PipemanRadio Interviews Of Virtue at Welcome To Rockville 2025

0:04 Hi, you love done too. Yes, that's true. Woe wow for you. Your Welcome to Rockville, North America's largest rock festival is finally here. This is pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio, and I'm here with Tyler. From a Virtue, Damon from a virtue, and Ryan, also from a virtue. Nice. First thing I have to comment on is more important than you being here at Welcome to Rockville, that you're on the BUCkies tour as well. Yes, we've hit up three in the last twenty four hours.

0:45 Wait till after the end of tonight. That that's insane. I'm going to number four. It's like a daily event. She's from Canada and she never even knew what BUCkies was. I said, I came and explained to you. I just got bring you there. Yeah, love, I still live there. Nice. Nice tell you we should to them. Yeah see, we have only two and we have two nice people here because Canadians are the nicest people. That's Americans have become super assholes. Yeah. I suck him too. Yeah, there you go. So it's just cool. We're just all assholes. But let me tell you something too. I love what you guys. Are all about too, because like I'm also iHeart talent, but I like your the heart support thing and music. To me, music's the best therapy.

1:36 Like I've said, let's take everybody in the whole world and put into one music festival for everybody in the whole world, and we can cure all the bullshit problems we have. Music does that. So talk to me a little bit about your music, what you stand for, and everything about helping with music playing a role in our mental health. I will go ahead and start. I think I can speak for all of us. We wholeheartedly agree and it is an honor to support our support. They are phenomenal Taylor, we love her she is and such a big fan of us, but also just for all musicians and Jake from August Burn's read. Big ups to him too for being a part of that. And I think that's where the conversation starts, right is just being honest with yourself, with your feelings. It is mental health Awareness month as well.

2:29 We're here welcome rock Field. If there's any time to talk about your feelings and how you're doing, it's right now. And I think our music speaks for itself. We have a lot of songs that talk about mental health, that talk about the experiences that we've gone through, experiences that family members even friends have gone through, and I think it's important for us to talk about those things. Yeah, that's what we've always stood for. And we will continue doing that with our new music that should be coming. Out soon, how soon, hopefully in the next couple months. Nice, I think we can confidently say that, right, Yeah, yeah, I think that's. Okay, Nice, I love it. And so what I think is cool about you guys too, is that you blend a bunch of influence into your music. I don't know.

3:16 I come from the time where it's like you could only have listened to this music and that bullshit gatekeeping, and I had to hide certain music I liked for my friends when I was in high school, kind of like, uh, you can't be a metal head and like that shit blah blah blah blah blah, and even punks and metal heads like did not get along. Like I was a long hair I could not go to punk shows. Man, I would get my ass beat if I went to a punk show and saying the punk's coming to mel shows. Oh, it's like always that's just so stupid, and so it's great that we have bands like yours nowadays uniting us together, and not just within these genres, but all genres, because to me, genres are just bullshit art. This happening to be boxed in genre is stupid too much. Music sounds the same nowadays with this algebraic equation, I call it.

4:08 So what makes you great band is you don't get lumped in anywhere. No, then some of it is by design. Other times, man, it's just we are four different people with four completely different backgrounds. And at the end of the day, in the journey of being a band, being a musician, being an artist, there's always somebody or something that's gonna say. It's like, you have to find your own voice. You cannot just simply copy what somebody else has done because that's not your story. And going back to what you were saying about growing up is how I like the tail end of that where it's so you can only like X, y Z, this sad and the third And it's like I learned very early on that there's no such thing as a guilty pleasure. I like what I like, and if you don't like it, then I swear you can say, well.

4:52 Then there you go. So basically, yes, so absolutely I like what I like. If you don't like it, you can fuck off. I don't care totally. And because again you are not living my life. You do not know what goes on in my brain unless I tell you. And on a day to day basis, I could go from listening to slip Knot to Corn to Britney Spears to in Sync to Doctor Dre or whatever the hell I want to and it's it all forms and. Makes up who I am. Now that's going to be different from Tyler, that's going to be different from Ryan's. And when we come together, yeah, we might argue a little bit about how we're going to do this, that and the third, but then eventually we'd stumble into ooh, this kind of serves everybody in the right way. And it would have only came together if we all brought what is unique and special to us.

5:41 Otherwise we're doing a disservice to the world. We're doing a disservice to people that do look to us or any other artists for that type of inspiration because there are many copycasts and there are Hey, you can get popular, you can get famous. But then when you can find those people that are one of one, or you inspire somebody that maybe goes and turns into the ultimate one of one, you never know, right, And they're like, hey, I listened to you guys when I was in this transformative phase of my life, and you go, that's crazy. That's like in a bottle right there. That is a moment that you cannot take back, and it's all of our choices, all of our life events are leading up to this moment to then set somebody else onto their own path.

