Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "rock"

I met Michael Scott Miller through BestsellerBound.com... it seems I meet some of the best authors there. Michael's book Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers caught my eye as it has a live band on the cover... you know me.
I can never resist a bit of live music; combine it with a book and I'm in heaven.

A couple of months after Michael's book went on my to-read list, I spotted it in one of the emails I received from Bookpleasures.com (I'm a reviewer for that website.) I instantly requested a copy, knowing that it would be my type of read.

I didn't know what to expect, except that it was a book about a man trying to put a band together. I was very impressed with the book. It's hard to believe it's a debut novel. I can see a bright future for Mr. Miller.

You can read my review of his book here on Goodreads.

As I am on a mission to introduce you all to the best in indie writing, I just had to invite Michael to my blog. He kindly agreed to answer my questions and has offered to give away one paperback copy and three ebooks versions of the book!! All you have to do to enter is 'like' this blog post or leave a comment below! A winner will be picked at random on 20th June 2011. If you have a preference, you should state in your comment whether you're entering for the ebook version or the paperback.

Here are Michael's answers to my interview questions:

Your bio says you work with numbers by day and words by night. That’s an interesting combination. Do you enjoy working with both, or do you have a preference?

At this stage of my life, I am enjoying working with words more. The numbers side comes easily to me and I’ve made a great career in business out of that. However, I’ve found that I love expressing myself creatively through writing and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of that. Plus, in all my years in the business world, I’ve never had a stranger tell me how much they enjoyed one of my spreadsheets.

Your background in writing appears to be non-fiction. I understand you’ve had work published in the Welcomat (now Philadelphia Weekly) and wrote music reviews for the Wharton Journal. How does writing non-fiction compare with fiction, in your opinion? Do you find it easier to write fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction is certainly easier for me since I don’t need to think about the story line or the style of music. I just need to come up with the appropriate words to describe it. I prefer the freedom of fiction though.

I’m assuming that a background in writing music reviews means you have a passion for music as well as words and numbers! (I’m also guessing this as your debut novel has a musical theme). What is your favourite type of music and do you keep up to date with new music?

I have an extensive music collection, mostly rock, but ranging broadly within the genre. My favorite style is pop-punk which is how I would characterize many of my favorite bands including Green Day, The Ramones, The Clash, Social Distortion, and Rancid. I also like more mainstream musicians like Bruce Springsteen and I confess to being a Deadhead. I keep up with new music actively and have been to see both Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas with my kids, which is very cool for me.

What was the last CD you bought?

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, by Kanye West

When you did music reviews for the Wharton Journal, what did the reviewing involve? Did you attend live performances to review them, or was it based on listening to CDs?

It was purely based on CDs. The editor of the paper would supply me with a batch of demo CDs and I would listen to them and get to choose the ones I wanted to review. I discovered one of my all-time favorite CDs that way, Fire of Freedom by Black 47. Another time, I gave a bad review to this glam band whose name now escapes me. Days later, I saw a review in a major publication where this band was professed to become the next big thing. They didn’t, and my review was vindicated.

Your debut novel is a wonderful book. I absolutely loved it. I’m a music fan, and I feel it really captured the essence of a band and the passion behind music. Have you ever worked in the music industry? The book was so realistic, it made me wonder.

Thank you (*blushing*). That’s awfully nice of you to say. I have not worked in the music industry so I am immensely flattered when readers tell me how true the story feels. I did my homework when I was writing the book so I’m glad that paid off.

How much research did you do for Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers, and how long did it take you to write?

I did a fair amount of research both on the music industry and the setting. My former company had offices in San Jose, so I was able to extend business trips to go to San Francisco and UC Berkeley. I spent a couple days there walking around, visiting the BART stations where many of the early scenes in the book take place, and wandering through the UC Berkeley campus, which is beautiful, by the way.

I have a tough time answering how long the book took to write. I started it about ten years ago, but there were long stretches of idle time.

Most of the characters in your book are musicians. Do you play any musical instruments?

I don’t. I dabbled with piano and guitar as a kid but never became proficient. My teenage son plays the trumpet and drums very well and I am enjoying performing vicariously through him.

Did you base any of the characters on people you know?

Abe Jackson was inspired by a blind singer that I saw regularly in Suburban Station in Philadelphia. There is a bit of me sprinkled throughout the other characters, both good qualities and bad.

Which of the characters in your book can you most relate to and why?

Bert Ingram. Like Bert, I am a dreamer and an eternal optimist.

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?

You have to really want it. It is a long journey, not only the writing, but doing all the marketing and promotion afterward. So my advice is to be prepared for long hours, but don’t let that stop you. Writing and publishing has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Who are your favourite authors and what is it about their writing that you like?

Douglas Adams – brilliantly clever and utterly hilarious
J. K. Rowling – how could anyone not love the contribution she has made with the seven Harry Potter books.
J.R.R. Tolkien – I read Lord of the Rings as a teenager and it remains my all-time favorite
Robert Ludlum – I haven’t read much from him lately, but his stories are intriguing and captivating -- the definition of page-turners.

Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

I generally don’t read books more than once, but the one notable exception is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

What was the last book you read?

I’ve been reading books from other indie authors of late. The last couple were Wish List by John Locke and Rock & Roll Rip-Off by RJ McDonnell.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I’m reading My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking to see what all the hype is about. I’ve never read a paranormal romance and am unlikely to read many of them, but I just had to see.

What do you think of ebooks?

I love them. As an author, especially a relatively unknown one, publishing an ebook allowed me to first test the market by publishing the book for free, and later set the price at a very low $0.99. As a reader, they are also wonderful. I mostly read indie authors now and it’s great to be able to pick up books for under $5.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Reviews are extremely important. Truly independent reviews (read: not from my mother) validate the quality of my novel and give potential readers the confidence to invest in the book. Reviews are also really important for my psyche. There isn’t anything that lifts me up more than reading a positive review or comment about my book.

How did you go about choosing a cover for your book?

I first put together a cover using clip art and sent it to my wife for feedback. She promptly told me it was awful and guided me to find a photographic image instead. I then searched iStockphoto for scenes from a concert and immediately fell in love with the one on the cover here. It is just perfect – a silhouette of the band with an orange-yellow glow symbolizing the sun rising on the Redeemers.

What are you working on now?

I have a basic outline put together for another character-driven novel, but I’m reluctant to say more out of superstition. I will say that it takes place in Northern England, so Maria, I may be coming to you for help ϑ

Where can people buy your book?

Ahh, my favorite question. Here you go:

Amazon

B&N

It’s also available at many other sites including Smashwords, Kobo,the Sony Reader store, and Apple’s iBooks store.

Where can people go to read more about your work?

At ladiesandgentlementheredeemers, people can read the first chapter and access all the novel’s reviews and comments.

Thanks for the interview, Maria!

You're very welcome Michael. Thanks for being a fabulous guest. I don't know how much help I can be with your new book as it's set in Northern England and I'm in London... But give me a shout if I can be of assistance!



