How did you come up with the bands name?
It originally came from a song we had written as teenagers before we all knew each other. So it was kind of cool to bring that back as a reminder of where we came from and where we are now. The name is short and sweet and really fit the genre and energy of our music.
Give us a little bio about you.
Cinders is a 6 piece alternative indie pop band best described by fans as rowdy-acoustic-pop. They are based out of Salt Lake City, UT, and continue to push the limits on pop music with a heavy punk and indie influence.
Adrian De La Cruz: Bass
Austin Harris: Keyboard / Multi-insturmentalist
Brad Bennett: Drums
Chelsey Powell: Saxophone / Vocals
Jordan Zabriskie : Vocals / Guitar
Montana Smith: Vocals / Guitar
What made you go in to music?
First and foremost, the love of it. It is something that has been a powerful driving and inspirational element in our lives. If we could do the same for others then that is something we want to chase. There has never really been a backup plan. We have all been pretty focused on music in one way or another our whole life and always knew it is what we wanted to do. It was just a matter of meeting the right people. Cinders are friends first and a band second so it wasn’t difficult at all to get things going.
Are you a signed?
Though we have spoken with many labels, we have decided to remain independent for the time being. We love being able to do everything ourselves and until we are unable and too busy to do everything on our own, we will stay that way! We are always stoked to talk to management and labels thought. Anyone who is pumped about Cinders and wants to lend a hand is someone we want to know!
You released your new single ‘Sleep Walking’ tell us more about it. What is the message you want listeners to take from the single?
People always tell you to be happy and to not worry.. but that can sometimes setup for false hope. Sometimes things just suck, but you have to make yourself strong enough to push through those times.
What was the writing and recording process like?
This song was written and recorded fairly faster than our other songs. The pieces came together really quickly. From the moment we first heard Montana yell “IT ALL FALLS DOWN” we were sold on the idea of the song. It was first written on acoustic guitar and then brought to the studio with the full band. We have our own studio fortunately and after we laid all of the instruments down we knew that the track was going to be one of our singles off of the record.
Describe the track in two words.
Sleep, walking. Just kidding. Energetic and Honest.
You also have out ‘Looking Forward To Looking Back’ tell us more about this album.
It is finally out!! This is our second full length album and we couldn’t be more proud of it! It has taken us over two years of writing and recording to complete it. We are stoked about how it has been received by our fans and by critics. You can hear it now on all streaming platforms.
How is it different than your previous release?
It is a stronger record in a lot of aspects. It is much heavier lyrically and musically. This album is much more personal to us than anything else we have previously released. It is a much more matured sound from us and more of the direction that we are wanting to go with our sound.
Do you have any gigs planned or a tour in planning?
With the release of the new record we have been touring the Western US. it has been awesome seeing all of our fans in Boise and Seattle and we are stoked to head over to Sacramento, Phoenix, Rexburg, Vegas and tons more! Through out the rest of the year we will continue to tour.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
5 years from now, We just released our 4th album, we have already become a mainstream band. Our goals at this point are selling out our tours earlier, playing the Super Bowl, and winning Grammys. We can finally give free tickets to our moms to come watch us.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
We are a pretty normal group of friends. We love playing Spikeball and debating about our favorite Dwayne Johnson movies. The Scorpion King and Doom seem to always take the cake. We frequent any place that offers cookies and soda as well.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
Honestly just listening to music didn’t inspire me to play music or be a musician. I just started playing drums at a young age because my brother told me it would be cool. Whenever I’d learn a new song, it was just so fun and brought me a lot of joy and a sense of accomplishment and it made me want to be known as a drummer and play more. I remember spending a lot of time learning “My Favorite Accident” by Motion City Soundtrack, I had already learned some of their easier songs. This one took me a while but once I learned it, I would just play it over and over and over again, several times a day. It is so satisfying in so many ways to play along with music. And the dream just grew from there.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
I had someone tell me one time “you can’t change the world, you can only change yourself”. This has guided me a lot in my life. Don’t take it the wrong way that we can’t effect and change the world because we definitely can. But the only way we can do that is by changing ourselves. It’s about acting, it’s about realizing that everything in your life is about what YOU do and who YOU become. This can be interpreted in several ways, but the main point is changing YOUR work ethic, change YOUR attitude, create a better YOU. Don’t try to change others, don’t be controlling or expect anything. Focus your energy on who you are how you can better yourself and then you will inspire and change the world.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Don’t be afraid of people telling you “No”. You will hear it all the time. No matter what level you are at, there will always be those who try to tear you down. for every hundred “no’s” there will always be a “Yes”. Don’t give up just because someone else tells you to.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
“Go hard or go home” that is one saying that we definitely live by when playing shows! We want to make sure that we are putting on the same show whether we are playing for 25 or 25,000 people.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Being from Salt Lake City, Utah, that is a hard question to answer! There is so much to do in Utah from some of the best hikes and national parks to the best ski resorts and film festivals. It is a very clean city too. Downtown SLC has some of the coolest shopping centers and restaurants! Obviously there are incredible concerts every weekend as well. From local acts to nationally touring artists, you won’t want to miss any of the shows.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first?
Easy, we go home and sleep in our own comfy beds.
2/ Who do you see first?
Probably the guy at the hot dog stand.
3/What do you eat first?
A hot dog from the guy at the hot dog stand.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Our instruments obviously, our laptop, merch, extra keys to our van, and cables. We have forgotten each of those at least once
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
You can listen to the new record on any streaming platform by searching Cinders. Follow us on all social media
