Jim Louvau: Is it your fault people leave the band?
Ash Costello: No. (Laughs.) There are like a hundred reasons. I
literally could tell you some of the stupidest shit people have quit
over. Nine out of ten times, it’s a girlfriend or it’s money or it’s a job
offer where it’s constant so they can’t turn it down. One member
said our views were against his religious views but he was already
in the band for three months.
Jim Louvau: Don’t you have three very religious guys in the band
right now?
Ash Costello: Yes. (Laughs.) We do.
Jim Louvau: How does that work in a band with such a dark
image and themes?
Ash Costello: When I was interviewing them for the band, that
was one of the first things that came up since it was listed on
their Instagram profiles. They are just incredibly intelligent people,
they’re so smart and they’re very nonjudgmental so they have the
ability to be open minded enough to have their beliefs but know
that New Year’s Day is a show. It doesn’t mean we are going to
go slaughter a goat tonight and they’re going to have to repent or
whatever they do. I don’t know what Christians do.
Jim Louvau: Your social media presence is through the roof and
you have a ton of engagement from people who follow you, what
do you attribute that to?
Ash Costello: We’ve always been like that in New Year’s Day. Our
first record deal we got because of our impact on Myspace. We’ve
also had this reach to kids that was very effortless and would just
build o