Remember to click the 'like' button or leave a comment below to enter for your chance to win a copy of this great book. It's an international competition. Good luck!

As many of you who follow my blog know, I have a few obsessions... apart from reading and writing, I also love music. I was therefore thrilled to be invited to West of Mars to discuss my new release The Dream and to reveal what songs remind me of the book.

Click on the link, to find out which song I most associate with The Dream, and why...
West of Mars

Thanks to Susan Helene Gottfried, author of Trevor's Song, for inviting me to West of Mars!

As many of you already know, I am running a series on my blog where each month I will pick one of my favourite indie books to recommend.

Here are my picks so far:

January: historical romance
February: murder/mystery
March: humour
April: supernatural/suspense

This month will be slightly different, as I will be recommending 5 books that all have a similar theme.

I read a lot of books that have been inspired in some way by music. I am quite obsessed with music :) I don't necessarily seek out books to read that have music as a theme but somehow I end up reading a lot of them. I have read many outstanding books by indie writers recently that have musical themes, so I thought it would make sense to recommend them together.

Firstly, I would like to recommend Metallic Dreams by Mark Rice



This one is simply a must read if you're a heavy metal or rock fan. This is one of my all time favourite books. The humour is wonderful and will have you laughing out loud. I'd recommend it to any music fan actually. Of course, this book can only be read by those with an open mind as there is some controversial content that may offend if taken out of context. One for the over 18s.

Here's the review I wrote when I read the book:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It's about a young man, Spark, who always dreamt of becoming a big name in heavy metal music. In his late teens he was part of a band 'Blood Brothers' who went their separate ways before they could make it into the big time. Some years later, Spark has a life changing experience and as a consequence he becomes determined to put his old band back together and live his dream. His belief is that the band will become successful, and he doesn't want to live his life in a dead end job when his passion lies in music. At its core, Metallic Dreams is about finding the courage to follow your dream, no matter how difficult it might seem to be. It is also about the power of love. It is indie fiction at its best, breaking out of the boundaries set by genre, and experimenting with new and exciting ways to write a story. It is extremely funny; hilarious in parts. I almost laughed out loud in public a few times whilst reading it. It does contain some controversial topics and taboo subjects, but those topics are skillfully woven into the story making them a realistic portrayal of very vivid characters' lives and experiences. This book is very original and entertaining. I would recommend Metallic Dreams to music fans, especially rock and heavy metal fans, as you will find much to relate to in the book. Due to some of the content in this book I would say it is only suitable for over 18s. I am looking forward to more books by this talented writer.

If you'd like to find out a bit more about the book, and the fabulous writer, here's a link to a recent radio interview where he talks about his writing journey and reads an excerpt from the book: Melissa Craig and Charity Parkerson Show. It's a very entertaining interview. (I was honoured to have been mentioned by the author in this interview!)


The next book, I would like to recommend is 33 Days: Touring In A Van. Sleeping On Floors. Chasing A Dream. by Bill See



Bill was the lead singer of the '80s rock band Divine Weeks, and this book is a memoir. It is a diary of a 33 day tour by the band. It's in essence a book about following your dream.

Here's my review:

‘It’s not about the having and the getting, it’s about the being and becoming.’

The story of a 33 day tour by the band Divine Weeks. Bill See, the author, was the lead singer of the L.A. band who enjoyed some notoriety in the ‘80s.
In this memoir, See has collected together journal entries and memories to create much more than just a tour diary. He documents the tour with a great descriptive narrative that really captures the moment and brings his memories to life. He also talks about his own dysfunctional home life, which in some ways spurred him on to chase his dream.

See is a talented writer, who is able to impart wisdom and knowledge through his prose.

I enjoyed reading about the band’s progression from an unknown group who played only weekday gigs in their home town, to a successful band touring nationwide. But this is not just a story about the band’s journey, it’s also about the individual band members’ personal journeys along the way. See’s introspective and thought-provoking prose make the book a compulsive and insightful read.
We follow the band on their first real tour, across the US and Canada in 1987, where they play small venues, often to a handful of people. But the band’s passion is such that they are determined to do anything to reach their dream of one day becoming real rock stars. They survive with hardly any money and sleep in a van and cheap hotels, or even on friends’ floors. There is a lot of humour sprinkled throughout the book which makes it an enjoyable read. I liked the fact that the author has included photographs of memorable parts of the tour and his life in the book. It gives an extra dimension to the story.

As well as being an enthralling tour diary, this book deals with such subjects as family life, alcoholism, racism, dysfunctional families, relationships, friendship, loyalty, and the power of dreams.
Divine Weeks’s story is an inspirational one that shows what someone can achieve if they follow their dream. The author captures the essence of the book best, when he says: ‘This book is for everyone who’s stood at their crossroads with a dream screaming inside wondering whether to choose the road that goes off the map or fold up their tent and head back home.’

Highly recommended.

The great thing about this book is that it is about a real band with real music. After reading the book, I looked up some of their music on YouTube and really like it. That makes the book extra special. Here's a link to the book trailer that also includes clips of their music. 33 Days Book Trailer

Bill See has an exceptional gift for writing and getting his message across. He comes across as very wise; a true artist.
33 Days is another must read for music fans, and for anyone who has ever had a dream. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you've read it. A permanent favourite.

Thirdly, I am recommending a wonderful novel, B-Sides and Broken Hearts by Caryn Rose



This one had me hooked from the start. I could relate to the main character, a music lover to whom music is like a lifeline.

Here's the review I wrote when I read the book:

B-Sides and Broken Hearts is the story of 37 year-old Lisa, who is finding it hard coming to terms with the death of Joey Ramone, one of her favourite musicians. His death forces her to think about her life and she finds that she is not happy. Her relationship with the predictable, Ian, is not the type of relationship she had envisaged for herself when she was young. The death of Joey Ramone leads to a torrent of emails from Lisa’s music-loving friends, and puts her back in touch with Jake, the singer with a successful band, Blue Electric. Lisa had been there with Jake and the rest of the band right from the start when they were unknown and penniless. She watched them grow into a band that could fill arenas. However, for the past 5 years her relationship with the band has been overshadowed by the fact that her boyfriend shows little interest in getting to know them. From the outside, all of Lisa’s friends have always thought she should have ended up with Jake. None of her friends like Ian. After Joey Ramone’s death, when Ian fails to understand why she is so upset, Lisa makes the decision to visit her old friends in LA. She packs some belongings, mainly CDs for the journey, and drives all night to revisit her past. Lisa goes on a journey in this novel, to find the person she really is. After a tragic relationship when she was younger, she had lost her way. Will her old friends in LA help her reconnect with the real Lisa?

This book is about dreams, friends, love, relationships, and above all it is about music and how music can have a profound influence on our lives.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt that the world had ended because their favourite band split up, anyone who obsessively waited for new albums to be released by their favourite bands and spent their last pennies on gigs and records, anyone who has ever screamed the lyrics to their favourite songs while driving in their car... This is a book for dreamers, and reaffirms the importance of believing in your dreams, and following your heart.
It is well written and engaging. I found myself feeling sad when I knew that the story would soon end. The ending is poignant and uplifting at the same time. This is a must read for music lovers.


