Jamie Alimorad

How did you get started with all this??

I started singing when I was a little kid and taking piano lessons when I was seven.  Music was always a big part of my life but it wasn't until I was in seventh grade that I really wanted to make it my career.  At that point I was really introduced to The Beatles.  I knew their music growing up as a little kid, but it wasn't until then that I really got into them.  Much like they did to millions in 1964, they changed my life.  There was some magic in those songs.  I wanted to create that type of magic.  They became one of my biggest influences and they still are.  Let me know if you need anything else.

I played in many bands from middle school through the first half of college.  All those bands couldn't keep things together.  Members would come and go, and they weren't as serious about it as I was.  At that point I just decided to go at it alone. I recruited some musicians from school to form a band and I perform and record as a solo artist.

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

My first album is love songs.  I like to write love songs.  A lot of people do.  I enjoy them and people enjoy listening to them.  Love is a universal thing and everyone can relate to that in some form or another.  That's not saying it's the only subject I write about.  I write about what I feel.  My goal in songwriting is to promote a positive message and make people happy while listening.

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

One of my favorite guitarists, Trevor Rabin, once said, "There are two ways to write a song; your way and the wrong way."  After graduating from Northeastern University with a degree in music technology and taking countless composition classes, I cannot agree with that statement more.  In the end everybody has their own way of writing a song.  Sometimes I'll sit at my piano or with my guitar and I'll play chords and a melody will pop into my head.  Other times, and more than likely, I'll be out somewhere and a melody will pop into my head and then I whip out my phone and sing into it.  People always look at me like I'm crazy but I'm just getting down my ideas.

The lyrics can come all at once or over the course of days, weeks, months, even years!  I've often found that my best lyrics come to me with the music.  Songwriting is such an interesting experience.  It can be so easy or so frustrating, but it's so rewarding.

Which is your music influences??

Well I've already mentioned The Beatles and the impact they made on me, but before them I was heavily influenced by The Tubes.  The Tubes were the first rock band I was introduced to and the sound that I heard was something I could never forget.  It was so big and so exciting that I kept asking my dad to play me more.  The last of my "big three" is Rick Springfield.  I know that name might come as a surprise but I was able to see him in concert my senior year of high school and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen.  Those three artists really shaped the way I craft my sound.

What plans do you have for the future??

My debut album, "Cornerstone", just came out and I'm busy doing a lot of promo and touring to support the release.  It's really exciting!  The first single "What You Have" is already getting some radio play and FM 102x even named it "song of the day" back on August 30th.  I'm performing throughout New England and the Northeast and the shows have been going very well.  In the process of filling out the rest of the 2010 calendar and then starting to fill up early 2011.

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

Oh wow.  We haven't really done any big pranks on tour.  The guys in my band and I are a bunch of jokesters but we haven't really planned any pranks.  My guitarist John and my drummer Lucas have an... interesting relationship.  John loves to get under Lucas' skin, but it's all in good fun and provides hours of entertainment.

I guess the most memorable moment was fairly recent when we were on a train from Boston to New York and we were sitting in the quiet car, but we were talking anyway.  Not too loud but loud enough to piss one of the passengers off.  At one point one of the conductors came up to us and said, "All right boys, I think it's time for you to leave."  We all just stared at her and then I said, "No."  We all just stared at each other some more after that and she walked away in frustration.  Everybody around us got a kick out of it and so did we.

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?

Wow.  That's probably the weirdest question I've ever been asked in an interview.  Okay, let's see... man I don't know.  If it's hot outside, I can't send Lucas because he can't take the heat and if I send John he might disappear.  I guess I'd trust myself most, but that's no fun to say.  I guess I'd send the tour manager haha.  I think Lucas would eat John first.  I'm on a strict no-human diet.

Which country you would love to play?

Boring answer, but England.  I want to play London and Liverpool so bad.  I want to be where The Beatles were.  I want to see that, experience that.  What a wonderful thing that would be.

With which bands you would love to share stage??

I would love to perform with The Tubes.  They were the first band I ever loved and to take the stage with my idols would be remarkable.  I'd also love to play with Rick Springfield or Paul McCartney.  Sharing the stage with my heroes is what I'd like to do.

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

Yes.  I'm very excited about the road ahead.  It will be busy and take a lot of hard work but I'm ready.  I've waited for this for a long time and I'm so anxious to keep this train rolling.  All aboard!  It's gonna be a fun ride!

Check out more: www.myspace.com/jamiealimorad, www.facebook.com/jamiealimorad and www.twitter.com/jamiealimorad