By: Nia B.

DUMPST3R met two band members from Manners, Zach and Ayden, while hanging out in a Sherman Oaks park. The band has done a lot in a short time and has new music coming out. Here are the highlights of our conversation. Watch the extended version of the interview on YouTube.

Nia: We’re excited to be here with Manners, an awesome band from LA.

Ayden: Hi, my name’s Ayden. I sing in the band. I’m 19. I go to Tufts University in Boston. And, little fact about me … I play rugby.

Zach: My name is Zach. I play bass in the band. I’m 19.

Nia: So we heard you guys just released some super cool music now available on stream platforms. Tell us about that.

Ayden: The split is called “separation slash inhalation.” It’s a little play on words because the first song is called “Hunter, I Barely Know Her.” It’s about a little lover’s quarrel I had with my ex-girlfriend. The next song is called “Cliff Main Whippets (The Night I Cried to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay).”

Nia: Tell us about your musical influences and how they have impacted you and your work.

Zach: I’m influenced by everything, literally. Listening to a lot of different genres, then also seeing live music from other really good bands, is probably the biggest thing that (gives me] the most inspiration at once.

Ayden: I think seeing a lot of all the other big DIY bands when we were starting, to like, start playing together in practice was really important to us becoming a band and being like, oh sh*t, we can play at Sound Studios or the Smell or whatever. .

Nia: How did you come up with your band name, and how did your band meet?

Ayden: We were actually originally called Liquor Store Cowboys. Which some people still think is the better name, I don’t know. But, we were in our group chat just kinda spitballing, and Everett was like, how about Manners? And we were like, you know what. let’s do it. We just stuck with it. We kind of went with it. So shout out to Everett for naming the band. . How we met. So basically. Everett is my little stepbrother, basically brother at this point. And Zach is my best friend. We went to the same high school, and me, Everett, and Zach were all in the same music class together – Chuck Cochran VIPHS Music Lab, period 4b – you know. got a little bit crazy in there. We [were] jamming, and then we kind of realized we all had very similar interests in music and wanted to start a band, and it just became some sh*tty school band.

So we started playing some shows at school, and then we got our first big gig. Unfortunately, our first drummer couldn’t make it, so we scoured everybody we know to find a drummer. And by the grace of God, our buddy plugged us up with Edaan, our current drummer. He had this Kansas cover on his Instagram, and it was just insane. It just melted my brain.

Nia: When was the last time you cried?

Ayden: It definitely was not that long ago. Actually, cried at something of substance or funny cried? The last time I cried was during the Canadian national anthem. Beautiful anthem. It was fantastic. But actually, cried? Probably in therapy a few weeks ago or something. I dunno. Yeah. Pretty rough month.

Zach: I’ve probably just had a cry in the past month. Just a spontaneous random one.

Ayden: Yeah. You know, you get overloaded.

Zach: Happens.

Ayden: It just happens, I guess.

Nia: I’m sorry to hear that.

Ayden: Oh, don’t be sorry. We’re growing. It’s beautiful.

Nia: What do you think is the job of an artist and how does this play into your own work?

Ayden: I think the job of an artist is to inspire. I think to also provoke thought in people. To help people – mentally. I think there are a lot of jobs an artist has. I think all of them surround making sure that people are okay and happy and catering to their fans and treating people with respect, and enjoying what you do. I think a big thing that we like to do is always be very courteous to our fans. Help build up the scene. Always bring energy. Always try to use a Manner show as an exhale.

Zach: Yeah. I feel like no matter what realm of art you’re in, there’s always a job to stay true to yourself and just put out what you, as the artist, just put out and naturally [do].

Nia: How do you guys feel when you’re performing?

Kid in the background: Aaaaaghhhh!

Ayden: Actually, exactly like that. God, that kid’s living life.

You get on stage. I get kind of nervy before shows. I get on stage, and I play the first song, and then people start bobbing their heads and sh*t and start moshing. I’m like, okay, alright. Depending on the heat of the room I’m playing in, it’s just pure enjoyment and energy and power. Also, just low-key trying not to pass out because I’m screaming, and I’m pretty much just releasing all of the bodily energy I have.

Zach: Yeah. That’s the best. I do like when it’s hot and sweaty. The Smell was really cool. It just feels awesome to be up there. And there are a lot of nerves up there. But once again, after the first song, you see the crowd moving, it puts you in tune.

Nia: If you couldn’t make music, what would you do instead?

Ayden: Well, funny enough, I’m already doing something else besides music. Um, probably be a lawyer. Civil litigator, like a Saul Goodman type. Then also rugby, not competitive, just [to] play.

Zach: I’d probably been doing some other field of art or something like film or painting or something like that. Art. Some form of expression.

Nia: What do you want everybody who’s reading this to know?

Ayden: We’re writing an album this summer. Twelve-song album. Gonna do some new cool sh*t. Some super DIY emo sh*t. Some acoustic sh*t. Some sad sh*t, some hype sh*t, some like, I don’t know, probably some sh*t sh*t too. We’re gonna be locking ourselves in a f*cking room for the next three months besides playing shows. Just recording and writing. We’re really excited.

Zach: Yeah. Very excited.