This is a novel but reads almost like a memoir. Again it's a must read for music lovers. I found it hard to put down, and really wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters.

The next book I'm recommending is by wonderfully talented musician and writer, who is also very friendly and supportive of fellow artists.

Pixels of Young Mueller by Jerry Schwartz is a coming of age story about a boy who always dreamed of becoming a rock star.





It's about how life can get in the way of our dreams. In a similar way to B-Sides and Broken Hearts, it reads almost like a memoir. And, like 33 Days, it has the added bonus of being based on an actual band. Jerry is the lead singer/musician behind the band The Jerrys whose music is mentioned in the book. Here's a link to the band website: The Jerrys

Here's my review:

"My life is a movie in which the main character spends his life running from one dumb job to another" Klaus Mueller.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a breath of fresh air in respect of the honesty of the lead character's thoughts within the pages. At times I was questioning whether this is in fact a memoir or a fictional story, and perhaps the author would like us to wonder about that.
Klaus Mueller is a young boy when we meet him, he has dreams of becoming a rock star. This entertaining story is written in chapters relating to different stages of Mueller's life as he grows from a boy to a man, becomes a husband and a father.
Anyone who has ever wanted to break free from the confines of a 9-5 job will relate to young Mueller; anyone who has ever dreamed to making a living from their artistic endeavours will also relate; anyone who has ever loved music to such a degree that it became all encompassing will relate; and anyone who has just stopped to look around and questioned that there must be more to life than the life they are living will relate to this young man's story. I think that just about covers everyone.
This is a story of an ordinary man who does not live blindly but questions everything around him. It's an entertaining look at life. I found myself agreeing with a lot of the character's opinions about things, and I could relate to the struggles of an artist trying to fit into 'normal' routine existence.
Well written, insightful and thought provoking, with some laugh-out-loud moments, I would recommend this book to everyone. It's also almost a social history book, as notorious events from the past 5 decades are scattered throughout the story. Anyone who grew up in the '60s or '70s will no doubt enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Finally, I'd like to recommend Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers by Michael Scott Miller.

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Here's my review:

This is a wonderful book, well written and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers, tells the story of Bert Ingram, a once successful music rep who worked for a major record company. Now facing middle-age, he finds himself destitute with nothing to show for the years he spent following his dream and the passion he has for music and spotting great talent. His former colleagues have given up on him and he seems destined to spend the rest of his life as an outcast. Bert has something to prove, so he makes it his mission to find raw talent among the down and outs in San Francisco; the musicians who play music on the streets. He has already set his sights on a singer he has spotted at Montgomery Street BART Station. We follow Bert as he tries to put together a band of musicians and lead them to super stardom, to prove to his former associates that he is still a major player.

The characters are introduced by the author in individual chapters, where we learn about their backgrounds and lives. Although they are all quite different, they are brought together by one man who has seen something in them. Bert Ingram prides himself on being able to spot talent when he sees it. I liked the interaction between the band members and between Bert and the individuals in the band. It is a very realistic portrayal of a band and all of the behind the scenes aspects of that. I recently read an excellent memoir about the life of a touring band 33 Days by Bill See, and I was reminded of certain parts of that book when I was reading Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers.

The story of The Redeemers teaches us that everyone can learn something from another person, no matter who that person is. It also shows that it is possible for people of different social classes and backgrounds to come together and get along with each other when ignorance and prejudice are set aside.

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers, reminds us that following our dreams is important, and listening to those who have experience is an important part of the journey.

Highly recommended. A book that music fans will love.

I love the characters in this book, they are so realistic. It's fiction, but you would be mistaken for thinking that the author is writing about real people, real band members. Another book that music lovers will enjoy.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you'll try the books.

Look out for next month's pick!

Those of you who follow my blog will know that music is probably as big a part of my life as reading and writing. I'm currently running a series here where I'm introducing a few of my favourite indie musicians.

My guest today is talented musician and producer, Jason Achilles Mezilis. Jason plays guitar in the rock band Owl, and that's how I first heard of him. When I started following the band a few years ago, I then found out that Jason also had a solo project. I bought his album, which includes an instrumental track. 'Jerry's Song'. When I was putting together my book trailer for Second Chances, I really thought that track would be perfect as the background music and Jason was kind enough to let me use it. Here's a link to the book trailer for those of you who may not have seen it: Second Chances - Book Trailer

I invited Jason here to chat about his musical career and his new band and upcoming projects.

Here's the interview:

You are currently involved in many different bands in some way or another... I know that you are a permanent member of the rock group Owl, and you have a new band that you have just started called Black Belt Karate, I've seen on Facebook that you also play with other musicians in LA. Which of your current projects would you say takes priority, and is it hard to juggle all the commitments?

Yeah, I know might seem like a lot. But with Chris touring with The Cult, Owl goes pretty inactive for a large stretch…so there aren’t as many conflicts as it might seem. Right now my priorities with that band [Owl] are just working to get our new album done, artwork and videos and so forth. And a lot of the artists I play with in LA are actually bands that I produce, and that’s my main involvement with them…sharing the stage is more of a fun side-benefit, when I’m available to do it…but they can all exist without me if need be. Actively right now the new band [BBK] is the primary focus – Black Belt KARATE has our big LA debut on Oct 11th, and we’ve been working hard on promoting our debut single / music video, which dropped a few months back, as well as the follow-up single “Kaleidoscope” which is slated for an Oct 30th release…with of course, another crazy music video. And I produce all the music (and videos) for that band, so it can add up to a full workload pretty quick



You are an independent musician with quite a bit of experience in the industry. What advice would you give to a band or musician who might be thinking of starting out? I know it's not an easy time for musicians in general, and the current economic climate has effected all artists in some way. Do you have any tips for the best way to get new music noticed, for example, have you noticed that certain social networking sites are better for promotion than others for musicians?

Ha – go be a doctor, instead! Make your parents happy…actually, it’s not a “hard” time for musicians, it’s just in flux…and that’s the hard thing to figure out, how to step into that groove that’s ever-changing. But it’s actually a great time if you have a lot of energy, at least a reasonable amount of talent, and a crazy hard work ethic. Strong addiction to caffeine doesn’t hurt either…or a general reprehension towards large amounts of sleep. Best way to get noticed is to bust your ass…the details are all up to you, but you won’t get there being lazy

When did you first learn to play music, and which was the first instrument you learnt how to play?

I started with piano, age 8…classical lessons for about 11 years. Didn’t pick up guitar, though, until 16 or 17 – early Van Halen records saw to that


A couple of years ago you released a great solo album, Between the Lines. How long did it take you to put that album together, and were the tracks written especially for the album or were they songs you'd written over the years?

