The Following... Are Assassinated!

Hailing from Windsor, ON, Assassinate The Following is living up the to the expectations of their band name and assassinating doubts of listeners across Ontario and Canada.  The five piece metal ensemble has been carving their own name into the Windsor music scene for many seasons and are getting out of the way for no one...OK, maybe some old ladies and children at most (haha).

I had the pleasure of sitting down with guitarist Brandon White for a quick Q&A on whats to come from this  project and what the future plans were

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What is meaning behind "Assassinate The Following" and who is in it?

In the band is Brandon White, Brandon Kellam, Drew Torok, Russ Farley, and Chase Bryant.  The name Assassinate the Following… came up randomly one practice and everyone liked the name immediately.  It had a catchy ring to it and it also had a great way to portray our message.  We like to write about standing up for ones self and choosing your own decisions instead of conforming to what people think you should do.  It's about keeping true to yourself.  Assassinate the Following… leaves it open for anyone to choose what to ignore and it lets them set their own path.



Who started this project? When was it conceived and why?

Drew and Brandon W started the project after their first band split up.  The band disbanded because of musical differences and Drew and Brandon were always on the same page as far as musical structure and genre.  We wanted to start a band where the music was challenging for us and would always push us to be better musicians, and that the music would be something we would enjoy listening to ourselves.  If we don't like it then how can we expect other people to like it?

What are the goals/aspirations for this project?

ATF wants to release our next album and spread it to whomever we can. We feel that our next release will be a pure definition of who we are musically and will portray our views and our stance on how people should be themselves and stand for one another and be true.



Can you give us some influences you guys have when creating this project? Any specific reason(s) as to why?

We've had our few main influences but over time it just became about doing this for ourselves.  We would take influence from music, friends, or anything that attracts us and we put our whole being into what we do.

Do you feel Windsor has be hospitable for your kind of music?  Have you been getting good reception in your hometown?

Windsor has been great to us.  We have many great friends and have played with many amazing bands and musicians from Windsor.  It is definitely a city that is overlooked a lot of times.  There are so many talented people in Windsor's music scene.  Some of which would blow many bands we've seen on tour right out of the water.

You seem to have shared the stage with quite the number of notable acts such as Protest The Hero, Abandon all Ships, etc.  Any memorable moments you can share with fans?

For myself, my favourite memory of that tour specifically was playing in Montreal.  In front of the amazing crowd that was there, was the greatest adrenaline rush and high I've ever had in my life.  It was so surreal and so inspiring.  I'll never forget that moment.



Lets talk about the music video debut, "I Once Was" (click to watch video).  Where was it done and how did it come about to record this video?

I Once Was, is a fun song to play and a fun one to listen to.  We shot this video in a friends warehouse with Glenn Fricker from Spectre Sound.  It was his first music video and he did a damn good job!  He is shooting video's for a very affordable price so everyone should contact him if interested.



Your Facebook page states the following: "WRITING THE NEW RECORD!! SEE YOU IN 2012!" Can you guys elaborate on this and what can fans expect for this record?

I have been writing our upcoming album for quite some time.  It is finished now and Drew is writing the lyrics.  I will say, the album will be a concept album and it will be more brutal and more melodic than anything ATF has ever done.  It is a huge step forward for us and we can't wait to show everyone how hard we've been working on this!



Are we going to see a difference in writing style and song structure from this album compared to
 "Massacre of the North"?

Yes. The style of music is the same but it's much more mature.  You will hear that it's ATF but the songs will blow 'Massacre of the North' out of the water.

Whats the next move for ATF?

Record and release our album, tour, and spread our music to everyone who will listen.

Can you provide newcomers some links and material for them to check out?

www.facebook.com/assassinatethefollowing
www.twitter.com/atfwindsor



And now for some fun, random questions that every musician likes to answer:

If you could have a single guest member on an upcoming album, who would it be and why?

This is a tough question….I would have to say Jake Luhrs from August Burns Red.  He has a monstrous scream. Such a powerhouse.

If you had one band who you would be honored to share the stage with, who and why?

Between The Buried And Me.  My absolute favourite and most influential band I've ever listened to.  I would die happy.

Covers are always fun to do when your jammin out in the studio, any songs in particular you guys like to play and have fun with or is it all original material?

We mostly just play original material.  If we do end up jamming we play some songs from mine, Drew, and Russ's old band or we'll break out into Iron Maiden or Holly Springs Disaster. hahaha

Favourite band/album of 2012 so far?

Hands down, Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour…..WOW! Buy it immediately after you read this interview.

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Much thanks to Brandon White for taking the time to sit down and do this interview with me.  Be sure to request for Assassinate The Following in your town and make sure to catch them on upcoming tours with some notable bands.  These guys don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon...