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METAL PULP AND PAPER
METAL PULP AND PAPER INTERVIEW
Dave Naruszewicz of:
VYCES is Los Angeles based hard rock band featuring former members of Breaking Benjamin, Heart-Set Self-Destruct, and Thrown Into Exile.
METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello from Metal Pulp And Paper. Thank you for sitting down and taking the time to answer some things. 
Can you tell all the readers about VYCES? How it all began, who’s in it, and what style of music they can expect? 

DAVE NARUSZEWICZ:
We (Russ Rodriguez and I) started VYCES in October of 2014. I personally was having a hard time finding people that had the same vision and drive as I do in Chicago. I was playing with a few people after my former band Heart-Set Self-Destruct dissolved, but musically nothing really lined up. I have know Russ for a long time, and he was going through the same thing. One day we got on the phone and decided to get VYCES started. We brought in guitarist Shawn Patterson, who had played with Russ in a few of his previous bands, and we began writing recording music. At that point we didn’t want too many cooks in the kitchen. We really wanted to get the sound together, put the look together, and get our brand together before we looked for members to finish up the line up. After a year of writing songs and recording with producer Augustus Cryns, we began looking for other members. Evan Seidlitz (former Thrown Into Exile) joined to fill in the live sound on backing vocals and keyboards. There’s some vocal parts that overlap and big harmonies on the record, and we wanted to be able to pull everything off live. We needed someone with that strong vocal range and that could also scream. Evan fit that mold perfectly. Mark James Klepaski (former Breaking Benjamin) was actually introduced to us through Evan. Mark had recently moved to LA and was looking for a band. After a few rehearsals, Mark joined and completed our line up and really adding his touch on the songs with his killer bass tone and hooks. I am very fortunate to be working with each and every one of these guys. As far as the sound goes, we are Hard Rock/metal band. We have our more active radio rock songs and we also have our face crushers. 

MPAP:
Devils EP is available on October 20th. Are you pacing the floors until it is ready for the masses finally hear it? 

DN:
It’s been a long time coming, but there was a lot of setup including writing the songs, releasing the singles and trying to create some noise. We’re all extremely excited for this release!! 

MPAP:
How much blood, sweat, and tears did you all put into making Devils? 

DN:
I’ve been flying to and from LA from Chicago every two weeks for the past 2 years. Shawn is driving 3 hours every time we get together. There’s a lot of commuting in this band but it’s all worth it. It’s what needed to be done and we did it. We really concentrated on putting together the songs first. We wanted to make sure that every part of this band was its own amazing experience. The audio, the visual, and the live components. It all needed to be the best. 

MPAP:
Once the band was all together and decided to sit down and make music, did everything just flow smoothly? Or were there any ups and downs blocking the writing process? 

DN:
For the most part everything just flowed. Russ, Shawn, and I all have very similar and very different tastes in music. We just put all of our influences and styles together and off we went. It was very inspiring for me to be able to blend everything together and create the music. 

MPAP:
The Hive” and “Devil” have already been released to a strong liking. Will the rest of the songs on the EP be in the same vein, or do you have something up your sleeve when everyone hears the rest of it 
that they won’t believe? 

DN:
All of our songs are very different but fit in the same vein based on the content. We really pulled from a lot of different influences and gave each track its own personality. However, it really comes down to what people are expecting and what people aren’t expecting. So that being said, I think there may be a surprise or two on the EP.
 
MPAP:
Why an EP? Why not a full release to quench the thirst of your ever growing fan base? 

DN:
We decided on the EP because we didn’t want to give up all our cards out of the gate. We have an arsenal of songs ready to go that are all written and recorded. We are looking to find the right home 
for them. 

MPAP:
You know the fans are immediately going to want more. So after this EP comes out, is there anything else planned in the works for something new to be released later down the road? 

DN:
We are planning on releasing a full length eventually. That will happen sometime next year. 

MPAP:
Metallica has taken eight years to finally put something new out. Could you ever do that to yourself or even the fans taking eight years to produce something new? 

DN:
I personally couldn’t wait that long. I’ve got too much to say. Music is my therapy. 

MPAP:
At least in metal music genre in the late 80’s and early 90’s the trend used to be one to two years a new album was being released by a band. What do you think an album cycle should be? 

