Today we’d like to introduce you to Shea Villetet, Tommy Achenbach, Evan De Silva and Joey Purdie.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I initially began playing the bass in middle school band class. One of the guys from the guitar class asked if I could play bass in his band, and I said yes. That person was Tommy and we’ve been in bands together since the seventh grade. We started in a rock cover band where we’d play stuff like
Jimmy Hendrix, Dead Kennedy’s, and Nirvana. Then we started to write our own music and began the transition to playing harder stuff. I guess we could blame Avenged Sevenfold and Chelsea Grin for corrupting us, but we started playing Deathcore music in early high school. That is when we added Evan to the mix and played SOMA for the first time. We thought we were the best band on the block. Soon after our first couple shows, we were having problems with our bassist; so, that is when our old singer at the time introduced Trevor to us and joined the group soon after. We played for a few years under the name HANNIBAL and then decided to call it quits for differences in aspirations.
After playing in Cardboard Boxer for nearly three years, Trevor left the group in order to pursue an education in nursing. Now, Cardboard Boxer is composed of myself, Tommy, Evan, and the recently joining Purdie. We’ve been playing for about three years now and have been trying our best to evolve our sound with every album. We have played many shows where we’ve made connections with San Diego’s finest musicians and have fostered relationships that will last a lifetime. We have travelled up and down the coast and have been touring in a decommissioned ambulance. We feel very thankful for all of the people who have supported and continue to support us; we couldn’t do it without you.
-Shea Villetet (Guitar and Vocals)
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Honestly, it been a fairly smooth process. It seems like as far as getting the band together, all the pieces just kinda fell into place and we were very fortunate to find members that were friends first and fellow musicians second. That’s not to say there hasn’t been some bumps in the rode… I remember one time, in particular, we just played a killer show in LA and everything was going great but then we somehow managed to get our guitars stolen and have the rig break down right after. I’m not sure what we did after but we somehow managed to pull everything back together and fix the rig.
We ended up taking the train down the coast which was a super fun experience. We just got off of a full west coast tour and that was pure insanity, from sleeping at random people’s houses to cooking on a stove in the ambulance to going fishing at lake mead. There were definitely some bumps in the road (literally and figuratively) but it was a memory I wouldn’t change.
-Tommy Achenbach (Guitar and Vocals)
We’d love to hear more about your band.
My band is Cardboard Boxer and we’re from San Diego. We have a ton of fun playing together and have great chemistry. I am very new to the band but I feel like I have some good teachers within the group. I play bass and have only been playing the instrument for three months now. I am known for being down for anything. For example, Cardboard Boxer asked me to go on tour and join they’re band without any knowledge about music or playing an instrument; I kind of just said yes without thinking about it. I am also known for drinking a lot of Coors light and giving DIY tattoos. I gave Tommy a tattoo in the back of moving ambulance on tour going through the Arizona desert. I am most proud of being able to influence a crowd to move around at shows and make people have fun. I have a lot of hidden talents such as walking on my hands; I suppose that sets me apart from others.
-Joey Purdie (Bass)
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, personally I wouldn’t change a thing. Every little mistake that we have made has shaped who we are as people and as a band.
-Evan De Silva (Drums)
Pricing:
- Most shows are around $5-$20
- Shirts are typically $10
Contact Info:
- Email: Cardboardboxerband@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardboardboxer_/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cardboardboxer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cardboardboxer_
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Ed_CSGNPM
Image Credit:
Parker Kitchin
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