The Yarrow

What's the meaning behind the band's name?

That’s a great story. Once, while working as a Camp Counselor for troubled midget youths in rural Alberta, Nick accidentally led the group off the hiking trail and into an abandoned mining shaft. Luckily, several of these troubled rapscallions were able to squeeze down a vent and search for food. The only edible thing they found was Yarrow plants, which provided the necessary sustenance for the group until they were rescued by a Harrison Ford lookalike 26 minutes later. Hence, The Yarrow stands for the nourishment Nick received in a time of need, and now we seek to provide audio nourishment to those in dire musical times.

How the band started??

Each member of the band had a different way of entering The Yarrow. Below is how each member entered the band:

Mitch Mallory and Jeff Harris: Nobody is quite sure how it happened, but Mitch and Jeff were found by South American police in a gutter of an unknown country. As they gradually became conscious, Mitch and Jeff heard Bob Marley playing in the background and decided to start a band due to this bonding musical experience.

Morgan Williams: Morgan responded to an ad on Craigslist, thinking he was showing up to be a physics tutor. He accidentally visited the wrong apartment, knocking on door 128 (Mitch and Jeff) instead of 127 (his tutee). Mitch and Jeff coerced Morgan to join The Yarrow, and Morgan’s life has never been the same.

Kyle Owen: After spending several months at New Bedlam Institution for the Slightly Insane, Kyle was desperate to get back into the outside world. Since Mitch volunteered there weekly, Kyle hatched and executed a plan to escape in Mitch’s backpack, which he managed to do. Mitch, startled yet empathetic upon seeing Kyle jump out of said pack, allowed Kyle to move in and eventually play bass.

Thomas Knight: Tom, who teaches ceramics at a local high school, had several Yarrow band members in his classes and realized they were all doomed to mediocrity in music and life unless he loaned them his skills. So, out of pity, Tom joined The Yarrow.

Nick Dudoich: Being a huge advocate for French rights and playing the French horn, Nick attended a Yarrow show and said they needed “more French-ness.” After several days of painful beatings, Jeff Harris agreed to let Nick play in the band. Nick is now the most popular band member.

What's the message to transmit with your music??

We play for a local charity, Community Action Services and Food Bank. We have given this charity everything we have earned, and we will continue to do so. Our music serves as a reminder to the community that there are non-traditional ways to serve others, such as by playing rock n’ roll.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??

Since we have so many instruments (violin, keys, French horn, hand percussion, drum kit, bass, acoustic and electric guitar, etc) we like to just jam. As something begins to develop, we write words and tighten up the arrangement.

Which are your music influences??

Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, The Doors, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, The Hold Steady, The Killers, The Smiths, Gogol Bordello, Of Montreal, Sufjan Stevens, and so much more!

What plans do you guys have for the future??

We are currently finishing our EP, Favor Fire. In fact, if you want to get our first single FREE, visit www.facebook.com/theyarrow and get it! FREE! We plan on continuing to play for charity, as well as organizing a Full House Reunion Tour, complete with the Olson Twins, Bob Saget, and John Stamos.

That we were considered “too obnoxious” and “over the top.” We had passed out kazoos and noisemakers and asked the audience to use them instead of applauding. We had also passed around Mitch’s famous chalkboard guitar and had the crowd write birthday messages to Nick, kicked Kyle out of the band, and had Mitch perform a song from an audience member’s shoulders. Is that too over the top? Apparently so.

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

It’s not so much a prank as it is sheer awesomeness. Having been sick all day, Mitch decided to try and play a show they had scheduled for that night. Mid-show, Mitch ran off stage, vomited (a LOT) and returned to perform the last song whilst crowd surfing.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

We would DEFINITELY send Morgan. He is smart, witty, clever, and has a way with ladies, so he would surely get us rescued…if he ever came back (and we’re not sure that he would).

As far as eating someone, we’d probably eat Nick first. Why? Well, Nick grew up in the Durrty South, so he’s quite a food connoisseur (he has had a food review published, by the by). He’s tasted more good food than the rest of us combined (Mitch and Jeff lived off the Wendy’s Value Menu for an entire semester) so he’d probably taste much better.  

