RF Open Up about the New EP, Matt's Death Threat, Billie's Life, the New Tour, and more!

After months of dramatic events that a reality show on MTV couldn't even match, Reported Failure are back and ready to continue making more music, and starting more revolutions. back in September two things happened simultaneously. First a threat was made against Matt Collins' life. A gunman ended up storming Collins' hotel room and was shot down not before shooting Matt in the arm. At the same time Billie Beckett was hospitalized for overdosing on lithium. It was later confirmed that Beckett was attempting to take his own life. Now several months later the band have a new philosophy on how they approach their lives and careers as members of a world renowned band. After adding KC James on guitar to make RF a five piece band, they recorded a new EP called "My Name is Freedom/My Name is William". They are currently recording their next full length album for which the EP is a prologue. Starting in less than two weeks they will embark on a world tour starting in London on November 12th.

we have a lot to cover but before we start with the big ticket items I thought we'd start more casually. So just give me a few artists that you listened to say this morning or just the last time you had your music on in the car or wherever.

Billie: Ryan Ross Hernandez just leaked his version of all I Want for christmas is You, and even though it's the beginning of January, I have to admit that I probably listened to that and a compilation of other christmas songs for about an hour last night.

Matt: I don't think I've heard any new music in several months. In my mind Reported Failure still only plays pop punk and Infinite's first album is the greatest thing to ever have existed. That's what I listened to lastnight. I don't like radio. Too mainstream for me.

Robert: I like music. This interview is taking place too early in the morning for me to thing of specifics. I was listening to music with Vin lastnight so he can speak for both of us.

KC: Yea, I've never been a big fan of music. It's not for me. No just kidding. Umm, I was playing Misery Loves Company's album. It's pretty dope.

Vin: I'd like to take this moment to shamelessly plug Nomad artist, so I was listening to some Suburban Sunrise, some Realm, and that is legitimately what I last listened to. Buy my labels' band's music folks. I beg you.

Matt: Yea, Vin over here had a kissing booth at our tour with Riot! in the Boulevard for whoever bought their EP.

KC: I heard he also gave sexual favors. He likes to make money. Him and the rest of those 1% elite.

Since KC has nicely transitioned us, in all seriousness, what is your viewpoint on this Occupy Wall Street movement?
Vin: In support their ideas, but there are definitely some strange people involved in it, but at the same time were probably equally strange.

Matt: I am tempted to just go and be in the streets. no matter how many blizzards, I find this whole movement fascinating.

Billie: I'd go with Matt. In fact in Nw York maybe that's where we should play our No Venue Tour show. Just among the tents.

KC: we could bring an actual microphone and take part in the human microphone.

Now that we've made it to one of the big ticket items. Just try to explain where the idea came from for the No Venues Tour and how it was all pulled together.

Robert: Vin, I think you should take this one.

Matt: Tell them about the dream, Vin.

Vin: Alright. One day I was just sitting thinking, and I was really thinking about festivals and how incredible they are to be at. We had done two tours since Post-Grunge came out and had headlined one of them, but that one was only a west coast thing. So we decided we wanted to headline another world tour. The idea of having just a bunch of artists there so that it was basically a traveling festival was greatly appealing. So that just turned into No Venues because if we are playinf in just massive open fields which is where most of these shows will be then that does create a legitimate festival atmosphere. It's the biggest tour we've ever tried to do. We actually have several trucks pulling our stage around the world.

Out of interest, who else will be goin on this tour?

Vin: I think there are maybe around 10 confirmed acts but off the top of my head I know that Misery loves Company, Suburban Sunrise, Yulia, Cartographer, and James Urie will all be there. You're welcome guys for the free plugs.

Matt: Damn right. Misery Love Company and Yulia aren't even on our label and were still mentioning them.

KC: I think they're in debt to us forever. A plug is like the music equivalent of saving someone's life.

Last week your video for My Name is William tied for the number one most downloaded video. What were your reactions?
Billie: Shock

Vin: I was sure someone had slipped me some acid

Robert: I was a little shocked. Then we went out for drinks

Matt: I'm pretty sure someone was paid off in order for this to happen

KC: I paid someone off. No big deal. Blew my life savings on a computer nerd who downloaded the video seventy thousand times. Just kidding. We all kinda stood there surprised and then like Robert said we went out for drinks.

Billie: We've never been #1 anything on the charts so it felt good. We drank a lot.

One more question before we take a break. When your EP was released you became the first artist ever to have three albums in the top 40 at once. Do you think that this is just luck and that you released these three albums really just a few months after eachother or are you really connecting with a lot of people?

Billie: I really think that we are starting to get accepted into the more mainstream music scene instead of a more underground punk scene.

Vin: I'd have to agree. you know you're doing something right when even though your album never gets to number one it is still in a good position a year after it was released like Disarm was or has sold several hundred thousand more copies and stayed high on the charts longer than pop albums that did make number one like Post-Grunge Catastrophe did. Now with the EP we are seeing a little bit bigger numbers. It went gold in two weeks which none of our albums have ever done. Reported Failure and Friends just went platinum two weeks ago. So I think the EP will outsell them all.

Matt: It is Vin's job to worry about record sales, but I honestly don't give a shit if anyone buys it as long as I can keep making music. So whether its luck or we are connecting I dont really care.