by Shaun Ladymon

From covering top 40 hits to running from crazed fan girls, these boys from Georgia have gone from music demos to music demolition. Signed by Rise/Velocity Records before they ever even played their first show, these guys have taken a lot of heat, but with every step forward, Woe, Is Me continues to raise eyebrows.

Like pieces of a puzzle, this septet from Atlanta was assembled into a “dream team” of sorts, with each member coming from other local bands in the area. However, they hadn’t always planned on having 7 members in the band.

“Originally there were only 6 members. We had no intention of having a keyboardist,” vocalist Tyler Carter explained. “Ben [Keys] used to be the second front man. However there came a time period where after practice Ben would sit on his keyboard upstairs while we all play Halo or something, and he would compose ridiculous piano parts and just seemed to enjoy the keyboard a lot more than anything else. So when the opportunity arose to have Michael we made a decision to include the keys aspect to our music.”

While having two frontmen isn’t unheard-of, it is still an experimental concept that can be advantageous if incorporated in the right way.

“The fact that there are two guys who do what they do so well on stage, sharing the crowd, gives the crowd more attention, where they never stop feeling the love spread by the vocalists,” said Carter.

Another advantage to the number of members in the band is the blend of so many influences which creates a sound that is refreshing and distinguished. Ranging from R. Kelly and Justin Bieber to August Burns Red and Emmure, WIM incorporates the smoothest of the smooth and the heaviest of the heavy.

Perhaps one of the things WIM is most known for is their metal/hardcore cover of Ke$ha’s song “Tik Tok,” which has garnered over 50,000 plays on Youtube and is just shy of the one million mark on their Myspace page.

“The song was very popular at the time,” Carter commented. “And we just figure why not remake it being a fun metal version, give kids in this scene a chance to enjoy its catchy addicting chorus. Haha!”

This song, along with 2 other demos they had recorded, were just the arsenal they needed to attract label attention soon after becoming a band.

“Honestly, we had hopes of getting signed and were sure it would happen but when we saw some of the offers being laid out on the table that quick, we were shocked!” said Carter. “It was an incredible feeling.”

After being signed, WIM set out to record their first full-length album, Number[s],  which released on August 31 and has since received great reviews. The underlying theme of the album is one of a journey and a struggle yet coming out victorious.

“There are tons of different feelings that went into the concept and the writing of this album, but mainly we wrote Number[s] to show that even when you don’t have a ton of support you can still accomplish your dreams as long as you believe in yourself,” Carter commented. “It represents the numbers you gain and lose in life. The number of people who join you, leave you, curse you, hate you, support you, don’t support you, regardless you just have to tell yourself you can do anything and that’s all that matters in the end. Join our Number[s] and you will be a part of our movement, our army.”

WIM is also wrapping up their first international tour in Canada where they are providing support for headlining label-mates Abandon All Ships.

“It was quite amazing that we got to leave the country on only our second time out!” said Carter. “Speechless.”

Not only are they touring, but the band is also gearing up for the release of their first music video for a single off of the new album.

“We shot a music video for our album single ‘[&] Delinquents,’ which is about a man who drinks himself to death and as a ghost just wants to reach out to his son to teach him not to make the same mistakes in life,” Carter explained. “When you read the lyrics on our album you will find that a lot of the lyrics come from personal experiences and are similar in some places to our other songs. This helped make the album theme together a lot more consistently.”

After coming off the tour with Abandon All Ships, WIM will be hitting the road once more as a part of a huge tour with a killer lineup including A Skylit Drive, For All Those Sleeping, Scarlett O’Hara, and Motionless in White on the Average Guys with Exceptional Hair Tour. As a part of this tour, WIM hopes to grow even more as a band as well as grow their fan base.

“Like all tours we just hope to make solid relationships, good friends, loving and supporting fans, and tons of record sales,” said Carter. “We hope to remain humble and true to who we are throughout all of our future touring endeavors.”

Numerous great things lie in the future for Woe, Is Me. These range from tours, to music videos, to more touring, and lots more.

“The doors keep randomly flying open, and we aren’t quite sure what to expect next,” Carter commented. “Hopefully Warped Tour? Haha. And expect to catch our ‘Hot N Cold’ cover on the upcoming Punk Goes Pop 3!”

All this is coming from a band full of guys who are just out of high school and some a little older. For ones so young, they sure have a mature outlook and level heads.

“Being able to live this lifestyle, and do these things that we have dreamed of since middle school is amazing,” said Carter “but to be able to do it before our hair turns grey…now that’s a blessing.”

Be sure to check out Woe, Is Me on upcoming tours, and if you haven’t bought their debut album, Number[s] yet, you need it! Support these guys and become a part of the ever increasing number in the WIM army.

“Thank you everyone for the love that you continue to send, it’s truly a blessing, and we will continue to build and not let you guys down. -[S]”