How did you end up working with Will Putney on this record, and what is it you like so much about working with him? There were a few producers in mind for the record, and picking a producer is a big deal for a band as you have to know they will capture your sound. The vibes were looking good in The Machine Shop studios as Will has been putting out awesome record after awesome record so we knew he was a good choice. He let us write our own record, and was very patient during the process. I think that was the most important thing for us on this record, as we weren't pushed to be something that we are not.
Matt Greiner (August Burns Red), Dave Stephens (We Came As Romans), and Chadwick Johnson (Hundredth) all appeared as special guests on your new album, so with this in mind can you tell us how these collaborations came about, and what it was it like to work with these guys on your brand new record? Having Matt as a special appearance on the record was just an overall great idea, you don't see many if any guest drum duets. Will really wanted to make this happen along with Adam, and well, they made it happen! I didn't witness the recording but they had two kits set up in the same room to capture the duel drum solo. Dave Stephens is one of our great friends, we have been out on tour with We Came As Romans several times now and have grown very close to them. He recorded his part in LA while he was working with his band and sent it our way, it sounded amazing, so we were more than happy to have him be a part of our CD! Last, Chad from Hundredth has been an inspiration to me for a long time, he is an incredible vocalist and lyricist, and having him on the record with us was an honor, he also wrote and recorded his part on his own. We collaborated on the direction of the song and then put everything together!
The artwork for this record is really, really cool! So can you tell us how the artwork came together, and what you wanted it to mean to your fans? The idea of an x-ray shot of a brain came up in the studio. This quickly transformed into something greater once our designer Sam Kaufman got a hold of all our plans. He really nailed it, I think it’s very unique and captures the idea behind the record very well.
How excited are you for your upcoming UK tour with Miss May I, and what should attending fans expect? Honestly, this is the most excited I have been for a tour in a long time. Miss May I are great friends of ours but we have only had the opportunity to tour with them once, and we haven't seen them in about eight months. They are one of our fellow metal bands, so it should be an awesome run - because if anyone loves metal, it's Europe. We have also rarely ever toured Europe with another American band, even though this will be our 4th European run. I've never been more stoked.
You've toured the UK before of course, so what memories do you have from touring here, and also, do you maybe have a favourite city that you like to visit? Rain, Big Ben, more rain, big red buses, rain, and good shows! Also, we had a driver from the UK, his name was David Buck and he was probably the funniest and nicest person I have ever met. People in the UK are so easy going, and it's always fun playing there, so It should be twice as fun when we tour with Miss May I. I didn't mean to call out the rain so much but it’s only the truth haha... And what I will say is that the last time we toured Europe/UK we had four UK shows, and in the UK all we had was sunshine, so let's hope for this again!
What do you want 2013 to hold for Texas In July? I wish that we continue getting a good response in regards to our new record. Traveling is all we need to stay alive, so as long as we are getting good tours and meeting new people, then I think that we will be satisfied.