Interview: Modern Baseball- “This is our mafia, we can’t get out”

 

To think of a period of time present, past or future without Modern Baseball is strange,” guitarist and vocalist Brendan Lukens admits. “I’ve known Jake [Ewald] literally forever. We were talking the other night about how I was moving around so much when I was growing up that I’ve never had friends this long before in my life.”

It’s clear during my time with Modern Baseball before their show in Liverpool’s modest Studio 2 that here are a band that need each other just as much as their fans need them. In their recent stellar documentary ‘Tripping In The Dark’ we saw an insight into the near fatal battle with bi-polar disorder that nearly took the life of Brendan. But it also brought the band closer than ever together. A story that has led to the “most open and honest” album of their career so far, with Brendan further saying in the documentary that “what we hope that with us opening up our personal lives to so many people, is that our fans can open up to everyone in their lives.”

Chatting to Brendan, partner in crime and fellow guitarist and vocalist Jake as well as bassist Ian Farmer, we delve a little deeper into a band that so many people are using to sound-track their everyday lives. “Bren and I were both writing songs in high school and we met and found out we liked a lot of the same music that we didn’t know anyone else liked. Stuff like Gaslight Anthem, Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack. We used that as an opportunity to get together and write music,” Jake says, discussing the bands early days.

As far as early days go, they aren’t actually that far back for Modern Baseball. The band got together in Philadelphia in 2011 as Brendan and Luke met and became best friends. “We played together acoustically for a while and us clicking was pretty immediate from the first time we hung out,” Jake continues. “We just started writing and we were like ‘oh this is sick’. As far as the band goes it was pretty immediate. We kind of thought it would be a fluid project and have people coming and going. Then we practiced with Sean and Ian and we were like, ‘let’s just do this’.”

In 2012 the band released ‘Sports’, their first full length album recorded in their high school studio. Little did they know that their first effort would soon be considered one of the staples and modern classics of its genre. Twelve tracks about frustration, growing up, broken relationships and failed dreams to soundtrack the disenchanted youth either side of the Atlantic. The Wonder Years’ Dan Campbell even jokingly declares his envy in the documentary. “They were really good right out of the gate,” he says, “you should have heard some of the bullshit I used to write.”

“When asked if they expected ‘Sports’ to do so well as it did the band openly laugh. “No, not in the slightest. When Lame-O Records called and said they were doing 300 we were really worried they weren’t going to make their money back. We were very shocked to find that 5 weeks after it came out they were all sold out,” bassist Ian says with his seemingly eternal cheesy grin. The band are now on their 8^th pressing of the album.

‘Sports’ led to mass popularity and tours that have seen the band travel all over the world. In 2014 they released their sophomore album ‘You’re Gonna Miss It All’ and will soon release their third album ‘Holy Ghost’. Miraculously, as I found out sitting with the trio (drummer Sean was busy elsewhere) they only graduated from college a few weeks before this conversation, in mid-April 2016. “It was difficult. Luckily we had really good school advisers. We were lucky enough to basically be at the right place at the right time,” Brendan says of his Communications Studies, whereas Jake and Ian were covering Music Recording. “The touring opportunities we were getting were really cool, we weren’t just diving into the oblivion,” Jake adds.

“It’s hard as fuck but it’s definitely possible. It only took 6 years,” Ian half-jokes.

“I like ‘Holy Ghost’ a lot as the material from my side is completely different to Jake’s. Jake’s side of ‘Holy Ghost’ is my album of the year.

I inform Modern Baseball that the thing that has led me to adore their music is the brutal honesty within their lyrics. A near poetic prose that lays down the hardships of the band, to which so many can relate. Missing someone, falling out with those you love and just general toughness of becoming an adult all provide a definitive outlet for those struggling to connect.

“The lyrics are a part of us. We do tend to get pretty close with our lives,” Brendan responds, wearing what looks like the world’s most comfortable Pinegrove hoodie. “We’re really fortunate. I feel the relationship with our fans has progressed as our relationship as a band has too, which is the coolest part.”

“I feel when we tour as much as we do it’s easy to get into the mindset of you’re doing the same thing everyday and you start feeling worthless. But when you get to have these experiences where you connect with people it is like ‘oh I’m doing this for a reason’,” Jake contemplates.

In 2015 the band released their 4^th EP, ‘The Perfect Cast’, once again on Lame-O records. This is seen as a grand stepping stone and turning point for the band. “We were coming out of ‘You’re Gonna Miss It All’ and we were like, this needs to be heavy,” Brendan says. For many the EP contains some of the best MoBo (an endearing nickname they have recently earned themselves) tracks. ‘The Thrash Particle’ is a stepping stone to what comes on ‘Holy Ghost’ – one of the roughest and heaviest tracks the band have released, but with equally wise and catchy hooks and lyrics to match.

“It was actually meant to be a sequel to ‘Redone’. ‘Redone’ was the first thing I ever wrote that I found challenging. The lyrics flowed with it so fluidly and I felt with ‘The Thrash Particle’ it just happened,” Brendan discusses. “Matt from Three Man Cannon mixed it and he had such an impact. He slayed it. He really prepared us for our next record. It really helps having someone so comfortable produce our record as we have good control.”

I ask if the band have matured at all in the past few years and they collectively laugh and shrug it off. “We need to think of a funny answer for this one,” they joke. “Yes but no. We’re definitely all still assholes to each other and we joke around a lot. Currently the prank on this tour is putting rotten food in each other’s cases and clothing,” Jake answers. “If you want a gauge of how immature we still are. Last night I stole Ian’s passport and as he was panicking and calling the hotel I bought three raw sausages and put them in his passport and then hid it in his van.”

With their friendship still going strong, all three agree that life without Modern Baseball and each other would be a strange concept. “Everything we’ve done in the past few years has stemmed from the band.”

The conversation turns to ‘Holy Ghost’, a record that has seen Jake and Brendan split writing duties for each half. “The sound is bigger,” Brendan opens up. “We’ve locked in our sound and our songwriting. I like ‘Holy Ghost’ a lot as the material from my side is completely different to that of Jake’s side. Jake’s side of ‘Holy Ghost’ is my album of the year,” he adds gleefully.

At the time of our conversation the tracks released from the album show the new direction, unlike most of what the band have done before and with much more of a full band feel to the songs. A strong The Killers vibe is unsurprising, as the band cite the Las Vegas stadium rockers as inspiration, covering them numerous times at shows. On ‘Everyday’ the band becomes a lot more rough and grungy. Lyrically they don’t disappoint, with the clever verses meshing with the catchy guitar licks that make MoBo so addictive. ‘Just Another Face’, the track at the end of their YouTube documentary and the closing number to the record is a seamless, cohesive coagulation of classic honest lyrics but with the band’s new immersive and fuller sound. “We’ve worked out to write what we want to write about but it still sounds like us,” Jake concludes.

Modern Baseball are truly a unique band in a sea of music that is usually filled with endless clichés and copycats. It’s four best friends doing what they love, presenting a strong emotional bond with their fans that few can compete with.

“We’ve really enjoyed every step of the way. Every time something good happens we’re surprised,” Brendan says with his genuine charm. Ian backs him up. “Modern Baseball is our mafia, you can’t get out.”

“No seriously please help,” Brendan smiles.