Interview – The Big Time | Kryptonite Music Magazine

Our next band, The Big Time, is a 4-piece pop/alternative band that formed in 2009 consisting of Derek Mrdjenovich (vocals/guitar), Brandon Porta (guitar), Dylan Auerbeck (bass), and Aaron Porta (drums). They’re from Altoona, Pennsylvania but I met them here in Cleveland at the Vans 2013 Warped Tour. Already a little on edge from walking around the whole day in one hundred degree weather, we were approached by a few band members. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do but give them a listen and follow them on social media. Once I created Kryptonite with Danielle, I knew I had to get back in touch with them. The Big Time is known for their vigorous work ethic and performing with bands such as All Time Low, The Wonder Years, and We Are The In Crowd helped them gain tons of fans. Their latest album, Imaginary Heart, was released in the beginning of September and my favorite track is titled “Rise or Ruin.” I recently sent over some fill in the blanks for vocalist Derek to answer. Read his responses below to find out what’s happened since I last saw them.

___________________________________________________________________

The meaning behind the name The Big Time is….There really is no meaning! We were 14 and we thought it sounded cool.

We met each other….Dylan and I met each other through ice hockey and we met the Porta brothers through skateboarding in junior high. It’s weird how it all came together.

The pickiest eater in the band is….I’d probably have to say either Aaron or me. The other guys are pretty adventurous.

The most OCD member is….Nobody in the band is super OCD but our manager and long time friend Joe is the most OCD dude I have ever met in my life. He’s like a serial killer.

For fun we like to….We all like a lot of different things. Brandon and Dylan love video games. We all like skateboarding and trying to stay active. At the recording studio we played a lot of basketball. Personally, I like reading and I’m trying to get into making short films and things in that vein.

We’re currently listening to….We all love the new Madden Brothers and Set It Off records for sure. We listen to a multitude of artists… Everything from Ed Sheeran to Limp Bizkit.

The first song we wrote together was….TBT’s first song ever was titled “Scout’s Honor”…I really hope it never finds its way onto the internet.

One thing we want you to remember while listening to our music is….Every song means the absolute world to us because we put 100% of ourselves into it. Every song is written about a real life experience that affected us in a big way.

The member(s) who writes most of our songs is….I do! Lately everyone has been getting more involved which I think is awesome.

We find inspiration from….Personally, I find inspiration in my family, friends, life experiences and the general environment around me. I can get inspired by the most random thing sometimes.

Imaginary Heart was recorded in….We recorded Imaginary Heart in Atlanta, GA with Zack and Kenneth during May of 2014!

If we play another band’s music it’s….Brandon does a mean Johnny Cash cover, other than that we try to do the most diverse covers we can. On our fall tour we’re going to do something very very different than ever before.

Our craziest or most memorable gig was….Probably our first or second show with All Time Low. Both were very surreal and it kind of showed us how shows on that scale work.

The furthest we’ve ever traveled for a gig was….We’ve been in over 40 states but I think the furthest from home we’ve played a show was Mesa, AZ.

Our last meals would be….I can’t speak for the guys but mine would probably be spaghetti and meatballs or something.

In the next six months you should expect….Expect more shows, new music and some new videos. It’s going to be a crazy year!