MG: I really didn’t have any major worries when I took over. The biggest issue is dealing with what people are going to say. There a lot of people who were apprehensive about the new lead singer. Some people will end up saying “Oh, they’re aren’t as good as before,” and “He’s not as good as Sonny (Moore).” They’re gonna say what they’re gonna say, but I haven’t let it stop me. I have been doing what I want to do as the singer, and everything has fit into place so far.

MCB: After Moore’s departure, was there any ideas about hiring a new lead singer from outside the ranks of the band?
MG: We really wanted to stay within the band for the lead singer. It would have been strange to bring another guy into the band and have him try to mesh with the band. We felt that most guys would have tried to fill Sonny’s void and match his voice.

MCB: As the vocalist, what did you want to discuss on the record versus the material in the past?
MG: I think it was important to do some self reflection and talk about the time period in between the last record and this one. It's like having a journal of things happening in that moment, some of the issues that happened with Sonny and a lot of the cancellations of the tours we were on. I just wanted to be reflective when going into this record.

MCB: What were the main differences between working with producer Josh Abraham (Stone Temple Pilots ex-producer) versus past producers?
MG: It was just such a different experience that everything stuck out. Our last record (Heroine) was produced by Ross Robinson, who’s every aggressive and trying to rile you up when recording. With Josh, he has his own studio, his own mixing guy and they know the ins and outs of the studio. He was just very laid back through the whole recording and it was a relaxing experience this time around.

MCB: You guys are on the Take Action Tour with Every Time I Die; how did you hook up with those guys?
MG: Well, we actually were contacted by the Take Action organization (nonprofit organization that donates proceeds from the tour to charities) this year. But we had to laugh when we saw Every Time I Die was the headliner, because we’ve toured with those guys like 5 times already. It was saying “oh, we’re playing with those guys again!” (laughs). But they’re great guys and even though our styles are different, we get along really good with those guys.

MCB: You guys are confirmed for the Warped Tour this summer. How vital do you feel the tour is these days?
MG: I think it's still pretty vital. If a band doesn’t tour on Warped, it's not going to be the end of the world. But it helps you expose the band to a lot of kids who don’t go to a band’s particular show and waits and saves up their money to go see Warped when it comes around. Even after all of these years, I still feel its incredibly relevant.

From First to Last is part of the Take Action Tour, with Every Time I Die. The tour begins on Thursday, February 14^th at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit. Tickets are $18, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates are available at www.fromfirsttolast.com.