6:24 Yeah, it's funny because if you take some of the old school bands, even the ones I love, that we're in that frame of all the band members have to like all the exact same music. Their tenth album sounds like a bad version of their first album, that's what I find. But it's like their first album, Oh my god, that's the best thing ever. And then it goes downhill from there because there's nothing being added to the equation. Yeah, when you get to like a stagnant point is kind of where I feel like things start to dip off. Even from like a creative standpoint, I couldn't imagine us making the same record even twice and right, i'd be with it, like I think we would write it and be like, this doesn't feel like a step in the right direction. It just feels like we are.

7:09 You already did it right. I mean you probably grew from there and grew as artists like you evolve, you get to be a better musician. You want to experiment with that, not stay a garage. Like in the last interview we just did, someone had asked us how many demos from the Old, the Old, the last cycle we just had we're going to make it onto the news cycle And we sat there and thought, We're like, probably none, because we've over the last year and a half have grown so much as artists and grown so much as a band that what we thought was great at the time now doesn't even really touch what we feel now. And I think that speaks volumes to how much we've grown in the last little bit. Yeah, and even the type of band you are, the serious topics you talk about, that changes over time, So what maybe relative five years ago may not be today. Yeah, you have to evolve exactly.

7:59 And the good thing is if people love the record that you made one time, it's always gonna be there. You know what I mean. It's always going to be there. You can always listen to it. Yeah, exactly why you want to listen to a second version of that album? I think just Allie from Bring Me a Horizon said in interview when he was getting so much shade for doing all different types, He's like, why do I have to write the same song over and over again? I don't want to write the same song over and over? And I'm like, that's brilliant, because it's true. I would be like bored to death if I was an artist, And I like, I think about it too, Like you think of these bands around for four years that still have to play certain songs in a festival or a concert.

8:42 I'm thinking, man, I might be like, sluck, I gotta play this song. And maybe I loved it when I first played it, but now you played it that many times, it's not even fun anymore. No, definitely, yeah. Or also, are you guys playing after Rockville? We have a show tomorrow in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Scape the Fate. It's gonna be a good time, so we have a it's a bit of a drive. I think it's what eight hours and the shows tomorrow. So not a lot of sleep for us boys. But that's what sucks about Florida. I live in South Florida. It takes forever just. To get out of this state, and then South Carolina is not fun to drive through with. What was that moment in time in your life that you do this is what you needed to do.

9:25 That's a good question. I think all three of us can have some different answers. I will say very quickly. I tore my a CL. I played soccer growing up for my ACL. My freshman year of high school, decided I needed to do something to pass the time, and I was like, it'd be cool to start a band. So I did with my brother and some friends, played some shows, did all that, went through a few different bands, met met a couple of these guys, and then their old vocalist left and then. Dresses history nice. So that's my story. Mine is a little more. I was a knucklehead, but at leats you admit it. Oh absolutely, I'm a reformed, slightly reformed knucklehead. Music has always been in my life in some way, shape or for him. I started playing violin when I was three.

10:10 I've played bass in jazz band, I've played a multitude of instruments, and then, like any teenagers canning, sometimes do you start getting into some things that you probably shouldn't be getting into. Also with realizing, you know, some traumas and some various family things that have you start to become aware of and it became a pretty nasty cocktail of like just bad decisions, substances, and a few other things. And it was like there was a moment, ironically, I was. Taking myself to jail, which is fun, wild, and there was a guy that would see me every single day and he just came up to me. He's like, hey man, life doesn't have to be that hard.

10:52 That's all he said. Wow. He never said a damn word to me at any other point in time ever. Wow. And he just looks like, hey man, it just doesn't have to be that. And trust me, I had plenty of time to think while I was sitting in there, and I'm like, you know what, now might be a good time to try to find something to put your that nervous kind of in it. Yeah, yeah, it shaded. Sometimes you just shoose moments to change your life, like absolutely, because otherwise you're just on that same road and. Hit rock bottom and you realize, oh, yeah, I'm there. And if that guy with said anything more, you probably wouldn't have listened. No, I'm probably a little bit like mam'splaining type shit. That's a pretty cool story. I dig that.