Ah thank you ☺ well it’s interesting, the songs on that record were never conceived of to be a “collection” of any sort…it was actually just something where I looked back on the past couple years of fun little side-project recording one-off sessions I did with friends, and realized somehow there was enough of a thread there that I could compile them into an EP release. A lot of that had to do with the fact that they were all the same lead singer, an incredibly gifted vocalist friend of mine named Darin Bennett…who always came down and sang his balls off for a bottle of Jack Daniels. Good stuff




Your musical style on 'Between the Lines' has been described as 'Dirt Rock'; where did that description originate from, and do you think it's a good way to describe your style?

Definitely. As best I can recall, the expression “Dirt Rock” came from a recording studio I worked at in SF, about 11 years ago…one of the other interns overheard my early demos when I was first developing that sound, during a late-night tracking session, and that’s essentially what it sounded like to him. I loved it – I’ve always felt my guitar sound has a lonely cold rainy-night streets of San Francisco grit to it…that’s where it came from, I like to take it with me. Another of my buds here in LA calls my old Marshall amp the “dirt box” – so it all comes full circle. But that sound is all the amp, my homemade cabinet, and the guitar…no pedals, no tricks. It’s actually difficult to capture on tape sometimes, because it toes the line between distinction and mud, and all at rather loud volume


Do you have any other solo projects planned?

I have some conceptions, but nothing in a formative stage. I have a piano in my house now, so might involve something along those lines. I have a feeling any forthcoming solo release (in the near future) would be a strong departure from the rock n roll format, since my new band [BBK] is so fulfilling in that regard


Who were your favourite musicians when you were growing up, and are there any in particular that have influenced your style over the years?

When I was a little kid, a black-and-white TV broadcast of Vladamir Horowitz was what inspired me for piano. When I learned about rock n roll as a young teenager, I found Def Leppard (due to a cute girl having it written on her backpack) – and later Van Halen, which was what finally pushed me over the edge into guitar. When I was young, my father played classical guitar, but he was so good at it and it looked so impossible that it ironically steered me away from the instrument for many years

You are currently in a band, Owl, with Chris Wyse from The Cult, and Dan Dinsmore of The Clay People. How did you get involved in that project?



Chris and I were introduced through a mutual friend and became friends when I first moved to LA. We hit it off rather well to begin with, and became hiking buds over the years, when he lived up in Laurel Canyon. At the time Owl existed in different permutations, and I was always a fan of the band. At one point Chris felt he needed to start over with all new blood, so to speak, and I was invited to be a part of it…mainly just as a recording project. Truthfully, I didn’t know I was a full-fledged “band member” until the day I got a copy of the CD and saw my name was one of the ones in the big print ☺


Owl has a new CD coming soon. The first Owl album is an awesome progressive rock CD, self-titled Owl; it's one of my favourites, in fact. Can you tell us anything about the direction the new CD will take? Will Owl fans be surprised, or is it similar to the first record?

Ah thanks (again). Well the new CD was definitely conceived of differently, primarily in that the case of the first Chris acted much more as director of the ship, much more controlling of the minutiae. That’s not a bad thing, he just had a very specific vision and found hands to fulfill that. And the songs had been around for a while. This time around, Chris has been a lot more hands-off with our contributions…before he would sit over my shoulder and tell me where to go, this time he just left the room, said “make it awesome”, and came back a few hours later. And hopefully I would! But primarily the songs are still his composition, of course, and he still helmed the production duties. On the performance aspect this new record definitely carries more of our individual personalities. And in that regard, I’ve never considered myself much of a guitar “soloist” but I have to say I’ve got a couple leads on this new record that are some of the best stuff I’ve done…it’s quite cool. And Dan’s playing is massive, really huge and full of personality. Of course Chris brings everything he’s got as well…so it’s a lot to contend with!


Are there any plans for Owl to tour outside of the US?

No plans…but fuck it would be awesome


Your new band Black Belt Karate, recently released a single, Servant, which I think is fantastic. The video is great and is extremely well done. BBK will release an album soon, I understand. Can you tell us a bit more about how BBK came to be, and what your plans are for the future of the band?



Thanks..! Well as to the album thing, I think that may actually not be our plan. I’m trying something new with this band, in terms of release schedule. The plan is to put out one single after another, and (for as long as financially feasible) release a music video to match. I suppose once we have enough releases for either an EP or a full album, that will come together…but right now I feel the digital world has driven us back to a singles market, and I am attempting to ride that whale as best we can, in perhaps a new and unique fashion. The band itself was formed initially on the ashes of my former band with the lead singer Ryan, which was Your Horrible Smile. We had about a 3-year run in LA a number of years ago, and imploded rather predictably, but perhaps before our time. So this is another go, but revitalized, hopefully wiser…and definitely playing better together in the sandbox. Our drummer (also a Ryan) is a longtime friend who actually played on a number of those tracks from my solo release. And Harry (on bass) is a newcomer, but he’s fantastic..full of personality, and a monster player. These guys really are the best of the best, it’s exhilarating for me, making music with them

How would you describe BBK's musical style?

Oh man…I don’t know. It’s a pretty straight down the arrow rock band, but definitely a lot of strong seemingly disparate elements…strong melodically, very rhythmically oriented, with some progressive, some grunge, some beach-boys styled harmony vocals, some so-cal desert rock, some east cost punk style F-you attitude. A lot of good stuff

I know many musicians say that touring/playing live is the best part of what they do. Is that your view, or do you enjoy other aspects of your musical journey just as much?

Yep. Love it

If you could play a gig in any venue in the world where would that be?

I have nothing specific, just mid-sized touring venues and up. Enough to get the boys paid (myself included) and support a strong following. Definitely overseas, would be fantastic


If you could tour as a support band (with Owl or BBK) with any major group, who would you choose?

Well they’re rather different. BBK I’d probably say Queens of the Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, or something similar. Owl…I don’t really know. Chris is the one with his finger more securely on the pulse of that band, and the energy he wants it to put out, so he’d be the one to ask.


I know that you own a recording studio, can you tell us a bit about what types of bands you produce there?

Yes. Organic Audio Recorders, in downtown LA. I’ve also been doing a lot of work recently out of my newly constructed home studio, which my friends and clients have come to refer to as “The Acropolis”. Between the two, it really runs the gamut from crushingly loud metal / indie rock bands, to soft-spoken singer-songwriters and jazz and so forth. For me, the excitement is in recording new styles and with new techniques that I haven’t explored previously.

What music are you listening to these days (apart from your own!)? Are there any new bands that have caught your attention?

Sometimes I flip on the radio just to say somewhat abreast of what’s current…but mostly I listen to talk radio. I don’t want too much outside influence on my art, I like to keep it rather pure and close to the heart. I listen more to new bands when clients bring them in, as a comparative measure for whatever they are going for. But nothing specific stands out right now. There’s one brand new rock song I hear on the radio all the time now, that I like very much (which doesn’t happen too often) – but in this case I have no idea who performs it


Where do you get your musical inspiration from?

