Midnight Spotlight is a new feature we’ve come up with for Project Midnight and we are really excited about it!  This feature will bring attention to bands that we personally enjoy and those that we feel send out good vibes.  We chose The Dares to be our first band on the Midnight Spotlight feature because we feel that they’re sending out a very positive message with not only their music but with how they’re living their everyday lives.  Be sure to check them out on: TheDares.com & Facebook.com/TheDares                                                                                          

Introduce yourselves and your roles in the band.

Ben: Ben Peterson.  Guitarist/Lead singer.  I also write.

Anthony: My name is Anthony Aguirre and I play lead guitar and sing backup vocals.  

Brandon:  Brandon Shapiro, I play bass and sing background vocals. 

Matt: I am Matt Peterson and I play drums and back-up vocals.

You guys got into the music business at a very early age, when did you realize that music was what you wanted to do with your lives?

Ben: I realized at an early age that I wanted to play music.  Maybe 6 or 7.  The movies “That Thing You Do”, “La Bamba”, and “Buddy Holly Story” all made me want to be in a band.   

Anthony: Music saved my life in many ways and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

Brandon: After seeing the movie “That Thing You Do” I was really inspired to be in a band and decide that it was what I wanted to do.  

Matt:  When we first started we didn’t think of playing in a band as more than an extremely fun thing to do.  I didn’t think of playing in a band as more than an extremely fun thing to do.  I didn’t think in terms of music being what I wanted to do with my life until I was older.  Probably in middle school.  Definitely when we got signed at age 16.  

Your latest LP, “Duped” came out this past May what was the process like when recording it?

Ben:  Recording “Duped” was a dream come true.  We got to record with an amazing producer and didn’t have a label telling us what to do.  We spent a month in Memphis.  It was a great experience to have with the newer band members.  We all grew as friends, bandmates and musicians.  Also we had the best BBQ in the world.  Always delicious.  Dry rub changed my life.  

Anthony: This was my first full album recording experience.  The process was a good learning experience but a lot of downtime to practice almost anything you can get you hands on in the studio.  

Brandon:  Lots of fun.  We would wake up every morning eat breakfast and then straight to the studio where we just started working.  We got to work with some really great people while making Duped.  

Matt: We recorded it with Paul Ebersold who also did our album that we made on Jive.  He had been not only a musical mentor, but also a dear friend of my brother and I.  We were beyond excited to work with him again, as well as spending time in Memphis eating the best ribs in the world (Corkys).  We tracked duped for the whole month of November.  I feel worked under the wing of a producer.  Also, it was crucial to our growth as a band.  After that month we felt more tight-knit than ever.  

What were some of your musical influences while recording Duped?

Ben: The songs on “Duped” were written over the course of a few years.  Some dating back to when we were doing our album with Jive.  So there are a variety of different styles on “Duped”.  I would say that we weren’t shy about our 90’s influences and we let our inner Beatles and Beach Boys come out more.  But with our natural inclination to rock being fully expressed.  You can hear the Weezer and Oasis influences on a few songs.  

Anthony: At the time I was listening to a lot of Foo Fighters and The Kooks.

Brandon: Everything, we all like such a variey of music that it’s hard to pick just a couple certain influences.  

Matt: For this album especially even though they are always an influence, The Beatles.  But also I think Duped was inspired by the sounds of Green Day, Nirvana, The Beach Boys, Oasis to name a few.  Our influences tend to be more songs orientated than genre.   

So far as a band, what has been your most memorable experience?

Ben: With the new band, I would say that recording was a great experience for all of us.  Also we have done some traveling of the west coast and that is always fun.  Our CD release at the House of Blues was really memorable.  It was one of those nights when you just felt like you owned it.

Anthony: Going to Memphis to record Duped, I will never forget my first album recording experience.  Good music, good people, and really good BBQ.   

Brandon: For me being in Memphis for a month recording Duped was probably the most memorable experience.  It was the first time in my life I got to do something like that.  

Matt: With this line up, I would say our trip to Memphis.  That was definitely a highlight so far.  

What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Ben:  I’ve been lucky to have a great network of support from family and friends and over the years I’ve had some really good insightful advice.  It’s hard to answer this without sounding too cliche but I would have to say that the whole “don’t give up” and “if it were easy everyone would do it” has really stuck with me.  

Anthony: “Dont ever give up on your dream”  That was from uncle/godfather.

Brandon: Never give up…

Matt: Don’t be a dick. 

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Ben: Um…world peace? But seriously that’s a hard question to answer because there are a lot of real problems.  I guess I hope people would understand each other better and see the common humanity in everyone.  That we all have different views but we essentially want the same things.  

Anthony: To give everyone a fair chance to have a strong and healthy life.  

Brandon: The Dares would be everywhere.

Matt: The ways of the hipster.  

Destiny-and excuse to wait for things to happen, or the real deal?

Ben: I think using destiny as an excuse to wait is an unfortunate trap and may be a sign that someone doesn’t quite grasp how the world works.  If things are supposed to happen, you are probably also supposed to do something to allow it to happen.

Anthony: You can’t wait around for Destiny.  If you push dedication and hard work. 

Brandon: The real deal.  

Matt: Whether you believe in destiny or not, I think it’s only an excuse to work towards what you want.  How can someone determine what’s “meant to be” if they never lifted a finger to find out?

If you could shout one sentence so loud that the whole world could hear it what would it be?

Ben: RICOLAAAA!

Anthony: LISTEN TO THE DARES :)

Brandon: I am Spartacus.  

Matt: Get off the couch and do something.

How do you disregard society’s idea of “normalcy” to be your own person in your everyday lives?

Ben:  I think that following your dreams and being in the whole music world can be viewed by society at worst as a bunch of delusional losers or some kind of freak show where the words “honesty” and “integrity” don’t exist.  So I think it’s vital disregard those views.  I think the only way to excel and thrive is to follow what you love and to allow you to be you.  

Anthony: Everyone’s lives are different, everyone has their own view on normalcy.  I believe in just being yourself.  

Brandon: I just don’t care what society thinks, I do what I want or dress how I want, I just be me no matter what.  

Matt: I think everyone disregards society’s idea of normalcy at least a little bit to what best suits their life and aspirations.  I don’t think a normal person exists, however there are very normal things to want in your life.  Such as companionship, love, and financial stability.  I think that even if someone strives for what they think normalcy is, the manner of what they live it out would be as unique as they are.