Turnstile’s Brendan Yates Explains Which Aspect of the Band Has Always Been a ‘High Priority’

Turnstile's Brendan Yates was the latest guest to join Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show. It's been a banner year for the band, as their star continues to rise thanks to 2021's stellar Glow On album and the rave reviews they've been getting for their live performances.

The live shows in particular are something that Yates says has always been a "high priority," with the band making sure to really focus on the smallest of details to ensure a shared experience where it feels like the whole environment is breathing life into their music.

The singer also goes into detail about how touring has changed his perspective on the world, and he discusses coming to terms with the next level attention the band has been getting since their Glow On album came out last year. Check out more of the chat below.

Congrats on an amazing record Glow On, of course out now. Brendan, even though Turnstile is classified as hardcore, your music is more than just one genre. Why is it important to retain that classification no matter what it sounds like?

I think it's in people's nature to like have a desire to kind of classify things. And I think in some ways it can kind of be a little helpful of seeing where something comes from. I personally enjoy the fluidity of music and kind of detaching from titles a little bit and just appreciating things for what they are and looking at the DNA behind it and that a band can just be the sum of its upbringing and inspirations and the scene it comes from. But yeah, I think we all grew up going to hardcore and punk shows and are inspired by all kinds of things and all kinds of music.

Turnstile were referenced in a New York Times podcast. You've performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Lars from Metallica actually snuck into a venue to see you play. How difficult has it been acclimating yourself to all this next level attention?

Some of those things are definitely bizarre when they happen. I think all the opportunities that we've had, we've just been super excited about and grateful for. In a lot of ways it feels very much the same cause it's still us just doing what we've been doing for a long time. But it's definitely those moments when you're meeting people that you grew up listening to or getting opportunities to be on television and things like that that are just so bizarre. So I still haven't really fully processed those kinds of things, but it's all exciting.

Turnstile Perform "Mystery" on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Touring is an education in and of itself. Why do things experienced on the road make a greater impact than anything learned in a classroom?

It's definitely huge. I think I've learned the most just from getting outside of my bubble of where I grew up and traveling. Music has been my vessel for traveling and I've been able to see so many different places with the people in my band and just kind of see different people, different cultures, different kinds of music, the different ways that people create spaces for themselves. I think it's always like a journey of broadening that perspective and just adding it to your appreciation for music and the world. I've definitely learned more through traveling and meeting people and playing music than anywhere else, I think.

Brendan, bands can be complicated and even volatile. What's the best lesson you've learned about sustaining a healthy group relationship?

I think with any relationship, I think communication is just key and self-awareness and just respect for where everyone's at. I think playing music can be very demanding. It can kind of disrupt a lot of normal schedules and I think it's just important to communicate and to also make sure that people are on the same page at all times and people feel good and excited and nothing ever feels forced out of falling into any kind of like pattern or cycles. Truly, just like making sure that whenever you even make a decision that everyone feels great about it. Just paying attention to everything around you and not ever falling into just a pattern or cycle of repetition or just like a routine and making sure that everything is a forward moving motion.

Turnstile, "Holiday"

Turnstile are highly regarded for your live performances. Brendan, why is it important to you that Turnstile shows are not merely entertainment but an actual immersive experience?

I think I as a music fan I suppose, I enjoy things in a bigger picture sense. So when I see a band a lot of times that's when music can kind of click for me or inspire me the most is not only hearing a song but seeing where it's coming from in an environment that's kind of breathing life into the music.

I think for us that's always been a focus down to specifics of what venues we're playing and bands that we're playing with and the kind of attention put into small details and things like that. So that we always feels that there's an environment that can just breathe life into not only us playing the songs but everyone in the room and it's kind of a shared experience cause I think that's just something that we've always kind of held as a high priority.

Thanks to Brendan Yates for the interview. Follow Turnstile on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Spotify and get your copy of 'Glow On' here. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio show here.