Internally. I would categorize myself as very abstract, in that fashion. Outside influence has very little to do with the riffs and ideas I come up with. The biggest outside influence on my art is perhaps the rhythm of my footsteps…that first happened in San Francisco, where I didn’t have a car for a year. I’m not one of those artists that looks at or feels something like a perplexingly lovely sunset, then translates it into music…although that is fun to do sometimes, as an exercise. I do some work helping score video games with a composer friend of mine, we did the last few “Raving Rabbids” scores together, if any one reading this is familiar. And in that case, you are presented with a scene and very specific instructions, in terms of what they want…and you go for it. Of course this is background music, not high art. But it’s fun as hell


From following you on FB, I know that you are a big fan of Star Wars. What is it about those films that you love?

Indeed. Oh man, it just seems so tangible…I’m a huge fan of science fiction, and that scene in Empire where Han is desperately trying to repair the Falcon on Hoth, and Chewie blows some electrical lead and smoke and sirens are going off…it just feels as real as the auto shop from high school. It’s fantastic. And of course the score through those movies really transcends to a higher place, emotionally. It’s all just great




As I'm interviewing you on Goodreads, it's only right that I should ask about your reading habits. Do you like to read? If so, do you have any favourite authors/books?

I don’t read much, and when I do it’s usually from those slew of new books on latest findings and fuzzy arguments in the world of quantum mechanics, big questions about the evolution of the cosmos, that sort of thing. In terms of fiction, not much at all…I barely have enough time on my hands to catch an occasional movie every now and again. BUT for book lovers, I would absolutely recommend Rambles Through My Library by Raymond Smullyan…it’s my current bathroom book, and it’s written by a book-lover, for book-lovers

Do you prefer print books or ebooks?

Books. Absolutely

Do you have any upcoming events that you'd like to tell people about?

Well the big thing is the release of BBK’s 2nd single “Kaleidoscope” and accompanying music video. The single drops on Oct 30th, and the video probably a week or two later…we’re still making it. Owl’s new album release date is still tentative. I am currently in studio production with new releases from both Noah Engh & the Kansas City Bankroll, and Albert Garrett & the Bad Romantics…both of which I would expect early next year, perhaps on my new label (Organic Audio) – but not sure yet

Where are the best places online for people to find out more about you and your music?

BBK’s first single “Servant” and the forthcoming “Kaleidoscope” on iTunes, along with the Owl first album of course, as well as releases from many of the artists I produce (and occasionally perform on recordings with). My solo record you referred to earlier is currently NOT available online, but I am hoping to get that live again in the coming months. In the meantime if anyone wants a copy they can contact me directly, or steal it from you! My old band [Your Horrible Smile] has a great track online entitled “Shot at the Title” on iTunes, that’s definitely worth picking up. I also did another “solo” effort of sorts, amusingly enough entitled “The Solo Project” which industrious folks can dig around and find somewhere online. And I believe I still have a solo release under my full name [Jason Achilles Mezilis] on iTunes entitled “Schizmatique No. 2” that is a live recording of a piano piece I wrote and had performed at my graduation recital from UC Berkeley, many moons ago…it’s somewhat in the vein of a Shostakovich Prelude, very animated and full of life. A difficult song to play, but the pianist who conquered it for that particular performance was very generous, and gave what was needed. It’s quite cool, actually, for those into more classical-bent solo compositions

Where can people buy your music?

Again, just visit iTunes and search for “Black Belt Karate” or “Owl” – that’s the best / easiest. Or my name for the solo piece

Thank you!

Thank you, for being a great guest, Jason. I wish you continued success with all your musical projects!

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You can follow Jason's new band Black Belt Karate on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBK_Official and also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BLaCkBeLtKARATE
And, those of you in LA, if you're free on the 11th October, why not check out the band's debut performance?

Today, I am thrilled to be introducing you to a talented musician I met through Twitter. Alexandra Le Monnier's band hails from Hertfordshire, a place I used to live and work not too long ago.

When I first came across Alex, she was in a rock band called Le Monnier. She has recently started a new band August Gone, so I wanted to interview her about that. The debut single, Watch You Bleed, is great, and you can get a FREE mp3 copy on Soundcloud! Here's the link: http://soundcloud.com/augustgone/watc...




Here's the interview!

I first came across your music when you were in the rock band Le Monnier. I have both Le Monnier albums and have enjoyed listening to them. I know that the band has split recently. Will the two albums still be available to purchase? If so, where can people buy those?

The ‘Le Monnier’ albums are still available. If anyone is interested in a hard copy please get in touch with me via http://www.facebook.com/lemonnierband.

Le Monnier have not so much split, it was more that Le Monnier was renamed as it morphed into the new project ‘August Gone’. I had been meaning to change the band name for sometime now, as I had never been comfortable with using my surname. As the founding member and main writer I did not see the problem at the bands decision to use it. However when we ran into problems at gigs with people remembering it, spelling it and especially pronouncing it, I thought it was definitely something that needed to be changed, and the time was now. The sound has not changed so much, just fine-tuned, concentrating on rock rather than metal.



Tell us a bit about how August Gone got together

‘August Gone’ got together surprise, surprise just at the end of August, beginning of September. Aaron and Kayli having both been in the previous band ‘Le Monnier’, they were both up for the name change and got a real buzz from the new name. ‘Watch You Bleed’ is the first track Kayli is featured on taking over from her brother Josh Williams. We had lots of fun in the studio. Aaron got to have a good experiment with his guitars and they sound absolutely massive in the mix. ‘August Gone’ is much more than the renaming of ‘Le Monnier’ to us. The new name has given us a new outlook and a fresh start.


August Gone's first single Watch You Bleed (which is a fantastic rock song, by the way), is available to download free via the band's Facebook page. Are you working on an album and if so, do you have an idea when it will be released?

‘Watch You Bleed’ is one of the two singles we are releasing before Christmas. We really wanted an emotive passionate rock song to kick off this new journey. The response has been great and we plan to push it very far. The second single - an acoustic track called ‘Where I Stand’ shows off our unplugged side. This is also going to be available as a free download and a lyric video shall be released with it. We are currently working on material for an EP, but it could turn into an album, you never know. We are planning the EP release for Spring 2013. We are currently working with a great producer at our local rehearsal/recording studio. The track ‘Watch You Bleed’ really shows off our capabilities with the better production, bringing out that LIVE ENERGY to our sound.

That sounds great. I like the lyric video you have done for Watch You Bleed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V4vL...



Do you have any upcoming tours planned?

Once the album is released we are looking at setting up a tour, I believe the popularity of guitar music, particularly rock music is on the rise again, especially in the UK. So hopefully this will allow us to connect with more people soon.


People like to compare bands to other bands when reviewing their albums. What famous band would you like August Gone to be compared to?

We would be delighted to be compared to any female fronted band, especially bands such as Halestorm, Paramore, Skunk Anansie or Fly Leaf. We have been told that we have a great sound that is both modern and has elements of the great rock artists of the past as well.


