Travel Profile: 7 Minutes In Heaven

By Dean Azriel | Published on August 25, 2017

Chicago based Alternative group, 7 Minutes in Heaven, best known for their smash EP Side Effects, which was met by success, placing on several Billboard music charts including #1 on Alternative New Artists, #9 on Heatseekers, and #60 on the Independent chart. Throughout 2016, the band toured extensively off of Side Effects, and at the top of 2017 they announced their signing with Rude Records. Before entering the studio again with Seth Henderson, the band quickly established themselves in 2016 performing and touring alongside bands such as: New Found Glory, Set It Off, New Politics, Waterparks, Assuming We Survive, Broadside, SayWeCanFly and A Will Away. Be sure to pre-order their most recent EP release, “Symmetry,” due out September 15th.

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Dean Azriel: Growing up in Washington and now Illinois, you have a unique perspective of two different parts of the country. Tell me a little bit about the change in lifestyle between the two. What’s one sight you would suggest a first-time visitor to see in each?

Timmy Rasmussen: I definitely took Washington for granted when I lived there. It’s beautiful! You can look off into the distance and see an enormous mountain. I was definitely very lucky to have grown up with dry heat and no humidity. Illinois and most of the Midwest can get fairly humid. It’s bearable, but that was definitely a new thing. Chicago is different in a sense that there’s a huge city and a bunch of suburbs relatively close. I grew up close to Portland. Compared to Chicago, Portland had a very small feel. If I had to recommend a spot to visit from my hometown, it would be Lucia Falls.

Lucia Falls is about a 15-minute hike from the base of the mountain in Battle Grounds. It’s a short trail that takes you to a beautiful little waterfall. My friends and I would trek over in the morning to enjoy the beautiful scenery at dawn. But back to Chicago, I’ve lived here for about six years now, and I feel like I still haven’t experienced Chicago to the fullest. The Navy Pier on Lake Shore Drive is a cool spot to visit. Lake Shore Drive itself is a beautiful place to walk around.

DA: That’s awesome! I’m a big outdoors fan too. I’ll have to check out Lucia Falls if I find myself in the area. Now, constantly creating music and traveling to promote it must be such a great feeling. What’s the most impactful and meaningful part you cherish about it? Does the traveling help inspirationally?

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TR: I’d say so absolutely. If I hadn’t met so many different people, looked into different perspectives and experienced different cultures, I’d be writing about the same thing. Touring has been my college and has taught me many things. It’s amazing talking to people and hearing how our music has affected them. We’ve encountered a wide range of emotions that music can bring out of people. It’s an incredible outlet that creates a unique connection between people and us. There are times while I’m on tour, and for whatever reason I could be having a bad day, then I’ll realize, “Wow, I’m in Washington, D.C. right now!” At the end of the day, I get to travel and play music with my best friends, and I love every minute of it.

DA: If you listen to music and connect with it, you can totally feel where the artist is coming from or how they were inspired. So, with the upcoming release of your “Symmetry” EP, how do you feel it’s been received since it’s dropped? Talk about your excitement playing it on your recent United States run of shows?

TR: We have two songs that are now available from the “Symmetry” EP, and we playing them throughout the tour. It’s been really cool to play the new songs and seeing people reactive positively to them. The best part is the songs have been out for a relatively short time, and people are already singing the lyrics. Our label has been nothing but amazing to us. We recently got a report that our songs have been pushed out in the United Kingdom. To see how our music is hitting such a broad range of people around the world is amazing.

DA: I can only imagine the feeling you get when your music hits the world and is well received. When searching for a personal getaway, are you looking for a serene beach, up in the mountains somewhere or in a city?

TR: Honestly, I’m a big fan finding a place that’s peaceful and can allow me to gather my thoughts. Finding a new place to hike and go for a long stroll would be my ideal getaway. I feel the most in my natural element when I’m out in the woods or the mountains. There’s a certain feeling of disconnect from society that you sometimes just need to clear out your mind from the hustle and bustle of daily living.

A post shared by 7 Minutes In Heaven (@7mihband) on Aug 12, 2017 at 3:23pm PDT

DA: I can totally feel where you’re coming form. Sometimes you just need that one quiet moment to put everything into perspective, and take in your surroundings. One of our core objectives at SCP is to bring people together while traveling, not only to influence people to see and appreciate our beautiful world, but to also minimize cross-cultural divides. What effect does traveling around music have on humans in this regard? How has it broadened your perspective of the world?

TR: The biggest reason I’ve been able to see most of our country and bits of Canada is because of music. It’s one of the coolest feelings to be able to live your dream through music. Music creates cool opportunities for people to meet from different regions and cultures. There are people that will travel far from home to see concerts and festivals, which alone is an amazing way for different people to meet.

DA: Everyone has a list of places they want to see but haven’t yet. What are a few destinations that you still need to hit? Why?

TR: Firstly, the Grand Canyon, that’s really high up on my bucket list. I’ve had a few opportunities to go see the Grand Canyon, but it wasn’t the right time. When I see the Grand Canyon for the first time I want it to be unforgettable, and with someone who will cherish the moment with me. Secondly, I really want to go to Maine. Maine seems to be the polar opposite of where I grew up in Washington. Another reason I really want to go to Maine is because “The Maine” is one of my favorite bands.

DA: Now that the tour’s wrapped up, do you have any vacations planned? What’s next after that?

TR: We’re going to be shooting the “Living Outside the Lines” music video. That will be released along with the record on September 15th. We also have the Four Chord Music Festival in Pittsburgh September 10th. That’s going to be insane! We’ll be playing with The Starting Line, State Champs and one of my favorite bands The Dangerous Summer. After that, we’ll have a few more shows around the country. Hopefully well be able to put together a set of west coast and Canada shows in November and December.

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Pre-order 7 Minutes In Heaven‘s upcoming EP “Symmetry” here: