New wave post-hardcore/Emo band "Highdive"
if I Can I get you to state your name and role in the band lol.
Jacob: Jacob Kavanaugh – bass
Kyle: My name is Kyle and I sing and play guitar.
Zachary: Zachary Cox – Guitar
Cool, so this interview is gonna be pretty lax, but let’s start with the basics... how did you guys come up with the name for the band?
Zachary: We were writing music without an official name for a little bit and then we wrote our first single “The Deep End” at that time Kyle had thrown out the name Highdive and we all thought it fit our music and us as a group so we stuck with it and made it our official name
that’s awesome. and what bands or artists have most inspired you guys?
Zachary: We all have very eclectic tastes but I think as a group we were inspired by bands like Mayday Parade, Moose Blood, Turnover, Manchester Orchestra, Have Mercy, etc.
Kyle: I think those groups kinda summarize our sound but the other dudes listen to a lot of heavy stuff too.
And how did you guys meet?
Zachary: Most of us met because we all went to the same high school but we met Jacob though the music scene in Houston
Speaking of the music scene, where are you guys from, and how is the scene there?
Kyle: We all grew up playing in the Houston scene. We’ve seen it change quite a bit over the past decade. Our scene tends to gravitate towards the genre of the moment in my opinion, so we’ve seen heavy periods of metalcore, followed by hardcore, melodic hardcore and beatdown/death metal into now it seems we’re in a less heavy, indie rock, pop punk, swancore period.
Jacob: I’m actually from college station and we had a small but strong scene that constantly changed due to the college students coming and going every few years. For me we used to all climb in a single pickup truck with all our gear and drive 2-3 hours to play unpaid gigs as high school students lol
so, for anyone who’s thinking about joining a band, is there anything about being in a band that you didn’t expect?
Kyle: I don’t think I totally understood in the beginning that I’d be in a literal relationship with 3 or 4 people and how much work it would be. I’ve also always been very entrepreneurial minded my whole life, so I’ve struggled to find the right balance between creative and business over the years.
For each member, what do you love, and hate, most about being in a band, and playing shows
Jacob: I love being in bands because it gives me time to get away from all the other bullshit in life, but hate it because there never seems to be enough time to put in the work that’s necessary. I love being surprised by how good shows can be you wouldn’t expect, I probably hate bad sound guys more than anything. Whether it’s actually being bad at their job or just a pain in the ass lol
Kyle: I love the satisfaction of a finished song and I love playing in new place every night. Similarly to Jacob, I hate not being able to spend all of my time working on the band. Also living paycheck to paycheck (bcuz of my leftover money goes to the band) isn’t my favorite thing in the world but it’s totally worth it.
Zachary: I would say I love the creative process the most. Having an idea for a song, bringing it to the table and then watching it bloom when everyone works together and puts their signature on it. The thing I hate the most is whenever I see other bands condescend and not support their fellow musicians literally trying to do the same thing
ok so, this one is a fan question, who in the group would you say is the ladies’ man?
Jacob: Definitely not me. I’m the marrried one
Kyle: Lmao def the drummer cuz he’s the only single one
lmao and who out of the group is the most childish and joking
Kyle: Hmmm that’s tough. I’d say me probably. We all have a “goofy” side that comes out occasionally but are all pretty serious for the most part.
lol and what is the most overtold inside joke that you guys have?
Kyle: Our original bass player and I went on a tour with his previous band years ago and stayed with some people in Phoenix. A girl there would respond “hell yeah” and “fuck yeah” to pretty much anything anyone would say
So for some reason we’ve continued responding with “hell yeah fuck yeah” in a “valley girl” accent anytime someone says something cool
Can you guys tell me what you’re working on right now? Is there any new material in the works, or maybe some fan content to be expected this year?
Kyle: For sure. We just put out a new tune in January along with a music video. It’s called “Tongue In Cheek” and you can find it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
We’re also recording more new stuff as we speak and will be dropping singles throughout the year
Plenty of shows on the calendar as well. Best way to keep an eye on show dates is by following on Spotify or checking our website
Our newest single, “Tongue In Cheek” is now available on all streaming services as well as for purchase on Bandcamp. Scroll down to check out the music video!
Do you guys have many songs that you maybe play live that fans can look forward to hearing on record soon?
Kyle: Hmm we aren’t playing any of the unreleased songs live just yet
This is one of my favorite questions: What is the best thing about playing shows
Kyle: Getting paid in a small amount of free alcohol instead of money lol
For real though, seeing people moving around and genuinely having a good time while they’re listening to us play is the most satisfying thing I’ve experienced as a musician.
And what's your favorite song to play?
Kyle: Whatever song the crowd vibes with the most each night
On a more serious note, what would you say to a fan who is suffering from depression, anxiety, or bullying?
Zachary: Oof loaded question but all I have is my own experience to go off. I’d probably say that if you’re overwhelmed I think it’s best to focus on a positive thing whatever you believe that to be and pursue it like no other. That’s what music was and is for me.
Check out Highdive’s single: “tongue in cheek” and be sure to look out for new releases coming soon! Huge thanks to everyone reading this for taking the time, and please be sure to like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter to stay up to date. Our youtube channel is now up and running with interviews, lyric videos, and more, so be sure to check that out there: Link
