Essex based, female fronted, Held by Horses, is one of England’s newest bands breaking into the rock scene. Having formed in January 2011, this 5 man band consisting of front woman Harriet Reynolds on vocals, Kyle Ginn on rhythm guitar, Will Smith on Lead guitar, Scott Dillon on Drums and Liam Paylor on Bass are taking the UK by storm. Having already played shows with Missing Andy, Mallory Knox and Johnny Get the Gun, This band is ready to break out and headline the stages across the puddle.
With Harriet Reynolds providing angelic vocals, slightly reminiscent of Dolores O’Riordan, of the Cranberries and Hayley Williams, of Paramore, the contrast to the bands power driven backings, gives this band a sound not to be reckoned with. They bounce from melodic ballads to heavy hitting rock in mere seconds without any hesitation, and the blend of sounds is flawless.
The band has released it’s debut EP: IN HISTORY this year featuring songs:
1. You Win Some, You Lose Some
2. Little Water
3. The Last Word
4. Down and Out
5. Virtues
Each song on this EP provides addictive vocals that are both whimsical and sultry to the ears while the drum beats and guitar riffs move the soul and keep your body rocking. The collective sound is easy to listen to and the lyrics are haunting making for a great EP.
Exploding off the stages of Los Angeles, The Rock n Lola powerhouse, Love and a .38 have taken on the wolrd, bringing with them heavy hitting riffs, thunderous beats and addictive lyrics paving the way as Hollywood’s newest rock royalty. With a mix of band mates spreading from Oklahoma, San Francisco and back down to LA, this eclectic group of men blend to mix into this tightly knit music machine that values the creative process and understands the changing world of music.
The band, consisting of Danny Excess, Ryan Hudson, Justin Emord, and Domo Domaraki, are each 100% band at all times and are always involved and responsive to social media fan contact. The constant connection via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc… are just a few ways they find to remind fans how important they are to them.
Ellenwood had the chance to sit down with all of the guys from the band to discuss the early days, the evolution of the music and band, and what can be expected from the them in the next year. If your’re just now hearing of this outstanding band, Let me introduce you to LOVE AND A .38.
How did the band Love and a .38 come about? (Who started the band and how did your current roster get solidified?)
DANNY: A few years ago I moved to Los Angeles from The San Francisco Bay area to try to start a band. I never wanted to be the guy that joined an already established band, I always wanted to be part of the birth and growth of a band so that it could really have that ‘we’re in this together’ unity. I started putting ads out on craigslist, talking to as many people as possible, and contacting people though emails, etc. I met our first guitarist and we started writing. We then started auditioning singers. We probably tried out about 30 singers, none of them were even close to what we wanted. Eventually, Ryan came in and we knew immediately he was our guy, not just because he sounded good, but because he was someone we really liked as a person. Daniel, our original bass player eventually came in and we started playing shows. Not everyone is cut out to make a band their life, and so as a lot of bands do, we had to make some changes. Justin came in on bass and eventually we brought Domo in on guitar whom we’ve admired for a while. I think we all feel that this is THE lineup. So to me, it really begins now. If we go far, it will be because of the four members that we have right now. It took some time to finally get here, but we now have four guys that live and breath music and the band. It really is like a family now. I’m looking forward to what is to come.
RYAN: The band came about the way that most bands come about… we wanted to get laid. Kidding (kind of). Danny and our original guitarist Krishna had met each other and decided to start jamming out some stuff. At the time I was still relatively fresh to L.A. (I’m an Okie) and was actively looking for the right band to get in. If memory serves they sent me a message on Myspace (R.I.P.) and I really liked what I heard. After a few lineup changes, a lot of shows, and even more whiskey… we wound up with Justin and Domo… and I couldn’t be happier. I was actually a fan of Domo’s long before he ever joined the band and had been looking for an excuse to jam with him for years. All’s well that ends well.
JUSTIN: was a fan of the band long before I joined, went to shows and followed them on their social media and at NAMM 2010, I saw Danny and Krishna and we chatted and I asked them if they were looking for a bass player. 3 weeks later I was doing my first show with them in Arizona and so started my misadventures with the band.
DOMO: I’ve been fellow Sunset Strip colleagues with these guys for some time now. They’ve always been a band I loved to see live or play the same bill as as well. I also loved hanging out with them, they’re good company. One night I got a message from Ryan Hudson about taking over the guitar spot and I couldn’t resist.
Where did the band name come from?
RYAN: Its actually a pretty good story. One night, when we first started jamming, Danny and I decided that we wanted to get a drink after rehearsal. We knew of this great little dive bar not far from the rehearsal space, so we head down there. Little did we know… it had gone out of business. So we started looking for the closest building that looks like a bar. Ya know… neon sign… few windows… dude sitting by the door. Luckily there was one right down the street. Perfect. We show our IDs, walk in, and proceed to grab a table next to what appears to be a stage. Not 15 seconds later… the biggest stripper I had ever seen comes storming out on to the stage. She was dancing to “Pony” by Genuwine. I’ll never forget it. As she approached the front of the stage… we noticed she had a revolver in her hand. Then it was on. For the next 3 minutes… that tall drink of Wild Turkey did things to that revolver that would wake General Lee from his grave. When the song ended, as we tried to process what we had just seen, that trademark strip club DJ voice said: Ladies and gentlemen, give it up… for LOVE and her .38!
You describe your band as “Independent”, what does that mean to you and how is that reflective in the music you put out?
RYAN: We’re “Independent” because we refuse to rely on anybody else to further our path as a band. Sure a little help here and there is great… but most people in the industry only care about the bottom line. And they will try to turn you into what THEY think will help that bottom line. FUCK. THAT. We’ve got some really talented cats in this band with a lot of really cool ideas. Not just about music… but about all facets of “bandhood”. This is our lives… and we’re not going to let someone else tell us how to live our lives. So now we handle everything on our own. Writing, recording, booking, press, dance routines, bake sales, synchronized showering. The list goes on and on…
DANNY: We are a very self contained band. We do almost everything ourselves. We record and release our music ourselves, we do our own graphic design, we manage ourselves, we handle all aspects of this band on our own. Its a lot of work and gets very time consuming, but it also means we are not bound to any contracts or stipulations. There are a lot of bands that get burnt out by the music industry. We are trying to get ourselves in a place to where we can do this forever because we did it the way we wanted to do it. We are figuring everything out though trial and error. There are a lot of bands out there that think the end goal is to ‘get signed’ by a major label. Go take a look at any major label roster and see how many bands there are on there that you’ve never heard of. Getting signed means you are NOT independent. Its on the contrary, you are in fact dependent on the decisions and will of a corporation. This can be a good thing, but more often then not its a very bad thing because bands sign without having a ‘DIY’ background and lack the foundation that they need to really have leverage with a label. If they decide to shelve you, they can and will. The artists that allow themselves to even get in this position made a mistake by signing that contract in first place. We take pride in the fact that we get to steer the ship ourselves. We get to make our own decisions and we get to write music that we want to write without worrying about whats going to be a ‘hit’. We have a great relationship with the people that support us, so we write for them. We look at our responses from our direct interaction with our audience, and thats how we know if something either works or doesn’t work.
JUSTIN: Being independent to us means that we write, book shows, get press and release our music all on our own, we don’t have outside help. It’s reflexive in our music because we aren’t trying to hop on whatever fad in on the radio now. We stick to our guns and play the music we want to because it’s what we enjoy.
DOMO: What you see is what you get. All of the music, recording, artwork, social media, shows and everything else is spawned within. It’s truly as independent as you can get save a giant bag of money with no strings attached. We can write and release what we want, when we want. There is no one telling us otherwise. Which is a joy because the old model took to long to get music out in my opinion and people are able to receive the latest from us within a day or two of us finishing a song.
You’re band is extremely prominent in the social media scene (ie: twitter, Facebook, etc…), what is the responses you have received from your fans via these sites and how has it helped the band?
RYAN: Social media is great tool for bands and, unfortunately, not everyone is taking advantage of it. We have fans all over the world, but the farthest away from L.A. that we’ve performed is Texas. That couldn’t have happened for an artist like us 20 years ago. And we know that… so we always try to engage and interact with our fans. They’re the ones that keep this train moving forward, and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.
DANNY: Social media is the best business tool for a band today. Its the link between you and the audience. You almost never hear me say the word ‘fan’ because you really get to know these people, and so they become more than simply a fan, they become friends. We get responses from across the world, and we respond to almost all of them. This is something that a lot of bands don’t do. Sometimes you wonder if an idea will work or not. With social media, you can simply ask your audience and get responses. Its like a big, united community. We received a tweet from someone in the UK yesterday, he that told us that we are his brothers. This is because of the communication that we have, which exists only because of social media. Social media allows relationships that are not bound by distance in any way, which was non existant prior to the social world.
