BeatCrave.com » Interviews with Musicians

Rival Sons: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:34:07 +0000

You voted Rival Sons your BeatCrave Fav of the month of November! These four rockers from Long Beach, California just finished a Euopean Tour, and already have some more tour dates readied for early 2012. Their latest album Pressure and Time has a mixture of sounds that verge upon rock, funk, and a great feeling of freedom that exudes the album. They have garnered international attention for a reason: they seem to have fun doing what they do best! We caught up with lead vocalist Jay Buchanan to talk about touring, advice, and his favorite food. Check it out in our exclusive interview below!

BeatCrave: You just finished your European Tour 2011. So tell us–are you glad to have a break or already missing the stage?

Jay Buchanan: We’ve been out for almost three months, I’m ready to go home and tune my engine a bit. The stage isn’t something I ever miss really, it’s always been there and it will always be there. The stage ends up being an occupational necessity for a life in music.

BC: I know you’re playing a gig on Thursday in London to raise money for Shelter, which is a housing and homelessness charity. Is homelessness an issue that’s really close to the heart for you all as a band?

JB: Human suffering is an issue close to the heart and of concern to each of us. Homelessness isn’t cancer, it isn’t terminal. Homelessness is circumstantial; a tough situation that can be radically changed if we put our minds to it.

BC: What about you personally-what cause really hits home for you?

JB: The operative word here is personally, as in -it’s personal and private.

BC: You’re all from Southern California, right? How do you think this area has influenced your music?

JB: We’re often asked that and it’s a tough one for me to answer. That’s where I come from, it’s all I know. We’ve got the Pacific Ocean, we’ve got the Mojave Desert, we’ve got world-renowned traffic and gang violence but our greatest asset is probably Mexican food.

BC: What kind of music did you grow up listening to, and what do you listen to now?

JB: I grew up listening to a lot of blues, soul, early rock’n roll, old country music, world music, and singer/songwriters. I am a man of great leisure and very little has changed.

BC: Obviously you each play one instrument predominantly for Rival Sons, yours being your own voice. What other instruments does each band member play, if any?

JB: I’ll write a song on anything that makes noise but my strong suit is stringed instruments and Scott is the same way. Miley is a vibraphone/percussion guy all the way with a crush on piano but Robin plays everything from tuba to whatever you want.

BC: We love the adventurous nature of tracks like “Pressure and Time” and “All Over the Road.” Can you tell us a bit about your songwriting process?

JB: For the last record it usually started with a jam out of one of Scott’s riffs or mine and we’d move onto form and I’d be writing melody and lyrics. Either that or it would be me bringing a complete song to the band and them interpreting it.

BC: What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

JB: I’ll give you the best advice you’ll ever get. Keep your ass behind you and your nose in front of you and things should work out fine.

BC: Now, this is possibly the most important question yet, and that’s why it’s a two-part question: what’s your favorite food? Favorite drink?

JB: Raw kale with garlic and habenero peppers is undoubtedly my favorite food and my favorite drink is my home-brewed iced tea.

BC: Awesome. So what’s next for Rival Sons?

JB: We’re home for a few weeks then an east coast tour of the US then into the studio for another record and it’s back to Europe early March until God knows when. Rinse, repeat.

Check out Rival Sons tour schedule on their Official Website.

Beijing: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:03:15 +0000

You voted Beijing your BeatCrave Fav of the month of October! The four rockers from New Haven, Connecticut whose sound is unique: a 90s grunge runs throughout their debut release, It’s Not So Simple, blending that same hardcore noise with a lighter, more fluid sound. The instrumental section can hold its own; indeed, there’s a certain beauty to the angsty fast pace and tightness of the band alone. But the lyrics, kicked out by skidding vocals across their noise rock base are truly the icing on the cake. Beijing is currently working on two full-length albums due out in Spring of 2011. Want to know more? Check out our exclusive interview with Thom Smith, who talked to us about the forming of Beijing, their two full-length upcoming releases, and the 60 songs they’re currently working on (yes, 60!)…

BeatCrave: You’re all from New Haven, Connecticut, right? How did you all meet and decide to play together?

Thom Smith: We practice just a few miles north of New Haven in a town called Bethany. With the exception of our bass player Jack, we all grew up in the surrounding area, so we consider New Haven to be our home. In terms of how we met and started playing together, we’re sort of like four star crossed lovers I guess haha.

Bill and I probably have the most history. We’ve known each other as acquaintances for a long, long time. A couple of years back, I was playing in a band called Swarm the Moon with a couple of mutual friends of ours and they suggested asking Bill if he wanted to play drums with us. Bill came by and played with us and our playing styles and personalities connected pretty much immediately.

In like February of this year, I realized that I was looking for something more serious than Swarm the Moon, so I bowed out and luckily Bill wanted to keep playing with me. At that point I started to look on Craigslist for folks (sketchy haha) and pretty much found Eric within like a day. We started passing songs back and forth and then hung out for a little bit and clicked in the same way that Bill and I had.

From there we were auditioning bass players, and even keyboard players for a while with no real success. Finally, I was down on a family trip to Jamaica in late April and started talking to my brother-in-law Jack about music. He’s actually a guitar player, but I convinced him to come and play bass with us. I guess we were pretty lit because he didn’t remember the conversation when we got back to CT haha. Anyhow, he took my word for it that the conversation did indeed happen, and in May, he practiced with us once and everything felt right, so we asked him to join the band, and that’s really when Beijing was formed.

We recorded about a month later, released our EP about another month after that and started playing shows, and now we’re back in writing mode so we can get back in the studio soon. I guess we’re still sort of a baby as far as our band lifecycle goes.

BC: What was the first song you all wrote together?

TS: The first song we wrote was “Glitch” which ended up being the first song of our EP. I had originally written the guitar in that song for my last band, but it never made the cut because it was just so different than what we were doing. Eric’s vocal melody really brought the song to life and changed the feel of it pretty drastically. We knew right away that it was a song that was going to sort of lay the groundwork for our overall style. Honestly, it’s still one of our favorite songs to play.

BC: Did you start off with original songs off the bat or play any covers first?

TS: We’ve always done originals. Playing covers just doesn’t really interest us that much. Every once in a while we will actually break into completely impromptu covers at practice, but they usually don’t last more than 30 seconds haha. We have talked about doing a cover someday though. Maybe after we finish writing and recording this next batch of songs. If I had to guess, it would most likely be a Bryan Adams song.

BC: What is your songwriting process?

TS: I guess I should start this by saying that we write too many songs to keep up with lol. I would say that on average between Eric and myself, we tend to write a few songs a week. We joke that the easiest way to tell the difference between a “Thom song” and an “Eric song” is that we use two different sounding drum machines. Jack writes as well, and is the person behind “New Beginning” which a lot of people seem to like the most out of our songs, so I think maybe we should start having him write more too haha.

There isn’t necessarily a set process, but its usually something like this… Someone comes up with a loose skeleton of a song and records it either with an acoustic, or with an electric against a drum machine and passes it around via email to see what everyone thinks. Nine times out of ten (maybe even ten times out of ten), we all like it and whoever wrote it usually does one more pass at it to flesh it out a little bit more. At that point it gets added to “the queue” which is probably about 60 songs deep right now.

When a song reaches the top of the queue, sometimes just Eric and I will meet up to get the structure to where we want it and come up with some lead melodies etc… Next we all work on it together at practice. The songs almost always change pretty dramatically at this point. We all add our sound to it and it ends up feeling like Beijing after that.

BC: You’ve noted that It’s Not So Simple is a tip-of-the-hat to the challenges and ups-and-downs faced by all. What kind of ups and downs do you face as a band?

TS: A lot of Eric’s lyrics deal with life and love which I think everyone can relate to. I remember hearing that lyric the first time and how much it resonated with me. It seemed very natural to be the title of the EP. We’ve been pretty fortunate so far to have many more ups than downs as a band haha. Honestly the worst problem we have had so far has been all of this awful New England weather lately which has been leaving us without power at our rehearsal space. Other than that, really our biggest challenge has just been trying to get our music out there which isn’t so simple.

BC: How often do you all get together and practice?

TS: We always get together at least once a week, almost always on Tuesdays. Sometimes Eric and I also get together another night to work on new stuff. We all practice/write/screw around on our own a lot more than that, but we pretty much are religious about getting together on Tuesdays.

BC: Any funny stories from recording sessions?

TS: Recording was a real learning process for us. We are so lucky that Jack has such a great ear and is so knowledgable about the recording process. We basically piled into his garage for a day and banged most of it out. One funny thing that happened was that I had pretty much nailed all of my guitar tracks in one take, but the next day, we listened back to them and they were all clipping so we had to throw them out and start again. Actually also, all of Eric’s vocals got done in his apartment on his eight track recorder and were emailed to Jack haha. I think that what we learned in recording “It’s Not So Simple” is that next time around, we are going to spend a lot more time to dial in sounds and experiment more with things like mic placements and stuff.

BC: Now, you’re working on two full-length albums anticipated in Spring 2012. The two separate releases have very distinct sounds, right? Can you explain?

TS: We probably spoke about that publicly too soon haha. We are still definitely considering it, but we’re leaving open the possibility of just doing one full length.

We started working on some darker, heavier stuff over the last few months and were thinking that it would be cool to release 2 albums. One of them being really bright, and one of them being really dark. At our last practice we started doing something really really heavy and decided that it didn’t really feel like us. Well, I guess I should say that at least for right now it didn’t feel like us. We may end up revisiting that one once we’ve had a chance to grow some more.

