudos for the Maine for really tackling some tough issues that people face. This one’s mood really reminds me of the vibe from the Imaginary Numbers EP and “These Four Words” off of Forever Halloween. Overall though, I love it when a band uses their platform, of whatever fame they have, to speak about real problems and attempt to inspire others out of whatever ruts they be in. Another reminder we are all in this together and should be there to help one another. American Candy is an album you can dance to, an album you can bop your head to, and an album you can sing along to passionately. The Maine really prove that they are a force that should be paid attention to. When you think of alternative rock bands, you should think of the Maine. From August to October of that year the band embarked on a string of shows that were totally free of charge. “The Free For All Tour” spanned all across the United States and the shows were in out-of-the-ordinary places such as radio stations and parks. Why would the band do this you ask? “We just want it to be a big party and an opportunity for people who can’t afford to buy a ticket to come,” said Kirch. Surely this is a sign that the members of the Maine are in the music industry for reasons other than money. Another great year for the well-intentioned band who deserve everything they have. I'm already looking forward to the next album cycle and everything it has to offer. We All Have Been The GreatestSo, there you have it. Hopefully this post has either reaffirmed your love for The Maine or encouraged you to listen to them for the first time. If anything, I hope that we've all made it clear why The Maine is such an incredible artist and why us fans appreciate them so damn much. I'd like to end by saying "thank you" to The Maine. Thanks for all the amazing music, for picking us up when we're down, for being really freaking nice, for putting so much passion and love into everything you do, and for being there for us through it all. These past twelve years have been a journey of self-discovery and growth and you've been there the whole way.
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