JUSTIN: Social media has definitely helped the band. It helps keep the fans in the loop with what’s going on with us but also the fans develop a personal connection to us because we run the band and our personal social media sites, not someone we hired to do it for us which they seem to enjoy.
DOMO: This is the one way to gain ground and reach out to our audience. People really respond well to hearing back from us personally via social media. Some are even blown away because most bands and artists hire someone outside of the group to run this stuff. It’s a lot of work but its a direct connection to the masses and well worth it.
You are currently promoting the “One single a month” (this being the 4th month correct?), who’s idea was this and what prompted this inspired concept?
RYAN: It kind of just happened. We wanted to put out a single because… well just because we wanted to. The plan after that was to start work on another EP or LP to be put out later this year. But after we got to thinking about it… and seeing how excited people were about hearing new music… we got a little idea light bulb. What is the best way to keep your audience engaged? Content. And for a band, content = music. So why not try to just keep throwing new music out there? It was kind of a bold idea, considering that we had nowhere near 12 months worth of new music ready (and still don’t). But that’s also what makes it kind of exciting. Our fans are going to experience all of the growing pains and revelations that come with writing an album with new members in REAL TIME. And that’s kind of awesome. By the time our April single rolls around… you guys might be listening to a song about some girl who broke my heart that I haven’t even met yet. How cool is that?
DANNY: Albums are virtually dead. Most people buy singles and listen to playlists rather than an entire album. Its not a bad thing, its just how it is today. I hear a lot of artists complaining about this instead of embracing it. We decided we were going to start writing and recording singles because it would keep us constantly writing new songs, and we could gauge the reaction from each one before putting out another one. The single a month for a year was an idea that we thought people might get on board with. The idea was a little scary because its a lot of work. But we thought it would be good for us to write, record and release a new song every month, and so far its been really helping us to step up our game. We hope it gives people something to look forward to.
JUSTIN: The Single a Month idea came just out of circumstance in a situation and then realized that releasing music this way as opposed to an EP or an album would keep the flow of new material going a lot more consistently and also, no track gets overlooked this way because they’re all singles, not just one or two with other music that isn’t highlighted.
DOMO: I wasn’t in the band when this was decided. But why the hell not. We can do it and we want new music out as soon as possible. One song per month I feel is a good frequency to release music to people. It gives them something to look forward to all the time and it’s a goal for us to follow. Also we live in a world where almost everything is instant, which I feel is partly how the album format died.
You’re first music video, “Rock n Lola” was received to 35,000+ views to date, what was your reaction to such an amazing fan response?
RYAN: My reaction was “Thank God we hired such a beautiful girl to be ‘Lola’”. Cuz she probably accounts for half of those views. And if not… she should. She’s way more fun to look at than we are.
DANNY:Its cool for sure. The number of people getting involved in this band is going up tremendously and we could not be more excited. We’re getting ready to do a lot more videos!
JUSTIN: The reaction has been great, I was only in the band maybe a month when we went in to film it and I think we were all a bit overwhelmed with how much the fans enjoyed the video and we can’t thank them enough for sharing it with people and spreading our name.
DOMO: I wasn’t in the band at this time but Hell Yeah and I was one of the 35,000 watching the video.
What are your influences both musically and Non musically? Has being an LA based band influenced the sound of your music?
DANNY: As a band, I’d say now its Aerosmith, Black Keys, AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Muse, etc. Personally, I grew up on a lot of Punk, 60′s garage goth, Synth Pop and New Wave. I’ve always loved The Stooges, Misfits, Sex Pistols, The Animals, Sisters Of Mercy, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Van Morrison, etc. I listen to a lot of different genre’s now, even electronic music such as dub step, Trance and deep house. I think you can and should take influence from everything. I love poster and street artists such as EMEK, Frank Kozik, DKNG, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, etc. I love good lyrics, good film, good music and great art… anything that paints a mental picture and triggers emotion. In the end, I think all great art is something that evokes emotion and thought.
Being in LA means you can see multiple shows, 7 nights per week. You see so many bands that you rally learn what works and and what doesn’t. Its helps you to refine your craft.
RYAN: Anybody who has ever cranked up a Les Paul to 11. I grew up listening to classic and southern rock with my old man. So I’m always going to have a soft spot for that. But for me it’s really hard to pin down my influences, because I’ve never actively tried to sound like anybody. I just write and sing what comes out. Naturally, it is going to be influenced by what I have soaked up over the years… but I never make a conscious effort to sound like somebody else.
JUSTIN: I grew up on a lot of classic rock; Clapton, AC/DC, Led Zep and Queen. It was in my teen years that I started to discover Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and some harder music which has led to a nice balance of musical styles.
DOMO: I was raised on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jackson Brown and CCR. I’m fond of so much music. It’s hard to paraphrase. It started for me with Aerosmith. I idolized them growing up. But I’m very drawn to UK bands like Primal Scream, The Verve and Oasis. I also love The Stooges. I think the debut Doors album is one the finest rock albums ever released. I’m really into 80′s new wave and modern electronic music too. Country and folk are another one too. I’ve been into indie rock before it had a name as well. Living life and seeing what I’ve seen of this world also has influenced me quite a bit as well. Living in LA has an influence too and I feel its because LA is a melting pot. I came here originally to find people to play music with, whereas I wasn’t having any luck elsewhere. This is the same story of almost any musician who moves here.
Describe the music scene growing up and how has that influenced you?
DANNY: I grew up in the SanFrancisco Bay area. There is a rich music history there within a lot of different genre’s. You’re exposed to so much. I grew listening to college and pirate radio out of Berkeley and SanFrancisco, and going to legendary clubs like 924 Gilman Street, The Maritime Hall, Slims, The Phoenix Theatre, etc. I basically grew up in the heart of the East Bay Hardcore scene which produced bands like Rancid and AFI. This scene taught me a lot about DIY art and music.
RYAN: By the time I was old enough to REALLY get into music… The SpiceGirls were huge. Then came Limp Bizkit. Then Disturbed. It’s a wonder that I didn’t swear off of music entirely.
JUSTIN: The music scene of my childhood was filled with boy bands and pop stars where Sugar Ray and Limp Bizkit were the rock stars of the time. This led me go back to the 70s and 80s for music because the bands that were big when I grew up didn’t fit what I came to think of as rock stars.
DOMO: I grew up in a cow town just outside of LA County. There really was no scene. Just backyard parties and good ol’ boys. The only time I was able to see a band was when some of the local churches would host christian rock shows. Which sounds lame I know but at the time they had a surprisingly really good indie rock movement. I don’t think it really influenced me more than listening to Aerosmith records in my garage did.
At what point did you decide music was something you wanted to pursue seriously?
RYAN: I still remember the exact moment. I was 14 years old. It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. I had been taking guitar lessons for about a year and they put me in a room to jam with some of the other students on other instruments. The very first chord that I hit with a real “band’, my entire body started tingling. I knew that there was no turning back. I never wanted to lose that feeling. The following year… my GPA plummeted and I was well on my way to lifetime of good music and bad decisions.
DANNY: Going to shows as a kid became magical. There was something that seeing or listening to a band did to me. I loved the idea that you can create something that affects people in a positive way. Thats when I decided I wanted to do that too.
JUSTIN: Around December of 2005, I saw the Trans Siberian Orchestra at Madison Square Garden and that concert made me want to play music for a living. The level of playing as well as performance in that band is absolutely incredible.
DOMO: The first time I truly listened to music made me want to play it. I grew up not super fond of any music except for The Beatles and even that wasn’t a big deal to me. One day when I was probably 12 my older brother was intently listening to music on headphones one day I asked what he was listening to. When he let me listen I got it. For the first time it made sense and it rocked hard. I at that time knew that was gonna be my life.
What was your first attraction to your instrument of choice? How did the so called romance begin? (In regards to vocals, how did you first learn to sing?)
RYAN: I was sort of a singer by default. I first got a guitar because a good friend of mine wanted to start a band, and for some reason he thought I should play rhythm guitar and sing. So that’s what I started learning to do. For the next several years I fancied myself a guitarist who also sang. Then I became a singer who also played guitar. Then once I moved to L.A. nobody wanted me to play guitar anymore. I’m still not sure if that means I’m a good singer… or just a really bad guitar player.
DANNY: Me and some kids in the neighborhood were all trying to learn instruments. Everyone wants to play guitar. Every kid in the neighborhood was learning guitar, including myself. We thought it would be cool to start a band. The only problem is that everyone played guitar. There was an old beat up drum set that this kid found and brought home. So, I started trying to play that. All of the cymbals were broken, and the heads were pretty much made out of duct tape. But, I fell in love with drums. I didn’t realize at the time that drummers don’t get much respect, haha.
JUSTIN: It actually happened for me out of chance. In high school, the bass player in the school band just played off of chord charts and because I had a background on piano, started writing out bass lines for her and then thought to myself, “Why am I writing for SOMEONE ELSE? Screw this, I’M getting a bass and playing my own lines,” The rest is history as they’d say..
