MATT FAZZI, new guitarist for TAKING BACK SUNDAY, speaks to LINDSEY CUTHBERTSON about how joining a new band couldn’t be more fun.

It’s now been three years since New York’s Taking Back Sunday released their third album, Louder Now. The band lost momentum after guitarist/vocalist Fred Mascherano, the main songwriter for Louder Now, left TBS to start his own solo project, The Colour Fred. In all truth however, the departure of Mascherano has been a blessing in disguise. New recruit Matt Fazzi has been the breath of fresh air that the group needed, helping them create their strongest and most creative album to date, New Again. It shows the band at its most expansive, yet retains the TBS signature style that fans have come to know and love.

MATT FAZZI: We have a lot of history as it is – I’ve been friends with the guys since 2004. The relationship grew over a couple of years, so when Fred left, Eddie (Reyes, guitarist) called me up and asked me to try out and the timing was perfect. So I think having that history with the band helped with the transition. I think when it came to the audition, they asked me to learn a few songs but I went out and learnt sixteen or so! I wanted to get to that point with them that it was just autopilot and I could be myself.

MF: When a band has done three records previously, sometimes they can get caught setting musical parameters for themselves. Things are different this time around, because of where everyone is personally. We went in to write without placing any walls up; we wanted to approach everything as if we could try anything, and see what happens. Ultimately, we were trying to go for the best song. That’s what opened a lot of doors for us on New Again.

NEW AGAIN is out now through Warner Music. www.myspace.com/takingbacksunday

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