The Maine Reflect On Their 17 Years In The Scene: “We want to be good people that make good music, and the rest is for everybody else to decide.”

What does it mean to foster a community? 

In an age where several artists have tried and tested to capture the communal spark with their audiences, few have managed to cultivate a phenomenon quite like The Maine. 

For close to two decades, this American rock band has transcended the conventional artist-fan relationship — honing an environment wherein connection and camaraderie thrive as a result of the impact that their music leaves on their listeners. Since the release of their debut album, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, in 2008, The Maine has taken listeners on a journey through a series of musical explorations that reflect both their growth and the ever-evolving landscape of their fans’ lives. 

Each of their releases has been met with anticipation — from the alternative emo-rock soundscapes of Lovely Little Lonely to the pop-rock leanings of their latest self-titled album, such records draw fans deeper into the band’s world and establish a sense of belonging, and have provided a soundtrack for milestones, heartbreaks, and everything in between.

Having found a home with millions of listeners across the globe, The Maine has cultivated a global family united by a shared love for their music, particularly in the Philippines — a country that has embraced them as a second home. With over six sold-out shows held here over the years, the band has become a staple in the local music scene, leading to much anticipation over their latest tour, The Sweet Sixteen Tour.

As I meet with John O’Callaghan (lead vocalist), Jared Monaco (lead guitarist), Garrett Nickelsen (bassist), Patrick Kirch (drums), and Kennedy Brock (rhythm guitarist and backing vocals), we find ourselves cramped on a black, L-shaped, leather couch in the artist’s holding room of SM North EDSA’s Skydome. “It’s okay, we’re not afraid to get cozy,” John jokes to me — eliciting laughter from all corners of that tiny, square-shaped room.

Billboard Philippines: Being here in the Philippines two years after your XOXO World Tour, how does it feel to be back in the Skydome for your Sweet Sixteen Tour?

Jared: It’s always such a trip to come back and then have new things to play. So we’re excited that we’re able to bring the Sweet Sixteen Tour here. It just felt really fitting. the fact that we get to play can’t stop it’s just kind of like a really cool and fun thing, you know?

John: Yeah, talk about a full-circle moment for us! It was really at the beginning of everything. It’s an absolute pleasure to be back.

And we’re so glad to have you here. So, with the tour celebrating your 16 years together as a band, what are some pivotal moments that have shaped your journey as The Maine? How have those experiences influenced your music and personal growth?

John: I would say — having been afforded the opportunity to be a band for, what, 18 years next January — the fact that we’ve made it this far is beyond words. 

I mean you could like handpick big moments throughout the entirety of what’s been almost two decades. I would say after our first record, going into the second and coming out of the second into the [third], that was a really critical time for our band. We were just trying to figure out how to navigate the landscape of the music business, being a band, and learning how to put our foot down to say what we want in our voice. And that came with trusting our intuition and gut.

Jared: I don’t think we knew that we could say no until that point. Like I don’t think we realized that we could say, I don’t really want to do that. Yep. And then after the second record came out, there were a lot of moments where we had to do that. I think that was a pivotal shift for the band to embrace a vision of what we wanted to do. 

John: And that was the moment that I think our perspective [as musicians] changed. By the start of the third record and beyond, that’s when we really leaned into the symbiotic relationship of people who like our music and us believing in ourselves as a band.

Kennedy: I think we started taking risks in different directions musically and then the chances to come over to places like the Philippines allowed us to realize that there were people that wanted to let us do those things musically. I think it kept on feeding the desire to better ourselves.

Garrett: The fans from there were so outwardly excited about what we were doing. Like it really kept us going.

John: It was during that period, [wherein] we had people from the labels who weren’t necessarily fully believing in what we were doing and with the music we were making. Then to get the gratifying feeling of like, “Hey, it doesn’t have to be like commercially successful for people to get on board,” that was very inspiring, so the early stuff is definitely the most pivotal and also the most critical for just learning and growing as a band. Then I think everything since then has just been about that relationship with the people who pay for tickets and listen to your music on a daily basis. And then trying to feel out the process of how far we can take it. 