DOMO: I wanted to be like my older brother, who played and still plays bass. So I started on bass…but I also wanted to be in a band with my brother which couldn’t work with two bass players. So I decided on guitar and the only attraction at first was trying to get into a band with my brother.
You’ve had the opportunity to share the stages with huge names in the music industry (Black veil Brides, Camp Freddy, Matt and Kim, etc…), tell me your feelings on the experience.
RYAN: In all honesty… who I share the stage with has very little to do with my actual concert experience. I am always honored to be on the stage with such talented and accomplished musicians. And of course am very grateful to be able to play in front of new fans because of it. But my goal is always the same… to be the best thing on that stage. Every time. The bigger and better the other acts… the harder I will work. It’s not even a conscious thing most of the time… I am just very competitive by nature. And a live rock show is a very primal thing. Instincts just take over and you do everything you can to be the Alpha. Who knows if it ever works… but when that curtain drops I always make sure that I left it all out onthat stage.
DANNY:Its a lot of fun. We always focus on being tighter live and putting on a bigger and better show.
JUSTIN: There’s a lot of practice and work that goes into prepping for a show like that but there’s a sense of accomplishment and a hell of a lot of adrenaline which motivates you to perform that much better.
DOMO: It’s awesome! I feel grateful to have shared the bill with big names like this. And this is another way that helps us gain momentum in the music world. For example, years ago an unknown Violent Femmes did a guerrilla acoustic gig in a parking lot to a stadium where The Pretenders were going to perform. Somebody in the management saw this and invited them to open the show that night and that is how they got a record contract.
Is there someone in particular you are hoping to join forces with on tour someday?
DANNY: Out of anyone? Theres so many bands we’d love to tour with. I would love to tour with Muse, Metallica, Foo Fighters, AC/DC, etc. There are just too many.
RYAN: I’d personally love to get on an Aerosmith tour before they hang it up. Steven Tyler is the reason I sing.
JUSTIN: Black Stone Cherry, Slash, Airbourne or Cheap Trick would be cool.
DOMO: Classics like AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Who, Muse, Foo Fighters. Even some new ones like the Black Keys or Cage the Elephant.
You’ve had the opportunity to explode on the stages of “Sunset Strip Music Festival” this past year, what was the experience like? What did you learn from it and how are you applying that to future shows?
RYAN: Sensory overload. The entire SSMF week is such a blur. But in the best way possible. So much great music, so many cool events, so little sleep. And the actual performance was too great for words. It was one of those moments when you feel the energy of an entire room just coursing through your veins. I really don’t know how to describe it to those who haven’t experienced that sort of rush. Basically it’s a 45 minute orgasm. Those are the moments that musicians live for. That make all the other B.S. worth it.
DANNY: SSMF is amazing because its virtually in our backyard. Its amazing to be a part of a festival that takes place in our town, on such an iconic street, and we got to do it at The Roxy which is our favorite venue in the world. On top of that, the lineup was killer. It was an amazing day and week.
JUSTIN: To me, it was the highlight of my career to date. There was a chemistry and confidence between the 4 of us that I have never experienced before and would like to use that show as a benchmark to have all other Love and a .38 shows live up to.
DOMO: This was my first show with Love and a .38 and it was amazing. Great vibe and chemistry. Awesome energy too. I’ve had a taste of the goods and want more of it. I think this drives us to work harder to get to a place where we can do this all the time.
What can we expect from Love and a .38 in the next year? (Do you have tours scheduled? Albums set for release?
DANNY: Tons of new songs, shows and tours. We hit the road for a West Coast tour in November. We are in talks with some bands and tours we might join in 2013 that could be really, really cool. We are looking forward to getting out to Europe and Japan. As Penny Lane said… “Its all happening.”
JUSTIN: More tours, more music and a lot more tambourine.
DOMO: Rock n Roll music and touring. Hopefully some cowbell too.
Let me take you on a trip, where the beats are always fresh and the frequency is kicked up. Imagine the strobe lights flashing and you’re dancing in the dark. The only thing that matters is your body riding the beats and the DJ is playing your favorite song. Standing Shadows is a collaboration of band members David Miltenberger, Dan Silver, Chelsea Davis, and Matt Becks, from right here in Los Angeles. A mix of electro-rock with a rock show that is breathtaking, jaw-dropping, and crowd-rallying, makes this a show for all the sences. Ellenwood was able to sit down with the guys of Standing Shadows and talk a bit about the music, the show and their creativity process.
How did you go about developing your sound?
Our sound is always evolving, so it’s a constant process. The sound of Standing Shadows comes from a mixture of all our influences and music we’ve all grown up with over the years. We made a conscious decision to be sure we were creating something modern that stems from a rock band that includes a drummer, bass player, electric guitar, but then we wanted to have genre-bending twist by adding plush layers of synth and sound design and things that go backwards and strange elements floating over cool melodies. We’re not the kind of band where everyone takes turns playing solos…we’re more about great melodies and cool parts. “George Harrison is on of my favorite guitar players”, says Dan, “and i always loved his melodies and that he plays ‘parts’, nothing overly flashy but parts that you can sing and stick in your head for days….melodies that are catchy and memorable are so important to creating a great song that will love on forever.”
What influence did the music scene growing up have on your current sound?
Being in our local music scenes was different for each one of us. Matt was in Montreal with a very diverse music scene and was influenced by everything going on around. Dan had a rock band in Cincinnati that became part of the music scene at an early age around 15, and eventually was taken under the wings of members of The Afghan Whigs to produce their albums together. The one thing we can all agree on is that playing at early ages around other rock bands quickly helped all of us to understand how tough it is out there and how hard you have to work and perform all the time to develop your sound and fan base. We were always into UK rock bands, punk bands, indie bands, shoegaze, etc which have a lot to do with how this band sounds now. We listened to many things over the years…….we grew up with a lot of the classics: Beach Boys, Beatles, Velvet Underground, The Clash, T. Rex, Rolling Stones, Cream, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Dylan, Cash, and the list goes on and on…we’ve all gone through many phases of different music and the styles evolve as time goes on….Joy Division, Chapter House, Slowdive, Ride, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Daft Punk, Spacemen 3…. and today we’re loving these bands: Spiritualized, Radiohead, Doves, Sigur Ros, Air, Arcade Fire, Band Of Skulls, Boxer Rebellion, Crocodiles, Drums, M83, Passion Pit, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Arctic Monkeys, and the list goes on. This barely scratches the surface of what we’re influenced by.
How do your songs come together? Tell me a bit about your creative writing/production process.
The creative process is one of our favorite parts. Creating the music is always exciting and inspiring. At times any one of us may bring an idea to the table in a writing jam at Dan’s studio that generally gets flushed out on the spot. Dan does a ton of the producing and engineering bringing cool production techniques in the studio setting. We collaborate as much as possible, even on lyrics and melodies…we always check the ego at the door. Once in a while an idea has to stew and marinate for a long time and then one day the perfect combo of additions come along to finish the concept. Lately we’ve been doing a lot of jamming live to come up with ideas. Matt and Dan seem to be one brain these days…it’s pretty cool to watch…in a matter of minutes they’re playing an idea that no one has thought of yet but naturally comes out in full song form on the spot. So, sometimes songs form instantly and other times we have to chip away at an idea for months in the studio to form a perfect idea. We have a ton of new demos in the works that we’re really excited to finish.
Describe your shows both musically and visually for people that may not have seen you perform live.
The live show is filled with energy, passion, and intensity that sometimes is indescribable. We always look at our set list conceptually to put together the best dynamic experience for the crowd. It should be a journey that transcends into the crowd. We generally have a moody light show with trippy artistic video footage created by Dan. With Chelsea and Dan flying across the stage and jumping off things…and fun effects like bullhorns and Theremins the show is sure to be action packed!! What are your current plans for touring and recording for the upcoming year?
Currently we’ve been spending more time in the studio working on new songs, recordings, and new ideas for the live show. There are several changes happening in the band and we’re coming out in the New Year with some major surprises. You can expect a few music videos, remixes, and new singles any moment. Our most recent release was the “We Are Everlasting Silver Sessions Remix” video (remixed and video produced by our guitarist Dan). We plan on performing and touring throughout the US in the new year. We’re already accepted for some festivals and hope to be performing at many of them this coming summer. Keep a look out for us as we will be out there rocking the stages for you!
SITE: http://standingshadows.com FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/standingshadows ONESHEET: http://bit.ly/standingshadows-onesheet NEW VIDEO: http://bit.ly/everlasting-rmxvid-vevo
Fresh off their first European tour and headlining the main stage at festivals throughout Germany, Warner Drive is exploding off the stages of Los Angeles and beyond. This LA based band is know here in these parts as the hardest working band around, touring 200 plus days out of the year bringing their punk rocking sounds and energy driven stage shows to the masses. Fronted by Jonny Law on Vocals, Ryan Harris playing Guitar, the lovely Candice Levinson also on Guitar, Elvis James on Bass and Jonny U keepin the beats coming on drums, this power house rock group is a band not to be missed.
