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Austin Carlile is more than qualified for Hysteria’s #RealTalk. The Of Mice & Men vocalist suffers from Marfan’s syndrome, a genetic heart disorder that can lead to an early death without treatment. Although the singer has undergone significant work and has recovered well, he’s still wracked with pain in his daily life. The band’s new album Cold World is heavily influenced by Carlile’s experiences during the recording, so we honed in on just what life is like for the singer after surgery, baptism and pushing his voice even further.
HOW HE INCORPORATED HIS RECENT EXPERIENCES ON COLD WORLD
“[On religion] I was going through a lot when we were recording the record and you can hear it in some of the songs. Some of them are very dark and some are not. It’s up to the listener how they take it.”
“[On surgery] I took a little bit from my head surgery, to my heart surgery, to my hip surgery. I took a lot from just everyday life. It’s real and it’s something that people experience. I wanted them to know I’ve experienced it, and everybody experiences something like that. Whether it’s on a physical, spiritual or an emotional level, it’s something that people don’t realise. The person standing next to them, they have no idea what they’ve been through that day, that week or their entire lives. It’s not fair to judge people on that and it’s not our job at all.”
DIFFERENTIATING THE ALBUM FROM THEIR PREVIOUS WORK
“We wanted the album to feel like a whole. The first song Game of War is really important to us and it kind of sets the vibe for the record. It’s a really cool song and it means a lot to us. Aaron actually wrote it the day after the San Bernadino shooting in California and he said “it’s not a political issue, it’s a human issue”. And he’s right. It’s really cool for us to do that. We’ve never had an album that starts off that way.
ON THE ‘REAL’ VIDEO CONCEPT
“I actually came up with the idea of the video from a drawing that I saw someone drew. It was each of the tracks of the record, but the record wasn’t out yet. So they just drew pictures of what they thought the tracks would be like. I saw the one for Real, and it said “your music makes me feel real”. It gave me the idea to have our fans post what makes them feel real and who they are. What drives them and makes them work towards something. We got all kinds of different responses and I thought it’d be a really cool thing to have and be a part of a song like that.”
What I leave behind means a lot to me. I want to make the most of the opportunities I have now and use them to do the best I can with the time I have to do what I love. I love playing music and if I can help someone with their life by sharing my story through music, that’s really cathartic for me.
[ Austin Carlile ]
HOW HE’S PUSHING THROUGH EACH DAY
“I’m pushing man. I’m sitting here right now with a big old cast on my foot . We push through everyday and every day is a new day. I just take every 24 hours as I can and take care of my body even more. My diet and my health, being sober is really important. Realising my body is an instrument and being the best I can and staying healthy is a big part of that. This album kind of has a story that elevates and transcends throughout the record leading all the way to Transfigured where “I’m finally okay, I’m finally okay.” I’m not great! I’m not bad, but I’m okay. I’m here and I’m going to make it. You go through all this stuff and at the end of the day you have to be okay. Moving on and moving forward, that’s what it’s about.”
ON DECIDING TO PUSH HIS VOICE
“The fans gave me that opportunity and with the new record to explore my voice and sing a lot more. It was refreshing to do and the band really pushed me in that direction too. They were really supportive saying “do it do it do it!” [laughs]. It was a cool process and I learnt a lot through it.”
ON COLD WORLD POTENTIALLY CATAPULTING THEM INTO THE MAINSTREAM
“Everytime we write new music and do different tours we take another step in the right direction. We don’t really focus on anyone else and we kind of just do what we know works for Of Mice and Men. We keep our heads down and trudge on. Last year opening up for Linkin Park and this year for Slipknot, it’s really cool to see how the new audiences take the songs. We’re constantly trying to better ourselves as people and as musicians. Putting yourself through the trial of being in the studio for three and a half months, it really does that. We’re really excited about it, for our fans to hear it and new people to hear it as well. There’s a song called Relentless that’s actually the WWE theme song at the moment, which is cool. People are sending pictures and videos of the TV playing the song. We’re still building on the entire thing and we’re excited about it all.”
WHAT KEEPS HIM ‘REAL’ IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
“What I leave behind means a lot to me. I want to make the most of the opportunities I have now and use them to do the best I can with the time I have to do what I love. I love playing music and if I can help someone with their life by sharing my story through music, that’s really cathartic for me. If I can help someone in that way just by doing that, I’ll do that for as long as I can. It’s a really big part of my life and it changed my life. I wouldn’t be where I am without it. That’s what keeps me grounded doing this every night. Putting in 110% into shows and we’re fans of music ourselves. We see ourselves in our fans every night and at our meet and greets everyday. I did a meet and greet with Incubus years ago and I’ve been there in the front row moshing to my favourite bands. So I see myself in that and that’s one of the reasons I keep doing this. I know how much it means to other people.”
Of Mice & Men’s new album Cold War is out now through Rise Records
Purchase Cold War from Itunes here
Of Mice & Men are also touring Australia with A Day To Remember this December
Tickets are available here
Sat Dec 10, Red Hill Auditorium, Red Hill, WA
Tue Dec 13, Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Wed Dec 14, Festival Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Fri Dec 16, Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park, NSW
Sun Dec 18, Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD
