Rock Access: Where did the band name Emphatic come from?
Justin McCain: It was just one of the many names that was thrown into the mix. Emphatic stuck because it defined who we were and what we wanted to represent.
RA: Emphatic hails from Omaha, Nebraska, also home to music titans 311. Did watching 311 rise out of Omaha influence/inspire you guys?
JM: Any success story is inspiring but 311 didn’t influence the band in any way.
RA: What was the first song Emphatic wrote as a band?
JM: That would be “Eyesore”… Funny story, we had several people audition for singer in the same room on the same day at the same time. It was like American Idol. Each one had to throw down their own vocals on a piece of music I wrote and whoever did the best was getting the gig. Patrick Wilson was the winner. Looking back, the lyrics made absolutely no sense at all, I think Patrick had the job no matter what. He was just a bad ass dude that fit the part.
RA: How did your deal with Atlantic Records come about? What has it been like being a major label band?
JM: We spent a long time building our fan base, playing clubs eventually getting local radio support. That led to countless sold out shows and strong sales which led to an encounter with industry exec Jeff Blue. Jeff and I started working on some songs and we wrote “Put Down The Drink.” After that I wrote “Bounce” and the combination of the 2 landed us a showcase and then a deal with Atlantic. Atlantic has been absolutely amazing! From Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman to the A&R powerhouse team led by Pete Ganbarg, Steve Robertson and Jeff Blue to the Radio department with Lea Pisacane and everyone else (way to many kick ass people to mention)!
RA: The title of your debut record is ‘Damage‘. What does the title, if anything, say about Empahtic and your songs?
JM: Damage represents the past, present and future of Emphatic. It wasn’t easy getting where we are today, we faced many challenges along the way. I have grown as a songwriter, Patrick has grown as a frontman and vocalist. All in all we are stronger because of what we have been through. So for us, Damage was the perfect title because we’ve been to hell and back fighting for our dream to come true. We’ve been down but never out. We’ve surfaced through the wreckage and we managed to find our way through the Damage.
RA: Describe the experience of making a recording with the likes of producer Howard Benson and legendary studio drummer Josh Freese.
JM: Howard is one of my idols! Meeting him was very surreal. The great thing about Howard is no matter how much success he has had he still lives on planet earth. Howard really brought the best out of us and helped us shine on this record. Josh is one of the best drummers around. It was great working with him.. We were very lucky to have Howard and Josh be a part of the team.
RA: Your first single from ‘Damage‘ is “Bounce”. How has it been doing chart-wise? What will be your next single?
JM: “Bounce” is doing very well on the charts. It broke the top 25 and still has running room. Can’t say what the next single will be for sure, I can say one of my personal favorites and a single contender is “Get Paid.”
RA: Emphatic got a tremendous buzz with your song “Goodbye Girl”. I’m surprised it wasn’t re-recorded for ‘Damage‘. Were there any other songs that missed the cut?
JM: I wrote so many songs that we could probably put out 3 or 4 records now! There were lots of songs that didn’t make the cut simply because of lack of space, not lack of quality. We plan on being around for a long time so the good news is, we already have songs that we feel strongly about for album two. But let’s focus on first thing first… DAMAGE!!!
RA: I think “Tonight” is a potential crossover smash. What sort of expectations do you have for this song and for ‘Damage‘?
JM: I never expect anything. Work hard and hope for the best, that’s all you can do. I’m a wishful thinker and a daydreamer so if the visions in my head become a reality then the record won’t have an expiration date. That, in my mind, would be a major success.
RA: What song is the best overall representation of Emphatic’s sound?
JM: The great thing about Emphatic is that we can go from one extreme to the next and it’s real. I don’t think any one song could or ever will define us. That’s why you have to buy the whole record, not just a single!
RA: You guys are wrapped up a tour with Pop Evil a few weeks ago. Was that your first major tour? What’s it like being on the road full-time? With whom will Emphatic be touring later this year?
JM: The Crossfade/Pop Evil tour was great. It was our second tour major tour this year. Being on the road full time is a dream come true! It’s who we are, a rock band that lives in a van, works our asses off and brings the fans a show to remember every night!!! We are proud to be on the Carnival Of Madness Tour starting in August. That tour features some of the best bands in rock today, Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Adelitas Way and Black Stone Cherry.
RA: How would you like Emphatic to be remembered years down the road from now?
JM: We want to be remembered as the peoples band. We want to represent every hard working person, we want to be the voice for every good person that wants to be heard. We are living our dream because the fans care enough to come out and support us, that means everything to us, we will never take that for granted. We will always give back and we will always show our love and support to the many that have supported us.