Warner Drive recorded their first full-length album with legendary producer Mike Clink (Guns N Roses, Sammy Hagar, Megadeth, Motley Crue, etc.) and famed producer James Michael (Deftones, Alanis Morissette, SIXX:AM, Saliva, Lillix, etc.). This LP has sold over 10,000 physical units independently and is currently available online at iTUNES, Napster.com, rhapsody.com, CDBaby.com, Virgin Megastore Hollywood, Amoeba Music, warnerdrive.com, and myspace.com/warnerdrive. Their follow up album “K-GO!” was released in March of 2011 with legendary songs such as ‘Hey Mister’, ‘The Whore’, and ‘OK K-GO’. Ellenwood had the immense pleasure of getting a One on One with the incredibly talented Jonny Law for a peek into the life of the band and what you can expect in the upcoming year!!
Your band has a huge reputation for being a touring band (playing over 200 shows a year). How has touring effected your band and can we expect the same in the upcoming year?
We definitely do a lot of touring, and it’s proven to be one of the only things in this industry that we have any real control over. We can’t predict the future and we can’t make a big record label offer us a multi-million dollar contract, but what we CAN do is is get our music/band/performance out to the people. So that’s what we’ve done, but with that comes a lot of emotional strain. So this upcoming year will actually be a bit different than years past… I think we’re going to scale down our tours in America a bit and focus on the markets which have garnished us the best results, rather than spend half our time trying to develop brand new markets, or markets that we’ve visited a couple of times and we haven’t seen a real music scene develop. Our last tour in Europe really made things clear for me personally when watching festival after festival, every single day in the summer time, with anywhere 5,000-90,000 people at each of them, and nobody in America even knows it’s happening. That’s shocking to me… how can so many people regularly congregate in one place on one day, day after day in the summertime, and it doesn’t even make a dent in America? So that made me start to reconsider what we’re doing here in America…. even in markets where we sell out a venue the size of the House of Blues in LA with over 1,200 people in attendance at our show, is that making a dent when you consider that 90,000 people just congregated in the Netherlands, and THAT didn’t even make a dent? So when it comes to the states we’re going to focus on our biggest markets and/or the markets where we’re seeing the potential for rapid growth, like California, Arizona, New Mexico, Denver, Idaho, Oregon, Missouri, Minnesota, and a few others. We’ll play pick-up shows in between those stops like we always do in some smaller markets during the week en route to these bigger/better markets, but other than that, we really want to concentrate on the areas that have proven to be successful for us. And when you think about it, just consider how big our home state of California is, and how many cities there are to play right here in this state. We can do shorter tours in California alone, in places like San Diego, Orange County, Riverside, The Inland Empire, LA, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Louis Obispo, Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Chico, Redding, etc…. there’s a full tour right there and we didn’t even need to put another 5,000 miles on our poor van to hit all of those cities like we usually do when we do a full US tour with the same number of dates/stops. So we’re rethinking some of our strategies for this coming year, and we’re really excited to get started!
You’ve had the pleasure of rocking the stages all over the world, played numerous festivals and clubs. What have been some of your most memorable shows and why?
We’ve been very fortunate and I can proudly say that, as a DIY band with no label, manager, or agent, we’ve never had anything handed to us… we’ve worked really hard to accomplish the things that we’ve accomplished thus far, and the opportunities that have been presented to us were all opportunities that we worked hard to have available to us. Speaking for myself, some of my most memorable shows are the shows where we performed as an opener and won over a completely foreign crowd who has never heard our music before. When we opened for Jet, we outsold them in merchandise by more than double. Those moments make me really proud of what we’re doing. Playing at Nokia here in Los Angeles was a big deal for me because it validated what I do to my family who live here in LA and don’t see what we’re doing around the world and don’t see our impact on our fans. Opening for bands like Clutch, CKY, The Killers, Buck Cherry, and many others were all memorable shows. Europe was an experience like nothing I’ve ever seen in the states. However, for me personally, every show, on ANY stage, is just as important as the big ones. That hour we’re on stage (or however long we play for)… that’s MY time. It’s an escape from all the bull sh*t that I to deal with daily, from my personal life to my professional life, and I cherish every moment that I’m on stage. Whether that’s at a big show or a small show, nobody can take that hour from me. I’m more “me” on stage, regardless of who it’s in front of, than in any other setting. And I like being “me”. Hahaha.
Being a Los Angeles/Hollywood based band, is there a different energy you get from the home town crowd vs. other cities?
Yes and No. There’s nothing better than playing a big sold-out packed show in LA after being away on tour for a long time. It’s the most amazing feeling to come home to. And a home-town show, in front of home-town friends and fans, is always the best remedy for home sickness when you’ve been away on tour… Home-town LA shows are probably my favorite shows to play. But when it comes to pure energy, smaller crowds in other cities typically give the band more energy to feed off of then here in LA. I don’t know what the reason for that is, although I do have my personal thoughts on why that is, but all I can say is that a show for a smaller crowd in another city anywhere in the world has people going nuts, dancing or jumping or moshing or crowd surfing, lining up for autographs and pictures after the show while we’re selling all of our merchandise stock and can barely keep up with all the people who want to buy a CD or a t-shirt…. For whatever reason, LA crowds aren’t like that even though they are bigger shows and my favorite shows to play. So my answer is yes and no, because there’s nothing like the energy of an LA show and I absolutely love it, but there’s also nothing like the energy of an LA show… if you know what I mean.
You’ve also recently won 3 categories in the acclaimed music magazine ‘All Access Magazine’ sweeping the categories you were nominated for: Best Overall Album Of The Year, Best Live Performance Group/Artist, and The People’s Choice Award. What has the experience been like for you?
It’s always nice to be recognized for all of your hard work and talent. Best Album and People’s Choice means more to me than anything else. It means the music is speaking for itself. It means that people are connecting with the songs I write. Best live performance is awesome because it offers some validation in what we do on stage and how hard we work to entertain a crowd, but for me personally, to be recognized for the music, which is essentially the heart and soul of what a band “is” and “does”, is truly an honor.
There is a lot of buzz about the incredible talent and potential for your band (ie: • “Warner Drive is poised for he kind of fame most bands only dream about…” (All Access Magazine) what is your reaction to such quotes?
I hope they’re right! Hahahaha. I think we’re on a good path right now, and I’m having a lot of fun. I can only hope for more of the same and I’m excited to see where this path leads. I’ve always said, when I stop having fun I’ll stop playing music. Right now, this path is a whole lot of fun!
Tell me about the music scene you grew up with and how it influenced you as artist.
I grew up in the LA punk and ska scene. I would sneak out of the house when I was underage, and sneak in to a 21 and over venue if I could, to see NOFX (my favorite band). I was also a big Goldfinger fan and went to see a lot of punk/ska shows locally in the underground scene like Voodoo Glowskulls, Pennywise, Skankin Hippo, Ten Foot Pole, Pully, and I simply couldn’t get enough Operation Ivy. Punk rock is my roots, but one band in particular, Guns N Roses, also played a HUGE role in defining my musical identity (as they did for millions of other people around the world). So as an artist and song writer, there are hints of punk rock and hints of straight ahead hard G N’ R style rock n roll in the music that I write. Love it or hate it, that’s the music I’m making and that’s where my influences come from in my song writing.
What was the defining moment for you that music was what you wanted to do?
I don’t remember a time in my life where music wasn’t what I wanted to do. It’s all I’ve ever known. I love writing, performing, and making music for any purpose, on any stage, any style, I just love making music.
Where do your lyrics come from? Who writes your songs?
I’m the primary song writer for the band and I write all the lyrics. Warner Drive has been my “baby” since the start; with my best friends who grew up in my neighborhood… we would all come to my parents’ house on Warner Drive in LA and hone our musical skills together. Eventually we decided to call the band Warner Drive since that house on that street defined who we were as musicians. As the band grew and I wanted to tour often, the original band members were getting in to a time in their lives where they had wives, kids, mortgages, etc, and so we split amicably (and are still the very best of friends) so that I could pursue music on my terms. I then revamped the band with musicians who believed in the music and were able to tour and dedicate their lives to music the way I had. So this is the newest version of Warner Drive. As the primary song writer from the old band to this band, the music and style really didn’t change since it’s mainly coming from me, and I think that was instrumental in keeping fans of the old band while transitioning into the new band… it wasn’t like I was playing in a revamped line-up of “Warner Drive” and releasing music that was completely foreign to our fans… the music and style really remained the same. Lyrically I write from all aspects but mainly from real life experiences. Happy, sad, off the wall, funny, etc… Whatever I’m feeling in that moment and whatever “vibe” I think that the song calls for. Often, the songs write themselves and just happen lyrically. But I have to say that there’s nothing more touching than seeing my lyrics tattooed on a fan, or seeing somebody crying at a show when they hear a song that they connect with and found personal meaning in. That connection is why we do what we do.
