Interview: Evan Weiss from Into It. Over It.

After a handful of albums, acoustic collections, and touring everywhere but Down Under, Chicago’s best kept secret Into It. Over It. are finally heading to Australia for a run of shows in support of their new album ‘Standards’. We talked to Evan Weiss, the mastermind behind the project, about why its taken so long to come to Australia, his creative and recording processes, and why he’s super annoyed at his Xbox.

G’day Evan! The band’s first ever Australian tour is just over a month away, what are you most excited for during the tour?

I’m excited to do all the tourist things…but I’m actually turning 32 on the day of the first show, so celebrating my birthday in Australia will be a good thing!

Oh wow! So are you going to be celebrating your birthday differently as you wont be home?

Umm, I have zero clue as to what to expect as far as scenery and culture.

Well hopefully you’ll see a Koala or Kangaroo, but they do really hang around urban areas…

(laughs) I really do want to go to one of those like wildlife sanctuaries! Every band I’m friends with have all got the photo with a Koala, so I really want to do that tourist stuff.

Haha! Well getting into your music, apparently you’re somewhat of a cult hero back in the states, so why has it taken you so long to make the trip down under?

I’m actually not sure! I’ve been trying to go to Australia for seven years, there’s always been something in the way like the weather, the timing didn’t work out, or it was too expensive at the time. There’s been a lot of stuff that have been factors [in keeping us touring Australia], but [Australia] has also been the country that’s wanted us to tour the most, like “Why won’t you come to Australia” we get daily! So I’m over the moon to be finally coming out!

For Australians who may not have heard of the band before, how do you describe Into It. Over It.’s sound and live shows?

Well, for [most] recordings of Into It. Over It. songs I’m playing every instrument except for the drums. It’s been that way from the very beginning. [The band] started out as a songwriting project and then turned into a live show, and now we’ve got four records. But in the beginning it was just an excuse to write some songs.

So every song is written for [recording purposes] and only after that do we see how we can make them work for a live show, either as a solo show or with the [full] band. For the first five years of [Into It. Over It.] it was just me with a guitar, so the version of the band that Australia’s going to get is the most live full band we’ve ever been.

Because you play most of the instruments on the albums, is that why the new album is slower in tempo than your debut album back in 2011?

Well at the time of making [their debut album] ‘Proper’ Nick, who was our drummer, and I would write the first song [of an album process] and then that would dictate what direction the album would go in. So when we were writing ‘Proper’ we came out of the gates with two rock songs, so we went “Well I guess we’re making a rock record!”. Then when we were making ‘Intersections’ we started writing with real fluid guitar playing and the songs were a little more eclectic, so we were like” oh, well that’s the vibe for this record”.

And so when Josh and I were writing ‘Standards’ we really wanted to just write songs, and figure out how to put it together [into an album] later. That was more enjoyable and pleasurable experience as far as making music instead of thinking about what the next song should sound like. It’s funny that on ‘Standards’ we’ve got some of the loudest and faster songs we’ve ever written but also some of the slowest, so I think it feels really good as a record.

You guys have some amazing ballads, but you also delivery some rockin’ pop punk, borderline emo rock. Which type of songs do you prefer to play live, and do you have a favourite Into It Over It. song?

There’s stuff recorded that when I listen back to I don’t like the sound of, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the song. I have a very rigorous screening process for things that I think are cool or not cool, but my taste is very broad so it allows for a lot of different sounds.

When I first looked up your music a few weeks back when you first announced the Aussie tour at first thought I was actually listening to a new band by Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie. Have many people mentioned this comparison and what’s the most common reaction when people first listen to your music?

People have definitely said [I sound like Gibbard] before, we’re two nasally white guys that sing narratives…it’s hard not to sound the same (laughs). I’ve listened to Death Cab For Cutie recently with that comparison in mind and I don’t think our voices sound the same, but our delivery is…like the way we write an analogy is similar. I also don’t think Ben sings as aggressively as I do! (laughs)

You’re coming down under in support of your new album ‘Standards’. The album showcases the band’s mix of emo rock and ballads, so will fans be treated to mostly the upbeat singles like Adult Contempt and No EQ, or will we also be treated to your slower tracks?

The shows are kind of a broad mix of every album, like not just the new stuff. The reality is I know how to play every single Into It. Over It. song I’ve written in the past seven years, so [the set list] could be whatever the crowd kind of steers me to, like I always try and figure out the vibe of the crowd…is it a fun crowd? Are they quiet but attentive? If they are then they’re going to get beautiful light stuff, or if it’s a loud crowd they’ll get more of the rowdier stuff.

I’ve got a good vibe about the set list already, but it’s our first time in [Australia] so if someone asks for a song we’re gonna play it. If we fly halfway around the world and someone wants to hear a song from us I’m not going to not play it for them! (laughs)

Playing with your band name a little, what societal trend are you currently “into” and what trend are you completely “over”? 

Oh man, umm…I’ve been into Pokémon Go, not because I care about Pokémon at all…like I’ve never seen an episode or the movie, I don’t know the first f*cking thing about Pokémon, but I dig that the game makes you go outside. So I’ve just been outside a lot this summer, and that game has been working in tandem with getting some exercise…and looking at my phone from time to time (laughs).

I also got an Xbox at the beginning of winter because the Chicago winter is very cold so you spend a lot of time inside, and I haven’t bought a video game in years but I went “f*ck it” and bought one. Then it got warm outside and I’ve just been over playing video games. Like, I played FIFA heaps for like four months and now haven’t even looked at the Xbox in so long. I’m sure I’ll get back into it come December…but yeah, the Xbox has just been put on the back-burner!

Lastly, what are three things Australians should know about Chicago?

Well even though I just told you the weather is cold it only really gets cold for like four months, so from April to November it’s beautiful! So I highly recommend you come any time during then, it’s f*cking awesome here. The weather outside is great, the food is great…if you’re a meat eater you’ll love it here, and the Cubs are really good right now and we could win the World Series this year, which would be really cool if we did and the city would probably explode (laughs). There might not be a Chicago left if they win!

Into It. Over It. 2016 Australian Tour

TUE 27 SEPT
RAD Bar, Wollongong
WED 28 SEPT
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
THURS 29 SEPT
Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
FRI 30 SEPT
The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne

Get Tickets HERE