Equal Squeeze

See link - Amplied Magazine

So how did you guys come up with the name Equal Squeeze?
Long story short, it had to do with a handshake between pasts band members, but we feel that it means something unique to everyone that hears it.
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In your facebook bio you guys say you try to live by the New Found Glory words of "Pop Punk is Not Dead" How important is the genre to you and do you feel it is still as popular as it used to be?
Without the genre, we would be nothing. We may have missed the hay-day of classic pop-punk in the early 2000s but the genre is still going strong and we think the best is yet to come.
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?Since there are quite a few Pop Punk bands out there how do you differ from those other bands?
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We try to put on a really memorable show by making connections to everyone. We hope to get them involved in the music we’re performing. It’s honestly hard to say what makes us different, because ultimately we don’t have any kind of gimmick that separates us. We are just 5 guys who live and breathe for pop punk. We love the music, we love the loyalty, We love the life.
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Saw you guys released a lyric video for your single "False Hope" How did the lyric video come about and what is the song about?
The lyric video was 100% fan made by two really great fans/friends Amy Klatch and Ali Walker who designed and created the video for us and we appreciate all the hard work they put into it. The song is about letting go and taking the painful experiences we have and using them as your fuel to push forward and become a better person.
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If you guys could list your top 3 influences what would they be?
All of us draw our influences from a variety of bands but three that have specially impacted us are New Found Glory, Hit The Lights, and Blink-182.
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Any plans on touring?
We plan to hit the road this summer, possibly a couple of local shows so make sure you look out for us! We want to reach as many people as we can and touring is going to be an important part of that.
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What message do you guys try to convey in your music?
We try to convey a whole new experience. We want our listeners to feel something different and genuine. When we play a show, we hope our listeners have a great time so we can relieve their stress. We want to try and represent everyone that listens to our music. We all experience life differently and we hope everyone can find something in our music they can connect with. We aren’t different from anybody else, we are just fortunate enough to be put on a stage and have an avenue to reach out to people. When you leave our show, we want you to walk away with 5 new friends and a feeling that no matter what happens, there is always something or someone to turn to. - Ribbit.TV

On Thursday, Oct. 18, senior Nick Hosto and Junior Matt Grimsley achieved something they only thought of in their daydreams. Grimsley and Hosto, alongside their band Equal Squeeze, opened for household name bands Mayday Parade and The Maine.

Let’s face it; we all have that person that we look up to in life. Whether it is a famous baseball player, a famous actress, or even just our parents, we all have to have some figure of influence in our lives.

Now, imagine actually getting to play in a game alongside your favorite athlete or playing a role in a movie opposite your favorite actor or actress.

“The show was an amazing opportunity and we were so lucky to have had it. It’s an experience I’ll never forget,” Hosto said, who plays guitar in the band.

Grimsley, who plays guitar in the band as well, was especially excited for the show since Mayday Parade and theMaineare some of his favorite bands. “The show was crazy! The chance to play with Mayday Parade and theMainewas just so amazing.”

The three additional members of Equal Squeeze, Trey Garrison, Stephen Gooden, and Joe Kotsybar, have all graduated high school and are attending SIUE, excluding Garrison, who graduated last year.

“The show was as close to a dream come true as I think we ever could have experienced,” lead singer Garrison said when describing what he thought of the show. “From the moment we arrived until we pulled our trailer away from the other band’s tour buses, it was unbelievable.”
During sound check, the guys were able to meet the members of theMaineand Mayday Parade.
“We didn’t get too much time with them, but they seemed like very stand up guys,” Gooden exclaimed, who plays bass for Equal Squeeze. “They were so down to Earth. They even gave Equal Squeeze shout outs on stage and told us we had a really awesome set.”
How the guys managed to get the gig is a different story. A few months before the Mayday Parade show, the band played a show at the Firebird inSt. Louiswith Parachute. After the band played their set, a student who was part of the campus activity board at Lindenwood came up to the band and asked them if they were interested in playing with Mayday Parade and theMainein a few months. “How could we say no?” Gooden replied.
“The best part was the feedback we received,” drummer Joe Kotsybar said who has been playing with the band since the beginning. “We’ve never been so flattered in our lives.”
Several students from EHS happened to make the long drive toLindenwoodUniversityto see the trio of bands play.
Senior Jordan Germer went to the show with some of her friends that night. “It was really cool seeing someone on stage that I knew. Everyone should be envious that they missed out on have that connection [that you get from being at a concert].”
When asked to describe the show in one word, Junior Haley Miller (who is a die-hard Mayday Parade fan) described the show as “life-changing.” “Singing along to every Mayday song was the best moment for me.”
Sophomore Lauren Downs said her favorite part of the show was when Jeremy Lenzo (bassist of Mayday Parade) threw his guitar pick at her.
“The people who didn’t get to go missed out,” Senior Jesseca Lowe stated, who is also friends with Nick Hosto from Equal Squeeze. “It’s always a blast to see your favorite bands live singing your favorite songs.”
Equal Squeeze has an EP out titled “Tricks Are For Squids” that is available on iTunes as well as two upcoming shows. “We have a very exciting show on December 2 at the Firebird [inSt. Louis] with Go Radio and Paradise Fears,” said Garrison. The band is expecting the show to be a full house. “After that, we have a local show booked on December 30 at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville.”
“We will also be going into the studio soon,” Hosto added. “We’re going in the there to record one of our new songs, so be on the look out!” - Tiger Times