Cat Hill

This week, I’d like to introduce you to what I like to call my “hometown heroes”. They’re called Shut Up and Deal. They come from my neck of the woods back east.

I recently did an interview with their guitarist, Paul LaBosky. We talked about the band, their time on Warped Tour and their upcoming album.

Cat: How long has Shut Up and Deal been a band?

Paul: Shut Up And Deal has been around close to a year and a half now.

Cat: Who are your musical inspirations?

Paul: We draw our inspiration from all over. We all listen to lots of different genres, anything from rock, metal, pop, hip hop, even a little country. There are no limits.

Cat: If you could do a collaboration with any band, together or not, who would it be?

Paul: That’s a tough one. From a songwriter standpoint I think we would love to collaborate with Andrew McMahon (Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin). He’s an amazing musician and someone that we can all learn a great deal from.

Cat: How old is everyone in SUAD? And where are they from?

Paul: Joe and Mike are 24 and Me (Paul) and John are 21. Me and Joe are from Connecticut, Mike is from New York, and John is from Idaho.

Cat: What are some of your future goals for the band?

Paul: As soon as our new record is released we hope to be on the road for the rest of the year playing as many places as possible and meeting as many people as we can along the way.

Cat: You played dates on Warped Tour in 2009, what was that like?

Paul: It was a dream come true for us. It was a great opportunity for us to play for people who haven’t heard our music before. The crowd was always fun and it was just a great thing to be a part of.

Cat: Tell me about your upcoming album.

Paul: We recently got done writing the record in upstate New York and are going to Baltimore, Md., at the end of April to record. We are working with Paul Leavitt (Senses Fail, All Time Low) which we are all super stoked about. It’s going to be 7 songs and we should be releasing it sometime in June.

Cat: Any other comments?

Paul: We would just like to thank the people that have bought our record, seen us play over this past year and a half, or just let us crash on their floor. You guys make us love what we do that much more.

Be sure to check these guys out. I know they’re working really hard. They’ve got a solid, honest sound that brings a distinct edge to their music. And if they ever come near your area, be sure to go see them. They put on an amazing show as well.

You can check them out at www.myspace.com/shutupanddeal.