1. What brought you guys into hardcore?

we all grew up listening to punk and indie and hardcore stuff...damn i'm not sure if i remember how exactly I got into it.  I'm from worcester, and the first hardcore band I remember listening to was bane when i was 12 or 13.  from then on i was hooked.

1.1 Who is the godfather for Defeater in music world?

we all listen to a lot of different stuff- band favorites now would include russian circles, the appleseed cast, lucero, the clash, death cab for cutie...joe strummer might be the "godfather" if we had to pick one.  or johnny cash.

2. In 2010 you played at Groezrock, this year you played at Ieperfest Winter Edition. How was the experience?

both of those shows were incredible.  we're constantly blown away when people like our band, and those two shows are some of the craziest examples of that.  hopefully we'll get back to belgium soon.

3. I recently reviewed your album and I have to tell you guys: it rocks! But how about the acoustic tracks? Could you explain why you did this?

thanks so much.  we've wanted to do an acoustic, folkier record for a while.  while discussing ideas for the new record, it made sense to present some of the main character's memories in a more contemplative format.  derek and i started writing some more singer/songwriter oriented songs, and it kind of all came together.

3.1 Does any song have a special meaning for you? Cause “I Don’t Mind” seems to be something special …?

all the songs are taken from personal experience, or experiences of those close to us.  "I Don't Mind" is definitely one of the more uplifting ones.  When Derek finished recording vocals for that, there wasn't a dry eye in the studio.

4. Does the story (the text before the lyrics) in the album have a special meaning for the band/some band members?

definitely.  we all get together and discuss the storyline, and take experiences we've had or that are affecting us in some way and put them into the storyline.  in a sense the "story" is a composite story of our collective lives, set a few decades ago.

5. Did the band ever thought you could get this big? Because now a days Defeater is playing over the whole world.

HAH!  no way.  none of us ever thought we would be able to see as much of the world as we've been able to through this band.  it's been crazy, and we're all really thankful for it.

5.1 The band signed in with Bridge Nine Records. A lot of big bands are allowed in that label, how do you feel yourself with that? Are they an influence for your band?

Bridge Nine is a great label with a lot of inspiring bands- Polar Bear Club, Strike Anywhere, and Dead Swans especially (for us), but too many others to name as well.  Verse and Ruiner have also been a big influence on Defeater, both sonically and work-ethic-wise.

6. Does Defeater is for every member a full time job?

Haha- no, we all have full time jobs and some of us have other bands.  Jay runs Getaway Studios, and Andy runs Greenvans, an eco-friendly van rental company for touring bands.  Derek works full-time at a record store when he's at home.  Mike and I both play in other bands (Make Do and Mend and Dreamtigers) and work whatever jobs we can when we're home.  Literally anything- we paint houses, do construction, make coffee, work at venues, teach english, make donuts...haha.  It's hectic and we're all way too busy, but it's a really fun time and lets us be able to tour.

7. I do not see directly new tour dates on your myspace list. Does this mean you are going to start working again on new stuff for 2012 or can we expect the band again in Belgium (if yes: when?)

We're just finishing up four months of straight touring- we're going to take it easy this summer while Andy's on warped tour with Greenvans, Mike's out with Make Do and Mend, and I'm out with Dreamtigers.  Then Jay gets married in September, and we're planning on doing a full-U.S. tour in the fall.  We hope to be back to Belgium sometime in the spring- we'll keep you posted.  It'll be a while before we start working on new material- I think we all need to refocus a little, and take our time with the next album.  Expect new records from Dreamtigers and Make Do and Mend before a new Defeater record.

8. Would you like to say something to our readers of Snoozecontrol?

Thanks for the interview!  and check out our friends in All Teeth- they'll be in Europe with The Carrier in July.