The world of emo has changed a lot over time, and Evan Weiss — the man behind Into It. Over It. — has been there to witness a lot of it.
“It’s grown from us playing in warehouses and basements to us being able to play in venues and tour nationwide on the strength of this underground network,” he said. “It’s a really cool thing to witness.”
Weiss cut his teeth playing with a host of different bands aiming to be the next Brand New or Taking Back Sunday before breaking loose to start making music alone.
“I was tired of waiting around for people to make it full-time. It’s so much easier when you are only relying on yourself to get things going,” Weiss said. “It was just something I need to do. Nothing would ever get done, and now I’m taking the reigns and doing it my way, and it’s allowed for a lot of opportunity and decision-making.”
Now, he finds Into It. Over It. named a leader of the emo revival, alongside the likes of Title Fight and Balance and Composure, both bands making the dismissed subgenre hip again, even if he doesn’t fully agree with the emo label.
“I’ve seen it go through the cycles over the last 10 years, but now it’s finally getting to a point where some of the bands are at a size that music publications simply can’t ignore them any more,” Weiss said. “That’s where my influences are from, generally speaking, so it’s more appropriate than some genre comparisons I’ve gotten, but I don’t look at it that way. But if they are willing to expose their readership to this new movement of bands — my friends, basically — then I think it’s cool. All press is good press.”
There’s certainly more to the equation, with Weiss bringing in a steady stream of other influences to his music (which most would note bears similarities to Death Cab For Cutie, Minus the Bear and others that hedge the line between emo and indie), most recently showcased in Intersections, which hit shelves in late September.
“I like how I feel I’ve grown and honed my craft as a songwriter,” Weiss said. “It doesn’t sound like any of the other records, and I’m glad to have that differentiation, that line in the sand between each album. It confuses some people, but at the end of the day, it’s got to be something that pleases me. I’m the only one here, so it’s got to be right by me.”
Weiss looks to support the album on tour both here and abroad, with a Wednesday, Oct. 16 date at The Conservatory. It hits after a national tour in support of Saves the Day and before a trip over the pond to Europe with more national touring planned early next year. He loves the opportunity to share these new songs with fans new and old, he said.
“It’s smarter. It’s more thought out. It’s more fluid. It sounds like a record, like 12 songs that belong together, and I love that,” Weiss said. “It’s the best representation of my songwriting to date. As far as a total release, it’s the most pleased I’ve been.”
