Since 2012, Ohio-based metalcore band Convictions has been a force to reckon with in heavy music, setting themselves apart by wearing their hearts for hope, healing, and authentic existence boldly on their sleeves. That passion has paved the way for their “aggressive worship,” and has refined their message with every new release.
Like so many bands, Convictions was hit by the pandemic and forced to change course. With a brand new record ready to release, the band forged ahead and now, a year later, they’ve finally wrapped up a headlining tour for their album, I Won’t Survive. I had the chance to catch up with vocalist Mike Felker after his run with August Burns Red and before his headlining tour. He shared more about how he found himself on stage with ABR, as well as how the stories that made up Convictions’ latest release shaped both his songwriting and worldview.
Admittedly, our conversation holds a bit of a personal place in my heart, as it’s rooted in years of watching Convictions — from the van to the stage — fight for and earn their renowned place in the metal scene. Between our tiny regional DIY tour together and his chance to fill in for a GRAMMY-nominated headliner, I’ve seen Mike completely crush every opportunity presented to him, and after all these years, he remains humble and grounded in the opportunity to simply make and share music.
Hey! How are you?
Hey! I’m pretty good — it’s a hectic day. I’m actually driving down to Columbus right now. Just on a whim, I got invited to go to an opera and it starts at seven.
That sounds fun. What’s the opera?
It’s something to do with Harry Potter.
Well that’s awesome.
Yeah, so as soon as I got the invite, I was like, ‘I’m going’ (laughs).
There was a theater in Memphis that played the first two movies, but they had the actual orchestra play the score. It was really cool.
Oh my gosh, I would lose my mind. I’m such a big fan.
Yep, same. So catch me up! Let’s start with ABR, if that’s cool. How did you get connected with August Burns Red?
Well, I had been friends with them on Instagram, so we knew of each other, but it was the craziest time to get the call. I was at work — I work at FedEx, and I work third shifts. So basically, when you go into FedEx, you can’t bring your phone. I was working a double, so I was working 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Then you get an hour break and go back at 4 and get out around 10. It’s pretty brutal.
Yeah, it sounds pretty brutal.
So I had done my first shift and came out on my break. So I had gotten a text from a number I didn’t recognize. It was like, “Hey Mike, are you awake?” I thought it was really bizarre. I said, “Who is this?” and he said, “This is Brent from August Burns Red.” So I was like, “Oh my gosh, what’s up?” I was just kind of in disbelief. He was telling me there was a medical emergency and asked if I’d be willing to do a show or two. I was in a full panic, like, “Absolutely! Whatever you need.” It was so surreal.
I went back into work and tole my dad and my brother — they both work at FedEx too — and I was just shell-shocked. I don’t even know how to describe it. I was pumped full of adrenaline, pacing back and forth, completely disregarding my work. They were like, “Are you serious? What are you doing here?” And I said, “What do you mean? I have to finish my shift.” But they told me to go home (laughs).
But I still wasn’t sure it was going to happen. They were just asking me to be on standby, basically. So I just rushed home and in about a 2-hour window, I had gone through their whole setlist and was loosely packing, thinking, “It’s probably not going to happen but I won’t regret it if I’m better safe than sorry.” It was within that first hour back home that they got back to me and said, “Hey, looks like we’re going to need you. What airport are you going to fly out of?” Everything got really serious really fast.
I end up getting on the phone with them, which was confirmation that it was real. They were so nonchalant. Saying, “It’s not a big deal, we’re going to do this intimate show and you don’t even have to know all the words. It can be super chill, we just need someone to stand in,” and I’m like, “Okay. Sure, whatever you need.” But in my head, I’m way more critical of myself. I have way higher expectations of how I want to perform. I want to make sure I get every word right, you know?
So he gave me the songs and everything was so hectic. I had been home for an hour, went through the set, got the call about having a plane ticket waiting for me, and they asked if I could play that night. I had one hour to get to the airport, so I woke up my mom and she drove me there. And this is where it got even crazier. I had an hour drive there, barely caught my flight at 8, had a 4-hour layover, and the whole time I’m just running through the set. I had known a few songs off the album, so I was kind of halfway there, but I was listening to it repetitively, going over all my lyrics, highlighting parts I didn’t recognize…I was doing that for about 4 hours on my first flight. Then I had a layover and was still rehearsing. Then a 2-hour flight from Dallas to Memphis, which was the first show.
