We had the good fortune of connecting with Crash Through The Floor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crash Through the Floor, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Our work-life balance can be defined with two words: flexibility and teamwork. The music industry is constantly changing, making our schedules and commitments unpredictable at times. The five of us are learning that this business means being fluid, making sacrifices, and putting in a tremendous amount of effort. In addition to school and work commitments, late nights, odd hours, and working weekends (i.e., shows, co-writing, studio sessions, photoshoots, etc.) are inevitable. Yet, we love it because we love the craft and sharing it with others, as long as there are some rest days in between all the exciting chaos.

However, we understand that we can’t spread ourselves too thin either. This is where teamwork comes in. Everyone has a job that keeps the band/business going, and we all present ideas on how to take us further. Yet, if one person needs time off, we make sure they’re okay and see if someone else can step in. Above all, we are friends first before bandmates. We make sure to have important life conversations, play games, go out to dinner, and plan fun adventures. This business can be easy to drown in, but having friends to keep you above water is SO crucial to success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We’re incredibly proud of our recent EP release, Miscellanea, as it was our first full-length project, and we learned a great deal about our creative process from it. Completing a project like this presented several challenges and growing opportunities, such as experimenting with different genres, exploring songwriting approaches (e.g., starting with lyrics first versus starting with a guitar riff), and dabbling with new studio techniques. One of our favorite ways to write for this EP was to debut songs at live shows. The stage is the best way to see a song’s full potential, as the energy from our audience is contagious and brings out the best in us creatively.

In addition to these essential collaborative rites of passage, we weren’t always in the same city, or even the same state, at times. Many of our band members are either in college or have job commitments that make scheduling writing times scarce. Yet, we made the time and found our sound amid the chaos. We discovered that we love to exceed labels by being genreless, as heard on Miscellanea. The EP begins with a bossa nova instrumental and then transitions into a punk-rock anthem, and ends with a powerful ballad. We love it all, so why not try it all! Through all the “blood, sweat, and tears,” we learned that “perfection is the enemy of all good” and to “pick up your shovel.” Now, we’re excited to uphold these mottos as we move toward our next project. Hopefully, we’ll one-up ourselves!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
DFW offers a variety of fun and exciting places that we LOVE! If you’re in North Texas around Denton, a great day consists of eating at Hanabi Ramen, playing games at Free Play in the Square, and ending the day with local music at Rubber Gloves. If you’re going west to Dallas, the Freeman Bar showcases some of the best musical talent in the metroplex, and the Dallas Museum of Art presents beautiful cultural art pieces while you take a peaceful stroll around their unique building. Or, if you find yourself heading west to Fort Worth, Docs Records has a wonderful selection of vinyl to browse while you vibe to whatever they’re spinning. Lastly, if you’re in our hometown of Arlington, some of our favorite spots include Cidercade, Six Flags, Levitt Pavilion, F6 Art Lounge, Truth Vinyl, and Twisted Root. If you’re anywhere in between these cities, Whataburger is always a safe bet for your 3 a.m. cravings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The list of names that have been part of our journey is so long, and we are SO grateful for each one of them. We’d love to shout out, Sandy Barton, our lead guitarist’s mom. Because of her, we have our “Crash Pad” where we host our late-night and notably loud band practices. This is where we write, record, and have business meetings, which are always supplied with brownies and Dr Pepper by Sandy. Plus, we adopted our own dog mascot, Delilah, who is featured on our current logo and merchandise. We love and appreciate you so much, Sandy!

We’d also like to shout out some of the mentors who brought the band together. To name a few, Ruben Melendez, Rachel Francis, and Dr. Gregory Dewhirst. Because of them, we became the musicians, creatives, and collaborators we are today. Crash wouldn’t be possible without you!

Lastly, our most devoted friend and fan, Kayla Jenkins, who knows all the words to our songs and can be seen in the crowd at almost every show. Thank you for being our greatest cheerleader.

Website: https://crashthroughtheflo.wixsite.com/crash-through-the-fl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashthroughthefloor

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/crashthroughthefloor?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093026957635

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CrashThroughtheFloor

Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/crashthroughthefloor?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=2c80cd25-a6a9-4605-94d1-e726f9b94428

Image Credits
– Candice Dillard (Eleve Visuals; Nashville, TN)
– Axel Alvarado (Arlington, TX)
– Ron Miller (IronHorse Photography; Dallas, TX)
– Saree Castaneda (Graphic Designer; Miscellanea EP Cover Art; El Paso, TX)
– Ashlee Riggins (Nashville, TN)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.