The Braces might be a young pop-punk band from Southern California, but they have been rocking and rolling for about four years now. You can absolutely guarantee to hear more from these guys as they just released their second batch of material, First World Problems, and it definitely measures up to a lot of other great music out there today. This is just the beginning for the band.
For Fans Of: Bayside, The Wonder Years, Such Gold 

*Responses from Zack Sekular

How did the band come together? How have you grown since you guys started?
We started playing our instruments pretty late compared to other bands, Three of us went to high school together and our senior year we were all just beginning to learn our instruments. I convinced Justin (our drummer) and Matt (our bassist) to meet up with me and another guy after school and we just started playing snotty skate punk, the stuff we grew up on. We self recorded and self released our first full length record within the second year of knowing our instruments and then things kind of slowed down because we all had college and summer school. 
 
The beginning of the summer in 2009 our guitarist Kyle showed up to one of our practices and within 3 months we had 12 new songs and a much more accessible and polished full length. We started playing shows again and when we saw how many kids were getting into us, we realized that we might be able to do this full time. We wrote our latest EP “First World Problems” with the intention of showing everyone that we aren’t to be taken lightly. 
 
We have grown in the sense that what started as a way for us to kill time and have fun, has turned into something that we are wholly dedicated to seeing through. 

What do you have to offer that other bands don’t? What sets you apart from a lot of the other newer bands out there today?
I think what we have to offer musically is a direction in punk rock that hasn’t been taken before. It may have trademark signifiers of a certain sub-genre, but as a whole it is different and unique in the sense that we set out to make songs that were punk rock and pop at the same time without being pop-punk or alternative. We experiment with dynamics and groove without going the direction of some newer brand’s that lose their initial sound and become something else. 
 
We also have free music to offer which is something most bands don’t have.

How is the live show compared to the general sound of material that’s been released?
It’s the same thing with a lot more energy and less soundclips. We jump a lot, my guitar’s paint is stripped all along the front because of the abuse I give it during a show. 

More times than not, influences tend to bleed through. What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
We have to acknowledge our forefathers, Descendents, Bad Religion, NOFX, Lifetime, and Jawbreaker. I listen to a lot of Harry Nilsson and Elvis Costello too. In terms of newer bands that are blowing us away, I would say combined we listen to a lot of Dead To Me, Hostage Calm, The Flatliners, The Wonder Years and Against Me! 

What would you say the band has already accomplished and what do you have your eyes set on next?
When we started playing in the LA area, there were legitimately no punk bands at all. Now I can’t even count how many there are, I don’t want to say that we are responsible for bringing a scene for punk and pop punk back to LA, but I am proud that we contributed. We plan on touring more often and getting to see places we never even dreamed of seeing. 
 
Thus far, what’s a favorite memory or something quirky that’s taken place with the band (in-studio, onstage, or elsewhere)?
I’ll give two:
Onstage: At our show with The Swellers and Heartsounds, we played two new songs for the first time and kids were fairly into them and then we played an old song and the venue erupted. It was the first time we saw kids literally going nuts for us, and it will stay in our memories forever. 
 
On tour: Playing in Riverside, California with a bunch of hardcore and metalcore bands and having everyone but two people leave because we didn’t play any breakdowns. And then those two people wanted to beat us up afterwards because of it. It was the worst show ever and we turned the story into a song called “Inspired By True Events” about how nights like that don’t matter when you have nights like the one with The Swellers. 
 
Is there anything in particular that you’d like people to take away from listening to your music?
You can do this yourselves. Start a punk band. 

Check out The Braces on Facebook, Myspace, and Bandcamp.

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