Zack Hansen of The Word Alive "We're planning on being around for a while."

Arizona based metalcore outfit The Word Alive is not a band to sit silently around and grow roots. This six-piece of outrageously talented guys in their mid-twenties has been nothing but driven in the relatively short three years of existence, spitting out their EP ‘Empire’ in 2009 shortly followed by their debut album Deceiver in 2010 [both over Fearless Records], not even mentioning the extensive amount of time these boys have been spending on the road to bring their brutal and wide ranging material to the masses.

Taking some time out whilst being on the Warped Tour through the US this summer, guitarist Zack Hansen sat down to talk to me, giving the low-down on their busy lives, writing new material and on how excited they are to come over to Australia as part of the huge Soundwave Revolution line up. 

Having just checked in on Twitter a few minutes before the interview went ahead and reading one of his tweets, I jumped right in, having to know what on earth he was talking about when saying that writing a song with Tony Pizzuti [rhythm guitar/backing vocals] made him want to turn into a werewolf.

“We were writing and [Tony] puts in this werewolf howl,” Zack explained eagerly after a chuckle, “We’re actually writing pretty heavily lately, like every day.” Hearing this news after I have been unable to listen to anything else but their debut album Deceiver for two days prior to this interview, excited me a lot! 

Zack continued, “We have like six or seven songs and are pretty much demoed out. Basically we’ll start recording our new CD in February next year and hope that everything will just go downhill from there, that we gonna top Deceiver and bring it to the fans we have.”

So this will be an early summer 2012 release? “Yeah definitely, it’s gonna hit before summer, and it’s gonna be a step up from Deceiver, maybe even two steps,” he said. “[We’re] gonna put everything that we have into it you know? With everything we’ve been learning and all the stuff we’ve been writing, it’s gonna be really good.” So you reckon it’s going to be 2 steps up from your debut album? “…maybe even 5 steps up,” he stated with a laugh and let me make my own assumptions.

From previous interviews, I had got the idea that the whole band is involved when an album is put together, and with the above mentioned I was wondering whether Zack and Tony Pizzuti were the main heads behind the material already written. “Well, Tony and I have been throwing some stuff back at each other, and then after that Dusty [Riach, keyboards and synthesizers], Telle [Tyler ‘Telle’ Smith, lead vocals] and Justin [Salinas, drums] kinda all add in their flair and Daniel [Shapiro, bass] too. We definitely work as a team and everyone has to be happy before we finalize a song.” He gave detail to the thinking-apparatus, and went on, “I don’t know, it’s like everyone throws in their two-cents and has a different kind of style that they add in, maybe that gives us the different genre-breaking things that we have.”

Picking up on how their songs are created he tried to come up with the following explanation, “We're kind of doing it backwards: Telle usually takes care of the lyrics, we demo-out songs and then he usually takes some time and sits there and listens to it and kind of mix-and-matches lyrics and different songs he’s written. The lyrics definitely come after the songs. But then again, sometimes Telle has a style or a feel that he wants to bring over and we’ll just take it from there. I guess whatever is clever at the time and works out best at the time.” Zack continued to point out something I have been noticing as well, “We’re still sort of figuring it out, we’re a pretty young band and we’re planning on being around for a while."

And that is the truth, having formed only in 2008, The Word Alive has come a long way from their Arizona home - Ohio in Telle’s case - they have toured the US extensively, have been to Europe and Japan this summer [well, Australian winter] and after some more dates in America on the current Warped Tour and more dates off the festival wagon, they’ll be heading our way in September.

“Europe was a total eye-opener,” said Zack, “and I had an awesome time, same with Japan. It was so different to what I had expected and places I had ever been at. It made me step back and really makes me appreciate not only where I am from but also where I am. I respect all different cultures and I have a pretty open mind. I just want to get as much experience as I can!” He rattled down in a very excited voice, which faintly reminded me of a kid just having seen Santa Clause. “It’s crazy and totally awesome that I’ve got to do that with music! I always thought and was told that I was never going to make it, so this is pretty great!”

Having toured in Europe, Japan and North America over-and-over, and coming to our shores very soon, the question of whether or not he thinks that their music brings people together arose in my mind and was quickly answered, “Yeah, definitely!” he exclaimed. “It’s about people just anywhere who listen to our music and can relate to the music we play. I didn’t know what to expect in Japan or Europe, it was so cool just going there and people knowing our songs! There were times in Europe [the crowd] was singing the lyrics louder than we were, it’s be great to get the same in Australia but [I] don’t want to get my hopes up just yet.”

With the big line-up for the forthcoming Soundwave Revolution festival, I just had to ask the standard question: are you excited to come over to Australia!? “Oh my God, you have no idea! I’ve been looking forward to this ever since we found out, it’s gonna be a great time,” he swooned, making me laugh. “It just sounds like such a fun place," he added quickly before telling me which band is on the very top of his must-see list - “When I saw the bill the first time, like the only person and band I wanted to see was Van Halen! I’ve seen the name and it all became a blur but the name Van Halen, so yeah, I am super stoked to see them as they’ve been a huge influence. I know there’s gonna be a lot of bands that we’ll go and see then and there and everything, but that’s definitely the one band I am already excited to see.”

Being abruptly interrupted by the operator’s “You’ve got one minute left” beep, both him and I almost stumbled trying to wrap things up in time before being cut off, me promising I will certainly not miss their set at the Sydney leg of Soundwave Revolution this September and him giving me the go-ahead to say “hi” when - and if I might add - I see him around somewhere.

Now, in the aftermath of this phone interview, appreciating how fun and chatty Zack was, and having written everything up, I will have to confess that The Word Alive’s 2010 album Deceiver has been playing on my iPod and in my car without a break, that I am spamming various profiles of mine with how impressed I am with this band-to put it mildly. I am not usually too fussed about the whole metalcore scene, but if there were more down-to-earth people like him, that make honest and invigorating music like his… I believe I will need to change my opinion!

The Word Alive is part of the Soundwave Revolution Festival this September and October. For more information on the event, follow here.