It was so crazy, I would start to doze off and then wake up with full red-eye adrenaline thinking, if there’s ever a time I’m going to pull off more than 24 hours of being awake, this would be it. So, it was nonstop.
What an opportunity. What did the first show feel like for you?
The first show was really cool because everyone was really positive. It was so fast, so I really didn’t have the time to appreciate everything. There were a lot of crew members. Their whole crew is amazing. There was a guy on stage left, Mason, who helped me with my sound, and a guy on stage right, Kevin, who was helping with my in-ears. That was cool because this was my first time having my own mix. And by the time I got all situated, I turned around and the whole band was on stage with me.
It was from the airport to the Uber, to me walking on stage. There was no downtime. At that point, I had been awake well over 24 hours and done a shift at FedEx, which is really physical. So every resource was being used in my body. So I didn’t really have the time to appreciate it all fully. For the first few shows, I was getting my sleep schedule switched over and hammering out the lyrics, and getting all the little things ironed out. Luckily for me, they were so amazing and understanding. They were so kind and took the time to work with me on getting everything perfected.
So I really couldn’t enjoy it yet. I felt like I was watching a movie, like I was sitting in a chair in my brain just watching out of my eyes.
I had people from Memphis texting me, saying, “You’re never going to believe this…” and that’s a really small venue you played, so that was probably pretty wild.
Yeah, for me it was still pretty big, it was like 500 people or something. It was a lot. And it was just so funny, I was so out of my element because I hadn’t played a show for two years.
I remember when I got to the venue, I got out of the Uber with my suitcase and they pushed the doors back so we could get me in there to do a soundcheck. So there are people piled up in front of the venue and I’m working my way through the crowd with my suitcase, looking goofy. I couldn’t get in the venue, but got ahold of the guys and eventually, JB came out to get me. So Brent went out and introduced me and explained the situation a little bit, and there was a really warm response. People were cheering and I was in the backstage area like, “What is happening?! This is crazy. People know who we are here?” It was very exciting.
So awesome. I’m glad Memphis gave you a warm welcome. Let’s talk about your tour a little bit. Finally getting out there. How did that come together?
We were talking about coming out on the road about this time of the year. Well, actually, sorry, no, it’s November. And that got pushed back because COVID and we weren’t really sure. A lot of these smaller clubs are like closing because of COVID and stuff, or they have like really difficult restrictions and it’s all up in the air. So we had to push it back. But yeah, we haven’t gotten to do an I Won’t Survive tour for the entire duration of the album and it’s been almost a year now. So it’s a little overdue.
Do you feel like you missed out on celebrating it properly?
Yeah, yeah, we definitely did. It’s tough too, because our bass player—who does the singing on the record—actually stepped down. So now, Josh is taking up singing and playing guitar.
I’ve seen Josh singing on Facebook and stuff, but man, that bass spot…
Yeah, it’s a pretty big bummer. But Josh kind of surprised us because he did a couple of covers, and then it seems like overnight, he just kind of blew up on Tik Tok. And now he has millions of views and his own fan base with the covers he’s been doing.
We recorded a couple of new songs to test the waters, and he blew it away. So I’m not really worried about carrying on without Dan, but it’s definitely a bummer. It would have been nice to have like the original lineup for that record on the tour.
So where’s Josh been hiding his vocal skills? Has he been practicing, or has it always been there?
It definitely hasn’t always been there. I remember in our early years, we were before we had John in the band at the time, we were all auditioning ourselves. So, it’s me, Zach, and Josh, and we booked a studio day and we just all tried to sing, which is such a stupid and expensive idea (laughs). But we did and yeah, none of us could hold it down. So then we ended up finding John. But yeah, I don’t know. It seems like it just kind of happened overnight.
That’s great.
Yeah, caught us all off guard.
So are you doing tracks for bass then?
Well, I know that we have a fill-in right now. We’re talking about adding another one. So it could be five-piece. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a four-piece for the tour.
Earth groans, I love those guys. Have you played with like, have you toured with them before?