Who were your musical heroes when you were growing up?

The very first were what my parents listened to, so Queen, Tracy Chapman, Otis Redding, Whitney Houston and the Beatles. My first major music crush was Nirvana, I know nearly everyone says Nirvana, but it really was for me. I heard a couple of songs – I think it was Lithium and Something In the Way, off a compilation tape that my sister’s boyfriend had given her and I was just hooked.





At age 13 I begged my Dad for two albums ‘Nevermind’ and ‘Incesticide’ and I was over the moon when he said yes and got them for me. The band that really got me excited and wanting to start a band was Alice In Chains.




I first heard of them by watching the Cameron Crowe film ‘Singles’. I love everything about this band and just wanted to do exactly what they were doing but in my own way.





I love Alice in Chains, too :)

If you could play a gig at any venue, anywhere in the world, where would you like to play?

Madison Square Garden, New York. Or any country that still loves guitar rock music!


If August Gone could tour with another band, who would you choose and why?

In Seattle, bands like Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana would be on the same bill. I would like that type of thing to happen to us, where a few bands just get together and tour their asses off to the same people that love all that music. At this point of time I would love to support a band like Skunk Anansie or Fly Leaf.



What kind of music do you like listening to these days and do you have any favourite bands?

I just recently saw Halestorm and they were just WOW, I was in awe of her voice, absolutely amazing! I love strong female vocalists that really know how to convict emotion. In my CD player now I currently have the new albums from Heather Nova, Pink and No Doubt. I am also in love with Lit’s new album along with Rival Sons and Stone Sour.

Ah, Stone Sour, I'll be seeing them on tour with Papa Roach in December :)


Do you write the band's songs alone or with others?

In all projects I have always been the main songwriter, I like to bring lots of ideas to the table and explore them with the band. I think with the ‘August Gone’ material I have managed to tweak what I had in mind for ‘Le Monnier’ and I have got it dialled in now.


It's always hard to go through transitions, but sometimes it's good to start fresh with good ideas and have an experience that causes strong emotions. What has happened over the past few months comes through in the music and that cannot ever be bought or learnt.


My lyrics have always come from my life stories or my thoughts. I really love sitting down with my acoustic bass in my lounge and writing songs, the vocal melody and bass line usually happen first and words come later but not always. I learnt piano first and then bass, and guess it just wasn’t enough to just sit and play, I had to start using my voice so it would weave in and out to make a song. I joined a choir shortly after in order to improve my singing.



As an indie musician, do you have any tips for anyone who might be thinking of producing their own music? Have you found that any particular website/social networking platform works better than others for promoting music?

Network platforms are forever advancing and not always in your favour, such as facebook controlling how many fans you reach, to hit a larger percentage of your fans you now have to pay to post. I think having your own mailing list via ‘mail chimp’ or ‘blogspot’ is a good way to be direct with your fans. My biggest advice to other bands is to not cut corners on your product i.e. recordings and music videos, try it doing it yourself but don’t do everything yourself just to save money. Give yourself some room to concentrate on what you do best, which is enjoy the ‘MUSIC’ and leave any egos at the door. A band is like an intense version of a family, treating it solely as a business can damage the soul of a group of friends playing music together. It’s good to be resourceful and choose what’s important to spend your hard earned money on but remember to be smart and have fun.

What instruments do you play, and are there any that you don't play that you'd like to learn?

I played double bass at school, they gave me an instrument on loan to join the orchestra which was good but not exactly very me. My first instrument was piano, copying what my older sister did and going to lessons with her. My bass guitar has been my side companion since I was 14 years old, which my parents lovingly got me as my Christmas present. Apart from buying a piano and double bass one day I am not compelled to try anything else right now. I am just a self-confessed air drummer, Kayli has a right good giggle when I air drum listening to her tracks.


As I'm interviewing you on Goodreads, it's only right that I should ask you a bit about your reading habits. Do you like to read? If so, who are your favourite authors?

I love reading, my other half actually gets quite annoyed at how incoherent I become when engrossed in my kindle. I love fantasy and romance fiction. Biographies are okay as long as they are funny, Ozzy Osbourne was laugh out loud brilliant. My favourite authors are Laurell K. Hamilton and Kelley Armstrongas I have read both their entire collection/series.


Do you prefer print books or eBooks?

I like both, but decided to invest in a kindle when I started running out of shelf space. I rent at the moment and I was just too lazy to visit B&Q and risk losing my deposit by doing a bodge job of fitting more furniture. There is also the benefit factor that some e-books are a lot cheaper and there is the eco friendly side to it. The only problem with e-books is that it does piss me off in planes when asked to switch it off, then you think God I need to go back to paperback!

Ha, ha! I hate that too!

Where's the best place for people to keep up to date with your news?

The best place to find out what I am up to is on twitter:

http://twitter.com/LeMonnier_Alex

My music catalogue page is:

http://soundcloud.com/alexandra-le-mo...



For my band ‘AUGUST GONE’ please visit:

Website: www.augustgone.com

Bandpage: http://augustgone.bandpage.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/augustgone

Blog: http://augustgone.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: http://twitter.com/augustgone

Youtube: www.youtube.com/augustgoneband

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/augustgone



Thank you, Alex! I wish you and August Gone every success with your music

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Don't forget to download your free copy of 'Watch You Bleed', August Gone's excellent debut single, and make sure you follow Alex and the band on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the latest news!

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Simon Sweetman, of "Off the Tracks" blog, to write a guest post for his series, "Five Albums I'm Loving Right Now". As a music lover, I could not resist this.

Here's a link to my post:

http://www.offthetracks.co.nz/five-al...

If you're a fan of rock music, I have a treat for you today. I recently discovered this band on my wanderings around the Internet, and they are now one of my favourites. Evilyn Strange have released quite a few singles recently, all of which have been well received by radio stations, and are doing well in rock charts. You can download a few free mp3s from Reverbnation to sample their music, and they are currently working on a new album, Mourning Phoebe, which is to be released in a couple of months.







I recently interviewed 2 of the band members, Phillip Strange and Al Strange.

The Interview:



How did you come up with the name for your band?

Phillip: Credit for that has to go to Al as it was 100% his idea so I'll let him explain...

Al: A couple of buddies of ours, Edgar and Alan Frog, suggested it...Apparently Keith Moon came to them in a dream and said that our band was "evil and strange" and would probably go down like a lead balloon at a rave...it kinda stuck...

Have you always been musicians? Tell us a bit about your musical background.

Al: No, before I became a musician I played the drums...

Phillip: I didn't pick up an instrument until I was 16 years of age although I've always been a singer. As kids Al and I used to write songs together just for the hell of it and he's always been a natural on the keyboard prior to drums regardless of what he just said, LOL! :)

Evilyn Strange includes members from the UK and Sweden. How did you all meet and how does it work in terms of getting together to record/write the songs?