What are your hobbies?

We enjoy knitting, sewing, crocheting, memorizing and reciting digits of Pi, memorizing and reciting the Periodic Table of Elements, physics, Magic: the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, helping old people manage their social media accounts, and Live Action Roll Playing (LARPing). Oh and bird watching, we love bird watching.

Which country you guys would love to play?

New Zealand, Brazil, Antarctica, Japan.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??

Bob Dylan, Radiohead, and Mr. T…all at the same time.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

We are so happy. We’re having fun and serving the community. Come on over to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/theyarrow) and harass us!

* The Yarrow is not guaranteed to make your life 27% more bearable.

Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/theyarrow

Rush Springs

 

What's the meaning behind the band's name? Our drummer, Walton McMurry was competing in a high school marching band contest against a town called Rush Springs. Walton said if he was ever in a band he wanted to name the band Rush Springs. Due to the fact Walton thought the town name Rush Springs was cool he brought it up in a band meeting and the rest is history. There you go. Walton our drummer named our band Rush Springs.

How the band started?? The band Rush Springs was actually started by Lead Vocalist Beckie Spradling and myself bass guitarist Wenona "Nonie" Taliaferro. After a period of time I (Nonie) introduced Lead Vocalist Beckie to my son Thomas they married and Beckie became my Daughter in law. Around that same time my daughter Lindsey was engaged to a young man by the name of Walton McMurry who just happened to be a drummer. Beckie and I invited Walton to join the band. Rowdy McKinley Lead Guitarist a long time friend of mine as well as a band mate from other bands in the past was just a good fit for us. "The Rowdy 1"as we call him just came with the package.

What's the message to transmit with your music?? We want to create music that will touch peoples lives. You know that song that brings a tear to your eye. That song that makes you laugh, that patriotic song. The music that makes you feel something when you hear it. Makes you want to get up and dance or maybe just a easy listening song you can relate to.

What's your method at the time of writing a song?? Beckie and I are the writing force behind the band. We write all different ways. I might have a great hook line we build around or Beckie might bring a great melody to the table. I grab my guitar and beckie brings her keyboard we just let the music flow. There's times a song will come together very quickly other times it might take us 2 years to finish a song. After Beckie and I have a rough cut version of the song we then take it to Rowdy and Walton. Rowdy and Walton apply their amazing music abilities to the song and there you go.

Which are your music influences?? We have a wide range of musical influences. Beckie and I have the pretty much the same influences Rebe McEntire, Emmy Lou Harris, The Judd's, Tanya Tucker, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Merle Haggard. Walton's influences consist of Phillip Glass, Buddy Rich, Ed Soph, Stan Kenton, JoJo Mayer. Rowdy's influences are

Brad Pasley, Keith Urban, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Ritchie Blackmore. Rowdy named his son Ritchie after his idol Ritchie Blackmore.

What plans do you guys have for the future??  Build a great relationship with our fan base. We just want to get better and better at our craft. Working toward that major record deal, writing and recording our original music. Book as many gigs for 2011 as possible. We would love to book a USO Tour. Last but not least we are so excited about the release of our 2nd EP scheduled for the Spring of 2011. 

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show?? I would have to say the funniest thing that happened on tour was back in the day when we drove an old beat up motor home. We played a gig at a casino in Oklahoma. When we entered the beautiful fancy venue security came running out searched our motor-home. They thought we were terrorist. lol Talk about a shocker. We have better transportation now.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
We would most definitely send our muscled up hottie drummer Walton McMurry 1st. Walton is in the best shape to make it 65 miles. We would eat Rowdy our lead guitarist because he's a little guy I think Beckie and I could take him. (laughing)

