Listen to their song "Welcome To My Head" just once, and you'll be hooked. Wayland, who is currently on tour with Another Lost Year, is a band for the people that inspire them most...their fans. I recently had the opportunity to speak with lead vocalist Mitch Arnold about Wayland's dedication to their fans, what he wants to be remembered for, and what happens when a certain band member gets sick on the road...
Front Paige Metal News: How do you describe Wayland's music?
Mitch Arnold: Wayland's sound is hard hitting, melodic, modern, blues based rock n' roll music. When people ask, I tell them it's an even split between Shinedown and Led Zeppelin.
FPMN: What inspires you as a performer and a musician? When did you first realize that music was a passion for you?
Mitch: I've been inspired by music since I can remember. I knew I was going to perform for the rest of my life when I was 5 years old when I played Superman in the school play. My parents knew as well. I was always drawn to the stage and have always known that's where I belong. There is no limit to what inspires me. I get inspired by other music, movies, sadness, happiness, being in and out of love, my family, the road, the stage, other shows, theater, different cities. Everything.
FPMN: What mark do you hope to leave on the music industry?
Mitch: I hope when people look back at my career, they are inspired to live their lives better. I hope that our music becomes timeless and that they say, "The Wayland guys are the nicest, most genuine guys I've ever met, and they have always been the hardest working band in the world. And they are a great influence for my kids." I hope the entire world celebrates this music.
FPMN: I know that the band is gearing up for a tour with Another Lost Year. What are you most looking forward to on the tour? Will you be taking time to hang out with fans at the shows?
Mitch: We always take time to hang out with the fans. I would say that's what I look forward to the most as well. After the show, we hang out until the fans leave and will always be available for the people that have brought us to where we are, which is the fans. We're not in the record business. We're in the fan business. They mean the world to us, and they are the most important thing about this band. That's who we play for. That's who we write for. That's who Wayland will always be for...the fans.
FPMN: What else is coming up for Wayland?
Mitch: We are working on a full length album right now which will be released sometime next year. This week our new single will be released which is "On My Knees." Other than that, we are so excited about the shows coming up and finishing the year touring. I'll be blogging which people can read on our website www.waylandtheband.com and releasing tour videos on Facebook. We have a really exciting schedule!
FPMN: Are there any interesting or funny stories that you can tell about you or one of your band members? Maybe a story from the studio or being on the road?
Mitch: There is something funny that just happened yesterday, actually. We've all been really sick the last week and had to cancel a couple of shows due to illness which never happens. Phil and I caught it first and just as I was getting over this vicious cold, Dean Pizzazz caught it. He was getting ready to get some work done yesterday but wanted to take a bath before he started. He said he was going to take some DayQuil and push his reset button and be back in the game. I go into the bathroom to make fun of him for taking a bath, and he was falling asleep. He woke up in kind of a haze as I was poking fun. On the counter beside the bath, there was a half bottle of NyQuil sitting there. I asked, "Are you drinking NyQuil?" He said, "No, I drank some DayQuil so I could get my shit done!" "Is this the bottle you drank?" I responded, "Because this is NyQuil." He looked confused and then said, "Oh shit! That is NyQuil!" I laughed so hard. He slept for the entire afternoon because he was so messed up on nighttime cold medicine.
FPMN: What is something that you would like my readers to know about your music?
Mitch: Our parents were all blue collar, hard working Americans. Their values were passed on to each one of us. I think our music reflects these principles, and people can see this in how we work. Rock n' roll was built on the hard working man and woman and more than anyone, that is who we write and play music for. A hard working person gets the most out of this life, and we believe that wholeheartedly. We promise to keep working hard and pushing it. For our families, for our fans, for all those people out there busting their ass to make a living and support a family.
"Welcome To My Head"
~Paige
