MWN: So let’s kicks things off by talking about this tour you guys are currently on- it is incredible how much energy all of you have on stage. I watched your Dallas performance and it was amazing. So what has been the most surreal moment on this tour so far?
Riker Lynch: First off, thank you very much for coming out to the show! Glad you enjoyed it. We take a lot of pride in putting on the best show we possibly can in any given circumstance and we very much love what we do. I think the most surreal moment is seeing these fans that have been coming to see us on tour since they were like 13 or 14 and now they’re around 19, 20. And it’s not just one show either, a lot of people will come to 4 or 5 or sometimes even more shows on a single tour. It’s pretty crazy and we are so grateful to have such devoted and dedicated fans. It means a lot to us especially since we’ve been a band for 8 years now.
MWN: Have any cities or crowds really stood out?
Riker Lynch: To me Chicago, Boston, Dallas, and Tucson stood out. Every city has special moments but for some reason Tucson, AZ just came to party that night and it was really awesome. Dallas was definitely one of the top shows too.
MWN: So what I love about your live performances is that you guys include songs from all your released albums. So how do you guys decided what songs make it on stage?
Riker Lynch: When we’re deciding the set list we pretty much go with the songs that we feel are the best live but then we also constantly ask fans around the venue before the show if they have any requests for that night and we almost always will play whatever they want. I think Cali Girls was requested in Dallas if my memory serves me right.
MWN: I think it’s very cool how much control you guys have over your band and the production in your music as of lately. I read you guys wrote and produced most songs on the latest EP New Addictions. Did you feel sort of nervous and more pressure really doing it all on your own or was it more of a relief?
Riker Lynch: Yea it was sort of a high risk, high reward situation. We weren’t nervous because we really believed we could deliver some really great songs and that the songs could stand up next to the professional song writers that write for all the pop stars and I think we proved ourselves in the song writing, producing realm.
MWN: During the writing and production of the EP did you guys discover anything new about your sound as a band or individually as musicians?
Riker Lynch: I short of answered this accidentally above haha but I really think we discovered that we can do all the writing and all the producing on our own but we aren’t opposed to working with other writers either, like we brought in some good friends to work on Red Velvet and Trading Time.
MWN: So from what I heard of the EP it is superbly well crafted. All the songs in a way seem to be more attached to each other- it more mature I would say. How did you guys put the album together in terms of what songs make the cut?
Riker Lynch: It was pretty much the ones we felt were the best songs and the best for the time. “If” is a summer jam so we wanted that to be out for the summer tour. Lay Your Head Down simply had to be on it because it’s just THAT good. And the others just felt right surrounding those 2 singles really.
MWN: I love the title New Addictions. It suits well with this generation. I feel like somehow we are all addicted to ‘instantaneity’. With Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, YouTube one can have music at the touch of a button. So knowing how instant music has become in people’s lives has that played a role in how often you decided to release music?
Riker Lynch: Thank you! It’s definitely shortened the time between release, everyone can consume the new music so fast that we are constantly thinking about what we’re going to release next. As I write this, Rocky, Ross, and Ellington are putting final touches on what looks like to be the next song we’re going to release.
MWN: Now that we are in the subject of the title. Why New Addictions? What is the meaning for you guys?
Riker Lynch: Everyone is addicted to something and it can be fun finding your new addiction for the year or for the month, whatever it is, and at the time when we were working on the EP that was our newest addiction at the time. I remember a Ross saying, “I love new addictions.” And I was like, “that’s a cool title.”
MWN: So you guys have obviously evolved as musicians and grown as people, and you’ve had this very big fans base grow along with you guys. How does it feel? – knowing people have stuck around for years because your music has impacted them in some way.
Riker Lynch: It’s pretty incredible. We are so grateful for that. I feel like it’s easy to out grown a young band and we started all in our teens, now we’re all in our 20s and SO many people have stuck around with us patiently waiting for more. We’re very fortunate and definitely do not take it for granted. And it’s fun finding the next journey we’re going to take them on and who we’re going to pick up along the way.
MWN: Alright to close of the interview. Is there anything you guys would like to say to the people that are now just joining your fan base- and really enjoying your tunes?
Riker Lynch: Welcome to the journey that is R5. I can personally guarantee that we will continue to bring you good vibes and fun times, and if you have a chance to come to a show, I promise it will be one you’ll never forget.
Interview By: Maria Limon|Instagram: @shotbylimon | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!– All Rights Reserved-
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