Mike Hranica (The Devil Wears Prada): We've just always tried to do what we liked...

Metalfan: Hello and welcome to Metalfan! What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Mike Hranica: Hello! I've just finished eating Cheesecake Factory.

Metalfan: As this is your first interview for Metalfan, it would be good if you could point the most important things on The Devil Wears Prada activity so far.
Mike Hranica: We've done three full lengths, two Warped Tours and countless other tours, played a number of different countries, etc etc.

Metalfan: I know that after you've seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada, you wanted to go back in time and change your band name. Which would be the name you would choose for the band at this moment?
Mike Hranica: We would name our band Five Fish and a Fish. Actually, we'd probably try a name that is a little bit more serious.

Metalfan: This year you have released your third studio album, With Roots Above and Branches Below. Which was the first song that you guys have wrote for this record?
Mike Hranica: I Hate Buffering.

Metalfan: Speaking about songs, was it a hard decision to pick the right ones for With Roots Above and Branches Below?
Mike Hranica: No, with all of our CDs, we've never written a song that we fully scrap.

Metalfan: Ok, now as we know which song was the first to write, please tell me, which one of them is the best, or let's say your favorite and why. I hope you won't say that all of them are good. :))
Mike Hranica: Right now i'd say my favorite song would be Gimme Half, i think. I also like how Danger: Wildman and Sassafras turned out.

Metalfan: Your latest album With Roots Above and Branches Below, debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 31,000 units the first week. When you've started the work on this album were you expecting this thing to happen?
Mike Hranica: No not at all. First week numbers were definitely higher than what i was expecting.

Metalfan: How do you feel that people have react so far on this album? The fans, the metal media....
Mike Hranica: I think the reaction has been great. The fact that we're pretty happy with how WRAABB turned out is important, too.

Metalfan: Bands like Trivium or Bullet for My Valentine should start to fear for their places on the metalcore scene? Are you prepared to become number one in this style?
Mike Hranica: Haha no not at all. Wherever God takes us is what's most important, whether it's last or first.

Metalfan: Speaking of metalcore, your band have also been described as proto-deathcore, how do you feel that you've contributed to a new metal style? Which do you think is the biggest thing that The Devil Wears Prada brought to the metal scene?
Mike Hranica: I don't think we've really brought anything substantial to metal or metalcore. We've just always tried to do what we liked. That has drastically changed over time haha.

Metalfan: How is the tour going so far in the US? Any plans to reach Europe this year? Also, any chance to also play in Eastern Europe?
Mike Hranica: We're off of tour right now. Just finished Warped, which was US, and God willing we now head to UK/Europe in October.

Metalfan: Your song Dez Moines was made available for download for the video game Guitar Hero World Tour. That song was your choice or the labels and the company who produced the game worked this thing out?
Mike Hranica: That was our choice. It was one of the first songs we came up with for the new record, and felt comfortable putting it on the game.

Metalfan: What do you think about Guitar Hero games? Which one is your favorite?
Mike Hranica: They're pretty fun, but i don't ever really play.

Metalfan: As the artwork for your latest album was illustrated by Dan Seagrave I would ask you now to tell us few words about some of the albums he made the artwork for.
Mike Hranica: I was most familiar with what he did for Becoming the Archetype years ago. He definitely does a lot of work for metal bands, and what he came up with for us turned out to be perfect. My favorite album art so far by all means.

Metalfan: Ok, that was it. Thank you for your time and in the end feel free to add something if you want or to send few words to the Metalfan readers.
Mike Hranica: Thank you for the interview! Check us out at www.myspace.com/tdwp