Las Vegas band Escape The Fate have been delivering some of their best shows recently after the release of their fifth album, 'Hate Me'.
“The process was different," drummer Robert Ortiz says about the making of 'Hate Me'. "We were a very cohesive unit. We worked with Howard Benson who is gnarly.
"Working with him was a great experience. He said to me: ‘Look I’m not here to tell you how to play or how to write your songs. I’m here because I know what sounds good.' We had a strong vision; it was a very collaborative effort.”
The band is in the best shape of their career (health and musically). Robert first jokes before delving into the reasons why they have matured. “It’s all the shameless gym selfies I take. But seriously we are really enjoying what we’re doing.
"We have a maturity now and a strong connection. For example Craig [Mabbitt] and I are like brothers. We are complete opposites. Everything is different from our looks to our tastes in music, but we share a vision and we trust each other to achieve that vision.
“We know each other is going to be there; we would walk through fire for each other. Knowing that someone has your back no matter what, well you can’t lose," he says. "We all have the same end goal [and] because of that unity our shows are better, we play better and we sound better.”
With their unbreakable unity headed down under, Robert explains what the boys love about Australia. “It’s a different scene. Touring in Europe is so intense, it’s fun. But with Australia the vibe is just cool. We don't get to go there as often, so when we go people are like 'we have to go, we can't miss this'."
Dream On Dreamer will support ETF during their Australian tour. Robert hadn’t heard off them, but is excited to play with them. “I personally haven't heard of them before, so it'll be a new experience.
"The great thing about playing with other bands is that you make friends with people that are doing the same things. I really enjoy watching other bands now, it reinvigorates me. Performing with people that come up to you and say things like 'dude, I've been a big fan' and 'you've impacted us' is amazing.”
With a lifetime of touring behind him, Robert is brutally honest as he describes the challenges musicians face while on the road. “You leave your family behind. That sucks. You're living a dream, but it gets lonely and that makes some people go mad. It's easier now because we are like brothers, you know they are going through the same emotions,” he says.
“Touring isn't for everyone, it's chaotic, adventurous and you make interesting friends and meet some people that are just fucking crazy. It’s like being rich one day and broke the next. Though touring wears you out, you can't help but love it."
Robert says the band's future plans are yet to be made. "We are having a great time with this album, so we will see how the next few singles go. We love making new music, so it'll just depend. We might stick with the songs from this album a little longer. We have a bunch of touring coming up; we have the next six months mapped out and then we will see what happens.”
Written by Ellen Cook
Escape The Fate Shows
Wed 5 Oct - Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle)Thu 6 Oct - Manning Bar (Sydney)
Fri 7 Oct - Prince Bandroom (Melbourne)
Sat 8 Oct - Fowler's Live (Adelaide)
Sun 9 Oct - Amplifier Bar (Perth)
