Having recently been announced for this year’s Download, Tyler Carter, crooner for Atlanta metalcore mob Issues, fills us in on the band’s summer plans.
Hey, Tyler. You’re playing Download 2017! What can hardcore fans and newcomers to the band expect from your set?
I’m super excited to play Download! It seems like every time we come back to the UK and Europe we come up on bigger and more exciting festivals. This time will be a blast for sure! Fans can bet on a bigger, more exciting Issues. We’ve got a bang-on crew, and we’ve been figuring ourselves out more and more over the years, so I think we just have more confidence these days. Expect to hear lots of new songs from our latest album, ‘Headspace’! As for Download goers who won’t know Issues very well, I think it won’t be long before we have them turning to their phones to follow us on Spotify, or pull up our videos on YouTube. We’ve done pretty well at winning over not only unfamiliar festival fans, but also lots of the parents that escort their kids to these gigs!
Have you started thinking about set lists for festivals yet? Does the nature of the festival you’re playing influence your choices?
We always think of the biggest and most energetic way to play a festival; it’s a lot of pressure making perfect set lists. A lot of the time we figure there will be a ton of people who won’t know us yet, so we try to focus on the songs we are pushing right now – but in this case, we reckon we’ll have loads of cult followers, so we’ll play the biggest singles; the likes of ‘Mad At Myself’, ‘Hooligans’ and ‘Coma’. We tend to go for a more windows-down, sun-up, high-energy and feel-good set with festivals. But with the more metal-driven fests, we will always make time for a beat-down and some mosh-friendly songs!
As well as Download you’ve also been announced for festivals across Europe – are there any in particular you’re looking forward to?
I think we are most excited to play in Italy [at In.Fest in Milan]. We’ve never been, but we do have some fan pages from Italy, and there’s been a bit of demand over the years from there, so that will be exciting. We’re always stoked to be back in the other European countries, too. The love always doubles on every return!
What festival survival tips do you have for fans?
It depends on the weather, doesn’t it!? I suppose come rain, you better have your wellies on! Come shine, drink plenty of water! Either way, I think you should grab a small rucksack or a fanny pack to keep your money and other necessities safe. Also, I recommend buying any merch items that are white, or paper like posters, at the end of your visit, so you don’t destroy it or get it dirty!
Download takes place from 9th-11th June at Donington Park.