In any event, after we agreed that we were straining too hard on this new song, we started looking at what we had already done and realized that the songs that used to seem really dark to us, now felt like they could fit in with our other more energetic songs. So I guess at this point, we are just going to keep writing until the end of the year and then take a good listen at what we have to determine if it makes more sense to do one album or two. I don’t think we’ll really know one way or the other till January haha.

BC: Anything else you can tell us about the upcoming releases? Are you planning to tour in promotion of them?

TS: I can say that we are extremely excited about this batch of songs. We’ve learned a lot about each other as songwriters and musicians over the last 6 months of being a band, and I think that we have evolved quite a bit since the release of “It’s Not So Simple”. We find ourselves coming out of our shells more and more with every song that we write so it is getting very exciting to think that we will be recording them all soon. We’re going to be spending more time all around on the recording process so hopefully that will shine through. We’d definitely like to get out there to some more far away places to promote this. That’s sort of new to us so I think we are still trying to wrap our heads around how we even go about it haha. We have met so many cool people all over the world that have been ridiculously supportive of us, so we definitely want to try and play for as many of them as possible.

It’s Not So Simple is available for purchase at iTunes for $3.96. Keep up with shows and releases on Beijing’s Official Website.

Robert Jon and the Wreck: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:07:14 +0000

You voted Robert Jon and the Wreck as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of September! Southern California native Robert Jon found a passion for music through the piano when he was six years old, and learned guitar and drums soon after. Eager to share his music with others, he played in several bands and began writing songs before finding four other guys with a similar vision. Their latest album, Fire Started, is a blues-heavy full-length album with a soft country feel and edgy classic-rock nuance. Fresh off their first national tour, Los Angeles natives Robert Jon and the Wreck have brought a hard blues rock sound reminiscent of some of the classic rock greats. The group formed in February 2011. The combined result was a harder, more rockin’ sound with the same great singer/songwriter influences on the previous Robert Jon Band albums. They are currently planning their next national tour and playing in the Southern California area. Their latest album Fire Started was released on September 2nd, 2011. Check out our exclusive interview with Robert Jon, who talked to us about Fire Started, touring, and classic rock below…

BeatCrave: I love your genre-bending sound: you have all the great elements of classic-rock, blues, even some country. Is this the mixture of music you generally listen to? Did you grow up listening to these genres of music?

Robert Jon: I’d say pretty close, I listen to a bit of everything but I guess, a mixture of those three genres is what I’m usually listening to. (I’m currently listening to Irish Folk songs, so you never know) I grew up listening to Country and gospel quartets thanks to my dad but, when I figured out how to listen to music myself, I got really into classic rock and from then it spread.

BC: You got together with Andrew, Kyle, Derrick, and Steve back in February—how did you all meet? Were you all looking for others with a similar vision?

RJ: I started off playing as a solo artist, and Andrew, Derrick, & Steve were apart of that project, We started working on music together, and we wanted to make it more of a band then just a solo project, so we went with Robert Jon & the Wreck, and right when we added the name Kyle, kinda just fell into our lap. We all found each other at the right time, and we all work great together.

BC: What is your songwriting process? Do you write lyrics the same way you write the instrumental portion?

RJ: everyone’s songwriting process is different, I think that every songwriter approaches it in different ways, and whatever goes on in someone’s head is only for them to know. As for myself, I think the the music and melody kinda come together all at once, then I go back to the lyric’s and define them. So the music of the song, comes first for me then the lyrics.

BC: What’s a story behind Fire Started? I mean, what inspired you to write this album?

RJ: Fire Started is a mix of songs that we had all been playing for years, and songs that we wrote the night before we started recording the album. My inspiration comes from a multitude of things, from family, to friend struggles, to personal struggles, to relationships, to the need to write, cause that’s what I know best. Fire Started is what we want people to listen to when they Ask , “what do Robert Jon and the Wreck sound like?”

BC: You’re a Los Angeles native. What do you miss most when you’re touring?

RJ: I miss the weather, We went all over the country this summer, and the weather in Southern California, is the best by far, Seattle is a close second, but sometimes its nice the see the sun. Although, some things in LA I didn’t miss at all: the amount of people that are always around, traffic, and the assholes.

BC: What is your favorite part of touring?

RJ: Our favorite part of touring is meeting new amazing people everywhere we go. Not only that but seeing the look in a persons face when we are playing 3000 miles away from home and seeing a connection with that person, through our music. It’s a great feeling.

BC: What’s your dream venue to play at?

RJ: I think, it would be awesome to play at Red Rocks in Colorado. haha I e-mailed them on our last tour, they never responded. but honestly, my dream venue could be anywhere that people are there to listen to music, I’d rather play at a small, with 50 people who care about music then a huge venue with 1000 some odd people that couldn’t give a shit. don’t get be wrong, I still want to play red rocks.

BC: What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

RJ: Play music for yourself. not for anyone else. once you lose the passion for your own music, you lose the music.