Al: I believe Mikael came over to London, England (not to be confused with London Bridge, USA) with the intention of plundering and doing all that cool Viking stuff, kinda like the band Europe have been doing for the last 30 years or so. We hooked up through a music paper and
the rest is toilet roll...sorry, rock n roll. Thanks to the interweb, the world is a very small place...

Phillip: We can meet when we want really but obviously it needs a bit of planning, so we can't just decide to go and do a gig for example. That's the main disadvantage for us.

Who writes the songs for Evilyn Strange?

Phillip: Al and myself wrote all the songs this time out although we have written with Mikael previously.

What type of music did you listen to growing up?

Al: My first love was The Police, mainly down to Stewart Copeland's drumming, but I was brought up on a diet of great singers (Noddy Holder, Lou Gramm, and The Nolan Sisters) so it was no surprise that I got into singers' singer John Farnham, Whitesnake, Badlands, and A-ha. After 1987 I didn't look back...Phill also made me listen to his Yngwie records which left a lasting impression on my haircut for many years.



Phillip: LOL, I think The Nolan Sisters is a typo (surely they were known as The Nolans?). I was a massive Adam and The Ants fan as a small child but I have to say the biggest influence from my youth are Whitesnake and Badlands. All the music Al mentions is still in my CD collection alongside The Beatles, The Cult, Thin Lizzy, Megadeth and Aussie art rockers Icehouse. Has to be said that we were not afraid to like something because of its 'genre' and what Al says about Yngwie Malmsteen is true - I love his work from the 80's and 90's. I just picked up his autobiography in actual fact... :)

I saw Yngwie Malmsteen last year at the Marshall concert at Wembley. He is great! My sister was always a big fan of his, so she was happy to finally see him play live

If Evilyn Strange could support any band on tour, who would you
choose, and why?

Al: I'd love to support Europe, Shinedown, or Whitesnake now Tommy's back on the drums cos' they all seem like great guys to hang out with!

Phillip: I think a tour with any of those guys would be an absolute pleasure!

I think Evilyn Strange would be the perfect support band for Whitesnake!

You're quite active on social media. Do you have any tips for indie bands as to which sites are good for promotion?

Al: I have no idea what social media is...Phill did it!

Ha, ha!

Phillip: Al barely uses email let alone the social sites. I'm no expert but it's a great place to meet like -minded people. It has also been a great source of inspiration, having met many musicians who are in the same boat as us. My tip would be to connect with other musicians and music lovers as they can inspire and support your band in equal measure. Also, there are some awesome indie Radio stations that will play your music too.

On Reverbnation, when people buy some of your songs, there is a donation to charity. Tell us a bit more about that and how you got involved.

Phillip: One of the bands I was following put me on to that. I'd never even heard of ReverbNation at that point so it comes back to my previous point. The songs on ReverbNation are pretty old and some were recorded back in 1997. Rather than just take all the money it
seemed like a good idea to give back, particularly as it's a music based charity that we're helping. Al used to play drums for the school band on a 'kit' held together with sticky tape so he's seen the bad side of not having good equipment.

You've given away quite a few free songs. What do you think about the current trend of artists giving away free downloads?

Phillip: Again, if it helps people listen to us it's worth it. For bands like us who can't easily go out on the road it's not wise to give away too many songs as it's our only source of revenue. If someone downloads our songs and would like to hear more then it makes
sense for them to buy our music too. Without financial support our band will ultimately cease to exist.

Does Evilyn Strange have any tour plans?

Al: Wait and see...

Phillip: If the interest is there for the 'Mourning Phoebe' album...

As you're relatively new on the scene, what can fans do to help with promoting the band?

Al: Just enjoy the music and give us a heads up...

Phillip: Yep, tell your friends about that great new band you're listening to and point them in our direction! :)

I understand that you have a new album coming out. Is this the first album? Tell us a bit more about your plans for the release.



Al: We plan to unleash the record on an unsuspecting world and inspire peace, love and tolerance...

Phillip: 'Mourning Phoebe' will be the first album released under the Evilyn Strange name. It will be available on both digital and CD formats. The first 50 CD's will have an exclusive limited addition Evilyn Strange guitar pick. Al wanted to give away drumsticks but they would cost more than the CD to produce, LOL! :)

As I'm interviewing you on a website that is full of book lovers, it makes sense to ask: do you like to read? If so, who are some of your favourite authors?

Al: I believe 100% of everything I read. My current favourite is Jim Chapin's not so modern syncopation drum bible...other than music I'm a big Robert Ludlum and Eric Van Lustbader fan!

Phillip: I'm a major fan of autobiographical, historical, and factual books - which is strange as I like to watch fiction. I have a soft spot for Lustbader's 'Ninja' series and I love the work of Steig Larsson and Stephen King. Everyone should own at least one Maria Savva book too - look her up on Amazon, she's awesome! :)

I've heard of that author... she has some great books. I think people should own at least ten of them ;)

Do you listen to much new music? If so, are there any emerging bands that have interested you lately?

Al: Shinedown was probably the last modernish band that I really got into...I find a lot of the modern rock stuff dull, uninspiring and lyrically tired/ignorant. Where are the poets like Pal Waaktaar?! I still play the first Badlands CD to death...it's so honest, soulful and refreshing even after nearly 25 years.

Phillip: I just got hold of the 'Calling All Astronauts' CD which I'm enjoying immensely. The US brothers 'Aranda' have also just come to my attention as well as 'Firegod Mountain', a Swedish group formed from the ashes of 'Hellfuelled'. I'm also a big fan of a singer songwriter called Michael Hennessy who is worth a moment of anybody's
time...

If you could play any venue in the world, which would you choose
and why?

Al: My house, it's easy to get to and the toilets are in great shape!

Phillip: I've played the smallest places and the Bradford Rio's of the world so the only logical thing would be a step up to City Hall sized venues. An Arena sized venue would be a cool challenge for me as a front man and it'd be nice to find out what it's like without going on some awful TV talent show.

If you had the chance to play with a famous musician (alive or dead) who would you pick?

Al: I'd play triangle as an accompaniment to Rod Morgenstein (Winger, Dixie Dregs). He is a drum genius, and even more than that he seems like a great guy!

Phillip: I'm in a band with my two favourite musicians already but I'd loved to have stood on a stage next to Ronnie James Dio just to witness the power of his voice first hand.



Where are the best places for fans to keep up with Evilyn Strange's news?

Phillip: I would say twitter (http://twitter.com/evilynstrange) is a good starting point. Links to reviews and music can also be found over on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evilyn...

Where can people buy your music?

From 13th July, 2013, the CD will be exclusively available from our
website via PayPal:

http://www.evilynstrange.co.uk

Digital versions of the album will be available on iTunes, Amazon, and
Spotify:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mourning-Phoe...

Do you have any other news for Evilyn Strange fans?

Al: UUrrrgggh! I just exploded and turned into a green gooey mess!!
Hair today, goo tomorrow!!

Phillip: LOL, looks like we may have just lost our drummer!

