Interview Emmure: Frankie Palmer

Artiest: Emmure

Geïnterviewde: Frankie Palmeri

Interview afgenomen op: Groezrock 2016

Label: Victory Records

Op de koude tweede dag van Groezrock 2016 stonden de mannen van Emmure te wachten op het Impericon Never Say Die podium. Voor de show konden we even nog met zanger Frankie Palmeri praten over het verleden, heden en toekomst.

Hi Frankie! Welcome to the interview with Festivalblog. How are you today?

Today I’m very good. I’m very excited to play, thank you for asking!

Well, maybe this is a personal question. But you’ve changed a lot (shows his figure in waves).

Yeah. I’ve stopped eating meat, like over a year ago. That’s a big part why I’m now like this (laughs).

What do you expect from the show today?

I have no idea. I hope that it is fun. I’m excited to play. I have no projections about today.

Do you think that the Belgian people love the new line-up?

I don’t see why they wouldn’t (sighs). We are well received in all the towns.

How is the tour so far?

It’s going good. All our shows are excellent. We started with the Impericon Never Say Die shows and they were very good!

Well, can you tell me something about the background of Emmure?

Yeah, I’m Frankie Palmeri and I sing from Emmure. We are here since 2003.

Can you explain the new line-up for the readers?

Right now the line-up is Joshua Travis on guitar, Josh ‘Baby J’ Miller on drums and Phil Lockett on bass. And yes, they were in GlassCloud at some point in life (laughs).

How do they feel about Emmure so far?

We are having a good time here in Europe. This is a new experience for them and a new chapter for me. We’re meeting each other in a way.

Are there plans for a new album?

We’ve been writing since last year. And we took a break from writing, because we went touring. There’s a new energy now. I don’t exactly know when the album will come out, but there’s a new album on the way.

Will there be a tour in Belgium or in the Netherlands?

Yeah. We're going to come back to the Netherlands and play. There will be a regular stop in Europe.

What do you prefer: festivals or local shows?

I don’t care. As long as the energy is good, it’s awesome. Then I’m having a good time.

Is there a difference between European and American audience?

No, there’s no difference. Anywhere we go, there’s love and energy. If the people are having fun, we are at a good please.

Another question then. What is the inspiration behind the bandname Emmure?

I just kinda picked it out of a hat. My previous bandmembers picked it out and liked it.

Do you regret it?

Yeah, sometimes. It wasn’t my first pick. But now the name has become bigger than me. The music is something that overpowers us.

Where do you find the inspiration behind your lyrics?

Mostly my personal life. The experiences inside my life and head. Or from videogames or something like that.

What’s the craziest thing that ever happened on tour or at a show?

I don’t know. I think when I got electrocuted on stage was pretty far the craziest thing ever (laughs). That is a public domain, everybody can watch this on YouTube. It was like global news (laughs).

If you are not touring with Emmure, how does your daily life looks like? Did you have another job or something like that?

I did for a little while, because it’s been over a year that we’ve toured. The job that I was doing part time at home was basically work for people with special needs like with retardation, the blind, people with a hearing impair. I basically got payed with amusing them and helped them. But I’m now with Emmure for the fullest.

What do you think of the hardcore scene?

Because of the internet and everything is so accessible, if you want to be into hardcore, it’s right there for you. When I was kid, you had to do research, pick up newspapers and read where there were shows. I have to visit every record in a CD-store, it’s not like that any more. There are so many beautiful hardcore shows and I love it. They'll always be a drive for hardcore people.

How do you feel about the new version of hardcore then?

I think it’s cool that you have a whole encyclopedia with just one click. I think music must be like sharing and creating.

Can you describe Emmure in 3 words?

Brand new.

That’s not three words. (laughs)

Oh, you set 3? My mistake.

I don’t know anymore. I just say: Starting Over Again.

Good answer! What was the best and worst show you've ever played?

Well, best show was a memorable show in Greece. It was so crazy. The crowd sang every word that I couldn’t hear the music of Emmure. Mostly the bad shows were the shows where people came along and just said fuck you and hated our band so much. This was like years and years ago.

How do you think about the lovers and haters of Emmure?

If everyone hates what you're doing, they will be doing something they love. I just don’t mind it. I think it’s healthy. I gain from this all. If people don’t like us or love us, it’s good. It’s their choice.

A personal question for you: What’s your first tattoo ever?

I was eighteen, eleven years ago. It was a really bad tattoo that I got on my arm. It was the first cheque that I’ve got from our first album. I spent my money on a tattoo that looks like a bong that's shattered. It was really bad. I covered that up in the last years.

And what it your favorite tattoo then?

I don’t know. I don’t think about them very much. I like all my tattoos. They are personal to me. They are just for me, not for the people.

Thank you Frankie for this interview. I hope you have a good show on stage!