BC: And lastly, working on anything new? (Albums, videos, et cetera)

RJ: We are trying to figure out how to get a decent music video to together, we are gonna push this album for awhile until we come out with another.

Fire Started is available for purchase on iTunes. Free download of their new single ”Rushing Waters” at their Official Website.

Interview: Charles Lazarus of Rootz Undergound

Angel Baker — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:38:00 +0000

Rootz Undergound, a Jamaican reggae outfit making waves in America, loves to say they’re big in France. But that’s not the guys tooting their own horns, it’s true. This Caribbean based band has a vast fan base over all over Europe and the Europeans love them back. This could be because of Rootz Underground’s sophisticated approach to the evolution of a band, building itself from the ground up to one that headlines festivals for a gang of sweaty youth, or because of its subtly message-heavy performances that, according to guitar player Charles Lazarus, are guaranteed to win you over.

Like most reggae artists, Rootz Underground is a band with a conscience. We caught up with Charles Lazarus while he was on holiday in Miami after the band’s July west coast tour, in anticipation of a soon return to the Sunshine State, and talked about trees and how Eastern Europeans are late musical bloomers.

Angel Baker: Do you think it’s easier for emerging bands to play in Europe vs. playing in the States and, if so, why?

Charles Lazarus: Our main market in Europe is France, though we play all over the world. But France, in my experience, is the best country when it comes to how they treat musicians. It’s literally [part of] the law [to take care of musicians]. That’s on the one side, and on the other side is the European youth. The messages that they are open to are a lot more conscious than the messages sometimes the majority of America is open to. However, the west coast is very conscious for America. A 17-year-old kid in LA is going to want to listen to some Dub Steb and he’s going to want to have some fun. The same aged kid in France cares about what’s going on in the government, like why are [peoples’] rights being taken away, and what’s going on in Africa. … If you go east to Eastern Europe, Poland for example, they’ve been closed off for some time so the whole punk rock revolution that reggae kind of fit into that happened in the 70s and 80s is just really happening for the youth over there, so reggae music is very big. The last reason is because the most important thing in music – I don’t care what anybody says – is radio. If the radio is not playing you, it’s going to be very hard to penetrate the mainstream. Reggae music plays on mainstream radio in Europe.

AB: The European countries are obviously so much older so I think that’s part of the reason why they have such a dedication to the arts. There’s more to preserve.

CL: It’s just culture really, yah, because everything comes back to maintaining culture, whether it’s painting, architecture. Jamaica’s terrible about that. You go down to the waterfront where the old city of Port Royal was and it’s totally destroyed. When you go to some places in France and Bastille, it’s all still there, perfect, and strong as ever. …But [on the other hand] America is responsible for pop music. Rock, hip hop, jazz blues, house, techno.

AB: Don’t forget country.

CL: Yes, and country, and every single one of those comes from black roots. Every one.

AB: Why we like about the Releaf Tour is the DIY feel and it has a great fan participation concept. Do you feel like the concept has been a success?

CL: It’s been the Releaf Tour for a year and a half or so. We wanted to plant trees everywhere that we played, so the band would plant a tree. It’s a real life symbol of our spiritual effect of when we perform. By planting a tree, it stays there. We started moving so fast, though, with the tours that we would get the promoters to do it on our behalf a lot of the time. Then once the promoters starting doing it, we thought, “Why not ask the fans to do it.” We started offering free tickets to shows if fans would plant trees. They started planting trees more and more – more than we could let in for free. Then it just took on a life of its own.

AB: Apart from the natural benefit of inspiring people to plant trees in your name, do you have a promotional purpose for the Releaf Tour?

CL: Initially we didn’t. But the more we talk about it, the more it works. [Laughs.] So inadvertently we started talking about it more. But the truth is the music and the trees don’t really have anything in common. I don’t really see how it would help the band. When you figure it out you can email me. It’s just a responsible thing to do [to plants trees].

AB: Tell us about your trip back to California for the Earthdance Festival on September 24.

CL: [That festival] is wicked. It’s got a whole electronic thing going on with [one other reggae band]. It’s got a strange lineup, everything from beat box to Ziggy Marley. It’s a strange, wide lineup. There’s a huge area for Dub Step. There’s hundreds of earth dance festivals on the same day on locations all around the world and they have synchronized mediation that they do. We played it last year. We were impressed. (Lazarus goes on to talk about how the band is perceived outside of Jamaica.) We are very lucky. We’re a band from Jamaica that happens to play reggae. That’s how we prefer it. Our music is obviously based in reggae but we experiment a lot electronically. I am a house DJ. The drummer plays in a jazz band. We look it as reggae being our common denominator. Drums and bass are all going to be rooted in reggae in the same way that house music can have a jazzy feeling, a dark feeling, a progressive feeling, and staying within the space [of house music]. That’s the same with reggae. That’s what we do with Rootz Underground and what we all do as musicians – experiment. It’s great because we get to play the reggae festivals but we also get to play the rock festivals, the jam band festivals, the techno-tribal shows, [and] the whole hippy thing. We get to do all of that.

