SSMF PREVIEW: ESCAPE THE FATE

From the blistering heat of the desert comes the blistering post-hardcore sounds of Escape The Fate. And this Saturday, August 20 the SSMF will transport the “Sin City” boys from the Las Vegas Strip to The Sunset Strip, to perform on our outdoor stage alongside friends and rock dot pioneers Mötley Crüe.

Before the band trucks their trailer hitch 300 miles for the big show, catch up with ETF drummer Robert Ortiz who found a few minutes between band rehearsals and hitting the black jack tables to iPhone this questionnaire back to The Sunset Strip.

Where does the band name derive from? And can you really “escape fate”? Isn’t that sort of an oxymoron?

I’m not quite sure if that qualifies as an oxymoron, but I get what you’re saying. Our name was developed as sort of a goal for the band. The fate for every band we had been in before this seemed to be a failure, so the goal was to escape from failure.

What other band/bands are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Sunset Strip Music Festival?

Obviously Mötley Crüe is one of the all time greatest rock bands, and a huge influence on Escape The Fate. I look forward to seeing them.

You guys are from Vegas; which member of the band spends the most time “hitting the slots”? Which member of the band spends the most time at strip clubs? Bonus question: Have you ever gotten a lap dance to one of your own songs?

Out of all of us in Escape The Fate, I would say I spend the most time gambling. I love hitting the tables. No slots.

I don’t really spend time in strip clubs anymore, but I once got a lap dance from a girl who didn’t know it was me until afterwards, and it turned out she was a fan of the band. But no, I’ve never gotten a lap dance to one of our songs.

You’re currently touring off your major label debut, with two prior records under your belt, what was it like recording with a bigger budget? What was the biggest difference in the recording process?

We didn’t really have much of a bigger budget. Actually, when we started recording our self-titled album, we were still in the process of working out our new record deal, so we had to pay for the studio time ourselves. We were so focused with creative energy during that time that we couldn’t stop recording to wait for the deal to be completed.

The band actually recorded a track with fellow SSMF artist Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe that does not appear on your self-titled album. How did that all come about? How did you meet? What was the collaborative process like?

We worked on a demo with Mick Mars. It was a really cool idea but it unfortunately didn’t totally click in the long run and sort of just kept getting pushed to the back of our other songs.

It was great to be able to meet him and work together. When we went to his house, it was very surreal. The man is definitely a very unique individual.

Better makeup Mötley Crüe circa 1983 or Black Veil Brides circa now?

Mötley Crüe. I cannot go against them!

Everyone has a great story about a night out on the Las Vegas Strip, anything you’re legally allowed to share?

When you grow in Vegas it’s a little different – you really don’t get that excited about The Strip. There was this one after-party on The Strip though where I was having a great time with all my friends and the band, and then Carey Hart (that dirt bike rider and Pink’s husband who owns the club) gave us all a shot of something… and I don’t remember the rest of the night. It was fun!

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You can catch Escape The Fate live ON The Sunset Strip during this year’s SSMF street festival on Saturday, Aug. 20. For tickets and more information, visit www.ssmf.com

— Brent X Mendoza