Tell me about your writing process, do you have a system to creating your music and sound?
I never force writing. I find that when I do try to force it, the songs that come from it are mediocre at best. So I let the songs come to me, and they come often. If I’m inspired by a subject, I’ll write music around that subject. If I’m inspired by a melody or riff, I’ll write around that riff. If I’m NOT inspired, it’s very difficult to complete a song idea that doesn’t “hit” me. I’m really a guitar player who is singing in a band, in fact, I was the lead guitar player in Warner Drive for years until I decided to put down the guitar and be a true front man. So playing instruments is where my foundation is in music. I play guitar, bass, piano, trombone, and fool around on the drums. I have a BA degree in Musical Arts so I have a strong foundation in playing several instruments as well as things like theory, harmony, etc… At my house, I have my own studio where I engineer and record our albums as well as do some recording for friends in bands. So when I write a song or have an idea, I typically get in my studio and start with the guitar part and a click track. At that point I already have melodies worked out in my head for the choruses, verses, bridge, etc, and I also have a specific idea of what the drums should be doing as well as the bass lines. I’ll then program or lay down drums over the rhythm guitar. I play bass next, which I know is something most bands do before rhythm guitar, but that’s just my personal process, and then I lay down scratch vocals. I put lead guitars and solos over the song at that point and then some fancy bells and whistles after that to add to the production value (whether that be piano, a strings line, percussion, sound effects, etc), and within a day or two I can have a strong representation of the song as a whole. In the coming months, the band is going to get in to a rehearsal room and try writing some material together by jamming some riffs and ideas that we have. I’m excited to see what might come from that as well.
What can we expect from Warner Drive in the upcoming year?
More of the same! But most importantly, a new album!!! I know we’ve got all the regular tours and festivals planned both here and abroad, from South by Southwest, to Europe, and to all of our markets where we’ve been growing our fan base… Warner Drive fans can count on us bringing them the music that they love, as we continue to gain new fans each and every day, steadily moving forward and reaching new heights. It’s all very exciting stuff!!
Time: 9:00pm.Admission: $10 link below..Discount.Age restrictions: All Ages.Address: 9009 West Sunset Blvd..Venue phone: 310-278-9457.Playing with our friends VaydenBuy tickets
11/15/12
Warner Drive in Scottsdale, AZ
Rockbar w/ Vayden
United States
Time: 8:00pm.Admission: $10.Age restrictions: No Minors.Address: 4245 N Craftsman Court.
Recently signed to British Bulldog Records, this five man psychedelic Indie funk band has taken Los Angeles by storm. Singer-songwriter Wes Pagano joined bassist Sean Matthes, Jon Monter on lead guitar, drummer Mike Brown, and Native June pianist/bassist Tristan Hendy to form Bullet Made Statues in January of 2012 and without having any recorded music out yet has blown open the doors of most rock venues and brought with them masses of music hungry fans. The band has a distinct sound that mixes your senses and leaves your body pulsating with anticipation of their next move. The band took a moment to sit with Ellenwood to open up about what the band and what its music is all about. Follow along and prepare yourself for the trip of your life. I’d like to introduce you to Bullet Made Statues!
How did the band come about?
(Wes)
When I got back into music, MBS was to be a new beginning of music. The only way to get back was to find the right guys to do it. When asked to play the LA Artwalk, I initially declined because I didn’t feel comfortable, but did it anyway. It put a spark under my ass, and that night I went upstairs to see Tristan play piano in another room and that gave me my vision.
(Jon)
I played an open mic night the next night, and Mike happened to be there watching Wes Sing. I was playing with a “broken” guitar, and people came up to play along and screwing up the show. Mike came up to Wes right away to work together. Got Tristan’s, number from Ben (PLA), called Tristan and got me on board. Contacted Sean, a long time friend and fellow musician, and Mike found our first guitar player Dave. Our first practice was supposed to be two hours and it ended up being over seven because it went so well.
(Mike)
I don’t know… How did humanity come from the mud?
(Tristan)
The night at the artwalk that Wes and I connected was a night the stars were aligned. I’ll tell ya, I had just released a solo piano album, and played the only piano performance I’ve given in ten years, a show that I also nearly didn’t make. After that night everything else just fell into place.
Your band name is said to come from the “martyrdom of iconic leaders of social movements”, what does the name mean to you, and how is your music reflective of that?
(Wes)
Exactly how the band formed, it was almost as if while the iconic leader is talking and moving so much, when he’s gone, his voice remains and actually moves society and the world, changing everything and travels beyond everything else beyond us creatures on this planet. It’s an understanding that we’re family, and we’re in this for the right reasons. A dream that can actually come true. That’s what bullet Mad Statues is.
(Mike)
We don’t have a Bob Marley or a Rage Against the Machine sensibility, in that our music is not social movement music. It feels like a foot note, like “fuck Cancer” or “We’ll feed the Homeless”. But we’re like, while doing that, lets have a party! We don’t have a group consciousness of social paradigms because we’re already too busy putting food in our mouths. Shit, we’re homeless! The name is a treasure trove of opportunities to discuss future things and a great window of opportunity for the future. It’s a symbolism of the people that CREATE movements; is a description of what groups have gone through with their leaders, and the message lives on after the leader has left us.
(Tristan)
I actually hated the name; I thought it made us sound like an emo-hardcore band, like MCR or something. It wasn’t until I learned what Bullet Made Statues meant that I really hopped on board with the band name.
Tell me a bit about your first album, “Weather” expected out soon, what type of music can the fans expect?
(Wes)
We’re dividing Weather into different EPs, we thought pushing a full length album wasn’t the best approach, so doing five songs during the seasons that change is a good idea; so expect every three months a five song EP: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer.
On our first EP is when in Cali, and the time changes in Oct and Nov, and it changes the leaves, the surroundings, the wind, the cold, it starts to transform into that comfort where you know the seasons are about to be coming; there’s parties, ways to escape in the shadows on the streets; That time of season is almost ready and wash into Winter; it’s the wash and shedding skin of summer. You’ll know living on the coast, ‘The Sky’s Emotion’ really had something to say, and when you think of ‘Perfect Moonlight’, it reminds me of being in Venice, ‘OK Man’ reminds me of having a new autumn party, those are always the Best! ‘It’s a Change’, it puts you in the mood, and people are getting horny! ‘Style and Grace’ almost have a 50′s doo-wop to it; I feel women are very classy, and when you talk about their Style and Grace, that’s a head-to-toe, as you admire a women in your arms at night and she’s just fast asleep and you’re still up, and you know, life is good. You can go to sleep. ‘The Weather’ is another love song but also a break up song. When you say goodbye and you truly mean it; when you say, “I still love you as person, but that’s it.” I understand, you understand, and we just have to move on.
MIKE:
The dance party after the Harvest. We’ve spent the past year sowing the seeds, and we’ve got some shit in the ground, watered, sunlight, gorgeous weather, and now it’s the dance party to celebrate our hard work!
TRISTAN:
We are planning on recording an album with Ron St Germaine and Joe Gastwirt, but until then we needed some songs to get out to our fans. With basic equipment and knowledge, I set out to record a demo in our home studio, but as time and resources grew, the record kept sounding better and better. Andrew Helps, a UK Producer, is also co-producer on the record, and together we formed a team that created what we’re about to release. We’re proud of the DIY way we went about the record and look forward to recording more in the future! The idea is we release a five song EP every three months with the Weather as a theme; we already have enough material to last us a year!
Where did your influences come from to create your sound both musically and non-musically?
WES:
I wanted it to be more of as a sarcastic, orchestral, theatrical type band, where it didn’t’ really make sense until people understand what were doing as musician. But to get there, we needed to start at the beginning with a guitar and vocals; I started essentially naked with just me, and then found the remaining members. I was able to write these songs in this room to be theatrical and the band was able to take those songs and create a sound for them. ‘Style and Grace’ was originally a love song you hear on a Gondola and we ended up crafting it to the reggae/rock start it is now. It was more of the players, and how we all handled ourselves in this situation to be in the new musical skin of Bullet Made Statues. My deaf grandmother. I just like painting fucking colors, man! It feels like I’m sinning, because it feels so good and feels so wrong.
MIKE:
My father left when I was five. Stylistically my roots are RnB, jazz, and gospel music but I think my non-musical inspiration are like training to paint left-handed; when you have a group of people that inspire you , you don’t always have the right paint stroke, but your inspiration is a daily event. It’s not a moment of inspiration, if you work on a craft, you are able to reflect what goes on in your life through your tool, craft, whatever is it. It’s not like, I heard this song or band and it inspired me, it’s more like I had this conversation, or met this new friend, or saw a pretty girl, it’s all a response to my environment.