LOL Thanks for the very entertaining interview, Phillip and Al. I'm looking forward to the new album!

**********************************************************************************************

I hope you all enjoyed the interview. Don't forget to go to Reverbnation to get your free music downloads, and make sure you're following @EvilynStrange on Twitter to keep up with all the news!

Today I am thrilled to be featuring one of my favourite musicians. Chris Wyse plays bass for The Cult, and has toured and played with many famous musicians and bands, including Ozzy Osbourne, and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.

A few years ago, Chris started up his own band, OWL. Their excellent debut album, also called Owl, was released in 2009. You can listen to that on their website: http://www.owltheband.net/music/

This year on 9th April, they released a follow up album, The Right Thing. It's available via their website, or on iTunes and Amazon

OWL features two other musicians, Jason Achilles Mezilis of Black Belt Karate, who I interviewed on the blog last year, and Dan Dinsmore, of The Clay People


INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS WYSE:

OWL is a progressive rock band and you are creating some very original music. Which musicians/bands have influenced the type of sound you create with the OWL albums?

Thanks. Initially Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Iron Maiden of course because of my love for Steve Harris and his bass playing. I think these bands had a "no boundaries" mentality, and opened me up to music in super creative new way. I like being different and sometimes that comes with a lot of criticism. I always heard stuff like "you can't do that on bass!"

I like things that are "different" :)

Having read a few of the recent interviews, I understand that the new album is much more of a joint project between yourself and the other band members, whereas the first album was mainly your creation. Has that changed the sound of the music in any way, and if so how?

Our debut album, I had written beforehand. It was like the flood gates opening and I had much to get out of me. Our new release "The Right Thing" was done with a more open canvas. I would maybe have a song close to done but missing something, and be happy to let Jason and Dan to fill in the blanks. We have grown immensely and know what works and how to maximize each other's talents. I don't think I had much to say to Dan ever. We just played and I was like, "I can't believe the drum stuff he is coming up with". One day Jason was just playing his acoustic guitar and I said, "Man that's really beautiful. What song is that?" and he said, "Chris, that's ours." We had worked on it one day previous and he happened to record it on his phone. It's been organic and has developed in a great way.

One of the most original things about your band, OWL, is that you play the upright bass (or double bass). To many people that wouldn’t seem like a very “rock” instrument; at least it’s not a common instrument to find in a modern day rock band. What made you decide to use the upright bass for OWL?



Its funny how it all has flipped. The original Rock and Roll was Elvis and bass guitar didn't even exist yet. The only option was upright bass. So it is really cool to bring awareness in our times. I really was getting extreme on bass guitar and upright just seemed like the next step. Playing with a bow and using effects seemed so amazing to me so on I went on a new and challenging journey studying classical double bass in college.



Another original thing about OWL is that there are only 3 members. Most bands tend to have 5 or more members. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having less band members?

I just always like trios. It allows each member to be fully expressive and cover their ground. If we are missing something we can always have a guest.

You’ve been promoting the first single from the album, ‘The Right Thing’. The video is great. I like it when bands make videos that are like short films for their songs. Not many bands are making videos anymore. How important do you think it is for bands to have a good video for a song?

I think the visual part is imperative.

Who designed the cover for the new album, and was it based on any ideas that came from the band?

Dan did all the art. Cool stuff.



When you write songs, is there any structure to how the songs come together, do you think of the lyrics first then add music, or does the music come first?

I write mostly from choruses. I usually hear the music and basic lyric in my head. Otherwise it's jamming and improvisation.

What inspires your music?

Emotions

Do you keep up with the music scene, and if so, are there any new bands that you’ve heard lately that you’d recommend?

I go see bands all the time. I watched "Vintage Trouble" come up here in Hollywood and think they are killer.

I've never heard of them; will have to check them out!

You have played with many famous musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne, Jerry Cantrell, and Ace Frehley, as well as now being a member of The Cult. Are there any musicians that you haven’t had the opportunity to play with that you would like to?

I'd like to play with Jack White and Dave Grohl. I'd like to play upright with Snoop.

I understand that you were a fan of The Cult long before you started playing with them. What did it feel like when you first started playing bass in a band that you’d long admired?

It’s interesting because as a pro you just go in and bring your best energy and let it flow. Bob Rock called me and I just jumped in and recorded "Beyond Good and Evil". (This is in 2000 when I first met them). They wanted some new energy and I didn't worry about anything. I was very comfortable. Ian's voice made a big impression on me in person. He is very loud and strong. I've learned how to project more singing with him. Billy has such a distinct style and sound and I really respect that attention to detail. I've really been blessed because it all feels very natural. I'll go on a limb and try or suggest things.  Some fly, some don't. I really try and honor their history while also bringing in the new stuff when it's called for.



If you were putting together a “supergroup” of the best musicians (living or dead), who would be in the band, and what song would the band cover?

David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, John Bonham, and Geezer Butler.
"I did it my Way"

Wow! Great choices. That would be an amazing version of the song!

I know that you were into music from a very young age, having seen a YouTube video showing you as proficient on the bass at the age of sixteen! When did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

At 8 years old when I saw "Kiss Alive 2" in stores. At 14 I picked up bass because of Iron Maiden.



You recently played bass on a version of "I Love Rock’n’Roll" for the Music is Hope Foundation, tell us more about that and how you got involved.

I'm friends with producer John Jones and I love the cause. John and I just spoke recently about me doing another track.

As a successful independent musician, do you have any tips for bands that might be starting out?

Play out. Don't be afraid to be different.

As I’m interviewing you on a website full of book lovers, can you tell us whether you like to read, and if so, who are your favourite authors?

I read anything self-help and factual. I like Eckhart Tolle and just got Ace Frehley's bio on my Nook.

With The Cult, you have toured worldwide. What are some of your favourite places to play?

South America has the best crowds. Hands down.

Who were your favourite musicians when you were growing up?

Steve Harris, Eddie Van Halen, Jim Morrison, Ozzy

What are the tour plans for promoting the new OWL album?

We have been performing NY and LA based shows around our record release. And we have been opening for some national bands including In This Moment and 10 Years.  We have another west-coast run in June, and will be performing with our good friends in Killcode at the Viper Room on June 22nd. We also have a video out for the title track "The Right Thing" and a new video on the way for "Destroyer"

What are the best places for people to connect with OWL online and keep up with the latest news?

Social sites. FB, Twitter, Owl's website

Apart from The Cult and OWL, are you involved in any other projects at the moment?

Lately I've been popping up as a guest with bands. I love that I can do some bow stuff on top of the band. It is great to change it up and experience other bands and learn from people all the time. 



Thank you, Chris, for taking the time to answer my questions!

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If you're in the area, you should check out OWL's upcoming shows:

Fri June 21
Whiskey Richards, Santa Barbara
9pm


Sat June 22
The Viper Room, Hollywood
8:45 - KILLCODE
9:45 - OWL

I'd also highly recommend both their albums if you're a rock fan!