AB: You’re known for your high-energy shows. Do you feel like you able to translate that in your records?

CL: Um, no. [Laughs.] It’s our Achilles heal actually. The way that we get around it is that we release a lot of live albums. Our studio recordings are a lot more subdued than our live show. You need to watch a show, man. You’ll be our guest of honor.

AB: Your lyrics are positive and you say you’re proud that you’ve got nothing a baby couldn’t listen to but a lot of the concept is more dense than children understand, like the “change” and “revolution.” Do you ever get exhausted about always playing music that lyrically is so heavy?

CL: In fairness, not every song is that way. We have a lot of fun songs as well. Stephen Newland, who does the majority of the writing, is a big classic rock fan and has a way of delivering his messages in a poetic way. So the message is sometimes heavy but it’s hidden. I like saying what we’re saying. The thing that the band can do, and this makes us happy, is that when we are put in front of an audience, we can win them every single time. In 11 years, I’ve never seen us not win over an audience.

Check out Rootz Underground at their website, on iTunes, or get up to Bay for the Earthdance Festival on September 24, 2011.

Brian Buckley Band: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:34:45 +0000

You voted Brian Buckley Band as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of August! The four-piece band from Los Angeles consists of Brian Buckley, Mike McGraw, Dan Boderman, and Albert Estiamba, Jr. Their latest album, Hysterical Blindness, came out June 21st, well-received and licensed to film and television alike. More recently, they won the “New Music Night” competition sponsored by House of Blues/LiveNation and SonicBids, celebrating with performances at House of Blues in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Check out our exclusive interview with Brian Buckley, who talked to us about writing lyrics, his piano-teacher father, and the beauty of spontaneity below…

BeatCrave: How did you meet Dan, Al, and Mike?

Brian Buckley: That’s a really good question, and I’ll try to keep it as brief as I can. Mike was playing in The Haskells, and I met him through them. Dan I’ve known since I was 17 or 18 years old and we’d play at bonfires and such, and I met Al through Arthur Barrow, who worked with us on For Her, who produced Frank Zappa and Billy Idol, which was really great. He’s an incredible producer-and so is Mark Howard and Chris Hughes. Mark was the producer of Without Injuring Eternity, and he worked with Tom Waits, U2, and Bob Dylan. We produced our last album with Chris, Hysterical Blindness.

BC: I’m glad you brought up Without Injuring Eternity because I wanted to ask you about Boom Goes the Dynamite—Was that a working title for Without or is it a completely separate body of work?

BB: Yeah, we had changed the name to Hysterical Blindness and it came out June 21^st. We had originally named it that, but–you have hopes and you have this idea and sometimes that changes. The painter sits down and tries to say what he wants to do but then it doesn’t really happen that way whatsoever. That’s the beauty of recording. It’s like a dam breaking–you put your finger in one hole and three more break open.

BC: Well, it can be a struggle. I can see that in your lyrics. I mean, if you write them down, and then read them back, they’re full of such compassion and empathy–

BB: That’s a great compliment. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I used to burn them. I used to take them to the kitchen sink and literally burn them. Empathy is great word. Being empathetic is a gift. As a songwriter, you tend to second guess and second guess and second guess and do revision after revision after revision. It’s a scary journey and it’s an awful feeling when you think you don’t get it right. You’re not just thinking of rhyming, but sentence structure and melody. And past those three things, you ask ‘what are you trying to say, man?’ Are you letting the poetry get in the way? (pauses) It’s so easy to say ‘I love you.’ But you write it 95 ways, shoot them all down like duck-hunting and then say…’I love you’ sounds pretty good. (laughs) Between you and me, if it were up to me, I’d sing with no lyrics. But the flip side of that coin is that you lose an important part of communication there.

BC: What’s your favorite part of touring and live shows?

BB: The unknown. Everything that factors in—you don’t know how the sound system will be or what the crowd will be like in a particular city. Things happen spontaneously and you never know when your sound will go out or you’ll break a string, but there’s also that feeling of converting those who haven’t heard you and that excitement you feel when you first walk on. And if you can convert that one person, excite that one person, if you can associate a feeling with that one person in the audience, you’ve done your job.

BC: I get that, I’m with you. I guess that’s what you want people to walk away with when they leave your show, too? That connection?

BB: That ability to take it home and get a further experience from it. Nothing pleases us as much as when someone connects with us. It’s hard—it’s incredibly difficult. You want to connect with them on a humanly level and help them see or experience something new. It’s difficult in this industry—especially when you make a living at it (laughs). I mean, everyone walks into a movie theatre expecting it to be a mind-blowing experience. Everyone wants to be blown away by what they’re hearing and watching, and there’s always that risk involved. There’s always that risk that you’ll jump and the fucking parachute won’t open, you know, but you take that risk because it’s worth it to feel your feet on the ground. The juice is worth the squeeze, you know. That’s what’s so great about social media: everyone wants to be the first to tell their friends about how great something is or what they’ve found that’s new and exciting, but there’s an adverse to that where they might also be the first person to say this really sucks, you know? I’m lucky to play with the guys that I do because they all have the same interest in taking that risk. It’s integral. If all you care about is the applause, then you’re not going to be happy with the work you create in the end.