TRISTAN:
I guess I’ll be the one to answer in the boring, “here’s who we sound like” way. The EP is a combination of rock, funk, and grooving indie; all the instrumentation is organic and has a groove in the hip-hop/ funk groove.
What can we expect from your band in the upcoming year? (I.e.: tours, guest spots, new releases) WES:
Shows, shows, shows. On our own, it’s DIY. We want to travel and get out of LA and the States to have a market everywhere in the world. SXSW Tour and a UK tour for next year. Every day we are contacting everyone we can to make this happen, and whatever we can’t find we’ll do ourselves. We’re working on a radio tour in Southwest America for promotion. We are releasing our first five songs on EP in the next month, and an additional one next season. Sticker every sign, mailbox, and dog out there with a BMS sticker! The point is to make this canoe into a fucking SHIP, and it has a long, beautiful life. This group will expand and grow more. We feel like we appeal to more of the college and up crowd; we want to play music to the people that understand it and get; and if that’s a small cult following, we want to play music to the people that care and appreciate where we’re coming from. Every day, we work constantly on the next steps. Followed by embarrassing times, awkward moments, hesitant reactions, constipated morning, walks of shame home, KCAL news, and that “not-so-fresh/ice box broken in the freezer” feeling, and a general sense of unease and unforgettable shame. MIKE:
Drugs, sex, and rock n roll! I don’t want my mother to read that, ha ha! Fucking everything man!!
TRISTAN:
We’re working with our brother band in the UK called Bite the Buffalo to go on a tour to South By Southwest in Austin for 30 days; and then next year head over to England to do something similar. I think in this day and age, we’d like to think globally about our reach, also because we love to travel! Touring is the intersection of my three favorite things: playing music, traveling, and partying, and I think it’s something we can all agree we love. And you get paid for it, what?!? So yeah, lots of shows around in the upcoming year.
Buzzing around the London Rap and Hip Hop scene, Shystie is one of the newest and fashionably fresh females stepping out and making a massive name for herself. Growing up in Hackney, East London, her fame began in 2003 with her white label response to Dizzee Rascal’s “I Love U” and a tour with Basement Jaxx, The Streets and 50 Cent. Now she is signed to Polydor and is ready to release her latest EP, ‘Pink Mist’ in November 2012. Shystie took time from her busy music and fashion forward schedule to break down the who, what and where of her incredibly jet set life. Ellenwood got an exclusive interview with this eloquent woman and got down to the brass tacks of what we can expect from this incredible talent!
Congratulations on your most recent success at this years New York fashion week! Tell me a bit about how you came to walk on the prestigious runways for Stevie Boi and his “54” collection, and do you have any future plans for modeling?
Stevie Boi said he was a fan of my music, so I and management had a dinner meeting with him and by the end of the conversation he had said he wanted me to catwalk/model for him at NYC for his new collection. I was so excited and just jumped at the opportunity. Then this month I flew out to New York, did the show, which was filmed by VH1 Live, and it was such an amazing experience! It’s quite nerve racking walking the catwalk, but if more opportunities came up for modeling, it’s definitely a challenge I’d like to take on again!
On September 26th, 2012 you Tweeted your excitement for the release of a collaboration with Jamelia, how did that come about and what can your fans expect from this song?
I just basically reached out to Jamelia and said I’d love to get her on a song of mine. She is one of the few genuine artists I’ve met in this industry and she has constantly shown me love and support since 2004, so I felt if I wanted anyone on this track it would be her. This is one of my favorite tracks off my EP, ‘Pink Mist’ and my supporters can expect a more personal insight into my life from it.
You have also done several collaborations with the lovely Azealia Banks (Neptune and Control It), How did you two meet and become involved musically?
A supporter of hers sent me an I-D interview she did, saying that myself and Styles P were her favorite MCs, so I hit her up on Twitter saying thank you and that I really love her music too. Then this year she hit me up saying she wanted me on a track, ‘Neptune’ for her “Fantsea” mix tape, which I featured. I did a track called ‘Control It’ for my “Gold Dust Volume 2″ mix tape, which I knew she would sound perfect on, and the rest was history. Ever since then we’ve just hung out and gelled really well.
What attracted you to the gritty rap scene and who were your major influences (musically and non musically)?
I started off doing Grime which has always been raw and gritty, and for me was an outlet to really express how I felt no holding back. A lot of artists are scared to say things and are very PC, whereas the scene I come from is all about saying what the fuck you want, take it or leave it. My major influences are Missy Elliott, Eminem, Lauren Hill and my friends and family.
You’ve also had several successes in the films having starred in “Illegal Activity”, “Adulthood”, and “Dubplate Drama”. Do you have interests in becoming an actress as well?
Yeah, I had my own TV series in the UK called ‘Dubplate Drama” which aired over three seasons and was a major success. I definitely caught the acting bug, so I really want to get much more into that as my career furthers.
Congratulations on your recent nominations for the OMA Awards (Best female 2011, Best Video for Mixtape 2011, and Best Grimme Mixtape 2011), What has the experience been like for you?
It’s just nice to get recognized for your hard work, talents and efforts, so anytime I’m nominated for an award I’m grateful and even more grateful when I win!
Your mixtape, “Gold Dust” has had massive success having had 40,000 hits to date, and earned the “Mixtape of the Week” on Radio One; did you expect such positive response from the listeners?
Yes, because I’ve worked really hard and feel like I’ve been blessed with a dope talent and use it to the best of my ability. I interact with my supporters daily asking them what they’d like to hear from me, which gives me a good insight as to where I go with certain songs and topics, so the response I got was amazing!
Your music video ‘Feel It’ was recently featured here in the United States on BET’s 106 and Park. What kind of response did you receive and what plans do you have for the U.S.? (i.e.: Any upcoming guest spots or shows in the works?)
I actually didn’t expect the U.S. to take to me so quickly, but they have and that is so overwhelming for me. I’m actually crazy excited about the momentum I’m starting to pick up over there already.
Have you found it hard crossing over from the UK charts to the US charts?
I haven’t even properly begun yet starting to cross over, all these things that are happening are happening on their own, so when we really go in and push it, that’s when I’ll be able to tell you if I find it hard LOL.
Having your upcoming release of ‘Pink Mist’ in November 2012, what plans do you have in regards to touring?
Doing my own tour is 100% on the cards. It will just have to be with the right organizers because it will be my first ever tour and I have big visions for it. It will be the best tour ever where my supporters can expect high energy, fun, excitement and to leave the night hot and out of breath wanting more. I can’t wait!!
Situated among the worlds most famous musicans and venues, London’s own ‘Time to Escape” powerhouse, Night by Night, took a break from their hectic pre tour schedule to sit with Ellenwood to discuss music, the shows and what the guys of the band are all about. This tour de force band of hard hitting beats, undeniably catchy choruses and envy worthy riffs takes you into the world of Night by Night and the upcoming tour with Jet Black. Band members Daniel Rossall, Ben Christo, Tom Daniel, Jonny Thornton & Damien Diablo give honest and passionate answers to the questions all you fans want to know!
Can you remember your first musical recollection? Tell me a bit about that.
(Damien)
I remember being about six and getting all my parents vinyl out in the living room and spreading them all over the floor and looking at the artwork and photos. I got my dad to put a load of them on the turn table and vividly remember charging around the room like a total lunatic, possessed by the energy and sounds coming out of the speakers. It was all rock; AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, Eagles and the epic War of the Worlds Soundtrack on Gatefold!!
When did you first decide music was what you wanted to pursue?
(Jonny)
The first time I remember wanting to play music professionally would have been at a local gig with my brother when I was thirteen (I think they snuck me in the fire exit door at the back). It was the first time I’d seen live music up close and personal and it had a profound effect on me. In fact I can even remember the line up. I remember thinking even though they were in this small pub; they were “rock stars”! Okay… maybe they weren’t but it felt like it because they’d been playing on stage and everyone in the bar loved it. Around the same time I saw Aerosmith on one of the music channels and remember being blown away by the music. That really gave me the grounding as to what I wanted to play and write, and still does. I’ve never really thought of music as something to purse, because there’s never been another option. Simple as that.
What were the first instruments you picked up? What was the attraction to it?
(Damien)
My first instrument was a violin, there was no attraction. I originally wanted to play guitar and had to learn the violin first (my father did the same when he was growing up so he thought it was the way to go… cheers dad!) I kind of liked the fact that I got to miss a bit of school to go for my lessons though. After this, I got a guitar, but found it didn’t really sparkle like all the drum kits I’d seen in the shops. So on my thirteenth birthday I got a full kit and never looked back!
What are your musical and non musical influences?
