Interview with: Ben Jorgensen from Armor For Sleep
When & Where: 04.15.05 - Infinity - Williamsville, NY
By: Kristie Taft

The band just released What To Do When You're Dead. It's noticeably different from your previous efforts. Was that something you guys were aiming for?
Ben: Yeah, actually. I think to a certain extent we wanted to... Well, yes and no. I mean, we didn't know what we were thinking. We just wanted to write an album that we'd be happy with. At the same time, we didn't want to make Dream To Make Believe part two, you know? I think that would just get really boring if we made the same kind of record. The same would probably go for the next record. It would probably catch people off guard.
Got to keep everyone on their feet.
Ben: Yeah, definitely.

How have your skills and other things changed over time, in being obligated to take more liabilities as the band's career progresses?
Ben: I guess it just all happens gradually. I'd have to look at if from where we are from a year to year basis. It's weird because when we first started, we were all excited to get on a tour once every couple of months, for like a week. Now, we're pretty much touring back to back all year round. I guess it's completely changed us. We made this band is entire our entire lives. I don't even think about it anymore, but our lives are completely different from what they were before we even started this.

The album cover in my opinion is really intriguing...
Ben: Thank you!
You're welcome! Could you just elaborate a little bit of how the cover art came about and what it signifies?
Ben: I think the artwork, like a lot of album artwork is just a random image. It doesn't really corollate with the lyrics or the CD, it's basically just a mood thing. The picture on the cover of our album of the guy either going to heaven or coming down, it just ties into some of the lyrics and the whole theme of the CD. It's pretty much a literal image of some of the lyrics.

Every band/artists has their own way of writing when it comes to writing songs/lyrics. What are some of your influences when you sit down to write a song?
Ben: Wow. I guess there aren't any immediate influences. When I go to write lyrics or when the band comes together to do the music, we are all each other's influences.
So basically, you guys just come together with ideas and throw in other ideas here and there, and see what the outcome is?
Ben: Yes, exactly. It's pretty much a building process. We start with a little basic idea and we keep throwing wood on the fire. We keep building on that particular idea until we feel like it's done.

I know there were plans of making a video for "Car Underwater." Now, Did you guys make a video for that yet?
Ben: [excitedly] Yes, we did!
Where was it filmed and I haven't seen it yet, so tell me what I can expect?
Ben: Well, that's okay... We filmed it a couple of months ago in Brooklyn on a really cold day... I don't know if it's still on Fuse. It was on Fuse a couple of weeks ago. I guess the theme of the video is discombobulated. It doesn't make sense. We wanted to put a video out there that would leave a lot of questions in the end. We didn't want to do anything straight forward. It's kind of hard to explain. The performance stuff is really cool and easy to explain. [laughs] It's just on a roof in Brooklyn and we're all freezing our asses off. The other scene is basically, there are duplicates of me just walking around trying to reconnect with this girl and its seems like I'm looking back on the time of my life and the events that happened before I died...
So, in the video you die?...
Ben: [laughs] No, in the video I don't die. But, I think it's supposed to be different forms of me in the after life coming down and watching an event that happened in my life...
Oh, nice. I get what you're saying.

Do you think your sound is more of accumulation of what you've learned as musicians throughout the years or...?
Ben: Yes, it is an accumulation of what we learned over the years. Well, We would hope to be progressing. [laughs] As far as musicians, we've learned a lot over the years. So yes, that's exactly what it is.

You have a profile on MySpace and on PureVolume. These are becoming popular tools for band self promotion. How important do you think websites such as these are in a bands career?
Ben: I think it's really important. It's a way for us to connect with our fans. I think bands used to have only their websites like, armorforsleep.com or whatever. That was the only way the internet was used to connect to fans. Now with MySpace and PureVolume, kids these days check those so much more than the acutal websites. So, it's just an easy way to connect. Also, EVERYONE has a MySpace page.
Oh yeah, definitely, like who doesn't have a MySpace page?
[laughter]

How has such a hard working label like Equal Vision effected your career?
Ben: Oh, it's been great! They've been an extremely hard working label. They've been behind us 100% and let us do what we want to do. Those guys work extremely hard at what they do. It's really been amazing!