Yeah, that’s actually funny because on the BlackSheep podcast, they were like, “Oh, you’re bringing out Earth Groans. I hope you’re ready.” And I was super caught off guard because I was like, “We’ve toured with them more than any band ever (laughs).” Like, it’s almost like every headliner, we bring them out. This is probably our fourth or fifth tour together. Maybe more.
Yeah, I know for a while you guys were just touring nonstop. So it would make sense that you have already toured with them at least once.
Yeah, and they tour so much too. We’ve Germany with them, we’ve done some U.S. runs, support tours, you name it.
What’s the biggest difference between like a European tour and an American tour?
It’s a big difference. When tour overseas, we’ve always hired a driver. So that’s a big difference just because we’re not DIY-ing and killing ourselves. But beyond that, we’ve always been treated so great over there, as far as hospitality. A lot of the venues have their own apartment complex or areas where bands can stay, so it’s basically like, every place we play, we can just perform and sleep in the same building. It’s incredible.
The catering is also insane. They really take care of you. I know a lot of them like actually like cook you something, which is super cool. We’ve played Italy a few times now, and every time we go there, there’s somebody making pasta or spaghetti for you. So awesome.
That’s great.
So yeah, definitely the hospitality. And I think overall, I could be wrong, but I feel like Europeans’ love for metal is so much more abundant and normalized.
Yes, absolutely. The bands that come out of Europe are insane.
Yeah, I think it’s just more common for people throughout Europe to support metal bands, kind of like we support pop or hip hop. It’s just everywhere. It’s so cool.
So for this run, do you have a favorite city, or one you’re looking forward to playing the most?
We’re really trying to put together Dallas, but right now it’s difficult because South by Southwest is going to be there. It’s pretty much impossible to book around that. So yeah, we’re really fighting for Dallas.
You should hit up Least of These!
We played with them down there!
We did! I remember.
Yeah, I remember wanting them to play a certain song of theirs, and during soundcheck, saying, “Play the song.” They laughed and wouldn’t play it, and then one of the guitarists played the opening riff and I just melted. And then they laughed it off and went about their soundcheck. I was like, “No!”
But I think I’m most excited for the hometown show. We’re gonna be playing Toledo for the first time in like, two or three years.
Wow. You reminded me last time that we talked that we had a little two-week run years ago. And I still can’t believe that that was your first tour… So, are you sure? And do you still think about that run?
Am I sure that was our first tour? I would say so, yeah. We did another weekend warrior trip with another band from Toledo. I think we played a Christian college in Pennsylvania. It looked like Hogwarts, it was crazy (laughs). And then we played at Buffalo, New York, and then we came back. So I was really excited about that. But I wouldn’t call that really a tour.
So yeah, I would say our tour with you guys was our first one. We had one lined up with My Heart to Fear. We were supposed to do a tour with them but that didn’t end up working out, so we decided to book our own tour with you guys. And we met you guys through another weekend warrior trip we did with I Prevail.
“It’s easy to go through the motions, or just treat it like a hobby. But for me, it was like, I’m willing to give up anything for this and I still feel that way. More than ever, I think.”
Yeah, didn’t you play the I prevail show with Dayseeker?
Yeah. I think that was another weekend warrior trip. We just got picked up for that show, and I think we just routed in like a couple of little filler dates, but it wasn’t really a tour. So yeah, that was kind of how you and I, and our bands got connected.
I remember sitting in Starbucks during that run, and just hearing you guys talk about how much you hustled to get your music off the ground. So for you, what do you think made the biggest difference going from indie to your deal with InVogue, even. What made the difference for you?
Hunger. I think I’m always reminding myself and my bandmates to be really hungry, and really, really believing it and wanting it. It’s easy to go through the motions, or just treat it like a hobby. But for me, it was like, I’m willing to give up anything for this and I still feel that way. More than ever, I think. So, I think just being really hungry — almost like to the point of being desperate — where you’re like, heckling fans, to listen to your music or peddling CDs in the Warped Tour parking lots. Yeah, just being persistent and really motivated to put yourself out there like your life depends on it.
And what do you think bands who want to make it — I’m gonna say that loosely — what do you think they should understand about your life, or a musician’s life who’s really hungry like that? Do you think there’s something about the life of an artist that people don’t always get?
