Interview with The Spill Canvas lead singer Nick Thomas

Coming to you from Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the alternative rock band known as The Spill Canvas. This four piece has been together since about 2002, all the while releasing a few studio albums and losing a few band members. Recently, the band started to receive a lot more mainstream attention, thanks in part to a successful run on this past summer’s Vans Warped Tour. Presently, The Spill Canvas are on a U.S. tour to promote the imminent release of their fourth studio record titled No Really, I’m Fine. The band has way more touring scheduled for the rest of the year and well into 2008. Recently we spoke with The Spill Canvas’ lead singer and founding member Nick Thomas and asked him a few questions about the band, the new record and some other new stuff. Here’s what Nick had to say:

Just to start off, your band has a rather insane tour schedule beginning in October that will run right through to the New Year. How are you feeling about the upcoming tour and are you at all apprehensive of how intense the schedule is going to be?
Nick: I/we are insanely excited to get out there and get our new music to the people! The schedule will be difficult, but we’ve been plugging away for years and it’s nothing new to us. We love it.

The Spill Canvas has existed as a band now for about five years. Can you offer some details on how the members originally met and how you decided to form a band?
Nick: It originally began as just me and an acoustic guitar. But it only started as that out of necessity because there weren’t any other musicians that I could find to commit to the band. Eventually when the right guys were in play, it became what it is today.

Spill Canvas’ latest and fourth studio LP is titled No Really, I’m Fine and it’s just about to drop in stores in early October. How do you feel about the new album now that it’s set to come out?
Nick: I feel very very excited. We just want to get it out there to the people and see what they think. We’re crossing our fingers….

I must ask, what’s the meaning or significance behind the quirky title, No Really, I’m Fine?
Nick: It’s kind of a sarcastic response to what I was feeling at the time when the record was being written. It’s suppose to symbolize that mask you put on so that nobody bothers you with asking “are you okay?”

What was the writing and recording process like for No Really, I’m Fine? When and where did you record it and how long did it take?
Nick: We wrote for 2 months over the holidays in winter and hit the studio in March. We spent roughly 3 months with pre-production and actual tracking and whittled down 30+ songs to 15. Quite the session.

I read that to produce No Really, I’m Fine you worked with producer Neal Avron who has worked with the likes of Yellowcard and the Wallflowers in the past. What was it like working with Neal and are you pleased with how the production on the record has turned out?
Nick: Neal is absolutely amazing. He’s one of the hardest working producers out there today, and he mixes just as good as the other strictly mixing top dogs. He brought the musician out in all of us and then pushed it even more. We’re more than pleased.

No Really, I’m Fine also contains some guest appearances from none other than Anthony Green of Circa Survive and Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin. How did these two guest roles come about for the record?
Nick: Well we knew Andrew for a while now and he’s been under the Warner tree as well, so he just came over one day while he was home and laid down some delicious keys. Anthony was a friend who we found right for the track and we sent it out to him in Philly and he rocked out some ambient vocals for us. Both musicians and people are some the very best making music today.

You recently finished up a run on this past summer’s Vans Warped Tour. What was this experience like and were there any particular funny moments or stories from the tour that you can share with us?
Nick: I unfortunately cannot share a single story due to the drugs, hookers, and other illegal stuff that was constantly flowing through our day (kidding). But I CAN tell you that warped tour is a hellish great time where you make lots of new friends and enjoy some music in the sun with all of them.

Just about a year ago, you changed record labels and signed on with Sire Records. What’s the experience been like being on Sire so far? Are you pleased with how your music is being promoted?
Nick: We are insanely happy to be where we are today. We climbed the ladder as best we could from the indie to here. All the people that work with us are amazing, and we are so fortunate to have such a flawless team behind us. All is great in that department.

Besides your crazy touring schedule, what else does the rest of the year and the New Year hold for The Spill Canvas?
Nick: We were thinking if all goes well we could finally brainwash the nation, possibly the globe and finally start infiltrating other planets with our spill canvas army. Sooooo….  [ END ]