What are some of the cities that you've played that have been really exciting for you and/or what are some cities you're looking forward to being able to play now that you're out on the road?
Ben: We have a lot of fun out in L.A. We like Chicago a lot. We're basically from New York City, so it's fun playing there and being around our friends and families. We've pretty much been to every city in the United States, so I'm very much excited to go to England in June. We're going to spend about three weeks there and I've never been there.
Nice!
Ben: Definitely. I'm really looking forward to it.
Have you guys done any other over-seas shows?
Ben: No, but we played like three shows in Canada. Those are basically the only international shows we've played. I mean, I really don't consider Canada to be International, but it is.
Well, yeah... [laughs] Do you have any expectations when you head to England?
Ben: No, not really. We've been around the country so many times that we kind of know what to expect from different cities and what different kids are like. But to go to England and to go to a whole different country and to see what kids think of our band, it's going to feel like playing a show for the first time. If anyone knows us over there, it's going to be the best feeling in the world knowing that our music has travelled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Yeah, that's got to be a crazy thing to think about!
Ben: [laughs] It definitely is!

You guys are from New Jersey. What is it like being from the ‘heart’ of the music scene today. Because, more and more bands keep popping out of New Jersey. So, how does it feel to be apart of that?
Ben: Well, it feels good. We were never like, "it's so cool because we're from New Jersey." Being from New Jersey is basically the reason why we're in a band. We just got started playing instruments when we were really young and started playing in bands when we were about 13 or 14 years old. Once we started touring and going across the country, we realized that kids don't start playing music as young as they do in New Jersey. So, it's cool.

Have you guys played with any of the bands that are gaining more and more popularity (such as Senses Fail or My Chemical Romance) back in the day before all the success hit?
Ben: Oh yeah! We've known all those guys, for years and years! Yeah... we have stories about all those bands just because they're our friends from back home...
Uh oh... good or bad?
Ben: [laughs] Some good, some bad. I'm sure there's always going to be that rivalry there only because we're all trying to represent New Jersey. It's kind of funny though because those bands are all coming up these days and when we were growing up it was like, Saves The Day, Thursday, and Midtown and we knew all those people too. So, it's like those bands don't seem as huge to us because we know all their stories, we know where they live, we see them at Seven-Eleven. [laughter]

You guys are set to do The Bamboozle and a few weeks on this year’s Warped Tour. Do you feel because of the recent popularity the band has been getting that you can credit that to being able to be apart of such huge festivals?
Ben: Well, Bamboozle used to be Skate and Surf and we're from New Jersey so, we know the production company that puts it on. Even when we were really tiny, they still hooked us up and put us on. For Warped Tour though, we had to fight really hard to get the spot that we do now. Even though it might seem like we're getting more popular or whatever, but we're still an underdog. We are by no means, a My Chemical Romance. We still have to pay our dues and fight and it's not like since our second CD came out we can sick back and watch things happen. We are still fighting our asses off to be recognized. So, I'm really happy that Warped Tour got us those dates. From what I hear, it was like pulling teeth.
Yeah, I've been hearing that from a lot of bands lately.
Ben: Yeah, because everyone wants to do Warped Tour. It's not that easy.

Have there been any times where going across the border from one city/country to the next has ever resulted some interesting or entertaining stories?
Ben: Not really. I think we were smart about it when we were crossing the border. We knew that they give you hell. We basically lied to their faces and told them we were selling our T-shirts for like ten cents a piece in order to get across. We were only allowed to bring like $100 worth of merchandise into Canada to sell without getting certain papers, so we lied to them and that's how we got through. The band that we were on tour with at the time had to actually turn around and stay in upstate New York for the night.
What band was it?
Ben: Hey Mercedes
Awe. That really sucks.

It seems live everyone has an iPOD these days. Do you guys have one? If so, what’s on it?
Ben: Actually, I think we have about five iPods on tour with us. We have everything on our iPods. Like, everything you could imagine... [pulls out his iPod] This is mine. What do you want to know?
What's on your iPod?
Ben: My iPod has every single CD that I listen too. Which is everything from The Darkness to Days Away to Dillinger Four, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Hilary Duff. [laughter]
That's something people probably wouldn't expect, right?
Ben: [laughs] I love Hilary Duff.

Is there an overall message that Armor For Sleep is trying to convey?
Ben: No... I don't think we have a message. We do things our own way. We're not trying to be like any other band. If you like it, then cool. If not, well we don't care. [laughter] We're just trying to do our own thing and make our little mark on the page.

That's all I got for you. Thank you so much!
Ben: Cool, no problem! Thank you. Enjoy the show!


For more information, please visit: www.armorforsleep.com or Armor For Sleep on Myspace