What do you get if you combine three friends with influences such as the Foo Fighters and an array of songs that people can easily relate to? The answer is Arizona’s Loveless Effect, who have already played the likes of SXSW and earned themselves an army of fans in the process.

Having toured with UK country singer-songwriter Sasha McVeigh last year, the band will hit the road with her again this spring for an extensive tour which will see them joined by country duo American Young.

The trio are also looking forward to the release of their debut EP and so, with lots to look forward to in 2016, the band kindly agreed to this interview to chat friendship, performing and ultimate ambitions.

PW: Please introduce yourselves.

Seth Loveless: My name is Seth Loveless I am the lead guitarist and vocalist.

Justin Schafer: My name is Justin Schafer I play drums/backup vocals and I am the assistant manager.

Forest Towers: My name is Forest Towers and I’m the bassist/backup vocalist and I am the PR rep for the band. We are Loveless Effect.

PW: How do you all know each other?

FT: Seth and I have known each other since kindergarten and grew up less than a mile apart. I’ve known him now for seventeen years.

SL: Holy cow 17 years?!

FT: Then we met Justin later in high school, I was a freshman when I met him.

SL: I met Justin my freshman year in high school so we’ve known each other eight years.

PW: Who were your biggest musical influences growing up and have they changed as you’ve gotten older?

SL: My biggest influences growing up were Johnny Cash, Angus Young of AC/DC, and Chet Atkins. They have changed a bit now I’m older – I’m listening to Scotty Anderson and Mark Knopfler and Joe Bonamassa.

JS: My biggest musical influences growing up were Neil Peart from RUSH, Tre Cool from Green Day, and Daniel Adair of Nickelback. My influences have changed quiet a lot and I’m currently listening to Thomas Pridgen, Tony Royster JR. and Chris Coleman.

FT: My biggest influences growing up were Flea from RHCP and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. My Influences have changed also; I listen to Josh Fossgreen, David Caraccio, and John Campbell of Lamb of God.

PW: How do those influences impact what you do as a band?

FT: It definitely gives us a unique sound all together as a band. Seth’s finger picking is quite rare for a front man, we think, and it goes well with what we put together. Justin’s hard hitting and crazy drum fills make the song that much more interesting to listen to, and my bass lines just glue everything together.

PW: Is there any band you would say you’re most similar to?

FT: I think that the John Butler trio would be similar due to the fact that they are unique on their own.

SL: I think we have a sound similar to the harder Fleetwood Mac songs.

JS: I can’t think of anybody that we sound similar to.

PW: When did you first realise that you wanted to make music a career and what did your loved ones think?

FT: Seth has always wanted to make this a career, ever since he first started playing the guitar, so he was 13. Justin knew he wanted to make this his career about two years ago – he had another career he was working on before Loveless Effect.

SL: Forest knew he wanted a career in music after his first high school band.

JS: All of our loved ones are supportive of the band and that means a lot to us.

PW: Did you ever have any other career ambitions or has it always been music?

SL: Not for me! It was always music.

JS: I wanted to and still want to get my airline credentials as a pilot.

FT: I always liked history and archaeology.

PW: Tell me about your EP. How would you sum it up?

SL: Our EP is a little different from what is currently playing on the radio and it’s just a taste of our type of music.

PW: Could you pick a favorite track?

FT: As a band we all believe that “Black Smoke Rising” is the best track.

PW: What made you choose “Standing In The Rain” to be a single?

JS: We felt like it was the most commercial but also that people could relate to the song.

PW: How easy or hard do you find the song-writing process? Does it depend on the subject matter?

SL: Some songs are easier than others. Most of the time a song just clicks and we can work on it and finish it in a day, others take time and thought. Examples are some melodies or musical changes, or even just a “where do we go from here?”. As for the subject matter, we can write a riff and hum a melody. Then we think of some words that fit that melody and we go from there. The subject doesn’t matter much.

PW: If you could have written any song, by any artist. living or dead, which would it be and why?

FT: This is a hard question! There are so many songs to pick and choose from!

JS: My choice is “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd. I would have loved to write this song because of its mysterious and eerie sound and creepy lyrics.

SL: My choice is “Tears In Heaven” by Eric Clapton. I chose this song because I think it is very emotional and the most beautiful songs ever written.

FT: Okay, my choice is “Laid to Rest” by Lamb Of God. I chose it due to its complex structure and high intensity, it is an awesome song.

PW: Of all the shows you’ve played so far, could you choose the most memorable?

JS: Our most memorable show would have to be our last on the UK tour when we played at Nambucca in London. That night we had the attention from the whole audience and there was a lot of energy in the room.

SL: I agree with that.

FT: Me too.

PW: You’re due to head out on a huge tour with Sasha McVeigh shortly, having been her backing band on her UK tour last year. How has your relationship with her developed over time and how excited are you to be hitting the road with her again?

FT: Our relationship with her is great. We play really well together, we make each other laugh, and we are very supportive of each other with our music.

SL: We are all happy and excited to be playing and touring with her again.

PW: Of all the dates you’re going to play, are there any in particular you’re really excited about?

JS: We are excited for every show and we are eager to show the world what we can do musically. In particular, I am excited for Milan, Italy the most. I have wanted to go to Italy for a long time.

SL: I am excited for Geneva, Switzerland. I can’t wait to see the serene landscape.

FT: I am most excited for Munich, Germany. I want to experience the culture, history and their multiple brews.

PW: How has touring with Sasha helped grow your fan-base, given that you received a lot of positive reviews from her fans last year?

JS: It has helped us immensely and we are very grateful for this opportunity.

SL: The fans mean everything and we wouldn’t be here without them.

PW: Would you agree that social media has also played a big part in the growing support you’re getting?

FT: Yes it is a huge part in the industry now, unlike the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Without social media nowadays we don’t think you can get far in this career and you can’t spread the word of Loveless Effect. So we have gained a lot of fans through social media.

PW: What can people expect from a Loveless Effect performance?

SL: A great night with some great music, lots of head bobbing, and impressive musical notes. As a band we’ll have fast drums fills, difficult guitar riffs, and bass lines that interweave throughout the song.

FT: Having a guitarist that can shred is a good thing too and if we can play as loud as we can for a three piece, we are happy.

PW: What else does 2016 have in store for you?

JS: Well this European tour is just the start of a fantastic 2016. We are wanting to record our album with the new material we have written and perform the songs everywhere we can. When we get back from this tour, we plan to do a U.S. tour. We are planning more after that so stay tuned!

SL: 2016 is going to be our best year yet.

PW: Finally then, what’s your ultimate ambition? At what point would you be able to say “we’ve done everything we wanted to”?

FT: Our ultimate ambition is to be able to play music we love for everybody in the world, anywhere in the world, and at any time. We won’t be done until we have fans that say, “thank you for your music it has helped me in my life.”

JS: And we won’t stop until we’re dead. So get ready for a lot of Loveless Effect ha-ha!

Give “Standing In The Rain” a listen below and for more information on Loveless Effect, be sure to visit their website, like their page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. The bands’ EP can be pre-ordered on itunes and tickets for their tour with Sasha McVeigh can be purchased here.