Photograph taken by Justin Reich

What better way to start off our first Q&A of the summer than to have it be from Yearling, a pop rock band from North Carolina. We featured Yearling in our Monday Mix a few months back, and based on some of your messages, we can tell that there are quite a few Yearling fans out there!

Almost A-List: What movie are you looking forward to seeing this summer?
George: Well I am comic book junkie and this summer is in full supply of super-hero/action flicks. I think I was most stoked about the Iron Man movie and now looking forward to Dark Knight (new batman).

AA-L: You guys use a lot of new media to help promote your band, which has definitely proved successful. How do you think this new method of promotion is helping change the underground music scene?
G: The music industry has been flipped on its head in the past few years. Over the decades we’ve seen trends of music mediums move from vinyl, to tape, to CD, and now to ever-growing digital mediums. It’s totally been heightened by life now revolving around a computer and not as much on TV or radio. You can buy music and music videos online. You can see a band live on youtube. It’s crazy! We for sure try to maintain a flexible mindset and adapt to what works and what’s available to us. Online ads, videos on youtube & myspace, and exclusive online audio keep people interested and keep them coming back to check us out!

AA-L: One of the cool things I’ve noticed about your band is that you get a lot of love overseas. Do you find that there is a difference between the support you’ll get from those countries compared to the support you’ll get from American fans?
G: Totally. We are gearing up to go to Japan for a week and we are super stoked x 10 !!! I think in a lot of other countries the music scene is less saturated.

AA-L: If you could be stuck in an elevator with any famous person, who would it be and why
G: I think as a band it would be great to hang out with Dave Grohl, acoustic guitars, and little recorder. It would be amazing to pick his brain and write/jam some tunes.

AA-L: What’s one question you are often asked in interviews that you’re tired of answering (and hopefully it’s none of the ones I’ve already asked you)?
G: Hahahahaha… probably “How would you describe your music?”

AA-L: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
G: Gas prices :-p They are keeping bands from playing all over the country and they are driving up concert ticket prices since promoters are having to pay bands more to come play.

AA-L: What is your favorite Disney movie?
G: For sure the Mighty Ducks!!!

AA-L: You guys have had the opportunity to tour a number of different places with a number of different bands. Any awesome (or embarrassing) tour stories you’d like to share with us?
G: Most of our awesome stories are food/people related. We’ve been lucky enough to visit some great places and stay with some amazing people that cook us some of the tastiest food!
Haha, we want to approach the food network with a new reality show idea of a traveling band, Yearling, and show the random hole in the wall places we find to eat…

AA-L: Regardless of genre, which artist is your all time favorite (i.e. whose concert will you never miss, whose songs do you know the lyrics to, etc.)?
G: Collectively we listen to so many different bands and genres. I think we would all agree Michael Jackson, in his day and some today, is incredible. You can watch some studio footage of him and every take is amazing. We are all big Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World fans. When on the road we tend to listen to everything from Killswitch Engage to Taylor Swift

AA-L: Do a bit of shameless self promotion—why should people check out your music?
G: Make sure to check out Yearling’s debut CD, “The View From Here”!!! Also make sure to keep checking back at http://www.myspace.com/yearling for show updates and upcoming news on next record!!! Tentative, January 2009 release!!! We love talking with people and answer emails/comments, whatever. Much Love!!!