Unlocking The Truth are a young metal band from Brooklyn NY. “How young”; you ask? They were the youngest band to play at Cochella in 2014, and the 2014 Vans Warp tour. They have opened for everyone from Queens of the Stone Age to Motorhead.
Malcolm and Jarred, the founding members, met at a birthday party in 2005 and later recruited school buddy Alec Atkins and taught him to play bass. They started playing around NYC and a video of them playing in TImes Square caused a viral sensation and got them on the road to rock stardom.
We got a chance to chat with Malcolm from the group about how they came together and some of the benefits of using IEMs on stage, and what it’s like to get your impressions done.
Hey Malcolm, how did you all meet?
Me and Jarad met at his 4th birthday party, but our parents said we’ve known each other since we were toddlers. I met Alec at pre-school.
How old were you the first time you played together?
Jarad and I were around 6 or 7 and by the time we were 8 years old, we decided to start a real band. And we let Alec join our band when we were about 12 years old.
When we first spoke you guys were having trouble hearing on stage. We started off looking at getting you better ear plugs. You’ve come a long way since then, how do you think using Ultimate Ears have helped you?
The Ultimate Ears help me stay in tune with the rest of the band and I can hear myself singing so I won’t have to strain my voice.
The process of getting the ear molds done is crazy! Can you tell us about it for people who haven’t had them made?
I had to go to an audiologist to get a custom mold of my ear canal. The doctor squeezed some kind of gel in my ears that hardened. It was kind of painful, but I didn’t cry. It took a few tries because my ears were kind of small and the molds weren’t coming out big enough. The doctor almost gave up. The molds felt like rubbery plastic. Then my mom sent the molds to Ultimate Ears and in a few weeks or so, I got my custom in-ears in the mail.
You’ve been playing some pretty big venues tell us what that is like?
It’s like a dream come true because we always dreamed of playing in front of big crowds and it’s finally coming true. We love to interact with the fans and I love to crowd surf. So far the biggest crowd was at Heavy Montreal and the Bonnaroo Festival.
You’ve gone from relatively unknown to having a deal with Sony in a short time can you tell us what that was like?
Getting a record deal was another dream come true. We knew it would happen, but we can’t believe it happened so fast.
I see you are using Pledge Music for a platform to get your first EP out. Do you think fans enjoy getting an idea of what it’s like making a record?
The only thing I can tell our fans is that making an EP is not as easy as they think it is. The recording part is fun, but the business part is crazy.
Hearing protection is so important, I think it’s great that you thought about taking the first steps with Ultimate Ears, how did you find out about the company?
My mom said when we were at the Coachella Festival, she met Jenine Civil from Ultimate Ears.
And Stephen Arnold saw us at Vans Warped tour and put us in touch with Kenn Richards, who gave my mom a bunch of advice on the in-ears and wireless packs.
Where would you like to see Unlocking the Truth be in terms of successes in a few years?
I would love to see our band headlining big stadium and arenas, selling enough records to get a Grammy and becoming one of the best metal bands.
Any advice for other young bands who are getting their start?
Whatever you do, don’t give up. No matter what people say, just don’t give up. Keep working hard on creating good music and your live performance.
Great stuff Malcolm! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us!
You can follow Unlocking the Truth on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And be sure to check out their website www.unlockingthetruthband.com
