You Are Ok: Finding Your Way When Life Doesn't Feel Ok

By The Maine and Evan Lucy

Dive into The Maine's new book featuring stories and lessons from the band's career. Evan Lucy (Former writer for Alternative Press Magazine) gives you insight on moments in the band's career on when they felt like things were not ok and investigates how the band made things OK again.

The lessons in the book were structured to not just apply to the band's career but lessons that will hopefully help you out when things don't feel ok.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 8123 Records
• Release date: Apr 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781733820400

Book preview

YOU ARE OK

Finding Your Way When Life Doesn't Feel OK

Written by The Maine and Evan Lucy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction      1

The Free For All Tour      5

When To Bet On Yourself      16

Redefining Success      26

Why Pay Money To Meet A Human Being?      35

Hard Work & Facing The Mirror      45

Fear Of  Failing with Pat Kirch      57

Perspective with John O’Callaghan      67

On The Fence with Jared Monaco      81

The Next Chapter with Garrett Nickelsen      93

Uncertainty with Kennedy Brock      102

FOR YOU

INTRODUCTION

with Evan Lucy

The first time I heard The Maine was the summer of 2008. I’d heard of the band before; I had seen their name plastered all over websites like AbsolutePunk.net and The

Daily Chorus, then later clicked past The Way We Talk EP on Smartpunk or some other online retailer. But I’d never actually listened. To be honest, the neon pop-punk sound of the times wasn’t all that compelling to me, so I’d tuned out much of the movement entirely. Looking back on that era, there wasn’t a lot I missed by doing that.

I was living in New York City at the time, interning at Billboard. One of my duties was opening mail for our edi-

tors, sorting out CDs sent in for review or other coverage. The advance copy of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop came packaged with a tube of Maine-branded chapstick, the band’s name and gold- and-white color scheme boldly marking the container. I pock- eted the chapstick, then set the album off to the side with the rest of the day’s mail.

A few days later, I was raiding the music the editors had passed on reviewing, scouring the bin for something new

to listen to. Figuring it would, at worst, make for an interest- ing evening commute companion, I plucked the copy of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, ripped it to my laptop, loaded it on my iPod and headed home. I didn’t make it past the second song, We All Roll Along. It had been a while since a song spoke to me like that, stirring my wistful, nostalgic sentimentality in a way that even more acutely made me miss the people I’d left behind back home that summer. The track was on repeat my entire walk home.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop went on to become one of the soundtracks of my summer in New York, in large part because of how evident it was The Maine weren’t just another scene band. They were working within the constraints of the genre’s specific moment in time, but their influences came from a more timeless place. Over the years, I watched intently as the band transformed into, unquestionably, one of the most fearless and forward-thinking artists this loosely defined genre has ever seen.

As you’ll see in this book, that journey was anything but easy. There was a lot of adversity along the way for the band, both personally and professionally, that at times left them wondering if they even wanted to do it anymore. But despite it all, they never gave up. They always kept pushing, emboldened by a faith in themselves, one another, and their audience.

The specific events retold here are part of The Maine’s

story, but they’re ultimately not unique. We’ve all experienced disapproval and outright rejection from those we look up to, self-doubt and fear of the unknown, the push and pull of life’s responsibilities and how they conflict with our passions. The lessons the band members have learned over the years are the ones we all learn at some point, just framed through a different lens. The takeaways are resonant no matter who you are – and they’re all rooted in clarity, determination and bravery.

Over the past decade I’ve spent as a music writer, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with and spend time around up- and-comers and mainstream stars alike – and it’s hard to think of another artist who cherishes and respects the connection they have with their fans more than The Maine. Plenty of bands will espouse the importance of their audience, but no one acts on it like The Maine. There’s a positivity and spirit of together- ness that permeates every part of the 8123 community, from the band members themselves to fans in the farthest reaches of the globe. This is a special collection of people, and you should be proud of the impact you’ve been able to have on one another’s lives. The band is certainly proud of you.

In working with The Maine on this project, I’ve learned a lot about them. I’ve learned even more about myself. The things I’ve taken away from this experience have already begun to illuminate themselves in my life, some in ways I never could have imagined. They’ve helped me be bolder in

my creative desires, more selfless in my personal relationships and more open about my own challenges in life. I’ll carry them with me forever. I hope you’ll find the same comfort.

THE FREE FOR ALL TOUR

CHAPTER 1

In early 2015, things were snowballing for The Maine: Their fifth studio album, American Candy, debuted at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 chart. They’d been invited to perform at Billboard’s inaugural Hot 100 Festival alongside The Weeknd,

Justin Bieber and Skrillex. And they were about to embark on The American Candy Tour, a 36-date North American run featuring support from Real Friends, Knuckle Puck and The Technicolors.

The American Candy Tour was not only their most successful headlining tour yet, but it found the band diver- sifying their tour partners in a way they rarely had in recent memory: Both Real Friends and Knuckle Puck, cut from the pop-punk-heavy Warped Tour scene The Maine earned their stripes in back in their early days, added a harder-tinged edged than previous tours, while 8123 act The Technicolors occu- pied the same musical – and mental place – The Maine were currently operating inside. So, at its essence, the tour was the perfect encapsulation of American Candy’s endearing blend of throwback, ’90s-leaning pop and contemporary rock: teetering

the line between where band had been and a bold, bright new future.

The Maine had been building to this point for years: By virtue of simply allowing their art to reflect where they are both as musicians and people, they’ve unlocked innumerable doors over the years and afforded themselves the opportunity to smoothly transition into any number of different musical worlds. There’s a strict rule inside the band’s camp to never repeat themselves, whether that extends to the art they make or something peripheral like tour packages. They’ve ultimately

learned the only way to ensure things stay interesting is to keep people – including themselves – guessing.

But those lofty aspirations are often easier said than done, as they learned the hard way while attempting to book the remainder of 2015’s tours. A much-anticipated tour of Brazil was on the books for summer, leaving the band in search of plans for the fall. Realizing how excitement around a new album – especially one as acclaimed by both critics and fans

as American Candy – could propel them to the next level, the band was eager to spend fall 2015 opening for a larger act. So for months, The Maine submitted for support tours, ready to bring their most fully realized album yet to as many new listen- ers as possible. But one after another, the opening slots on the fall’s biggest tours filled up. The phone never rang.

Of course, The Maine had a plan B that could easily

be implemented: another headlining run. At this point in their career, the band could plan and execute headline tours like clockwork – in many ways thanks to their devoutly passionate fan base, who they could reliably count on to back whatever ar- tistic endeavors they dreamed up. There unquestionably would have been a market for a fall leg of The American Candy Tour, and no shortage of bands eager for the opportunity to open it.

Deep down, though, The Maine knew their fans deserved more than simply an updated version of