(Ben)
Musically, all of these have had a huge impact on my development as a song writer and performer: Def Leppard, BoySetsFire, Nik Kershaw, The Cult, AC/DC, Sevendust, Harem Scarem, Judas Priest, Winger, rush, 36 Craszy Fists, Damn Yankees, Therapy?, The Wildhearts, The Senseless Things, The Cure, Manic Street Preachers, AFI, Katatonia, Watersown, Thrice, Michael Jackson, FM.
How did Night by Night come about?
(Ben)
Jon (bass and vocals) and I met on an online musician’s notice board in 2007. I couldn’t believe there was someone else into bands like Danger Danger and Firehouse; most folk into ‘80’s rock would incessantly bang on about Guns n Roses and Motley Crue, but not much else. Jon however was clearly someone who had mined the depths of melodic hard rock. I remember being sure that when we met that he’d turn out to be way older than me, maybe in his 40’s or 50’s, so I was surprised to meet a guy just into his 20’s! It was brilliant to find someone else of my generation who liked the same stuff as me. We bonded over a clear vision: melodic hard rock with catchy choruses, big riffs and three part harmonies that would be performed live- just as our mutual heroes had done. I was also very set on us having quite thought-out lyrics and Jon was all for it, although I would (and still can at times) wander into realms of self-indulgence. I like to think that I’m getting better at focusing on what’s important for the song.
When did you decide Night by Night was the real thing and you wanted to take this band all the way?
(Ben)
From the offset, Jon and I knew we wanted it to be “real” – we had a vision and we were adamant we would achieve it. Although we’ve been gigging since 2008 (firstly as a 4 piece and with me on lead vocals), Night by Night as we know it today really began once Dan (lead vocals) and Damien (drums and vocals) joined in 2011. Tom’s guitar addition to the band in 2012 had already expanded our potential. (His superb technicality was something that had been missing from the band until then.), So with Dan and Damien on board, Night by Night had improved significantly and was able to take much bigger steps forward. The respective talent of these three suddenly gave us a kind of ‘the sky’s the limit’ ethic; they really could do almost anything. Hither to, we’d been quite limited, mostly in terms of my vocal ability and charisma as a front man; I just didn’t have it. Jon and I were writing songs we were really proud of, but they just didn’t come across as we envisioned them live (and to some degree, in the studio as well) because we lacked the skills within the band’s resources to deliver. That’s not to in any way down-cry the band from 2008-2010. Lain Frisk (guitars and vocals) and Moyano el Buffalo (drums) played an essential part in making Night by Night what it is today and it was with them that we had some of the most fun and inspiring moments in the band’s history. 2012’s Night by Night could not have happened without them. Funnily enough, at the end of 2010 we nearly packed it all in.
Where did the name of the band come from?
(Ben)
I was scouring my music collection, examining lyrics and scanning song titles for inspiration (the shortlist included Scream to a Sigh, The Brink and Out of Silence) when I clocked the Song title ‘Night by Night’ on not just one but two albums (Dokken and Steely Dan). It just stuck, not only because of its alliteration and visual symmetry but also due to what it meant and how it reflected a lot of our songs’ meanings: where as the ‘day to day’ experiences are often preoccupied by the mundane, it’s the that occur after dark that are more emotionally, dramatically and sexually charged. The ‘night by night’ happenings are those of high contrast and meaning; from the chaotic night life of clubs and bars, drunken camaraderie and intoxicated ambition to darkened rooms, destructive desire and isolation. From early tracks ‘Here I Am’ and ‘Seasons’ to songs from the new album like ‘ Holding On’ and ‘The Moment’, there’s an exploration of the social and personal nature of the night; Thoughts and emotions synonymous with such imagery.
Tell me about the music scene growing up and how did that influence your music.
(Jonny)
For me, the way I saw it when I first started playing live in my local town, there were two scenes. My first band started playing live around the time Nu-Metal became mainstream (circa 2000), so trying to break a ‘classic rock’ band during that time was a little difficult. No one was really interested, which I always found hard to understand because I was so passionate about it and thought everyone would be into it. Bad timing I guess. The second scene was brought about by the ‘local guitar legend’ who organized nights at a pub every weekend. In comparison from the nu-metal club scene, these nights were jam bands, blues bands, funk bands, virtuoso guitarists, bass players and drummers with that raw power who came down to show off their skills. It was packed out every time with people who really wanted to ‘play’ their instruments and for me it was a great way to put on a show and simply learn how to play live.
Did you relate to the music here in the states more than the music played in the UK?
(Damien)
For me personally, the seed was planted with a fully home grown selection of music. I was brought up on predominately British rock (my parents played in a rock band too) so music was around from day one for me. It wasn’t until I was starting to listen to the radio and watch MTV that I realized there was these amazing American bands doing what we did in the UK but with their edge on it and I was hooked! To be honest, it didn’t matter where the band came from, as long as there was a groove and a killer chorus!
You’ve recently announced that you will be joining forces with Jett Black on Tour, How did that come about?
(Ben)
We’ve been developing a connection with Dante, Spinefarm Record’s CEO, for a while now- He liked our style and chose us to open Jett Black’s London Boarderline show in May this year. We got such great reviews that this led to them selecting us for the tour!! WE CAN’T WAIT!!
Describe your live shows both visually and musically. What can the fans expect?
(Ben)
An uplifting and energetic show – anthemichard rock with a focus on both fun AND musicality. Big riffs + big hooks + big vocal harmonies = BIG FUN. We strive to make our live shows just that- LIVE music, something happening ‘here and now’. We perform everything live – we don’t use backing tracks or vocal tuning. What you’ll hear and see is real! We think that’s what rock has always been about. We want people to walk away with not only the melodies in their heads but also a sense that they’ve been a part of an exciting, vibrant, one off event; something authentic that took time and effort by the musicians to prepare and hone. We spend a fair amoung of time on our layered vocal harmonies and on this tour, we’re introducing a 4th voice- for the very first time, Damien (drums) will be taking to the mic!
Tell us about your upcoming shows and why should we all come and see them?
(Ben)
We’ve played a LOT of shows in the history of Night by Night, but never had such a long string of consistent dates. As a consequence, this will undoubtedly be the best you’ll have seen us yet; especially with the strength of our current line up. We will also be meeting fans after every show and signing all sorts of cool stuff so COME AND MEET US!!
What is new with the recordings for your band? ( ie: any new songs or albums to be expected in near future?)
(Dan)
We have an album ready to go, but we’re all frustrated because we’re still planning its release (sometime in 2013), but when it does come out you can expect to get 10 memorable choruses and A LOT of riffs budding guitarists will want to learn!
What do you want your fans to know about you and the band?
(Dan)
We’re a melodic, hard-hitting, heavy song-writing machine that delivers total emotion live! A hat tip to the bands of old whilst looking forward; part of a new generation. We’ve created a new form of rock music; the voice blends with instrumentations, delivering an incredibly big sound- it’s a cure for the bored ears! Also, It’s really tough to forge a career in music these days, so we encourage our fans to support us in every way possible!!
Coming to you from Hemel Hampstead, The hard rocking band Times Like These sat down with us here at Ellenwood to talk about music, life and how they have made Rock n Roll their life’s mission.
For people that don’t know your band, how would you describe your sound?
Our sound would best be described as current rock that is passionate and energetic. We hope this is conveyed in our songs as they are easy to listen to but far from simple in composition.
Who are your musical and non musical influences?
As there are five of usin the band our influences do vary which we hope is portrayed in the music we make.
Joe, who is the scream vocalist is heavily influenced by Patrick Stump from Fall out Boy, George Petit from Alexisonfire and his non musical influences is the Joker from Batman.
Lewis, our drummer is influenced by Travis Barker from Blink 182, Matt Nicholis from Bring Me the Horizon, Matt greiner from August Burns Red, SJC Custom Drums, and his non musical influence is Bill bailey, the English comedian.
Shawn, our lead vocalist and rhythem guitarist, is influenced by Jeremy McKinnon from A Day to Remember, james from Deaf Havana and his non musical influence is Jackie Chan.
Harley, our lead guitarist, is influenced a lot by underground bands such as the Architects.
Ollie, our bassist, is influenced by Pierce the Veil, While She Sleeps, and as he is a big footie fan, Thierry Henry from Arsenal and New York Red Bulls.
Who Writes your songs and what are they about?
All our band has an input with the song writing process, but Joe is the main lyric writer as it comes naturally to him. Usually the finished songs have a bit of everyone’s input which results in a combined band effort. Most of our songs are based on personal experiences, which at this stage of our lives are mainly about growing up and the trial and tribulations that go with that.
Describe your shows both visually and musically.
When we perform live, we like to give it our all as we feel that we want to make it special for anyone that is coming to watch us. We are very energetic and tend to get very sweaty. We like to make the crowd come out of their shells and join in with us. It’s all about the experience not just our music. We focus on just as much the music as the visual experience we provide when performing.
