Photo by Maurice Nunez
Guesting for the latest edition of the Audio Autopsy with host Joshua Toomey, Miss May I frontman and architect Levi Benton spent some time dissecting the the metalcore band's formative debut, Apologies Are For the Weak. Marking the 15th anniversary of the Rise Records launch, the album holds significant weight as a pillar of American metalcore and serves as a reminder of an important shift the landscape of heavy music.
In revisiting the band's debut, Benton took it back to the local metal scene of Dayton, Ohio and explained how the influence of his peers ultimately had a lasting effect on him musically. Benton shared that while Miss May I consisted of players that were especially metal guys, the impact what was happening around them in Ohio was too apparent to ignore.
Cutting their teeth locally while still exploring their own sound, Miss May I would gain the attention of The Devil Wears Prada, getting a co-sign early in their career. The band would shortly thereafter ride the Punk Goes Crunk / Myspace wave successfully, dropping a cover of Savage's "Swing" that would go viral before going viral was a thing. That notoriety, combined with the nod from other established bands, led to Miss May I signing their first record contract with Rise Records - despite the fact that their parents had to co-sign for them given the band was still in high school.
Thrust into the spotlight, Miss May I would begin work on their debut record and work with producer Joey Sturgis for the debut release. The band's approach on what would become Apologies for the Weak was still very much unstructured and raw - which gives the album an unpolished quality that Benton still looks back on fondly. Looking back on the album and the skyrocketing start, Benton shared a sense of pride in the kind of growth that has happened since then and that the album still holds weight to in the present day.
Benton also detailed the influences that helped shape that first record. He dove into the niche of Crabcore and confided that Miss May I was trying emulate bands like Whitechapel with synchronized movements. Benton expressed his appreciation for Eddie Hermida from All Shall Perish and cited him as a major vocal influence.
Benton also rattled off an important list of bands that all played some role in Miss May I's start. Whether it was August Burns Red and Parkway Drive for their stylistic influence (the latter especially on the song, "Tides"), or bands like Bleeding Through and The Devil Wears Prada for their early support, Benton's ensemble cast of the era all become evident in the bigger picture of their recorded debut.
Assessing the impact and the lasting half life of the songs on Apologies Are For the Weak, Benton appreciates and shares the same sense of nostalgia for the album the fans do. While looking back on that era fondly, its also apparent just how far Miss May I has come since.
Bringing things full circle, the catalyst for the conversation was the 15th anniversary re-recording of Apologies Are for the Weak. As a testament to the early influences while highlighting the modernity of Miss May I, the revisited version of the album features guest assists from the likes of Garrett Russell of Silent Planet, Scott Lewis of Carnifex, Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red, Brian Wille of Currents and many more for the re-release of the album due out August 23rd on Solid State.
The announcement was rolled out with the band's Myspace-themed website, which features a very iconic layout reminiscent of the era in which the album first surfaced. Check the website complete with the top friends section at MissMayISpace.com
The news of the anniversary release lands as the band prepare for a fall tour in which they will perform Apologies Are For the Weak in full each night. The anniversary tour will include support from Aussie powerhouse, In Hearts Wake along with Traitors and Bloom. A complete list of dates and cities can be found below. Get tickets - HERE
The 15th anniversary edition of Apologies Are For the Weak arrives August 23rd on Solid State Records. Order the album - HERE
Check the full episode of Audio Autopsy with host Joshua Toomey and special guest Levi Benton of Miss May I here.
10/03 Lansing, MI – Grewal Hall
10/04 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
10/05 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
10/06 St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Grill
10/08 Denver, CO – The Oriental Theatre
10/09 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
10/11 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
10/12 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
10/14 Roseville, CA – Goldfields
10/15 Pomona, CA – Glasshouse
10/16 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
10/17 Mesa, AZ – Nile Theatre
10/19 Dallas, TX – Trees
10/20 Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
10/21 Houston, TX – Warehouse
10/23 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
10/24 Tampa, FL – Orpheum
10/25 Charleston, NC – Music Farm
10/26 Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
10/27 Richmond, VA – The Canal Club
10/29 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Monarch
10/30 Worcester, MA – Palladium
11/01 Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
11/02 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
