It's been 11 months since SIRS graced Ithaca with their presence and we're ultra ready for another dose. Since then, they've put some more miles under their belts, made their Topshelf Records debut - another split, this time in collaboration with the UK's run, WALK! and their mates, Holy Roar Records - and have even more new material in the works.  They guys are in good spirits and amped for Big Day In. Below, Ithaca Underground's Bubba Crumrine catches up with Justin, Kyle, Mike and Hart - who is no stranger to this day-fest, having performed last December in Zona Mexicana.



IU: How has the band been since we saw you guys back in January?

Justin: Pretty great actually. January was when we really started to figure out how we wanted to sound.  When our first guitarist left to form another band, Mike joined pretty much the next day, and as soon as that happened we started to write songs that we really liked and we haven't stopped since.  Mike's a team player and an all around swell guy.

IU: Have you been hitting the road a lot?

Justin: We try to tour whenever we get the chance. This past summer we did a 20 something day tour around the eastern half of the U.S. but, our unreliable van (RIP Gladys) made the trip pretty nerve wracking.  Before that we did a couple shorter tours last summer and winter.  We've got some ideas for this winter and hopefully the summer, but we really have our sights set on next fall when we can hit up some other colleges besides our own.

IU: How did SIRS come to be?


Justin: Our first guitarist Dave and I met at Purchase a couple years ago.  Fortunately we both share a love for the song Fuck off and Die by Greenday, so when we decided to learn it one uneventful night in October 2009, we ended up instead writing "Hibernations Sometimes", which is a song off of our first EP.  We showed it to Kyle, who turned out to be a great drummer, and he showed it to his brother Hart who is pretty much good at everything.  Voila.

IU: Congrats on signing to Topshelf Records! How did that and the split with run, WALK! come together?
Kyle: Thanks! The split was actually the brainchild of Topshelf and Holy Roar Records from the UK.  They had met at SXSW and decided to collaborate.  Both labels each picked a band they thought would go well together, and about a week after we started working with Topshelf they approached us with the idea.  We're super happy about it because run,Walk! is a really great band, their side of the split was "bloody brilliant."

IU: Will you be working with Topshelf for future releases?
Mike: Yes, actually we originally started working with Topshelf in order to release our LP, which we are currently recording.

IU: Oh! Tells us more!
Justin: It's going to be a self title, we're very excited about it.  We aim to have it out by spring/early summer.

IU: What's your favorite part about being in SIRS?
Mike: It probably sounds cliche, but honestly the best part for me is getting to be on the road and meeting people I other wise would never get to meet, and getting to go places i've never been too. Like Waffle House.

IU: Lewis Chesebrough says you guys tell jokes - tell us a joke! (Laughs)
Hart: I can't wait to see the look on old Lew's face when we tell him a joke.

IU: What else should people know about SIRS and what else can we look forward to from the band in 2012?

Kyle: We're super happy with the way our new songs are sounding. As far as 2012 goes, you can expect the full length and hopefully a few solid tours. Also, we're all involved in a handful of side projects which will hopefully be releasing material soon. I'm starting a band in syracuse called "D's Licks", Hart's in Zona Mexicana, Mike plays in LVL UP and Justin is playing in a new band with our buddy "Ryan Schnackenberg". He's a real card.

IU: Thanks guys!



Don't miss SIRS live at Big Day In on December 3rd at The Haunt (702 Willow Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850) with the likes of Algernon Cadwallader, Parts & Labor, Summer People, HotChaCha, Megachurch, The Sidekicks, and more! 12 band, 10 hours, $5. Doors open at noon and music starts shortly after.  As with all IU shows, this event is ALL AGES!