They Had Faces Then is a band that comes from New Brunswick, New Jersey that are releasing an interesting mix of music. In the past, the band released an  EP titled Birds and just released a new EP called 1977 on January 1st.
For Fans Of: Bear Vs Shark, mewithoutYou 

*Responses from Ken De Poto

How did the band come together? How have you grown since you guys started?
Chris (Guitar), Brian (Bass) and I (Ken, Vocals/Guitar) have been in and out of bands together since we were about 14. That all kind of fizzled off when we went to college. We would still all jam together on break or whatever, but nothing really ever came out of it. Brian and Chris met Matt (Drums) while at Rutgers and they introduced him to me and said that he was a really good drummer. When we all first got together to play it was one of those moments when you knew that what you were doing was right. Everything just fell into place and we started cranking out songs immediately.
 
We’ve grown exponentially since we first started. Everyone in the band is really good at what they do, and they all add their own flavor. Everyone adds an equal amount to the tracks, which makes the song writing process go a lot smoother. 
 
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?
We play music that we are very passionate about and we sing words about subjects that we are very passionate about, and I think we do that without being too cheesy. There is heart in everything we do, which I feel has gotten a little lost these days. We’re also very big on DIY. We hand-made all of the packaging for our new EP ourselves. I feel as if some bands would rather just put in their debit card number on a website and wait for their pre-made packaging to come in rather than sit with an 
exacto-knife and carve out digipak after digipak. Each of our EP’s has a little bit of us in it, which is really important to the band. It gives the whole thing a more intimate experience.
 
How is the live show compared to the general sound of material that’s been released?
The live show is as energetic as possible. There are times when Brian is getting right up in peoples faces and screaming at them, and then I’ll turn around and see Chris kicking over drums and cymbals. I also like to change up melodies a little bit live. This way it doesn’t feel like audience is just watching a band lip-sync to their record. We also have interludes between every song so there isn’t that awkward waiting around period in between songs. We don’t like for the audience to have much time to breath.
 
More times than not, influences tend to bleed through. What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Right now I’ve really been into the simplicity of Violent Femmes and the quirky-ness of Talking Heads. Those were two bands that I grew up on. My dad was always playing their records in the car. Brian is a bit of an old soul. He really enjoys old blues and jazz artists. Matt and Chris are really good at finding new bands, usually stuff I’ve never heard of. This is good for me because I generally don’t listen to much new stuff, so they keep me on my feet. 
As a whole we all listen to Bear vs Shark, Brand New, mewithoutYou, and bands like that. 
 
What would you say the band has already accomplished and what do you have your eyes set on next?
I’m pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished so far. We’ve been a band for less than a year. We’ve played a bunch of good shows, done some good mini touring, met some amazing people, put out the new EP, and have a growing fan base. Playing good music with great friends is all we could ever ask for. All these extras are awesome. 
 
As for the future, we have a handful of songs set aside for our full length. We also plan on doing as much touring as our bodies and our van can handle. 
 
Thus far, what’s a favorite memory or something quirky that’s taken place with the band (in-studio, onstage, or elsewhere)?
One of my favorite personal memories happened in Wilmington, NC. We were stopped at a Wendys and I was walking through the parking lot when a car pulled up next to me and told me that he was playing our record in his stereo. I was kind of blown away that he was driving and saw us, and pulled in just to tell me that he was listening to our music. Little moments like that are  nice when you’re away from home. 
 
Also, anything Chris says instantly becomes a favorite moment. He is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He can say anything and we’ll be in tears. 
 
Is there anything in particular that you’d like people to take away from listening to your music?
Honestly, I just want people to take anything away from our music. I don’t care if it’s good or bad, at least they’re feeling something. Isn’t that the point anyway, to feel some sort of emotion while listening to music?

Check out They Had Faces Then on Facebook, Purevolume, and Bandcamp.

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