Which country you guys would love to play? Australia would be nice I've heard is absolutely beautiful down there however we would love the opportunity to play any country our United States Armed Forces are based. Such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan ect.. We would be honored to play a USO Tour. Maybe someday soon.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??  Lady Antebellum,  Heart,  Alabama, Van Halen.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually? Yes, we have came along way. Our Drummer was at one time engaged to my daughter we went through the trials of a break up and still stand strong. My son Sergeant Thomas Spradling USMC who is married to our lead vocalist Beckie has survived 2 tours in Iraq and 1 tour in Afghanistan and were still standing strong. My Father had a stroke Christmas Day 2009 right in front of the entire family what a horrible day. By the grace of God he survived. We had a tornado rip through our little town of Lone Grove, Oklahoma. My parents house took a direct hit destroyed the house with them in it as well as my daughter, husband and unborn child. They all survived. All through these trails and tribulations we have stood by each other. We know when one of us is down and out we can count on the other band members to be there when we need them the most. Encouraging one another to keep on pushing. Never give up on your dreams. As for as goals we never stop were always pushing for that major record deal or that hit song as a song writer. The only losers in life is those who do not try.

 

Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/rushsprings

Brian Mackey

How did you get started with all this?? By accident really.. While using a bar of Irish Spring as a mic in a empty bathroom signing

Prince "Purple Rain and then my own stuff lets just say I became very clean:)

What's the message to transmit with your music?? Love.. and maybe some thoughts on religion and super star phony types

What's your method at the time of writing a song?? Driving in my car or right after a show when I'm wired and try to tune in on some up tapped muse..

Which are your music influences?? Hum.. hard one.. so many great artist's to say but to name a few I dig organic stuff like Old James Taylor and Billy Joel.. The always lauded Beatles and the  classical pianist's I've always tapped for inspiration.I dig Cobra Starship and Jason Reeves and just to many more to mention!

What plans do you have for the future?? I'm a day by day by week kinda person I let things happen through divine plan and trust a lot in hard work and good friends..  I've got a new album coming out in October "Honest Love so go out and grab it or give it a download!

Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show?? I was out in California a few years back even before any one even heard of me and my drummer called one of the top LA venues on a friday night and pretended to be some big shot booking agent from London and convinced the owner of the club to let us play that night.. We acted like we were from Sweden  and didn't talk to anyone..We had NO equipment and we used the headliners gear.. We went over so well the owner asked if we could come back..

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first? I would eat the bus driver because he got us into this mess Rafa and he looks to be well fed so my fork and knife are aimed at bus boy.. I'd then use the bicycle I bring with me that's stored under the bus to ride to safety:)

Which country you would love to play? England..

With which bands you would love to share stage?? Jason Mraz would be fun..

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually? Yes!  Thanks Rafa and Vents for this interview!

Check out more: www.myspace.com/brimackey

Allison Gray

How did you get started with all this??  I was born into a musical family. My mom had me start piano lessons when I was 3. I grew up singing in church and local talent shows.
What's the message to transmit with your music?? Most of my songs are about love and relationships. I hope that the listeners will relate to my lyrics through their own experiences. I want to inspire people to share their emotions, and not be afraid to be vulnerable and put themselves out there.

What's your method at the time of writing a song?? Most of my best songs are written in the moment. They come out during a time of intense emotion, and I write them pretty fast. I often have a theme or a basic idea that I want to present, and I build the song around that.

Which are your music influences?? I love artists like Alicia Keys, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Duffy, and Fiona Apple. I am drawn to great songwriters who perform with passion.  My songs are very influenced by my own life experiences.
What plans do you have for the future?? Right now I am promoting my EP Off My Mind which was released in August. I am planning a west coast tour for the spring. I will be stopping in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.
Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show??  I haven't really done any pranks, but at a recent show my piano player went missing right before we were suppose to start. The promoter was freaking out and we were all getting nervous. She all of a sudden showed up and we put on a great show. To this day I still don't know where she went.

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first? I would not resort to eating anybody. I am pretty into the outdoors so I could probably find some things in nature to eat if I had to get by for a while. Otherwise I woud walk and find help.  Thankfully I have pretty good outdoor survival skills. 

Which country you would love to play? I have always wanted to play in Australia.

With which bands you would love to share stage?? It would be my dream to share the stage with The Killer, Muse or Coldplay.

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually? I am very happy with the way things are going. I have an amazing group of musicians, and a wonderful team supporting me. The industry is very hard and sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but I have worked very hard, and been very patient. I am confident that I have surrounded myself with the right people and it's only a matter of time. 


Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/allisongraymusic

I, Fanblades

What's the meaning behind the band's name?

What if all the little humble dirty machines became conscious? Mark Twain captured the menace of it: “It’s like a blight, a paralysis, in which a mighty machine has slipped its belt, and is still running and accomplishing nothing.” Of course, sentient machinery, the idea of a revolution of the machines against the machinists has always fascinated us. What would they do? Would they merely fail to produce? The more populist answer is that the name was taken from an exquisite corpse (a type of poem) that the many founders of the band wrote.

How the band started??

We started originally as a collective, writing experimental exquisite corpse poetry. The band developed out of the need to HEAR and RECORD the poetry, juxtaposed with appropriate (or grossly inappropriate) soundscapes. Slowly, over the years, we have evolved into whatever the fuck we are now.

What's the message you guys want to transmit with your music??

We actually take a very different tack depending on the song. Often I think we're examining something personal, not to figure out what it means but it figure out what it IS. As for our listeners, we also want to leave the interpretations up to them, and it tends to always mean something different to each and every person. However, the general consensus is that there is some kind of general malaise usually accompanying our songs. For instance, a particular listener of ours mentioned that he wasn't able to finish a certain song from our 2010 sampler CD in a single sitting due to the melancholy it brought him. But he also left the CD in his car's player for two months straight and would listen to it nearly every day for as much as he could stand.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??

This also, depends on the song. Some songs, we write entirely individually and then bring to the band. For some others, we write just a piece and bring to the band to collaborate. For still others, we write based on an initial idea or concept and do round-table brainstorming and bounce ideas off of each other. And as a final method, we will often just improvise together for a while until we find something we like, choose to keep it, and build upon it.

Which are your music influences??

We all listen to a huge variety of music, and we all have a different kind of input into the band because of that. As a whole, we draw most of what we do from bands that are either inherently pensive or thoughtful, or from bands who inexorably break the rules and push boundaries of music as we know it. Ideally, a little of both. Through the absorption of music we listen to, we've even begun to focus (unknowingly) on certain purposes and principals like melody and emotion.

What plans do you guys have for the future??

Well, we just finished up a brand new EP and our first regional tour. For now, our plan is to write more new music and continue to evolve in the best (and only) ways we can, and then take the show back on the road in the Spring. Hopefully before long we'll have a pretty new full-length for you all to sink your face in to.

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

Javier from The Bad Lieutenants in Connecticut saved our asses when we had a show cancel on us. He put us up, fed us, and snagged us a couple of kick ass last minute shows. So anyway, for lack of blankets and pillows (our dumb asses didn't bring any), Matt decided to sleep in the car with a roll of paper towels as a pillow. Jav gets up crazy early because he does construction or something, and so at 5AM, wearing a ski-mask and brandishing a boxcutter or some shit, he pretended to break in to the car Matt was sleeping in, scaring the bejesus out of him.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

Ok, here's what I'm thinkin': Chris is the youngest, and therefore the most able-bodied. So we'll send him for help. He'd probably make it back long before we had to eat anyone, but I think we'd have to eat JW. I can't really explain why. It's purely confidential.

Which country you guys would love to play?

Uzbekistan. Estonia. I don't know. We wanna rock the shit out of some bombed out eastern-bloc warehouse or something.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??

Man, that's a good question. There are really only a few off the cuff that we would really jump at the chance to play with.. Um, Boris, Harvey Milk, Floor, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Orchid, Isis, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth... Oh, umm.. here's a weird one: The Slackers. Man, we'd ruin a Slackers show. Hahaha.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

We are actually quite thrilled with the direction the music has taken, especially with Chris deciding to start playing keys from time to time. Also, we're only JUST NOW getting to the point where our new songs actually combine ALL of the previous directions of the band and are really hitting every mark we've hit in the past, simultaneously. And the momentum we've been building up is nothing short of exhilarating. As for future direction, we don't really know where we're pointed, and that's entirely awesome.

Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/ifanblades

Cavefire Cinema

What's the meaning behind the band's name?

