I recently had the honor of interviewing James who plays the drums for the post-hardcore band Oceana.  The band is from just out of St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida. They currently released their debut album called “The Tide,” on March 4th, 2008 through Rise Records.

Manufacturing of the band

How did you all meet?
We were all in previous local bands, and finally just all came together and started writing stuff, and it went on from there.

How long have you guys been playing together before being signed?
About 2 months

Was it difficult getting signed?
We actually lucked out on that, we recorded 2 demo songs and Rise loved them, so we hit it off with them very quick. It was definitely a right place right time type of situation.

Other Jobs

What jobs have you worked at?
We’ve all worked various jobs like pizza places, K-mart, Tijuana Flats, etc. Just low wage jobs pretty much

If you were not involved in music as a profession, what would you guys do?
We would all be in college/finishing highschool. I (James) was originally planning on going to school to be an aerospace engineer before Rise threw a contract at us.

The Record

Who wrote the lyrics for the album Oceana.
All of us did, we all wrote to ourselves and then sat down with what we had written and used that.

This question is for any and everyone.  What is your favorite song on the record?
We don’t have one favorite song to be honest, we all love different ones. Personally, mine would have to be The Portrait.

Touring

How is touring going for you guys?
Amazing! It’s so much fun and we’ve had some really amazing shows along with life changing experiences that I wouldn’t give up for the world. We’ll be out with Destroy the Runner, In Fear and Faith, and Sever Your Ties in July/August.

Where do you guys like touring the best?
We just got back from our first West Coast tour and it would definitely have to be out there, especially Cali!

Is everyone excited about touring on the Van’s Warped Tour?
We’re so rediculously stoked about it, it’s been a big dream of ours for a long time and it finally came true. It’s just a few days but that’s way more than we could ask for.

How did you get selected to tour on Van’s Warped Tour?
Kevin (the guy that runs Warped) personally selected us to play his stage after listening to us.

Musical TasteWhat bands are you guys inspired from?
We get a lot of inspiration from bands like As Cities Burn, Confide, Misery Signals, etc.We get a lot of inspiration from bands like As Cities Burn, Confide, Misery Signals, etc.

We get a lot of inspiration from bands like As Cities Burn, Confide, Misery Signals, etc.What bands did you guys grow up listening to?
Garth Brooks, Pink Floyd and Zeppelin when I was younger, some of the dudes listened to a lot of Hip Hop and Pop Rock also.

Video Games

Are any of you guys video game enthusiasts?
I definitely am!

If so, tell me about your favorite video games.
I play Counterstrike a lot, mainly while on tour. It’s too much fun, I’m also a fan of Metal Gear Solid 4 for PS3, and all the Grand Theft Autos for sure.

Miscellaneous Questions

Tell me about your free time is spent.
I lounge in my hammock and on the beach, and eat haha

What are some of your other hobbies?
I’m really into astronomy and I also work a lot with a new clothing company I have getting off the ground (DeadTree Brand)

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Come see us on tour! And hang with us, we love meeting new people everyday. And listen to The Tide! Love yas