Do you create your albums in the old school “story format” (meaning it is intended to be listened to in order?)
Yes we do, the way our music is set in order, we take you from the beginning to the end of our journey and that’s what our music does. It takes you on the journey with us whilst we are currently experiencing it.
What do you feel is your bands “claim to fame”?
We seem to be fairly popular with the ladies of course (haha, they laugh) which we find very weird as we do not consider ourselves to be very attractive. In all seriousness though our home town really supports us and we get a good following of fans at our shows which is great as we get recognized when we go about town!
What inspires you do to what you do?
The passion of the music, the crowds reaction and when we say that we mean the way that the people react to our music by seeing them enjoy it, singing our lyrics back. We are always striving to write better songs. Also the way we are like a family not just a band. Another key point of inspirations is seeing other bands we know getting signed and playing huge arenas which gives us the drive and determination to get there as well.
What is new in the recording of your music?
As we have progressed, our writing show a more mature side to the genre which we are in. With our experiences we have no started to show the more emotional side of our writing in our songs.
Tell me about your next shows and why people should come to see them.
We play our first ever headline show in Wales, which we are really stoked about and are all looking forward to it as we will be hanging out with new people and looking at enjoying a few drinks as well! The total experience of this will give us our first taste of going on tour and a start of living our life as a band on the road.
Mercies band members, Josh Rheault (vocals/guitar), Sammy Dent (drums), Jordan Flower (bass), and Adam (keyboard), were all smiles as we talked about their roots in northern Connecticut. When asked about their beginnings, influences and where they drew their inspiration, several references were made to “the Barn”. Josh and Sam began working together in Josh’s parent’s old barn in late 2010, which was where they recorded their first album ‘Three Thousand Days’. They were later joined by Jordan and most recently Adam, who have both known and collaborated with Josh in the past. Each of members eagerly detailed the benefits of their creative space; gorgeous setting, natural reverb, big open area, and, according to Adam, a coffee pot that puts in extra hours. It was Sam that best described the significance of “the Barn” when he said, “Josh and his family really worked hard to provide that space. It feels really safe to be there in a creative way. I feel it’s like going home again every time I go there.”
The Detroit Bar may be far from Connecticut but Mercies played like it was their home. In the near pitch black darkness, you could see a decent crowd had gathered. A small group had a Mercies poster and was front and center, excited for the show to get started. It was only fitting they opened with Clouds as every band member had previously agreed it was the song that most represented the direction in which the band is headed. A mellow intro with an edge led into captivating vocals that immediately had the crowd dancing and singing along. The melodic, indie rock sounds that followed were equally honest, fresh and constantly followed by the sounds of appreciation from the audience. During the interview, Jordan also said ‘Birds of Prey’ was one his favorite songs to play live, stating “elements of it are very ‘Mercies-ish’. 60’s rock mixed with beachiness on the guitar”. Listening to it live was equally enjoyable with its strong rhythmic chords being strummed on the guitar, the flowing vocals and a hint of darkness in the lyrics.
Mercies are as down to earth as their music, thanking their fans for cheering, singing along, and making them feel at home. Jordan even jokingly announced Josh would be performing a Taylor Swift cover for all those missing the VMA’s as Josh switched to his acoustic guitar. Interacting with each other and their fans allowed them to keep the audience engaged and made for an awesome night.
Before concluding the interview, I asked Mercies to tell me what the one thing they would want their fans to know. “I guess that we’re for real. This is all we do. This is our lives. We not only put every penny we make back into the band, it’s really everything we’re doing right now. We just want to make the best art we can and hope people appreciate it. “- Josh.
Mercies are currently on tour and headed north/east through several major cities. If you are looking for an amazing show, their next stop is the Blue Lamp in Sacramento on September 9, 2012. You can also catch them at the CMG Festival in New York held October 2012. Mercies is looking forward to releasing a seven inch EP in November and working on another full length next year. More information on the band and upcoming shows can be located by visiting www.merciesmusic.com or visiting their Facebook page www.facebook.com/merciesmusic. Their album, Three Thousand Days, and EP, The Ballet, can also be found on iTunes.
After the release of Rayne’s album “The Enlightenment”, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with the band to discuss their album and their influences. The band members Ben Potts (Vocals/Bass Guitar), Adam Dagg (Guitar/Keys), and Steven Naisbet (Drum/Samples), are such personable guys. They convey an ease and comfort with themselves, as well as the music they create. The conversation started, and the guys came forward with fearlessly honest and at times comical responses.
How did you go about developing your sound for this album?
Development definitely comes with age, and taking influences from the people and music around you. We have been together since grade school and starting the band 16 years ago, not always as a three piece band, I might add. Over the years we have had our differences about which way we wanted to go musically. It has only been over the last year where we all have actually said, “Yes this is exactly what we all want to sound like”. The band has never been better, we are all comfortable around each other and we have a rule that we can not get offended if any other member doesn’t like something in the writing of the songs, as it’s for the good of the band and it’s not personal.
Tell me a bit about the music scene you grew up with: How has it influenced you as a band, especially with regards to the current album?
Ben: Growing up, the music scene wasn’t that great. It wasn’t the love of music that made me pick up a guitar, it was all for female attention at first. However it did quickly become about the music and getting out there playing in front of people. Influences in this current album are in no way influenced by music when we were growing up. They are taken from modern influences around us. The New Enlightenment is all about religious wars, love and heartache, as well as government and conspiracy. This album was so easy for us to write because we all love what we are doing. That’s why this album was able to be written from start to finish in 2 months.
Tell me a bit about your creative process for writing. How do your songs come together?
The process for us works tremendously well right now. It wasn’t always the case though. The way we write now would be Adam giving us something to work from, be it a riff or something small where we all go, ‘Yes that’s amazing lets work from that.’ We will then put drums and bass round it, come up with the verse, chorus, and break down, etc. We will play around with it until it has a start, middle and an end. The lyrics are the last thing to come. Ben will try about 3 different ways to sing something, until all three of us agree on one that fits the song. Ben will write the lyrics back home and alone, after jotting things down at practice. We all must agree on everything though or it gets scrapped.
Which song on your current album is your favorite and why?
Adam: For me it would be ‘My Final Plea’. I love the melody of the vocals as they make me feel funny inside. It’s a song that really shows us off as a band a little more. Keyboards and breakdowns are amazing in it, I think. Ben: My favorite song is also ‘My Final Plea’. The song is about a writer whose wife has left him. He brings this on himself by not paying her enough attention, and writing from the dark instead of the heart. He has a self destruct button and can’t seem to get himself right. He starts writing again, he writes to her his
final plea as he starts to get on top of his life again. He remembers what they had and how good they were together in the beginning. He begs her to come home but it’s too late. I love everything this song has in it, and love playing it live. It silences the audiences, and sometimes there is a 5 second gap before they applaud; they feel it too. Nez: For me ‘The Impossible Story’ is my favorite. Everything in it is extremely catchy for me. It puts me in a good mood.
Are there any songs that you wrote that didn’t make this album that you wish had?
There was one but we couldn’t get the chorus right so we scrapped it. It was called ‘the Princess in the Tower’; we just couldn’t get it right, the verses were awesome though! There were tracks that nearly didn’t make it onto this album, they were ‘Break Through’ and ‘Hero’. (Ben lets out a laugh, as ‘Break Through’ is not his favorite).
What is the message or feeling you wanted to get across in this album?
To question everything, don’t just believe in something because someone tells you its true (IE: God, religion, etc.) For us there, is no God. You can’t talk to dead people and the Universe doesn’t care about you. The Enlightenment was a cultural movement in the 18th century; its intentions were to reform society using reason rather than tradition, faith, and revelation. It promoted science and intellectual interchange, and opposed superstition. There is quite a lot of references to this within most of the songs, and it’s why we named the album ‘The Enlightenment’. The songs on the album that are not about this still have lines and reference to The Enlightenment.
What was the defining moment for each of you, which determined this is what you wanted to be doing with your life?
For all of us it was definitely winning our first Battle of the Bands in the year 2000. We didn’t get through the first round and came back into the competition to battle for another place with all the other losing bands. We won that heat and got back in. We then went on to win over 5 heats to reach the final and take 1st. After that we all thought this is something that has to continue; it felt that good. You get more knocks and set backs than good, but when you get that good one it eclipses all the bad, and it’s worth every second.
What is the one thing you want your fans to know about you as a band?
Ben: Adam and Steven were once a couple and kept it secret from me. Okay I lied a bit there (chuckles at himself). That’s a great question. I guess we want them to know is that none of us have a back up plan. This is it for us so please buy our album so we don’t all starve to death.
The evening ends with laughter as the band shows a more jovial side, adding personality to an already open and honest interview.
You can also reach the band in the following ways:
