PropertyOfZack had the chance to chat with Buddy Nielson from Senses Fail not too long ago for a brief interview. Buddy and I discussed the band having a slow year, how his priorities have shifted over time, a ten year anniversary that includes a tour, vinyl represses, and a documentary, and much more.; Read up and enjoy!

It’s been a pretty slow year for Senses Fail minus an early UK tour, one US run with Man Overboard and Transit, and a run of weekend dates. Can you just discuss why things may have not been as busy as they have been in the past?
We all have different things going on. Jason’s in Hot Water and our drummer is getting married. We took off September and October so he could get married. We’re going back out in November for a tour that we’ll announce in the beginning of September.

The Fire was released somewhere around ten months ago now on Vagrant Records. Are you happy with the reception it’s gotten?
I don’t really know how it’s been received. I don’t know if people like it or dislike it. I’m really not sure. I honestly don’t pay attention. I don’t think people hate, because if they hated it, I’d hear about it, you know? I think people like it though. People like our first three records the most. That’s how it’s always going to be.
POZ: Do you think there was a warmer reception to The Fire than to Waiting Room?
Buddy: I do. People definitely liked it more than Life Is Not A Waiting Room. I like it more, so.

Senses Fail seems to be on of those bands who have a “timeless” album with Still Searching, but that can often make it difficult for fans to open up to new material. Would you say that that’s something you guys have had to deal with?
Not really, because they still listen to our band. They just want to hear the old stuff though. It’s like Alkaline Trio or Taking Back Sunday or any of these bands. People want to hear the old records no matter how good the new ones are.

How were the dates in support of the album this year?
Everything that we’ve done has been awesome compared to the touring we did on Life Is Not A Waiting Room. The tour we did with Bayside was awesome, the tour with did was Ghost Inside, Man Overboard, and Transit was awesome, and the UK stuff was great. I think the November tour will be really good.

Even since 2010, it seems like you’re taking out more and more bands from the upcoming scene of bands whether it be Man Overboard or Hostage Calm. Has it been refreshing to be on the road with younger acts once again?
The November tour is going to have Stick To Your Guns, Make Do And Mend, and The Story So Far. They’re a great push for the tour, and they’re good bands. On Life Is Not A Waiting Room, we went out on tour with bands that I didn’t think really fit what I like about this music scene. I think we made a mistake with that. Every other period in our band’s history we’ve gone on tour with really good bands. They were bands I felt good about, but there were a few years there that the younger bands weren’t very good. Without being too negative, up until a year or two ago, a lot of the bands weren’t very good.
POZ: Is it great to see that burst again?
Buddy: Yeah, I think it’s awesome. I think everybody who is in a band that’s been around for a while is really excited about the newer music. In 2006, 2007, and 2008, the bands that were forming didn’t excite a lot of the older bands. Now people are more excited about it.

It was announced in the beginning of the year that Garrett had left the band to attend college full time, which really means that you’re one of two original members left in the band. Has that been weird at all?
Kind of, but not really. We’ve dealt with it a lot, so not really. The people who we get to replace them are really good people and are also people that are noteworthy. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing for the band to develop a new sound or to keep moving forward. We won’t become stale that way.

You’re also busy with management and Mightier Than Sword Records. At this point is Senses Fail becoming less of the only passion you have in your life and more of just a project?
Yeah, absolutely. Right now it is not my number one priority. When we decided to do a record, it will be my number one priority. Everyone has done this for so long, so we have to try doing other things.
POZ: Has it been odd to transition like that?
Buddy: Not really, I don’t mind it.

Are there plans to release new music any time soon? Have you been working on new music?
We’re going to do a lot of ten year anniversary stuff. We’re going to do a tour based around the EP and Let It Enfold You. We’re going to put out a bunch of vinyl for it. We’re doing a documentary too. We have almost every single show we’ve ever played and everything from the beginning of our band on tape. We’re going to try to do a really comprehensive documentary on what it’s been like to be in this band and all the ups and downs. There are a lot of things that people don’t know about it, and a lot of things that everybody went through. Different struggles that will be shown on the documentary, which will be pretty in-depth. We’ll have the whole history of the band.
POZ: The documentary will be released next year?
Buddy: Our anniversary is in February, so probably in April or May.

Will Senses Fail be touring outside of the country any time soon as well?
We’re going to try to go back to Australia and to the UK sometime early next year.

You also own half of Mightier Than Sword Records, but you’re not necessarily the face of it. Is it nice to be a part of that without just taking the attention?
It’s great. I don’t have to deal with a lot of stuff like that. We never announced that I was a part of it or whatever. It just moved along and it’s nice to just be working and to be a normal person.

What are you looking to do with Mightier Than Sword in the next year?
I’d love to sign a bunch of bands that go on to be very successful. We do a lot of vinyl reissues which were still doing. We’ll be doing The Fire on vinyl. We’re also going to be doing some Starting Line stuff. We have things in the works as far as reissues. We want to sign bands that people should hear.
POZ: People know Mightier Than Sword from a lot of those represses, but are you really looking into switching the priority to developing bands?
Buddy: Absolutely.

Will there be another Bayonet release as well?
We’re going to do a full-length that will come out next year.