Interview: Beartooth

After performing their set at the Kerrang Tour 2015 I was able to talk to a worn out Caleb Shomo, formerly a singer from Attack!Attack! but now starting anew as the frontman of Beartooth since their formation in 2012.

“I decided to leave Attack!Attack! because I was just bored if I’m honest” starts Shomo. He went on to talk about how being a part of the band was beginning to become too much for him, that it was taking over other aspects of his life and causing strains on friendships. “It was making me so tired and exhausted all the time, so I realized and just knew that I needed to move on with it all.”

“I already knew two of the other members in Beartooth before we were together because they were in the tech team for Attack!Attack! and I knew that they were super talented. I originally knew the rest of the band because they were already involved in smaller bands that already existed in our local music scene back home in the US.”

So, to be performing on the Kerrang Tour 2015 after being around for only a few years, playing alongside other successful names in such genres as rock/pop/metal – bands like Don Broco and Young Guns – must be a pretty good feeling and a good indication of the success predicted for Beartooth in the future. “Yeah I’d met all the other bands that we’re touring with before this, except from Don Broco but those guys are seriously so fucking awesome.” Shomo then adds, “I love watching the other guys perform. That feeling when the crowds sings with them and get really involved – such good vibes.”

He goes on to tell me about how busy they’re going to be in the next couple of months. “We’ve got so much planned for the next year.

“I don’t know if I can tell you, I can’t really talk about all of it right now” he laughs, “but what I can tell you is that there are a lot of festivals planned and a few house shows. Also Radio Festivals which we’re doing with bands like Slipknot which is really exciting for us. So what I can tell you is that the UK will see us again very, very soon.

“But I think my biggest goal for the band would be to play for Wembley Stadium in London in absolutely any way. Whether we’re supporting or headlining I don’t care, just to be able to say we played there would be the absolute goal. Or maybe even if we got to play on the main stage for a massive festival like Reading and Leeds, it looks so much fun and that would be incredible too.”

So on a final note I asked: if he was 80 years old and he could give one piece of advice to his grandchildren what would he say and why? Shomo initially just said “You need to make the most of your time on this earth.” He then elaborates further with “You need to make a conscious choice to be happy. You can choose to be negative and miserable or you can choose to put on a brave face and smile through all the shit that life throws at you. I can tell you now that when you’re on your death bed, you’re not going to lie there wishing you had been more negative and more pissed off about life. Are you?”