Shit.  This is going to sound like a pile of esoteric horse crap – but the truth is when we were work shopping band names, we started by asked ourselves, why do we want to play music?  I’d been reading a bit of philosophy at the time and came across Plato’s “the allegory of the cave”.  In it, he talked about how people can only know a perception of reality and that there is an underlying “true” reality beyond what our senses can know.  He does this by asking us to imagine prisoners shackled in a cave whose entire reality is made by shadows projected up on the cave wall from a nearby fire.  It’s deep shit!  I am pretty sure the Matrix was based on the same thing.  Anyway, music, for me and the guys has always been about trying to say something that connects people.  You know, something that is true to us all.  That’s why people write break up songs.  Because everyone knows what if feels like to have some girl rip your heart out and f*** you in the ear.

How the band started??

I’d like to tell you that we all met at a hot dog eating competition or something, but the truth is, Cavefire Cinema rose out of the ashes of another band called Sculpt.  Sculpt were really cool and were making big waves but for all of the normal rock ‘n roll reasons it fell to pieces.  Bedford (Singer) and Stevan (Drums) recruited Jeesbie (Bass) and me, and it just became something completely different, so we renamed.  By the way, Bedford would definitely win the hot dog eating competition.  He is focused... disciplined!

What's the message to transmit with your music??

Most of the music deals with relationships.  It’s universal.  I love music like Rage against the Machine and System of a Down, that talks about bringing down the system and how f***ed the world is, but in the end, happiness come from hanging out with cool people.  Sometimes it’s fun to tip over cars and burn them, but you don’t want to do that shit by yourself.

What's your method at the time of writing a song?

We have a very particular method.  It always starts with a guitar riff.  It’s rock and roll you know.  The riff doesn’t have to be too complicated or anything, it just has to have something to it.  Drums give it the energy, so we try some different ideas, tempos, patterns etc and then we fill it out with bass.  We would usually record at this stage and then hand it over to Bedford.  Sometimes it is done in a couple of hours but usually it takes a few months to get the song exactly right.  We don’t like to rush them – it takes time to articulate things in exactly the right way.

Which are your music influences??

We all have our different influences.  For Stevan it is Jon Bonham (Led Zeplin drummer), Bedford wants to have Chris Cornell’s (Soundgarden, Audioslave) babies, Jeebsie is currently stalking Steve Wilson from Porcupine Tree and for me it is Tool.  We don’t really talk about, “let’s go for an Alice in Chains vibe on this one” or anything like that.  It is a lot more organic than that, but you can never leave your influences behind.

What plans do you guys have for the future??

Well we have just finished an album which will be due out for release shortly.   It was recorded by Kieran Kenderessy (Birds of Tokyo) at Loop Studios here in Western Australia.  We really liked what Kieran did with the last Birds of Tokyo album, Universes, which was huge.  I think it went Gold.  The plan is to get out on the road and tour the shit out of the album early 2011.

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

Jeebsie is the prankster of the band.  He has this whole Stephen Wright deadpan thing down to a fine art.  Do you call them dad jokes in the US?  That’s what we call them.  You know those lame jokes your dad makes that are maybe 30% funny but by the sheer volume of jokes recited, he gets this weird cult status.  That’s Jeebsie.  If the guy could be fucked with Twitter he would probably have ten million people following him – but I think he is too busy stalking the dude from Porcupine Tree.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

I am telling you now; if anyone is going to look for help it is me.  I am not entrusting my life to anyone stupid enough to choose playing in a rock band as a career!  As for being eaten, I think Jeebsie and Bedford would be best to knock off Stevan first.  He is a 6’6 Serbian who loves steak.  You don’t want someone like that around when they are hungry.  He’d be polishing off the last leg bone and asking for seconds!

Which country you guys would love to play?

I would love to play somewhere wild like India or Nigeria – some place where they don’t usually get bands like ours.  Europe is cool and I love the US, but as a good friend of mine once said, there is no point having an immune system unless you use it.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??