BC: I wonder, then, since your songs have been featured in several movies and tv shows, including Supernatural and ABC’s The Reaper…What aspect of your music do you think people are really relating to–what is it that complements the scenes they’re paired with?

BB: I don’t think you ever write with an emotion. You don’t try to push your writing like ‘I’m gonna write this song for this’ I think that’s when you get on some iffy ground. What’s satisfying for us is when a producer comes to us and says, ‘I think this would really fit with a scene or mood,” because, like I said before, you want to be writing from someplace that’s real or present in yourself. So it it makes it just that much more glorious when people come up to you and say ‘this is what I got from this song” and how it helped them get through this or that–that’s so much more than you ever expected for the song. You hope and pray for those moments. It’s a cool thing.

BC: Well, I have one last question for you. What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

BB: Anyone? Ever? Out of all the the questions we get asked, that’s a really good one. (pauses) My father. My father and mother have always encompassed me with love. As cheesy as that sounds, when some people talk about what an abomination their childhoods are, mine wasn’t. My parents are really kind and supportive. My father–we were having some struggles with my first record For Her and I would listen to it over and over and go into full-on panic mode, telling myself ‘it should be better.’ He’s a piano teacher and he said, ‘You have to let the kids go to college.’ It didn’t dawn on me then, but it did the next day. You have to let it be, let it breathe. Relax. You want the final project to dominate, to be great, but you have to let it go, and if it wasn’t right, if you strike out this time, you have to go pick up that bat again. Pop can do no wrong, you know?

BC: Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

BB: Uh, yeah. B.J. Lobermann, our manager, and Shauna O’Donnell, who has interviewed us before and does our PR work, introduced us to BeatCrave. They’re all fantastic. I mean, them–and our producers, my band, everyone. We really won the lottery with our team.

Hysterical Blindness is currently for sale on iTunes. Check out their video for “As If” on YouTube.

Simplified: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Lindsey Darden — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:52:49 +0000

Your votes have been counted: Simplified is your BeatCrave Fav for the Month of July!

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based band has a lot up their sleeves, not only in the way of genre but along the lines of heart, drive, and staying power. It’s these qualities that caught our attention and earned them a place in our BeatCrave Fav series, as well as our readers and their fans. Truth be told, what’s not to like: their down-to-earth persona and penchant for playing live goes well with their appreciation for their fans and vice versa. And these days, sometimes it really doesn’t matter how good you sound (although that helps); it’s the quality of music for the sake of making music, for the sake of one’s audience that sticks just as much. Naturally, Simplified is made of such good stock.

Although having drawn audible comparisons to the rich vocals and instrumentals as well as subdued but heartfelt messages a la their contemporaries – Matchbox 20, Dave Matthews Band, and Jack Johnson in particular – it’s a discernible edge all Simplified’s own that also appeals to our ears. Lead vocalist Clee Laster and guitarist Chris Sheridan originally founded the band in 2001, and together they have gone through various changes with the band from its formation to its current form. Today, bassist Chris Lynch and drummer Donnie Marple round out the foursome, making for a cohesive sound that goes beyond typical rock, branching into a soulful quality that can be sensed by listeners, new and long-time fans alike. In fact, Simplified’s fans – a huge portion of them having discovered them on college radio – have rallied up on numerous occasions in support, most recently to feature them on late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as various charities during the holiday season.

Exciting times are in the works for Simplified this upcoming Labor Day weekend. Among them, ESPN and its sister networks will be starting the college football season right with the single, “Shall We Begin?”, from their latest album release, Brighter Days, which will be featured in video representations and montages from September 1-5. Simplified’s music captures and expresses an undeniable human spirit – an awesome quality recognized in being our BeatCrave Fav for the month of July. Check them out in our exclusive interview below.

BeatCrave: Who or what would you say inspires or influences your style of music?

Clee Laster: Lot’s of things. Life. Love.

Chris Sheridan: As far as musical inspiration it’s all across the board really.

Clee Laster: Yeah, I grew up listening to Van Morrison and Otis Redding. They are both a huge impact on what I do now.

Chris Sheridan: I think we all grew up listening to a lot of different things and Simplified is a combination of all of that thrown into a pot. And we get really inspired by the ocean too. That’s probably where the beach & reggae feel come from.

BC: We love the complexity of your layered alternative sound. You’ve got blues and roots fused together with rock, among other things – how do you ‘settle’ on a style when you’ve got a little bit of everything to latch onto, genre-wise?