It sounds like a two-part question. I guess, to answer the first part: Sometimes I talk to younger musicians who are really wanting to make it, but they’re a little complacent, or they’re in some life situation where they’re like, “Well, I’ve got my job or I’m in this situation.” One thing I like to remind myself, and maybe them, is that there’s always a version of you out there who’s more hungry, who’s probably more talented, who probably wants it more, who’s better looking, who has better life circumstances, and they’re more hungry than you — or I guess, another younger, whatever version of you. And it’s your obligation to beat them out and keep moving and to not let that happen. Kind of like a boxer defending your title or something — Don’t buckle.
That’s kind of how I like to treat it. I think there are so many more talented vocalists than me, and I see how hungry they are when they’re posting all these videos, and it makes me more fired up to stay on top of my game. I guess it’s more of a competitive way of looking at it. And I can see that like not rubbing some people the right way, but I think it’s important to be hungry and to remind yourself how bad you want it. It’s easy to get comfortable with life and to let it go. I see that a lot and it really frustrates me.
Yeah, I mean, it’s like anything. They say you’ll make time for what matters to you.
Yeah, yeah.
That’s really good advice.
It’s something I like to think of a lot. I’m like, “Wow, they’re so much better than I am. I really gotta fight for this,” you know?
It’s paid off for you.
I hope so.
So the album is really personal. And every time I think about the album, I think about how personal it was and how it came out during the pandemic, whenever everyone was all separated. What kind of response did you get when you released it?
It was pretty incredible. I really wasn’t sure how it was gonna go since the songs are so personal, like you said. They’re about very specific events and stories and themes, and not necessarily everyone can relate to them. So that was a concern.
We got a buddy of mine who served overseas and he struggles with PTSD. Not everybody’s going to relate to that. But somehow, I feel like all these songs found a very wide audience and people that may have not gone through certain experiences still find their own personal experience in it. That’s probably been the biggest eye-opener for me. And just how warm the response was.
I’m really grateful that people took it seriously and gave it the time of day. I was watching a lot of YouTube reaction videos and reading blog articles, things like that. People really dove into it and cared. That really meant a lot to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put out a song or struggled and nobody cared, or just kind of disregarded it. That’s always been something I’ve struggled with throughout my music journey — people not caring, or paying attention to the lyrics or what we’re trying to say. So that’s probably the biggest and best response I could ask for — people having an emotional attachment to our songs.
I feel like it was so needed at the time. You know, just any ounce of connection that we could get.
Yeah, COVID definitely hurt a lot of people’s connection, even just going to shows and stuff.
But it’s funny, I really wasn’t sure, just thinking about one of our more popular songs off the record, “The Price of Grace,” that’s a statement against suicide. It’s a true story about a friend of ours who took his life. You hear stories like that a lot, especially in music and metalcore, and there was this lie from the enemy saying, “This song is just like any other song. It’s just gonna blow over. Nobody’s gonna care about it.” And it’s so funny because we still put it out and people really took it seriously. They really cared about it. It’s hard to explain. I’m trying to like put the right words to it.
No, I get it. Is there a specific moment on the record that exceeded your expectations while you were recording or while you were listening back to it?
Yeah, there were a couple of them. I mean, every song, really. But I guess, sonically, we were really pushing boundaries with what we could do with the guitar playing. That really surprised me, hearing Josh collaborate with our producer. Seeing the new sounds they developed was a really big eye-opener.
And lyrically, I think, the biggest impact I got out of it was the amount of time we spent just on lyrics. Nobody even picked up an instrument and we spent probably 80% of our time in the studio just sitting around, going over the lyrics and really ironing them out. That was crazy to me. I’ve never, ever had that much attention to our lyrics.
“We were writing songs different than we’ve ever written…I was writing out questions and then having [people] answer and then trying to chronologically tell their story through their eyes and give it the time and respect it needed with empathy and attention to detail.”
That’s really cool. I’m definitely a lyrics person. How has songwriting evolved for you, other than that? You know, going from independent to touring non-stop, to pandemic shutdown, and also through your lineup changes. How his songwriting evolved?