That’s hard.  Maybe The Mars Volta – those guys are nuts.  If Soundgarden reform I would love to play with them.   Oh, and the Doors – for the naked chicks.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

Definitely.  We have an album due out in a couple of months and we have started working on material for the next album already.  The new material is similarly energetic and melodic but will definitely be more complex than Discipline.  We are pushing ourselves more and more with the new material.  It’s exciting to see what comes out.

Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/cavefirecinema

Moyeen

How did you get started with all this?
Ok Dont laugh, but it all started in the bathroom .. during showers as a little girl, I would sing and think to my self " hmm not bad". Ever since then I loved doing renditions of Whitney, Anita Baker and Onyeka Onwenu.

What's the message to transmit with your music??
My message is of tolerance, peace, and self expression. I message is to Live life and Love and I do that by exploring different themes for my songs :)

What's your method at the time of writting a song??
I don't have any one method, maybe an example will be better. Take the song Mr. Aristo. I heard the title of the song in my head first because Mr.Aristo is a Nigerian slang for sugar daddy . Then the attitude of the song and then came the lyrics and the instrumentation came last ...

Which are your music influences??
I gotta say BobMarley and Fela for consciousness, Sade for Calmness, Shirley Bassey for attitude, Onyeka for realness. Andrew Lloyd webber for story telling- not sure if he scores his own music but I love it so there you go, oh and one more Boney M .. I really love their groove....

What plans do you have for the future??
I plan to record albums, tour, sell records and make relevant music that speaks to people.

Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show??
Sorry to burst your bubble here, but I really dont have any ..... Maybe I need to tour more :)

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are,Who would you send to look for help? Probably the Base guitarist, no I take it back the drummer ......

And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first? Probably the Lead guitarist

Which country you would love to play?
I would love to play in Nigeria and South Africa.

With which bands you would love to share stage??
Sade ! Shirley Bassey , The roots! and 311- we shud redo Love Song !!!

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually? Yes, too delighted actually , right now on my album "Follow My Dreams" is part RnB soul folky pop. So yes I love it !!!!


Check out more: www.reverbnation.com/moyeenmusic and www.facebook.com/moyeenmusic4u

Zasz

What's the meaning behind the band's name?
In all honesty there really isn’t one other then it just popped into my head one day while I was driving in Pennsylvania. I then decided that was what I was going to name my next project. Sure enough, here we are.

How did you guys began with this band??
The band really has its roots in Philadelphia, PA. I started writing music on my computer and my friends all told me I should have a band play it. So I hooked up with Dan the piano player, and after playing a bunch in Philly we moved to Nashville and settled on our current lineup. Its pretty neat for us to see how what started as computer music in my little apartment in PA now has become a touring, recording, gigging progressive rock band with members from all over. We've got people from not only Philadelphia, but also Ohio, Tennessee and Louisiana, so we're pretty diverse as far as where we're from.

What's message do you guys want to transmit with your music??
Well, our current record “Destiny Beside the Great Divide” is based around the title song which is, in a nutshell, about a warrior of almost infinite lifespan who meets and falls in love with an angel who transforms him from a killer to a healer. She then charges him with the task of beautifying the universe, leading into our next album “The Interstellar Healer”. These two, plus the next to albums thereafter form a four part series. The main themes are redemption, healing, and making the world beautiful. So in some ways we’re trying to be a force for real, usable positivity through music. Other than that, we're trying to play our music that we love and believe in, so the music is a message in and of itself.


What's the usual method at the time of writing a song??
For the most part, I write the music on the computer using a brand of looping software. Once the initial version of the song is created, complete with lyrics, strings, guitar, keyboard etc., I send it to my music notation software which writes it into sheet music or tabs. Then those get sent to the other members and they get the initial parts down, then begin making them awesome and ready to be played live and recorded.

Which are your music influences??
In terms of sound, the big three are Radiohead, The Mars Volta and David Bowie. In terms of method, I’m a really big fan of guys like Frank Zappa and Miles Davis, who had a vision and brought it to life through collaborations with the best players around. Certainly worth mentioning are Muse, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Deftones, Jeff Buckley and Led Zeppelin. We generally draw from jazz based progressive rock, classic and psychedelic rock and electronic music.

