Number One Gun

Though the recently released Promises for the Imperfect is officially the second full-length for Chico, CA-spawned melodic rock outfit Number One Gun, it is in many ways an entirely new beginning for the band. Number One Gun—which includes vocalist/guitarist Jeff Schneeweis, guitarist Chris Keene, bassist Trevor Sellers and drummer Jordan Mallory—got their start the old fashioned way, hitting the road on their own tours, self-releasing an EP and playing wherever there was enough room for a few amps and a drum kit. After the release of their Forever EP in the winter of 2002, the band soon found themselves being courted by record labels, eventually deciding on the then-new Floodgate Records. And though the band’s subsequent debut full-length, Celebrate Mistakes, was an early mile marker in the toned-down, mainstream Christian emo scene, earning them tours with everyone from Relient K to Emery to Acceptance, the band found themselves at something of a career crossroads. Leaving their old label, the band landed at long-running Seattle record label Tooth and Nail, who hooked them up with rising star producer Aaron Sprinkle to make their second record. Number One Gun frontman Jeff Schneeweis and bassist Trevor Sellers came by Synthesis headquarters to chat about the making of their new album and finding a home at Tooth and Nail.

It’s been two years since your last record, was there ever a point where it seemed like you might not get to make another?
Trevor Sellers: I think we always thought that we’d do another. We knew it was going to get done, we just didn’t know when.
Jeff Schneeweis: It was actually weird in the studio. Like, “Is this really happening again? Look where we are...with Aaron Sprinkle!”

Did it feel like it had been forever since your first record had been released?
JS: It didn’t seem like it was as long as it was. Because we were just so busy touring, it went by fast. But still, when you realize how long it’s been, it’s too long.
TS: After awhile, there’s a point where you just have to stop touring and write. But it’s just hard to do. We probably would’ve just kept going if labels hadn’t been talking to us. We probably just would’ve kept playing the songs forever [laughs].

It’s probably nice to have a whole new batch of songs to play on the road.
JS: We haven’t really even had the chance yet, but it’s gonna be good. I’m looking forward to that.
TS: It’s definitely going to be cool to mix it up a little bit.

Was the entire process easier this time around?
TS: With the new label, there was a lot less to worry about. On the first album, we didn’t really know the whole process, but we now realize that a lot of things weren’t done quite normally, I guess. I don’t want to say anything bad… With Tooth and Nail we don’t have to worry about press and marketing; we know that they’re going to do their job.

Are you stoked about the future, or what?
TS: It’s just weird to think of what’s down the line, the kind of tours we can get on and stuff like that. It’s just the start of it, but I’m excited. 

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