5 Questions for… Like the Stars

Interview by Alex Mason

Out of Point Pleasant NJ, an ambitious powerpop band was formed.  Like The Stars began in January 2008 when founding member, vocalist and lyricist AJ Hoenings called on friends to help create original material “from the heart”.  Bassist Nick VanderMaas and guitarist  Nick Kaelblein were the first to join the band.  Joey Trala on drums and Connor Appleton on guitar were the last members to help round out the aspiring 5 piece band.  With the exception of Nick V, all played in prior bands and knew what they were looking for musically.

While the band was hard at work playing shows locally & regionally, they had also been focused on writing and recording.  After a year and a half, their long awaited LP was released on May 22, 2009. “Don’t Tell Secrets, I Won’t Tell Lies” received high appraisal from both old and new fans alike.

Their influences vary greatly but bands such as All Time Low and Mayday Parade help bring forth their passion for music while creating a sound all their own.

Q: New Jersey is a haven for influential bands to sprout from. With more modern acts such as Thursday and Midtown to more classic acts such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, what has it been like trying to make a name for yourself in a music scene that has seen so much?

A: New Jersey is a great place to be a starting musician because of all the super influential artists and song writers that have come from here. It also gives you a lot to live up to. We really could not ask for a better place to be based out of.

Q: Pop Punk is becoming, if it already isn’t, one of the bigger genres out right now. With that comes the positives and negatives.  Many people complain of pop punk bands all being the same and being unoriginal. What are you guys doing to separate yourself from the pack? Why should people listen to Like The Stars over other similar artists?

A: Our biggest thing is trying to put on as much of an entertaining live show as possible. You see so many bands who walk on stage with a very apathetic attitude. We’re really against that, we all have an extreme passion for music in general and it shows in our live show.

Q: I was fortunate enough to see a few songs from your set at The Bamboozle festival this past May. What was it like being able to play such a big event like Bamboozle? Were there any opportunities you were able to gain through playing Bamboozle?

A: Bamboozle was a dream come true for us. It was really an experience likeno other.  We were able to be a part of something that all of our biggest influences were a part of as well. So that was really cool. As far as opportunities go we’ve been offered a bunch of shows due to Bamboozle, which has been really awesome as well.

Q: Was there a point during your band’s life that made you just go, “Wow, this is why I make music” ? If not, or even if so, what is something you think you can change or aspire for to get to that point?

A: I think we all agree that being on stage for Bamboozle was huge for us, either then or going on our first tour. We really took a step back and said, “Wow”.

Q: Recording could be a tedious yet fun process that may cause some of the members to become delusional, are there any fun stories you have from the studio? What about past tours?

A: There’s a lot of stories! We were on our first tour with our friends in Arizona Lives! (check them out, awesome dudes!) But they managed to break into our van, un-hinge all of our seats, put them on top of the van, and then proceeded to cover our van in a bunch of stuff. Anything from flour to mayo to duct tape.  All kinds of stuff.  It was really bad.

Tagged: Interviews, .