What plans do you guys have for the future??
Well we just finished Destiny Beside the Great Divide, so we’re working on getting that into people’s ears. We’re simultaneously working on the next album as well. Our current album is part of a four part concept series, where the title track is part of a story. We’ve got one down, three more to go. Other than that, lots and lots of shows all over the country, and we hope to make our way towards the UK too.

(Random Question) Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??
Actually it was a prank played on us. One time, when we played in Charleston, SC at The Oasis, a group of girls had come to the show and apparently liked us. So much so in fact that when we walked outside into the 25 degree weather, our van was completely covered in women’s underwear. There is still a sock from that tied around our right rearview mirror, and I don’t think its going anywhere anytime soon.

(Random Question) If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?
Haha that’s one of my favorite questions I’ve ever been asked. Well, here was the band’s consensus:
We would send Amanda and Tim to go look for help, as Tim is generally the navigator and Amanda is the chick/bodyguard. This would leave Sean, Dan and Word. They decided that they would eat Dan’s legs, Word’s foot and Sean’s face simultaneously, because if Tim and Amanda get back and anybody is missing anything they need to play, everybody is going to die anyway.

Which country you guys would love to play and why?
We would love to play the UK. Rock and roll had a lot of awesome acts come from the UK, plus we’re told we have a very English sound. We’d also like to hit Japan.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??
Oh man. We’ve had dreams about opening for Muse or The Mars Volta. But I would have to say Radiohead would be the one. Such a prolific career. Thom Yorke is a musical genius. I think I’d forget my lyrics. But besides that, any that are awesome and play well.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?
In most respects yes. Musically absolutely. The lineup we have is killer. These are some of the best young musicians in Nashville. We’re working on stuff that is so detail oriented and fine tuned that though it will be a challenge to produce, it will doubtless be rewarding. Business wise, it is slow going, but any successful music career is. As long as everywhere we go there are some people who get on board with what we’re doing I’m content. I hope to find a manager to work with soon so that I can focus my energies on the next album, which will require a lot of musical attention.


Check out more: www.myspace.com/zaszrevolution

Stryfe

What's the meaning behind the band's name?

Stryfe is the underdog, the thorn in your side, the one you don't want to win, but can't stop. Stryfe is the character that never gives up, that keeps going regardless of the circumstance.

How the band started??

The first songs I wrote were parodies of popular "Bone Thugs n Harmony" songs, but I actually started writing serious raps in high school. Me and my friends would have freestyle cyphers in the cafeteria at lunch. A few years after graduating, my friends started an indie label "The Illiance", and had a studio setup, and I recorded my first full album with them. 

What's the message to transmit with your music??

I want my music to show that the gritty wittiness still exists in Hip-Hop. It shows that music can still have that "shock value" and be fun at the same time. Additionally, my music shows that you can be yourself, be out of any box, and still blaze a trail in a heavily commercialized industry.

What's your method at the time of writting a song??

Typically, when I write, I first decide on the purpose for the song. What message am I trying to convey? Am I telling a story or just bragging or going extra hard every bar? Once I know the focus, I usually start at the first verse and write the song "verse-hook-verse"etc. At times, I may get ahead of myself and think of something that I want later in the song. When that happens, I just write it down until later...

There are times; however, when I'll have a hook in mind and I'll build a song around that, using whatever the topic matter of the chorus is to drive the rest of the writing process... 

 
Which are your music influences??

So many influences, from my father who was part of an "A Capella" singing group to countless Hip-Hop, Soul, and Jazz artists. Most notably; however, I feel I have been shaped by artists such as Nas, Ras Kass, Busta Rhymes, OutKast, Evidence, T.I., Joe Budden, and Elzhi. 

What plans do you guys have for the future??

The collaboration between myself and producer Marc Byrd is nearing completion. It is titled "The Last Resorts" and you can expect it later this year. Additionally, I will be performing around the midwest and along the west coast. I have been working with the group "Detroit CYDI" on a project that will be geared towards the European market, as well as preparing an EP with Swedish producer Erik L. Oh, and you can be sure there will always be a Long Walk video to keep you up to date with whats going on in and around the D...