We’re very lucky in that sense because it was really gratifying for us too as we were learning to start trying new things, it was really awesome to know that there were so many people so far away who were connecting with what we were doing.

With you guys coming back to the Philippines so often, do you remember the first time you traveled here?

Jared: When we came here for the first time, it was very obvious that we were surprised with the turnout. We were like, holy sh*t! 

John: It is an interesting social phenomenon to see how our music found a home with people beyond our world, because, I remember in Brazil they loved a song called “Jenny”, and it was an outlier on the record, And for whatever reason, it resonated. And then here, like what has been going on over the years, our music has become such an integral thing for people for whatever reason.

So it also makes it very difficult when you’re like, well, what do people want to hear? And that’s why it’s so important to just do what feels right. And then people either gravitate towards it or not, 

Jared: But luckily, we’ve come back enough times to kind of learn how to adapt to what the crowd wants.

With that being said, how does the connection with your Filipino fans feel different from other places you’ve performed? Can you share any memorable interactions that have left a lasting impact on you over the years or any similarities regarding your visits here?

John: I mean the the similarity is that we see and have seen a lot of the same faces over the however many years we’ve been coming here. Like even yesterday, we got out of the van and we saw the same faces from before. That is like the special thing that you can’t really comprehend and wrap your head around.

Pat: But it’s such a nice thing to be a part of something, knowing that people are making their own connections and that they don’t just have an emotional connection to the songs themselves. In some ways, it’s like it brings them back to the first time they heard at the concert, or that it reminds them of a different time in their lives.

I think the more we come and do these shows, the deeper that connection goes. To the point that it feels like, if ever we come back here in 20 years from now, we can be sure that the same people will be coming on to the show, because I think it’s gone that deep both with us and with them.

With these two sets of shows, I can speak for everyone when I say I’m curious to know what led you guys to the unique decision of splitting the tour’s setlist between your greatest hits and a full performance of your debut album, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop? And how do you think this approach resonates with both new and longtime fans?

Pat: Yeah, I think it comes down to all the times we’ve been here (which is a lot) so we challenge ourselves by asking, how do you make it different? How can we put on a different experience?

It isn’t like people come every two years, and we just play the same set list we’ve always done. So we try to look for that balance –– and with the Sweet Sixteen set list, it’s a celebration of all of our music. From the beginning up until now, we’re just hitting on a bunch of songs, plus almost half of the new album too. 

We haven’t really played these songs live, so what we’re doing tonight will be the first time we do so — and that’s a special thing. Then having our second night, where we can just kind of revisit our first album, I think it’s just trying to create a different experience each time, and to keep things exciting for both us and our fans.

Speaking of your self-titled album, I’d love to know what had you guys confident enough to stamp your name as a group on the album — especially with how weighty self-titled albums often are in an artist’s discography. So how was that like when coming up with The Maine?

John: I think it was probably a culmination of everything [we’ve done.] I don’t think we really thought of it as something that carries a certain weight to it, and we didn’t necessarily have a clear idea of what the songs were like before they began to form. 

I guess we didn’t put this pressure on ourselves to have everything up front, and I think that’s what allowed these songs to just become what they are. But the more we talked about it, there was a lot of happenstance and coincidental things — such as its release date, because we wanted to put the album out on August 1, 2023 — to mark 8-1-2-3. 

And it was those things that kept telling us, that maybe that’s what should happen. But for my two cents, I feel like this is a good representation of the past 18 or 17 years for us sonically. I feel like we hit on a lot of things that we’ve been familiar with from the past, and we’ve tried to open new doors with our music as far as sound and chances.

Jared: Bringing Colby [Wedgeworth] back was a huge thing. I think that gave us that sort of extra confidence, that the record is going to be good enough to slap our name on. 

You don’t want to go in on your self-titled album and have it be something that doesn’t click for you. There is a lot of weight to it, and knowing that we had Colby back on board, I think was just a huge confidence boost for us. 