CL: Thank you. We don’t really settle on a style. We came into the project with an open mind and we write what we feel.

CS: Yeah we never discussed or said we want to be like (fill in the blank)…Our sound is a comprised of everything we all like as individuals and as a band. If one of us brings something to the table like a riff, lick, or melody we will play with it as an idea. Sometimes it’ll become something (a song) and sometimes it’ll end up in the trash can or be put on the back burner. We communicate well when we do writing sessions and everyone has input. At the end of the day though it sounds like Simplified.

BC: What would you say are your favorite songs to have come together on your latest album, Brighter Days? Yes, “all of them” does count as an answer, but were there a few that stuck out to you individually or as a band the most?

CS: My personal favorites are “Screaming at the Ceiling” and “She Don’t Care”. They are both very fun live songs.

CL: My favorite song to record was “Brighter Days”. I felt like I put the most emotion into the song. “Screaming at the Ceiling” is my favorite one to play live though too.

CS: Yeah just today we were driving to pick our guitars up at the shop and “Screaming at the Ceiling” came on the radio, on WSGE 91.7. We were thrilled to hear it. Especially since we haven’t run a radio campaign for the record yet. I think Clee wanted to do a kart wheel (laughs).

BC: Later this month it looks like you’re playing a few shows in your home state. What’s next for you?

CS: Right now we have a lot going on. For upcoming shows we have some festivals and university shows coming up. We have the Black Water Music Festival in Live Oaks, FL coming up at the end of September. We are also in first place for the Samsung Summer Krush Contest to perform in Seattle. And if we do that they will air our performance live on Jimmy Kimmel. So that’s pretty cool. If we win.

CL: We also just signed a deal with ESPN and licensed one of our songs to them. Our first single off “Brighter Days” is “Shall We Begin” and they liked it.

CS: Yeah we are stoked for that. The song is going to be used for ESPN’s “Kick Off to College Game Day” from September 1st through the 5th. So that is going to give us a lot of national exposure. It’s a pretty exciting deal. They used Kenny Chesney last year so we were excited and humbled that we got the call from them.

BC: We understand each comes with its own brand of energy, but we’ve got to know – which do you enjoy more: playing live shows or in the studio? Or, what do you personally gain from either, or both?

CL & CS: Live!

CS: Playing live and recording in the studio are really two different beasts. We’ve only recorded 3 studio albums but we’ve performed something like over 2500 shows. I don’t even really know how many. So naturally we are more comfortable in the live setting. But we really wanted to capture the essence of our live show on “Brighter Days”.

CL: And I think we accomplished that working with producer Jerry DePizzo (O.A.R.). We like our past studio records but we always felt they were missing the “live” feel.

CS: Yeah, Jerry has heard us several times when we played shows with O.A.R. So I think he knew what we were going after. It was great working with him. I don’t think he slept for 3 weeks. He was very committed to capturing what we all wanted.

CL: Yeah it was a great experience recording “Brighter Days”. We all had a lot of fun and learned a lot. So playing live and recording in the studio both has their differences and you gain a lot from both.

CS: Agreed.

BC: Your band formation didn’t start off in the “complete” standard band formation that it is today, but you wrote new material and played acoustic shows despite that fact. What words of encouragement or advice would you give to bands that are still looking for the right players to round out their respective bands?

CL: Keep on going and don’t give up. There are people out there that share your dreams and goals.

CS: It can be very difficult for bands to keep it together which is why the average band doesn’t last for more than a year. Personal differences and creative differences contribute to the demise of a lot of projects. For advice to bands who are looking for the “right” players I would say this: Don’t look for the “best” players. Look for the “best” players for the job/project. Finding someone who wears a lot of hats is the key. With the way the music biz is now, especially for independent artists, it’s good to have people that can handle things outside of the music like bookings, managerial duties, and creative duties.

CL: It’s a good idea to be sure everyone can handle being in close quarters for a long, long time. An 11 hour ride in a 15 passenger van can cause some anxiety.

CS: (laughs) Yeah, I suggest you get everyone in the vehicle and just take a nonstop trip across the country and back and see how things work. If everyone is still alive with no injuries you probably have the right guys.

BC: What would be your dream venue in which to perform?

CL: Madison Square Garden.

CS: Red Rocks.

BC: And now for a few bonus questions: what was the last book you read?

CS: “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. My sister put the book in my hands. I usually take her advice when it comes to music, movies, and books. So I read the whole thing. It’s basically about success stories and factors that contribute to high levels of success. A great read.

CL: Damn, I don’t even remember… something by Stephen King, maybe. The iPhone has taken over. (laughs)

BC: What is your guilty pleasure?

CL: Jagermeister.

CS: Tequila.

CL: Being lazy and relaxing. Staying in bed watching movies all day. Sometimes you just need it because we are out all the time doing shows.

CS: It’s nice to have a day or two to do nothing. But there is always something to be done when you are in this business so sometimes your thoughts take over and you start thinking of things to do when you should be relaxing.

