I spoke with Matthew White, Marc Cashin, and Mark Koons from FIVES about their music and their upcoming EP.

Q: Where are you guys from?

Marc: We all live around the Baltimore/DC Metro area. Not all of us are from here originally, but Baltimore was where this band started. It’s been a great home to us.

 

Q: Who were your musical influences growing up?

Matt: What makes us unique is that we all have very distinct influences. I loved contemporary jazz growing up. A little Elton John and Billy Joel thrown in there as well.

Marc: I grew up listening to the music my parents forced on me ::laughs:: Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Dave Matthews Band. More Americana than Pop.

Mark: All the British invasion bands. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones..they got me interested in playing guitar.

 

Q: What is your favorite song that you’ve written?

Matt: “You Go On”

Marc: I would have to say “You Go On” as well. It resonates with crowds more when we’re performing.

Mark: I love “You Go On”, but I’ll be different and say “Here We Go.” It was the song I was more involved in.

 

Q: Favorite song of all time?

Matt: All these difficult questions ::laughs:: I listen to so much music, it will change day to day.

Marc: “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. The harmonies are absolutely beautiful.

Mark: “Business” by Catfish And The Bottlemen

 

Q: What was it like playing SXSW?

Matt: It was intense! The most difficult part for us was getting there. We all work day jobs, so we left Thursday night for a Saturday night show. Drove 25 hours straight. We were schlepping our gear from the parking garage three blocks away, but it was well worth it. It’s an amazing experience. You could feel the love and music in the air.

 

Q: What is your song “My Gravity” about?

Marc: “My Gravity” is a  love song without being too obviously hopeful. It’s about a struggle in a relationship where everyone isn’t lining up at the same time. It’s a plea to keep me centered, and let’s work this out.

 

Q: I had the pleasure of seeing you guys open for O-Town at Baltimore Soundstage. What was that like?

Matt: It was..interesting. We showed up around 4 and got our stuff in the venue before O-Town. That’s the first time we’ve ever had girls camping outside to see us. ::laughs:: I loved interacting with them during soundcheck.

Marc: It was excited for me to play in front of a dedicated fan base. It meant we had a good crowd. The guys form O-Town were AWESOME. They came up to us before the show and introduced themselves. Soundstage was one of the venues I’ve always wanted to play. Was a blast!

Mark: The energy in that room was insane. A lot of those people were there to just see O-Town, but they were getting behind our music. Marc had them clapping along. One of the more enjoyable shows we’ve done I think.

 

Q: What does 2016 hold for you guys?

Marc: Hopefully a lot. We’re focused on finishing our new EP which should be out in the summer. Other than that, our goal is to get our stuff out to new fans as much as possible.

 

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