Kennedy: It was funny because he even said that “Whoa, we’re like stepping it with it.” And I was kind of with you. I was like, oh, like at some point you do a self-titled, and to me, they’re not as like, oh, this is the one kind of thing. And then he said it and I was like, oh, shit. So sitting with it afterward, it’s felt more and more natural that it is a culmination of what we’ve been for the whole time.

Though aside from performing your latest record, you’ll also be performing songs from your debut album in its entirety. I’m curious, how do you balance nostalgia with your current artistic identity, and how do you feel these early songs from Can’t Stop Won’t Stop reflect who you are now?

John: For me, it’s really hard to remember even writing those songs together, and then it’s hard to even remember performing them on tours often. And so we just did Can’t Stop in Singapore, and it was definitely a rush. I mean, what’s weird though is that we haven’t neglected that record pretty much ever in a setlist.

Like there’s been pretty much one song off of Can’t Stop on every set we’ve ever played since it came out. So, you know, the ones we normally don’t do, yeah, those are the moments that you’ll have to adjust to.

Jared: Well, not to mention the more records you have, the less you’re going to play off every record. (laughs)

John: So as time has gone on, you know, we haven’t forgotten about that record. It just hasn’t been on the forefront of our minds when we’re putting together a show, but at times there are also more nerves when we think of it –– because its not in our DNA or our muscle memory as much anymore. Like it doesn’t kick in as much, especially from a natural flow, and those parts aren’t figured out, which makes it fun. 

And in some way, it makes it new for us because when you get accustomed to playing a set, you fall into your own rhythm of like, ‘this is how I do it.’ And it’s a curveball for us, but it’s also a nice way of keeping us on our toes.

Jared: It’s an exercise for sure.

Garrett: [For me,] the weird thing is, this might sound strange, but the fact that some of the songs people didn’t care about much at the show made me feel better. Because it made me realize –– people liked the new shit more! Which was definitely reassuring because now we know, “Oh, okay we’re doing the right thing. We’re moving in the right direction.”

It was fine to play of course, but I’m happy that people liked the new stuff more than some of the older stuff. (laughs) 

Kennedy: So yeah, it was a good reflection of over the years — oh, I think we’ve gotten better.

So over the years, how has your understanding of music, as an art and a craft, changed? What specific challenges have you faced in evolving your sound, and how have those challenges enriched your music?

John: I mean with every record and every year that passes, it presents a new set of [not necessarily obstacles] but also a new means of challenging yourself on purpose.

Jared: It’s always like we want to set some sort of standard for ourselves. i don’t know if it’s about setting the bar higher, but i think it’s about rethinking how we’re doing stuff so that we don’t make the mistake of doing the same thing twice. And you know, we’ve learned a lot since the first record. 

We were talking the other day about what it was like sitting in there, actually thinking about the parts that we did. I feel like our brains weren’t collectively formed yet, and we weren’t too sure on how to put a record together. Yet part of that might also be why that first record was so unique and so different.

John: But then as each record is created, it’s like — well again, if you fall into a sort of formulaic kind of approach, it’s like, how do we fuck that up? How do we not succumb to our own rhythmic sensibilities? Like, this is just us as we’re running through the motions.

And that’s like Jared saying we never want to run out of fuel. Because we’re ultimately just fans of music first, yes? We have our own interests, we like our own artists and bands, and even other records — so being fans of music, it’s like all of that creeps into a certain combination of what we find ourselves inspired by. 

It’s like, I wouldn’t want to hear my favorite Third Eye Blind record again. You know, I want to hear new stuff. I want to hear things that are exciting and that can be heard through the speakers.

Pat: So yeah, there’s definitely a different flow that you get into. You know, when you make your first album, that’s the only thing you can think about because it’s the only album that you’ve made — so you feel like it needs to touch upon everything because it’s the only piece that you have. And then as you make more, it’s like this album is just one piece of our whole history as a band. It can serve a specific purpose, and if people want a different taste of what we do, they can go listen to another album.

[As artists,] you first try to capture all of it within one record at once, because your perspective is so small.  You only have one record to make your name out into the world,  because you’re not sure if there’s going to be like a second one if the first doesn’t do so well. Yet for us, we know that there’s nine albums out there that people can go and listen to – which feels very fulfilling. And that number 11 can also be great if number 10 does well.