11:34 How about your story? Mine's a little bit on the lighter side, I think. But that my drama there. Exactly no So being from Canada, these guys found me online on Instagram and then I went out and played a show with them, and then I was like, Yep, this is what I want to do with my life. This is exactly the thing I'm after. It's so much fun playing drums live and getting to experience this side of it. Instead of being the fan that was always going to the shows. Now it's cool to be on the other side of it. Yeah, and so what do you think about being here and welcome to rock Fille? So cool? It's so cool we got this answer. We've gone this question a few times and every time I'm like, cool. Ask because we're promoted one of the close things.

12:17 There's so many bands that we love on this bill, and it's cool to be a part of it and to be here and see the speedway and to talk to people like you guys, and just even to be in the sun in. The drive on the speedway, Like how much of a trip is that easy? I'm a big NASCAR fan. This is really cool. My dad took me to Mis because we're from Michigan, so took me to Mis. We even made it out to Charlotte Motor Speedway a few times, and this unfortunately has not been a speedway that we've gotten to go to. But you know what music brought me here, and that there is is freaking awesome. So Danny Wimmer, thank you.

12:57 And speaking Danny okay, So like that's it's quat have a love of artists, and I always get pretty much the same answer, how does he treat you as an artist? Phenomenal? Genuinely phenomenal, so rare, right, yeah it is, but just the food, just the way that they make everything so smooth for us to get on stage. It's unlike any other thing. I don't think people realize how the bullshit at other festivals or other venues you have to go through as a band, that it makes it so much harder for you as an artist. And then if shit screws up while you're on stage, they're blaming you, and it's like, no, nope, it's not them. Yeah.

13:41 I think that's one of the best things about doing these kinds of festivals is it's just it's a community. It's a community of people all here for the same reason. We're all here for the love of music. Whether you're a fan, you're a band, media, we're all here for the same reason. And I think we're so cool exactly. We are a family, whether we like it or not. And it is whether you watch your band or you don't. We are part of walkin Rockville history. We get to say that we played this. Thing and you are making in history. Yeah, and it's it's an honor. Like we're so happy to be here and just happy to be a piece of the pie. There it is. Now. I have a fune story for you specifically that you'll love. Okay, So I played all kinds of sports when I was younger too, before I got into the music scene. I played one game of soccer, why knucklehead. The coach said you must wear a cup, and I'm like, fuck that, I'm not wearing a cossumeing he didn't wear a cup. I did not wear a cup and literally it was five minutes into the game and I was about this far from the other kid and he nailed that ball right dead on. I went lying on my ass. It hit me right in the balls, like yep. When I finally I could get up, I walked off the field. I'm not playing it every yep.

15:04 But it was my knucklehead self that was the problem, not soccer. But see, that's the thing though, is growing up. I don't think I've ever worn a cup of my entire life. See, well, now I don't feel bad. No, you shouldn't feel bad. Did I have that happen? Yes? Did I try to do the same thing? Yes? Do my parents let me know? Here he goes. They're like, we paid money for this, and I was like, yeah, yeah, okay. My kids. Yeah, they tried to quit stuff. I'm like, you could quit after the season, but you're seeing this through. And like I ride skateboards. I never wear any patting or anything like, it's just like whatever, and one day it might be stupid. It might end up stupid, but so far I've been okay.

15:45 Just don't skateboard on tour. You know what's funny. The first year we switched venues to the speedway from Jacksonville. I have my jeep out there, and I have my skateboard in the back of my jeep, and I went up to a person that runs medium. If I take my skateboard and I ride it on the wall, am I gonna lose my media that credential? They might lose your life. But you know what, it is funny because I looked at that wall, like it's not what it looks like on TV, and I'm like, fuck, I would fall down standing. Yeah, it's scary. It's like I went broken several bones on my skateboard on that ship and there would be nothing I could do about it.

16:26 Oh yeah, No, the dude, I think somebody was telling me earlier. They're like, you have to be going at least eighty miles eighty yeah, to even have grip on that thing, otherwise you're sliding off. This is one of the deepest thanks. Yeah, in a wild it's wild. Like even at eighty my jeep would probably flip is like this, and. Then Daytona's that straight like it's straight up and down saying pros pro. Wow, it's a pros pro. It's amazing. Tell everybody how they can reach out to you guys on socials on the web by your merch, because you can't survive without merch, So fuck them if they don't buy your merchant and it's in my show. Yeah, you all suck. I'm just kidding, but yes, please, if you would like to buy a T shirt of vinyl, a CD, anything that we do have, you have an actual website of Virtue band dot com. You can go check out tour dates, buy merch there. Social media, we're on everything at of Virtue so Facebook, x, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, threads, YouTube shorts, that's probably still YouTube. But the point is if you type in, if you have the Internet and you have a phone, and you have a pulse, you can find this.

