Comprising James Howard, Zach Stout, John Landino and Andi Wright, The Inside Out has been electrifying audiences throughout its home state and beyond with exhilarating yet thought-provoking tracks that speak to the wide array of complex emotions and thoughts that make us human.
Thank you for chatting with us! You recently released your new single, "Mr. Arrogant.” Tell us about the writing process and where the idea came from.
After a rehearsal one night, we were just jamming away for hours on this new guitar idea James had, which, before he wrote up the lyrics for what everyone now knows as “Mr. Arrogant,” was tentatively titled “2am,” since we came up with the general idea for the song at that time. After months of trying to work out lyrics in a direction we liked, it was finally time to mold it into a structured song. We soon pulled out our massive whiteboard, wrote out and erased countless ideas, and finally arrived on the final version of "Mr. Arrogant." Then we recorded it at our home base, Black Barrel Records, in Shelton, Connecticut. James and Zach mixed it, and Will Borza did a killer job on the master!
How was it filming the video for "Mr. Arrogant?"
We thought it’d be fun to make a video that was completely different from the last one we did. The concept: we all wake up in different places after a night of partying and there's a ton of hilarious hurdles along the way to a show that we’re trying to get to. Our friends Mikey Dugatto (director) and Kris Khunachak (director of photography) worked together to bring this wacky idea to life and they absolutely killed it. We ran around Connecticut that whole first day like crazy people. John’s holding a prop bottle of whiskey filled with iced tea while riding a big wheel in all his scenes and people on the street were looking at him like, “Wtf is up with this guy?” It was hilarious!
How was the last year for you? What were your highlights?
The last year was busy while also being both fun and productive for The Inside Out. We wrote several new upbeat tunes, highlighting an optimistic attitude of good things to come in the near future. While preparing for the track and music video release of our fresh new single “Mr. Arrogant,” we remained focused on playing shows and promoting our new material to audiences in and around CT.
If you could only perform one of your songs for someone who has never heard of you, what song would that be?
Honestly, it’d probably be our newest song “Mr. Arrogant.” We’ve received a lot of feedback about it being people’s favorite The Inside Out song yet. It’s a lot of fun for every band member to play, which surely shows while we’re performing. It’s also a great example of where we’re moving towards sonically as a band, so if they enjoy “Mr. Arrogant,” they’d best keep an eye out for our future releases. A runner-up would be a single called “Don’t Stop” off our first EP that’s an OG fan favorite, and is historically our most requested song.
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs?
At the end of the day the music we create is meant as a catharsis for ourselves and others who enjoy it. If our listeners relate to what we're writing about, we hope they find some joy or company in the many different feelings and situations our songs are about.
What is your favorite dish to cook?
James: Although my favorite is steak, I love to cook chili
Zach: Can’t go wrong with a good, souped-up mac and cheese
John: Nashville hot chicken sandwiches
Andi: ¡Quesadillas!
What is one food that most people seem to like, but you cannot stand to eat.
James: Honestly, I'll eat anything
Zach: Screw cilantro
John: Sushi
Andi: Olives (I’m a bad Italian)
What’s on your pizza? Do you fold your pizza or eat it straight on? Ranch or no ranch?
James: My favorite is Buffalo chicken. Always fold it. Nah to ranch.
Zach: Hawaiian, all day. New York fold or sandwich style depending on how ravenous I’m feeling. Never ranch.
John: Chicken, onion, & jalapeño. You’re either a child or a weirdo if you don't fold it. I like ranch, but not on pizza.
Andi: Bacon ricotta is my go-to. Ranch is for the crust only!
What's your favorite fast food chain?
James: Taco Hell
Zach: Duchess is A-OK.
John: Chick-fil-A
Andi: I live at Panera. They take all my money.
Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why?
SPINDRIFT! This happens to be a great question to ask us because it’s one of our running jokes haha. We’re always saying we should be sponsored by them because we bring Spindrift or Spindrift Spiked to practically every rehearsal and show, and most of us drink it on a daily basis. @drinkspindrift DM us…
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxkuE78QomJkv1hXkG7Qujw