Ice Nine Kills Singer Spencer Charnas on the Moment in His Teens That Made Him Want to Become a Musician

Ice Nine Kills, the post-hardcore band from Boston, recently released their latest EP entitled The Predator. Almost instantly, it reached #9 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and #38 on the Independent Label Chart.

Since 2006, Ice Nine Kills that was formed among high school buddies has continued to grow in popularity and now it seems that they just about ready to break big. Currently, Ice Nine Kills are on the road with For All Those Sleeping and Capture the Crown.

Noisecreep spoke with lead vocalist Spencer Charnas as the band had a rare day off in New Orleans.

Spencer, how is the tour going so far?

The tour is going great. It's just the third full day of shows and we see the the impact of it very strongly. The response from the kids has been amazing, we've sold a ton of merchandising already - we can't really ask for much more. It's great to finally get some nice tours like this one.

How has the reaction been to the new music?

Better than I expected. Whenever you release a CD you naturally get a little concerned about how it will be received. But the reaction I've seen both online and in person it's been like 99% positive. I'll take that.

Is touring as fun as it was when you first started out?

It's still definitely a very enjoyable thing. There are hardships like there are with any job whether you're in a touring band or working a 9-to-5. Some days you don't get a shower and every day you're missing your friends and family back home. You take stuff for granted like being able to take a shower when you want, and being able to get something to eat at a favorite restaurant whenever you feel like it and not being tied into some schedule.

But on the flipside, you get to see the see the world with good friends.

Absolutely. We're in New Orleans today, and we have a rare day off so we can really explore the city. We can check out local food and meet the people that live here. Just this morning we were hanging on Bourbon Street, soaking up the culture and we had a great New Orleans breakfast. Some places are more exciting than others, but the entire traveling experience is something wonderful.

What were some of the first records that turned you on?

The band that made me want to be a musician was Nirvana. I was eight when I saw the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video on MTV and all I wanted to be was Kurt Cobain.

Do you remember where you were when the news came out that he had died?

I do remember seeing Kurt Loder make the announcement on MTV and was obviously very sad. I was really pretty broken up about it. I think I actually loved them even more after that because all of a sudden they seemed bigger than life.

Were there any other bands you fell hard for growing up?



Goldfinger was another band that really got me excited. I just loved that band. They were one of the first concerts I ever saw. The very first concert ever went to was a Smashing Pumpkins show when they were touring with the Mellon Collie album. I saw them in Providence, Rhode Island, my parents took me, and it was an awesome experience. It was really cool to see a rock show of that magnitude. I also saw the first Family Values tour with Korn and Limp Bizkit, which was amazing, but the concert really got me was Goldfinger. I was in high school and they played at the Worcester Palladium.

What was it about that show?

They were just so reckless and cool and I actually got up on stage and I got to sing one of the songs, 'Mable.' John Feldmann put his arm around me and I got to sing one of the lines in the song, which is a pretty incredible thing for a high school kid. To be with a favorite band of all time singing one of their lyrics really affected me. Last summer we got to play that same stage on the All-Stars Tour. It was amazing to stand on that stage and think about that fact that it was the exact spot that really made me want to be a musician.

Ice Nine Kills' The Predator EP is available now on iTunes.

"Filthy February Part 2 Tour" Dates (w/ I See Stars, For All Those Sleeping, Capture the Crown, Get Scared):

02/27 – Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue

02/28 – Tupelo, MS @ Goodtime Charlies

03/01 – Louisville, KY @ Vernon Club

03/02 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoes

Tour Dates (w/ Capture the Crown):

03/06 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

03/09 – Tucson, AZ @ The Rock

03/10 – El Paso, TX @ The War Room

03/16 – Grand Prairie, TX @ QuikTrip Park (South By So What Festival)