17:34 And if you got your mom's. Credit card, even better, right, spend one hundred dollars get free shipping. There you go. And you know what, It's funny. You said threads and I'm like thinking myself, I'm on threads and every day I'm getting no notifications people are following me. I'm like, I've never even got on there. I'll share my Instagram post to threads. I've literally never even gone on it. You know, yeah, threats unhinged. To be honest with you, it's a little it's a little different. Right, And there's this what's that new one? I'm like, what's it? Blue Sky? And I'm like, fuck, I gotta learn another one. It's come on. It's like even it took me a while to do TikTok because I spend so much time building my vine vine and where did that go? So do I want to really build up another one for we take it away? It's part of the biz nowadays. It's not like the old days. Staypling up on telephone poles. No.

18:34 But the one thing I will say about social media in general, though, is you actually do get to see a different side of people's creativity, Like for people that are able to really master that and to sell themselves without having to go through an intermediary or have a label or somebody. I love that douchebag manager whoever else tell you what to do. It's like, it's your thoughts, it's your unfiltered version of whatever you want directly to the people that care about it. And I've always felt like I was very involved in the sunset strip days of the eighties, and that's what made me go away from music. That bullshit. When the suits telling the artists how their songs should be, I think they the suit should stick to business and the artists should stick to music. That's what you're best at, and the reason you're hiring them is because that's what they're best at.

19:21 Hopefully, we hope, we hope. But it is cool to see some of these, like TikTokers get big by doing it. There's one it's funny talk about guilty pleasures. Okay, So I am obsessed with that girl that was on American Idol that does that shuck is shut the fuck up song? Do you know that one? Yep, that's the one. I'm just like, I'm not obsessed with her and per se, but that song and the fact that she could get on American Idol to do that, like it's wild. Man. Like I told my daughter and she's like, Dad, she's fourteen years old. I'm not obsessed in that way. Okay, that's like, that's pretty fucking cool that somebody can get on American Idol just by doing something creative like that.

20:08 I've seen her other stuff. She is super creative. It's not just that song. So now I'm like checking out over. I'm like, she's pretty freaking cool, you know. The domino effect. Yeah, totally. So is there anything else you want to let the listeners know that we haven't covered yet. We love them. That's a good one. We appreciate them. We appreciate you guys and the platform that you're giving us. Yep. We have a tour this July with our friends and Archers, Rivals, Dead Eyes, the Temporary High Tour. Archers putting out some new music, so we're gonna be out there and supporting them, ripping that up. We're playing Incarceration. Oh so I had to talk about that. That's what I would talk about too. Nineteen that's the coolest specival.

20:50 Have you been there? We've played In twenty three we get the chance to play with Slipknot Yeah no, and Marilyn Manson started to prevail, So we again, Thank you again Danny Wimmer for including us again a little bit closer to home this time. I love that Shrawshank Prison Like that's yeah. I keep telling people my youngest daughter every time I do a festival, because I cover all of them in the US and UK Europe, and she's like, are you excited? I'm like, I'm doing it every week and I don't know if it excites the word I love it. Yeah. And then when I got to incarceration, I don't know, ten years ago, for the first time before even Danny Wimer took it over, I call her up. I'm like, I'm standing in the prison yard of Shawshank. Now I'm excited.

21:33 And then this other dude who is an artist, he was taking pictures. I was taking pictures, saying, hey, can you take my picture, I'll take yours, and he's look at us for fanboing out on Shawshank prison is so cool. And then when you played did you take the tour and go into actual prison? I didn't know. Will you have to? We will this time. The last time we were a last minute edition, so a lot of chaos going on, but this time we actually have time to just chill. And oh, you have to have pictures of me in the jail cells and sitting taking a crap on the jail cells. And when you see them, these jail cells are not even like real jail cells for prisoners. It's bad.

22:18 Even the prisoners win want to stay in the jail cells now because it's like so bad, but it's wild too because there's a prison right next door to New prison, so you're you guys are going to be like Johnny Cash with They're gonna be out in the yard because I've seen it. I've seen them out in the yard. Check it out. I'm like, that's so cool. And there's one point in the prison where there's a sign right by the windows you if you take a picture to felony because it's directly in the prison y Alreddy other prison, so they figure you're taking a picture to plan some escape or something. So yeah, looking forward to that. So I'm gonna be looking forward to seeing you guys at ink for sure. And man, I'm glad you were here to rock Welcome to Rockville, made it happen.

23:03 Thank you. Thank you for being on the Adventures pipe main see in a few months then you got it. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on w for CUI Radio.