On The Road With Skyward Story

Skyward Story is a pop rock trio from Baltimore who will be performing at the Vans Warped Tour when in rolls into Charlotte on July 30th. But first, we sat down with vocalist Aaron O'Connor, drummer Brandon Millman, and guitarist Scott Montgomery to listen to their tales about life out on the road.

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
Aaron: Our music is a fun blend of rock and pop influences. Fans of artists like One Direction and 5SOS would enjoy our sound!

What's the first concert you attended?
Aaron: My first concert was actually a double headlining show featuring Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire strangely enough. My mom took me when I was around 10 years old.

Scott: Vans Warped Tour was my very first concert which was certainly a crazy experience, and now I can say that I'll be playing some dates on the very last run of the tour.

Brandon: I went to Hershey Park to see Dave Matthews Band for my first concert! It was incredible and the rides were great too, but unfortunately I got pulled over on the way home! Still a great concert!

What's the strangest gig you've played?
Scott: One time we played a show where we were basically just background music for a restaurant. We had to play three sets in a row (two hour long sets and a 30 minute set) all acoustic and all the songs were very toned down. It was sort of awkward just standing around and playing as opposed to running around on stage like we're used to, but it was definitely a fun experience!

What's the craziest thing a fan has done at one of your shows?
Brandon: Honestly the craziest thing that has happened was three fans bringing Scott packs of double stuffed Oreos in one day. We are very appreciative of the snacks that fans like to bring us :)



What's the first thing you look for when you hit a new town?
Aaron: I would have to say that we take our cross-country Panera runs VERY seriously. Plus they all have WiFi and that helps us connect to the outside world when we're on the road. So Panera is the first place we look for!

How do you spend your days on the road?
Scott: It's honestly a lot of just driving and sightseeing. We do like to visit landmarks when we have days off and spare time! Also since we have Brandon here he kind of forces us to work out at least every other day...

Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Aaron: Nothing more than just the average huddle up right before we go on! We like to get all hyped up before we play.

What's some advice you'd give to a band embarking on its first tour?
Brandon: Flat tires and dead batteries are just things that are going to happen on the road. When things go wrong, make sure to greet every obstacle with a positive attitude. Also make sure to pack canned foods to avoid expensive fast food runs!

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Aaron: The five artists we would die to open for would be Blink-182, System of a Down, Panic! At the Disco, All Time Low, and Queen. The final jam would have to be "Bohemian Rhapsody" with 18 different guitar solos and super expensive pyrotechnics. That would be an amazing night :)

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