ME. – Interview – Soundwaves

Photo Credit: Amber Patrick

Former Taking Back Sunday members Mark O’Connell (drums) & Eddie Reyes (guitar) regrouped after a long hiatus to only find themselves again pursuing what they love– creating music. Now under a new moniker ME. (Mark Eddie), the guys recruited childhood friend Neal Amiruddin, who recently taught himself to play bass, & vocalist Mike Jansen, who submitted to audition via Instagram.

Initially, ME. was going to write an album with each song having different singers to avoid ego clashing. Logistically, they knew it would’ve been more complicated. Then their manager, Casey, suggested posting on IG to find a frontman. Mark informed me that they had so many great submissions. He even plans to collaborate with the musicians who submitted, but Mike already had plenty of material & Mike is no stranger to being in bands either. Also, small world: Casey knew Mike from years prior.

They all quickly vibed, opened their hearts about their adversities & wrote their most honest debut album, All Good Things. It’s already been nearly 2 months since its release & it has been well received. Even their singles are getting college radio airplay. Mark & Neel brought up that Casey has been creating gift baskets of ME. merch & dropping it off to radio stations. Best marketing idea ever!

Mark mentioned it takes a village to get the support you need. Mark shared that he even received moral support from Green Day drummer Tre Cool, who told him, “You’re here because you deserve to be here [on stage].” Mark then showed off his tattooed leg, which has part of Green Day’s Insomniac album. He’s looking forward to watching Green Day’s new film ‘Nimrods’. Mark respects the East Bay punk scene like Rancid. You can even hear punk roots on All Good Things.

ME. stated, “We want to share this with the world and go back to having fun again.” Eddie added, “We are not the same guys we were 25 years ago. The eleven-track album is evident that a record label doesn’t control the band. They have the freedom to be vulnerable & be self-reflective. Mark exclaims, “I genuinely believe these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written. But great songs alone don’t make a record. You need people who believe in each other. More than anything, I want people to know that this is the album Eddie and I deserved to make, but we couldn’t have done it alone.”

I asked Mark about the song “The Astronaut Show” & how that came to be. He responded, “Eddie has been riffing that ever since we were in Taking Back Sunday together. When we reconnected years later, he was still playing that tune, so we made it a track on the album.

Another gem of a song is “Grown Man”. Mark said, “The song isn’t just about love. It’s about trust. It’s about second chances. It’s about finding someone who believes in you when you’ve forgotten how to believe in yourself.” I asked what advice he would’ve given to his younger self now that he is a grown man. He simply responded, “Be ready.” This was more of a foreshadowing of his departure with Taking Back Sunday & the lawsuit/settlement that would follow.

Since the album is called ‘All Good Things,’ I had to ask, “What good things can we do as humans to make the world a better place?” Both Mark & Neal agreed that the family court system can do better in custody hearings. To be more empathetic on the matter when families are being separated. Mark mentioned he wants to keep advocating for parents going through this tough battle in court. Lastly, I asked the guys “what advice they can give me as a new singer for a band”.

They told me to keep practicing. I joked, “The people at the gym must be annoyed hearing me sing ‘Closing Time’ by Semisonic”. Mark said, “That’s a good song!” Although ME. is on the East Coast, I foresee them touring for their debut album in due time. Maybe they’ll get a slot on Vans Warped Tour? Maybe open for Guns N Roses? (Best band live- according to Mark). For Mark & Eddie, ME is a rebirth & this feels like a good fresh start.

— Jisselle Fernandez