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

So many hilarious things have happened at shows, especially due to the fact that at times, me and Detroit CYDI will do popular cover songs which are always fun. The funniest thing that was done though, once we recorded song that has yet to be released titled "Is It Me?" . A friend, Das, who is featured on the song left town for school and he wanted to hear a reference of the track. His verse was last. Illingsworth of Detroit CYDI made a ref to send him, but instead of Das' verse being at the end, he placed a portion of Jason Derulo's "Watcha Say" RIGHT as Das' verse was starting. So he had to listen through the whole song and as soon as his verse comes up it goes,  "Mmmmm Watcha Saaaaaay!". Das was LIVID! We laughed hysterically!

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

If I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, I'd be on the cellphone either to call for help or to get on youtube and start watching Man vs. Wild videos. If I had no service, and help is 65 miles away, its time to start walkin!!! When the hunger strikes, I'd find rocks and small animals, and start stoking a fire to cook some wild game...I wouldn't eat the people I was with, and I'd run before they start thinking of me as a meal. Then after all is said and done and we're rescued, I'd go straight to the bar to celebrate survival....

Which country you guys would love to play?

Would love to play in Sweden, Australia, Germany, Japan, and S. Korea. Some fans of mine in S. Korea have made adamant requests that I perform over there, so I'm working on making that happen...

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??

It would be an honor to be able to perform with iconic artists such as Eminem, T.I., and The Roots. I would also like to rock with Pharoahe Monche, Sean P, Blu, Black Milk, and Guilty Simpson.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

Very happy with the way things are going. Have an awesome album on the way, so many opportunities lie before me, and I'm in a position to take advantage of them. I'm surrounded by an awesome group of creative, intelligent, positive people as well, and they help keep me motivated and focused. The iron is hot, and we're pitching over the plate, so there aren't any limits!!

Check out more: www.myspace.com/stryfe

SHOCKOLADY

How did you started with all this??

Based in St Petersburg, I started my stage career as a dancer, trained in jazz, modern, r’n’b and break dance. After a horrible injury I stopped dancing. But I had a dream – be on stage! So I moved on to singing jazz standards, reworking them to give a contemporary edge. I performed at numerous jazz festivals and charity events across Russia.

Focusing on writing my own material, I began collaborating with up-and- coming Russian record producer and arranger Kolya Bichan. In 2010 we finished our work on my debut album What’s the F..Fashion?

What's the message to transmit with your music??

I create music that unites POWER POP, ROCK and GLAM.

This music reflects my individuality: extravagant, outrageous and sensual at the same time with the innovative approach of NEW WAVE style in music and outlook. Each time I create new elements of the show to excite the audience. This is a music for strong and sexy women and guys with bolls.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??

I’m trying to express all my feelings in my music. I think it’s very important to be honest when you are writing a song, cause if you lie – your fans will feel it.

Also it’s very important to be honest even if somebody wouldn’t like it. In my point of view music could be written about love, sex, relationship or other beautiful feelings and some political or social problems as well.

Once again honesty is a key for success, cause fans deserve to listen to the true music.

 

What are your music influences??

 There’re a lot of: U2, Prodigy, Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Freddy Mercury, MADONNA, Pink, Garbage, Franz Ferdinand, Led Zep, Billy Idol, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Depeche Mode, Rammstein

What plans do you have for the future??

I’ll have release of my album at 25^th of October in London. And after that the support tour through the UK. Also we plan to shoot a video on my first single “What’s the F…Fashion?” and make some cool photo sessions.

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help?

I always travel with my small dog (aibo). I’ll send it.

And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

 I don’t have a band, I prefer to make showcases alone or with dancers. But I love my team, so I’m not gonna eat them. I think me & girls (dancers) will seduce some guy & then eat him))

Which country you would love to play?

 I really love to perform in UK, USA and EU, cause people are very opened minded there for some new trends. But I would also like to perform in Japan, China or Australia cause they have absolutely different culture and it would be interesting to feel their reaction!  

With which bands you would love to share stage??

Well… it might be Pink! Also it could be exciting to perform with Marilyn Manson, U2))

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

 I’m absolutely sure that we will rock this  world! 

Check out more: www.shockolady.com