There’s been a bit of a formula that we follow. And with the last record, I kind of had to throw everything out the window and try something different because we’re in this really desperate place as a band. We had to decide if we were going to continue as a band or we were just going to kind of fizzle out and kind of get buried with all these other bands and opportunities.
So we treated it really differently. We were writing songs different than we’ve ever written. For example, instead of writing about personal events in my life, I was interviewing people, like a news reporter. I was writing out questions and then having them answer and then trying to chronologically tell their story through their eyes and give it the time and respect it needed with empathy and attention to detail. That was the hardest thing about the whole experience, I think. I was just really trying to change myself as a writer, and really express empathy. That’s something I’ve struggled with.
Kind of related — do you remember when we played that satanic biker bar?
I talk about that all the time.
Do you (laughs)?
Yeah (laughs).
I remember this man that I talked to at the end. I don’t know if you remember him. You were kind of hanging around, which I really appreciated. But he was telling me about this vision that he had about God. And I still have that note on my phone because I want to make a song out of it. You just reminded me of that while you were talking about interviewing people.
That’s so crazy. I talk about that all the time. When when we get asked what’s the craziest show we’ve ever played, that’s usually at the top of the list. I remember you guys praying over that guy. All I was was a witness in the room. I didn’t hear anything you guys were saying, but I saw he was crying. And I remember being kind of jealous. I was like, dang, I wanted that moment.
You totally could have come over!
No, no, you guys were put there for a reason, and you did what I think what God was calling you to do. It was just kind of like a “That’s so cool” jealousy. But I’ve never gotten to hear the other side of it. I was just seeing what I perceived was like, a satanic biker guy and you, like five foot nothing Christian girl, and seeing a grown man cry. Obviously, it transformed his life on the spot, giving his life to Christ. Seeing that was just such a big testimony in itself for me. And hearing your side of it finally after like, almost 10 years, it’s pretty exciting. Like, I don’t know what you guys said or what happened. I just saw it and I talk about all the time, so this is — I’m stoked.
Wow. Yeah. We’ll talk about another time for sure, but I should tell you about his vision. It was really cool. And he actually crashed his motorcycle on his way to the bar. So he was in physical pain and spiritual anguish, like, all of it. So he was a mess that night.
Wow. To be spiritual, it’s like almost like the enemy didn’t even want to be there because of what guys were about to do.
Yeah, it’s nuts. That’s so cool. I always tell that story too.
Yeah. I always talk about it, all the time. It’s been close to 10 years and I still tell that story.
That’s incredible.
That’s so cool.
So, I just have one more question. I know as musicians, creative people, believers, anyone with a platform, we’re always learning. And I feel like you’ve just experienced a lot on the road with ABR. I just kind of want to know what you’re learning lately.
A lot. I mean, there’s practical musician stuff I’ve learned and then there’s also life stuff I’ve learned. From a practical application, as far as vocals, I learned how to scream a completely different way to be able to perform at that level, playing an hour and a half every day. Non-stop screaming, not depending on a singer to give me a break kind of forced me to evolve as a vocalist really fast. So I’ve learned a lot about being able to scream. And also, as such a small musician who has only played dive bars and hole-in-the-wall venues for the last 10 years, to be put at that level — playing House of Blues for like larger crowds than I’ve ever played —that’s a big eye-opener for me, knowing that I can actually do it. That, versus thinking if I were ever put in this situation, what would I be able to keep myself together and put on the show that I’ve always dreamed of? And I can. That’s something I’m always going to be appreciative of. It’s just knowing that with the right opportunity, I’ll still perform the way I’ve always dreamed of. And you can too if you want.
I’ve also learned just to be appreciative, you know? As bittersweet as it was, my experience can’t be undone. It’s been done. And I’m always gonna be able to look back at that. I’m really appreciative and trying to stop worrying about what’s next, and when’s my next big break, and instead, just let it be and appreciate the ride. That’s something I’ve always wanted to remind myself. When I look back on tour, just to enjoy the ride. I’ve always just been so hungry and feverishly trying to make things happen and hustle merch and get the venue. And instead, I wish I would have enjoyed it a little more — just sat back and appreciated the ride.
Feature photo by John Fleischmann