Each of your nine albums highlights a different side and sound of your artistry. How do you approach writing music that captures your emotions and experiences, especially at different stages in your lives –– especially when considering how a lot of your songs really do speak to your listeners?

John: I think it’s just very crucial that at least lyrically –– I’m singing about things that are real to me, and hopefully that resonates with people. Because being fans of music, it’s like I can listen to a certain song that takes me back to me being 16 in my car, you know?

That’s like the beautiful thing about music, it’s that it’s very much a teleportation device or a time machine, where it can just take you back. It’s such a nostalgic thing, but I think our guiding principle is that it’s got to feel authentic. It’s got to feel believable to us because at least we think that it can be sniffed out easily if it’s a fake thing –– so it’s just got to be real.

What’s weird is that I don’t listen to our music ever. It’s like, once the music is created –– it’s just there in the ether for people to digest or not. It’s always going to be the most recent project that resonates with us the most, because experience-wise, you just wear your thoughts. And [The Maine] is comprised of my most recent thoughts. That’s where my most recent influences, tastes, instrumentals, and even the things that we are using are –– because it will always be the most recent thing that will resonate with us at any given point in time, because that’s where we poured every part of ourselves into.

Jared: But you can go back in time and like I would say that after. Because that’s a stamp of like where we were at that time. But now you know it’s it’s I think it’s a good thing that hasn’t changed, that I haven’t gotten stuck on a past one.

Kennedy: It has kept moving forward, which I think that’s a good sign.

Garrett: But it’s weird over time, you can like… Because you kind of judge the one before… like if you’re in the most recent one, you judge the one before a little hard, and then time goes by, and then you’re like, “Oh, that was sick, and I understand why we did that way.” And you can find love in it again, though it just takes a second. Not that you’re like, “That sucks” but just like “Oh we did so much better this time.” (laughs)

With the release of your latest single “Touch,” what themes or concepts do you feel are most important for you to explore on the next record? And how do you hope these will resonate with your audience?

John: I think the release of “Touch” is just one of those occasions where we had the luxury of being able to put things out to get a reaction and hear the response from our audiences. It’s more or less part fo the experimentation process of everything, but it’s not like part of a batch of stuff that we’ve worked on. [“Touch”] is kind of it’s own thing, but who knows — I don’t know if that’s going to turn into something more.

I mean the fact that people are digging it makes it a little f**king harder, I guess that’s a great thing for us. (laughs)

Pat: But there’s a thing wherein we could try and go into the studio to do what feels like we’re trying to make something that has the same energy, and we could go the total opposite direction. We’ve done that before, and after we do that, we realize maybe we shouldn’t do that again. (laughs)

Jared: That was a challenge for us for a while too, it was like “Oh, that went well” and “That was maybe the quickest song that we’ve ever done in the studio.” It just came together super fast, and after that, we’re like “I don’t know how many more of these I have” and “I don’t know how it became so difficult.”

Kennedy: Yeah, ‘cause comparing yourself to yourself is no good. It’s a terrible thing to do. 

I think I can speak for a lot of your fans worldwide when I say that live performances can be transformative, and that’s exactly what comes across with every show that you guys put on. How do you feel when you see your fans connect with your music in real time? And how is it like for you guys to be the ones putting together the show?

John: I think it probably feels different for everybody. I think for me, it’s hard to really appreciate the moment that I’m on stage because I’m so focused on, it’s like being in the zone. 

Kennedy: For me, it’s like the moment we finish the set is when it kind of all hits. I’m like, oh, whoa. Like, that’s really when it all, like, expands into my brain. 

John: Yeah, there’s a weird high that comes from right after that last note’s hit to be able to kind of appreciate it, I think. 

Garrett: You’re bombarded with emotions it’s at such a high. Like, if you do something, like you mess up and you’re like so inside your head yeah and then like and then if you’re like it’s going really well you’re like I’m the best and so it’s like so funny how everything is so peaked 

Kennedy: Yeah, it makes it all feel real all of a sudden you know like it yeah I’m not I’m not focused on anything else it’s it I’m actually able to let myself enjoy that moment. 

