Cute Is What We Aim For Is Back And Better Than Ever
Publicity photo courtesy of Big Picture Media
Shaant Hacikyan, the founding member of Cute Is What We Aim For is in good spirits these days. After struggling with alcohol addiction and successfully completing treatment, the singer is back on the road headlining a multi-city tour alongside The Friday Night Boys, The Bigger Lights and Down With Webster. We caught up with Hacikyan as he and new band mates drummer Michael Novak, guitarist Mandy K, Michael Brady and Kevin Scoma were pulling into Philadelphia for their First Unitarian Church gig later that night.
“I’m finding it to be quite the adjustment,” he confessed. “I don’t know what to do with myself because I’m so excited [about being back on the road]. I realized that I have so many responsibilities.” Responsibilities aside the singer admitted he wouldn’t have it any other way, “It feels like this is what I’m meant to do, as cliché as that may be.”
Fans have come out in droves excited to see the new incarnation of the band and appear to be very supportive. “It’s been quite the experience, I can’t really describe it. Just a lot of people coming out that were original supporters of the band years ago,” he said. “Seeing them and reconnecting with them and seeing how they’ve grown and we’ve grown has been excellent.”
Still, fans have voiced some of their opinions regarding the new line up, “they’ve said we sound amazing, the best we’ve ever been and they’re just really glad I’m healthy,” he said. Something that the singer doesn’t seem to understand all that much, “for me I just want them to be happy,” he said but realizes that “it’s [still] a pretty rewarding experience.”
The dynamic of the current line up seems to work mainly because they all appear to be working towards the same goal. Hacikyan explains, “We just like playing music and that’s it. We know that’s what we need to do and feel lucky to have this opportunity. In the past we let our immaturity take over and now we just realize this is a dream that any human would want to play music, to be able to provide for those around you [by playing music] is pretty spectacular.”
Another unofficial member of Cute is his best friend Sebastian, “I can’t go anywhere without my dog Sebastian. He goes everywhere with me no matter what. He’s here to keep me company and we go for long walks and tour the cities.”
One of the many life lessons the singer has learned recently is “that only the paranoid survive.” He elaborated, “Everyone is around you with smiling faces when things are going great but as soon as something slightly negative happens they leave. So loyalty is seldom in this business and if you find it hold on to it.”
As far as the future is concerned the singer admitted he hopes to “continue on the path of sobriety.” He said, “And hopefully [be] doing things that not only fulfill me but also those around me. I hope to help others whether it [is] by teaching or something else, but I can’t see myself achieving that within 5 years because I’m 23 without a single college credit,” he laughed. But all joking aside his main focal point is “to continue doing what I’m doing now, it just takes baby steps,” he concluded.
