Interview: Joe Ginsberg of Single File

We had the pleasure of chatting with Joe Ginsberg of Single File about the band’s influences, message, and what song he feels has the most meaning. Here’s what he had to say:

You guys have released a few EPs in the past, but Common Struggles is your first full album. Can you tell us about it?

Joe Ginsberg: It feels amazing to finally put out a full-length…it wasn’t an easy process writing “Common Struggles”, but we’re so happy with how it came out, and proud to put it out as our first statement to the world.

What kind of message are you trying to get across with Common Struggles?

Joe Ginsberg: That life can be tough sometimes, but everyone goes through it. Bad times pass, and if you can have a sense of humor about yourself, and life, it can make it a lot easier to get through…and be fun in the process.

What bands have influenced your music?

Joe Ginsberg: Mainly, classic pop song writers like The Beatles, Tom Petty, and Simon and Garfunkle, but there are also contemporary influences in there such as Weezer, Say Anything, and Death Cab for Cutie.

I’ve heard that the Denver music scene can be a tough place to succeed; do you think this is true?

Joe Ginsberg: We actually love the Denver scene. People love music in this town and are extremely supportive of local bands. It may be more difficult to get noticed on a national level being from Denver, but the support is unmatchable…there’s nowhere else we’d rather be from!

I love the designs for the cover of Common Struggles and your website. Who’s the artist?

Joe Ginsberg: Donny Philips from Warner Bros. did the art, for the record…he’s amazing and knocked the whole project out of the park! Sloan came up with the concept for the record cover, and Donny just got it…we had a few meetings and brainstorming sessions and he brought all of our ideas to life. We wanted art that was timeless and stood out, and we’re extremely happy with the end result.

How have you guys grown musically since you started as a band?

Joe Ginsberg: We’ve kind of come full circle actually. We started off writing acoustic pop songs, and got lost in the whole emo movement for a while. Finally (in writing Common Struggles), we stopped trying to fit into a genre and just wrote the songs that we wanted to hear…good old fashioned pop songs…with something to say.

Which song is the most meaningful or most personal to you? Why?

Joe Ginsberg: Well, they all have a lot of meaning, being as most are based on things and experiences in our lives over the past 5 years. But “September Skyline” from our EP No More Sad Face… gets me every time we play it live…it’s about the struggles we went through on the road in 2005, being poor and beaten down, and never giving up.

If you had to describe Common Struggles in 3 words, what would they be?

Joe Ginsberg: Fun, intelligent, pop.

When you’re not working on music, what are your favorite things to do? Any must see television series?

Joe Ginsberg: Run…I’ve become an avid runner over the past year, it’s amazing. I also love to BBQ and hang out on my balcony with friends while we enjoy the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver. And I love movies and great TV….Lost, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Scrubs, It’s Always Sunny…, 30 Rock, Weeds, Entourage, Party Down, The United States of Tara, the list goes on and on. We enjoy TV on DVD in the van as well.

What’s next for you guys?

Joe Ginsberg: World Domination. Ha ha…but seriously, we just want to get our music out to as many people as we can so we’ll be on the road non-stop promoting the record. We also love to meet our fans, so come out to the show and say hello!

Interview By: Jessica Mahn

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