Being independent artists through your collective ‘8123,’ how does this autonomy shape your creative decisions? What does it mean to you to create music that feels true to your vision, without compromise?

John: I think just the early that that second record to the third record just made us really realize that it’s it’s not about the metaphorical carrot that’s hanging. We experience these things by way of being on tour with bands, like we just did a run of shows with Fall Out Boy and to be able to play in arenas — those types of things help you realize that like that’s achievable even if it seems f**king impossible. It’s like somebody else is showing you that it’s being done.

So for us, it’s like yeah — it’s really just more about nurturing the relationship between us and the people that care what we do. And that’s really been the focus ever since. I mean, even when we first started, that’s how we got to go on tour — [by] talking to people on MySpace. That was all we had, so I think just the freedom to do what we want and then the reassurance from people like “This is cool and we enjoy this, we want to be a part of this” — that’s the autonomy.

All we think about now is that, “We want to put on our own show, we want to write our own music, we want to wear what the fuck we want, to do what we want to do,” and so we’ve been so lucky that people still care about what we do.

Yet aside from your careers, the numbers 8123 come from a very personal part of your experience. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the numbers of the parking garage that you guys used to hang out in growing up. So how does it feel to give new life to such a special number?

John: It’s still so weird. But in a way, it’s nice to know that it was able to foster a sense of community amongst people you know. Those are the same versions of what we were doing by going and hanging out in that parking garage, and the fact that people have been able to attach themselves to what was ours is a really fucking amazing thing.

And it’s a phenomenon that can’t be explained, even if we try to. We’ve only continued to lean into it and to make it a part of who we are, and it goes larger than life at this point. 

So, close to two decades on the scene, what would you say are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from being together as a band for so long? How do these lessons inform your relationships — both with each other and your fans?

John: I mean, from a band perspective, like being so close to each other all the time, it’s really important to speak your mind and it’s really important that you enjoy each other. You enjoy being around one another because you’re constantly around each other. In very small spaces. 

But I think it’s shown me that friendships are very important. And now, being a father, you realize that family is really important — and that includes this family that we have as a band. Trying to be there when we’re there, not like we’re in space, so being present. Being present, don’t be absent-minded — and don’t be thinking about the next thing that comes. I mean, part of the human condition is always thinking ahead, but I think we’ve learned a lot over the years.

Pat: It’s constantly evolving, because things are constantly changing. As far as being in a band goes, and also just being a person –– there’s a lot of variables that do change. It’s just like every day, there’s a best way to go about things, or there’s something that you’re always looking to improve and how you can do things better.

Though you guys mentioned earlier that you’re very much focused on living in the present these days, I and the rest of the world are curious –– as you look to the future, what legacies do you hope to leave behind as The Maine? What do you want your music to say about you and your journey?

John: We talked about this right before we got in the elevator (laughs) We were saying, would you rather be a good dude in a shitty band or a bad dude in a good band?

And I think our answer is that we want to be both things. We want to be good people who make good music, and the rest is for everybody else to decide. But hopefully what comes across is that we started this journey like, let’s make a band, and then let’s go on tour. And then, you know, we just fucking did that –– then everything else came after. And we were just so lucky that people liked what we were doing, and hopefully, that’s inspiring to some who are starting whatever venture at whatever point in their lives. Having that sense of community really does help.

Kennedy: Yeah, I think for me it’s just like, just knowing that people get to experience the world and that our music is a contribution to how their life goes –– whether it’s happy or sad ––  or if we’re a part of somebody’s life with our music, I think that’s an incredible achievement.

Jared:  But that exactly is the goal, To make something that lasts. I think everybody, no matter what it is that you do, I think that’s a goal for every human being. The fact that we have a little bit of proof that we’ve done a little bit, it’s kind of cool. So, we’ll take it. (laughs)

Listen to The Maine’s latest eponymous album, The Maine, below:

Photographed by Belg Belgica, assisted by Jyllan Bitalac. Creative direction by Nicole Almero.