This is This Is The Good Fight
Texas popster takes his show on the road…
Confused? Don’t be. This Is The Good Fight (yes, that is the name of the band!) is the brain-child of Aaron Peña – a Dallas-based songwriter packing folk style acoustic riffage with modern pop sensibilities. Aaron has a new EP – Dear Anonymous – out now and has launched his first tour with a full band in tow. The Cross Your Fingers Tour kicked off in the spring and currently has the boys making their way across the Midwest. WTDP? recently caught up with Aaron at a special Hot Topic in-store performance to talk about the new release, his song writing process and, of course, his gear.
WTDP?: So, how long have you been writing music?
Aaron: I actually started when I was about five years old. My brother inspired me to play music. He would play the piano and I would run around the house dancing because it made me incredibly happy! The first song I wrote was an Indian tribe dance song on the piano. It wasn’t until I was 15 when I picked up the guitar and started to sing and actually write songs.
WTDP?: Walk us through the writing process for the new EP. Did you write most of the material or was it a collabrative band effort?
Aaron: The entire CD is written by me and two songs co-written with my roomate/friend Dwight Mathis. We co-wrote the lyrics and melody in ‘She’s The Girl’ and ‘Track AD’ – the bonus track. However, I created all the music for it. My producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount had a huge part in it as well. They helped me structure my songs and make them what they are today. We recorded the entire six-track EP in exactly two weeks. It was awesome and intense all at the same time. We started working at 9am or 10am everyday and we would end at around 8pm with the producers. After that I would stay up until around midnight or later just working out new ideas, lyrics and melodies for the album. Dwight left me after the first week and I was stuck in a studio alone every night after that. It was pretty lonely, but it gave me the much needed time, energy and concentration that I needed to finish the CD in such a short amount of time. We literally finished on the last day after 10pm. It was so exciting, yet sad to be done. I can’t wait to record a full length CD and have more creative input with other songwriters.
WTDP?: This is your first tour, right? How’s that going so far? Are the fans enjoying the material?
Aaron: This is actually my second tour. My first one was last March/April of 2009. It was an acoustic tour. This is my first full band tour and I love it! It’s hard, but definately an experience I won’t ever forget. The fans seem to be enjoying it. It’s sometimes hit or miss due to the fact we booked this tour independently and had no outside help. However, for the first time in my career our stage was bombarded by fans at Six Flags Great Escape and security had to help get them off! It was amazing!
WTDP?: A lot of bands find the road a great place to write songs. Do you find the road fertile ground for song writing?
Aaron: I’m definitely writing new songs and I have many ideas for new songs. The road however for me, under the circumstances I’m in, is definately not a good place to write. There are six of us together in a small shuttle bus and there’s not a lot of alone time where I can feel free and just write. I need my space and a quiet personal place to concentrate on my lyrics and melodies. It’s also very hard to focus on music when you have to worry about the business side. Unfortunately, since I am still technically the sole member of TITGF there are a lot of responsibilities that I have to deal with. Hopefully in the future there will be a solid lineup for TITGF and we will become a solid band. I think this will help further our career in the future.
WTDP?: Tell us about your gear. Guitars? Amps? Effects pedals?
Aaron: I have Gibson Songwriter acoustic. I freaking love this guitar so much! It is my bread and butter. One of the best sounding acoustics out there hands down. I also play a ’56 American Reissue Butterscotch Fender Telecaster. I have an Orange Rockerverb 100 head and Orange 4×12 cab. I love this amp, however I wish I had a 2×12 since the full cab is big to haul around. I don’t have any road cases, so my gear is taking a beating on the road. I don’t use a lot of effects, since I’m basically the rhythm guitarist. The only pedal I have is a tuner. Everything else is from my head. For keys, I run Ableton Live with an M-Audio Axiom 61 midi board. I definitely would like to get my hands on a full size keyboard… preferably a Nord Stage.
WTDP?: Our favorite track on the new EP is Broken Hearted. What’s the origin of that tune?
Aaron: Broken Hearted. I can remember exactly where and when I first wrote that song. I also can remember when I first played it for my friends. It immediately caught on. It was a good feeling to see my friends sing along with me. It makes me want to do that over and over. Music is definitely a drug for me. The song comes from a break-up. Pretty typical song idea, but you know sometimes you just have to let it out. Songs are based off emotions and that’s just what I felt at the time. The melody came instantly and so did the words.
WTDP?: If we were to find your iPod on a park bench and scrolled through it… what would I find?
Aaron: It’s kind of funny… I’m pretty old school when it comes to music. Sort of old school… I have everything on cd. I love having the artwork and a tangible CD in my hands. Right before heading out on the road I had A Rocket To The Moons cd on repeat. Some of the music in my collection includes Matchbox 20, Relient K, Brand New, Third Eye Blind, The Rocket Summer… these are just a few of the artists in my collection.
la
la
