Silverstein’s Shane Told: “The truth is we’ve never been the biggest band”

The Silverstein frontman reflects on twenty-five years of post-hardcore perseverance, their upcoming Australian tour, and why they still feel like the underdogs

“The truth is, we’re just try-hards,” Shane Told says plainly, when asked how Silverstein have managed to last a quarter of a century without breaking up. It’s longer than I have been alive. “The truth is we’ve never been the biggest band. We’ve opened for the big bands, but we just never became one of them.”

That’s not to say Silverstein haven’t been successful — far from it. Twelve studio albums. A regular fixture on Warped Tour. Global tours that have taken them from Toronto to Tokyo to Melbourne. They’ve built a career that most musicians would envy. And yet, there’s a trace of doubt — or perhaps realism — that lingers in Told’s voice. “I still just feel like we’re the underdogs,” he adds, almost like it’s a badge of honour.

We’re speaking over the phone from Told’s home in Las Vegas, Nevada — a curious choice for a Canadian, especially one with a life as frenetic as his. You’d imagine a place quieter, slower. A little less neon perhaps.

“It actually is that,” he says, gently pushing back. “There are great hikes, great walks. Whenever anyone thinks of Vegas, they think of the Strip. But in reality, there’s a lot more to it.” This notion in itself, is somewhat emblematic of Silverstein. A band that on the outside appear one way, but buried beneath the crust lies something entirely different.

In early August, Silverstein will return to Australia for their 25 Years of Noise Tour, playing shows across Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. While many bands fracture, fade or fold, Silverstein have somehow remained intact. A quick glance at their Wikipedia page tells the story: “Years active: 2000–present.” No hiatus. No breakups. Just steady, relentless momentum.

So, why?

“I don’t know how other bands work, man,” Told says. “But we all get along pretty good. We’ve got healthy relationships. We respect each other’s personal lives. But we’re also not ‘best friends’.”

It’s a revealing statement. There’s a romanticised idea that bands are makeshift families — bonded by life on the road and the chaos of shared stages. Told doesn’t deny the connection, but he also doesn’t pretend it’s some sanitised Hollywood version of brotherhood. “We’ve always had our own circles of friends. Like, we’re not together 365 days a year. I’m a four-hour flight away from the rest of them.”

Still, they make it work. Weekly Zoom calls help keep the machine running. “It just means we keep in touch about what’s going on.”

That lack of internal drama might also be key to their longevity. “When conflict comes up, we nip it in the bud pretty quick,” Told explains. “But it also gets easier as you get older. We all just accept each other. I like pinball, they don’t. They like coffee, I don’t.”

Their last visit to Australia saw them touring alongside The Amity Affliction — a band that’s been through its share of turbulence recently. But Told’s memory of that tour is warm. “I know they’ve had issues over the last little while, but they were so sweet to us.”

Not every tour is like that, though. “There’s some bands out there that are just kind of dicks,” he says, candidly. “They never say hi. And sometimes it’s not even the band. It’s their management. Like when our dressing room’s a broom closet with nothing in it.”

This upcoming tour of Australia though, is different. A true, raw celebration of twenty five years. Whilst down here they will play one song from every album, a full retrospective for fans who have been there from the beginning. “The amount of people that say to me, ‘You saved my life with your music,’ or ‘I met my wife at your show’ — it’s special,” Told says. “We wanted to really make something people appreciate. So, they leave being like, ‘I’m glad I came to this.’”

In many ways, this is the through-line with Silverstein. Twenty-five years ago, they were five obscure kids living in Ontario. They had high aspirations, but they also didn’t think anything would come of it. Unlike many who mad a go of things during that period, Silverstein actually stuck around. Because they were talented? Sure. Because they had a great work ethic? Definitely. But the real secret though was they they just never stopped caring. They never lost sight of the their background. The kids holding guitars sitting on the sidelines waiting for their shot.

“It’s as simple as this,” Told says, with a weary kind of clarity. “When people give us their time and money, we want to make sure we put on a good show. We work hard. We always have. Like I said — we’re try-hards.”

Silverstein are playing in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane from August 2 on their 25 Years of Noise Tour. Tickets can be purchased here.