DN:
Sounds about right. I think every band should be constantly writing new material to stay creative. An album cycle really depends on the album. If the album is killing it and people are loving it, keep putting the singles out to radio and touring heavily on it. If that’s not the case, the band would need to rethink the plan. 

MPAP:
Do you think the internet and Piracy have affected all this? 

DN:
It’s definitely affected album sales but not show attendance. It’s something that all bands and record labels have to deal and figure out ways around it. 

MPAP:
You are getting ready to go out on the road for over a month with the metal band Invidia and White Knuckle Riot for openers. Is there anything on this tour you are looking forward to the most?
 
DN:
I’m just looking forward to getting back on the road and playing almost every night. Becoming a machine!! I love everything about being on tour. We are going out with some great bands comprised of great people. I think people who don’t make it out to one or more of these shows are really going to miss out.
 
MPAP:
Invidia might be considered a ‘super group’ by some, do you consider VYCES to be the same way also? 

DN:
I would never consider us a ‘super group.’ We are a new band that is made up of guys who have the drive and are willing to make the sacrifice. Our previous bands and experiences may open a few doors for us, but ultimately we have to do the work and make things happen.
 
MPAP:
Do you think it is a positive or negative thing to have that label ‘super group’? 

DN:
I don’t think it’s a negative thing if you have good songs. People are going to pay attention immediately. You’ll have that built in fan base right away. It just needs to be its own thing and not a watered down version of other bands. People’s expectations will definitely high. Good songs are undeniable. 

MPAP:
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of formerly being in another band and then starting a new one? 

DN:
I definitely learned a lot from my past experience with HeartSet 
SelfDestruct. We went through it all. Being able to bring those experiences, both positive and negative, into this project with everyone 
else’s past experiences is great. We can plan things out better and really pay attention to the details that we may have overlooked in the past. It’s all about forward progress. 

MPAP:
You’ve traveled all over the place while on tour, where are some of your favorites to go to and play at? 

DN:
There so many amazing venues out there, but if I had to narrow it down to my favorite it would be The Double Door in Chicago, IL, The Machine Shop in Flint, MI, The Knitting Factory in Spokane, The
House of Blues
in Boston, MA, and The Myth in Maplewood, MN. 

MPAP:
Counting the bands you were previously in, have you been able to play in all 50 States yet? 

DN:
I’m missing a few states, but i’ve been to the majority of them. 

MPAP:
Are there ever any parts during a tour that get to you? Like the long hours on a bus, far away from family and friends? Or even the food? 

DN:
It’s not sunshine all the time. People get tired and arguments happen. Nothing out of the ordinary. It’s a team effort. Having a good support system is crucial for me. I think being able to concentrate on 
what the band has to do, putting on a killer performance every night, and traveling without dealing with outside distractions is an amazing thing. 

MPAP:
What do you do that passes the time and makes it all worth it being away from home months at a time?
 
DN:
Outside of writing new music, I will go to the gym or read a book. It has to be something that keeps me active either physically or mentally. 

MPAP:
Where do you dread during certain times of the year going out on tour? 

DN:
Any place that has snow storms or has 110 plus degree heat haha. I would take the heat over the cold any day. 

MPAP:
Any tour bus war stories about traveling somewhere and almost crashing or breaking down in the worst spot? 

DN:
When I was in HeartSet, we broke down in Colorado and had members of other bands helping us try to get our van running. It was a lost cause. It was an extremely stressful 24 hours trying to find a 
solution. There was a lot of arguments and frustration, we ended up finding an RV rental that really took a hit on the price to help us out. We got lucky and were able to finish the tour without missing a show. 

MPAP:
Anything else you’d like to say before we have to bring this to a close? 

DN:
We are really looking forward releasing DEVILS on October 20th!! Presale starts on Sept 29th on iTunes!! We will see everyone on the HELLRZZR Tour starting Oct 18th at The Troubadour!! 

MPAP:
Thank from Metal Pulp And Paper. Look forward to seeing you play live. Hopefully on the 2nd cycle of the tour Invidia/VYCES will make it to Portland, Oregon? 

DN:
Absolutely!! Thanks
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