BC: If you could visit anywhere in the world for a week starting tomorrow, where would you go?

CL: Hawaii
CS: I want to go to Hawaii so Clee won’t be able to go. We spend enough time around each other. (laughs).

(Clee)-No you can go to Fiji.

(Sheridan)-Deal.

10. And last but not least: cake or ice cream?

(Sheridan and Clee)-Ice Cream Cake!

Joy Valencia: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Lindsey Darden — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:19:51 +0000

Your votes have been counted and Joy Valencia is your BeatCrave Fav for the month of July!

Joy Valencia is a veritable Jill of all trades when it comes to making music. As a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, and co-writer (among other designations, we’re sure), there seems to be nothing that she can’t, doesn’t, or won’t do. It’s this type of hands-on approach rarely seen in other artists that appeals Valencia and her overall style to us and her fans. It is also an approach so genuine and deeply ingrained within the her process of music making that it can be sensed almost automatically when listening to any given set of tracks bearing her name.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Valencia has self-expressed an interest in singing since the single digits (read: the age of four) and like any child that likes to take toys apart and put them back together, she did a little experimentation with song structure and vocal layering (think recording upon one’s voice over and over again). Currently based in Los Angeles, California, she has since continued the experimentation, largely without the assistance of a record label, but she herself would probably be the first to say that she is far from a one-woman show.

With husband Alejandro Valencia – with whom she co-produces, co-writes, and instrumentally collaborates – as well as her fans – through word-of-mouth, occasional fund-raising, and, well, blatant adoration – she has gained a sufficient team of like-minded supporters. More importantly she has been able to encourage and showcase the art of music-making out of the love of doing so without compromise or losing self in the process. And if it hasn’t been established enough, when it comes to Joy Valencia, it is all about the process.

It’s been exciting times for her these last twelve months or so: in September 2010 she won Stereofame.com’s Artist of the Month; her music video for smash single “Don’t Wake the Lion” debuted this past April; and when she is not treating us to such tracks as the hauntingly sweet “If You Love Me” and vaudeville-inspired “It’s A Beautiful Day” on YouTube and other social media outlets, she is working – hard – on her debut album. Joy Valencia is inspiring, with authentic talent, and a woman on the artistic move – all qualifiers in being our BeatCrave Fav of the Month. Check her out in our exclusive interview below.

BeatCrave: When did you realize that music was your calling?

Joy Valencia: I was four years old. Thank you, Michael Jackson<3

BC: What was your job before becoming a full-time musician/singer/songwriter?

JV: This has always been my focus, but when I lived in Chicago, I was also a SAG/AFTRA session singer & an actress on national TV commercials.

BC: What is the process of songwriting for you?

JV: Usually, I hear it in my head – a melody & the “vibe” (with chords & some instrumentation). And some words slip out, sometimes a phrase. Then I try to figure out what the song wants to be about and the form. The rest is filling in the pieces of the puzzle with the lyrics. I sometimes co-write. “Your Little Habit” happened because Alejandro was noodling on a keyboard & I loved what he came up with & just had to write to it. Actually, this is how “If You Love Me” started as well!

BC: Your aesthetic style seems to make as much of an impression as your audible style (such as in your music video for “Don’t Wake the Lion”). How much of an importance would you place on your visual aesthetic, performance-wise?

JV: I love art, vintage clothing, and makeup, what can I say. [laughs] How we dress is just another way to express ourselves. I think music and style go hand-in-hand.

BC: On that note, do you have a favorite article of clothing or beauty ritual, something that you can’t do without?

JV: I’m a big fan of eyeliner. LOTS of it. And I like to curl my hair (it’s stick-straight).

BC: I really appreciate that your work is so organic, and truly independent. Is there any advice you can give to any musical acts trying to get their work noticed?

JV: Thanks so much! Things really started flowing when I decided to whole-heartedly follow my passion and make music that I can get creative with & have fun with. Not writing for the radio or comparing myself to what’s hot right now. I care a lot about strong songwriting, musicality, vibe, and good production.

Regarding getting your work noticed -

The internet is a big party, are you at it? Go where the people are. My favorites right now are Twitter, Facebook, & YouTube. And there are some great sites for independent music. Check out www.onesheet.com – made for musicians to use as a website that connects all your social media pages together and updates on its own.

Don’t be afraid to make friends on the internet. I can’t tell you the amount of cool people I’ve met on Twitter. It can change your life if you’re open to meeting people. Cherish your supporters.

BC: Now for a few random questions: What is your favorite type of music to listen to, to recommend, to play at parties (etc.)?

JV: To me, collecting music is collecting art. I’m in love with music from the past. My old standby on Pandora is Harry Nilsson Radio (try it!). Most of my favorite stuff is from the late 60s. Give me harmonies – The Association, The Beatles, The Zombies, The 5th Dimension, The Beach Boys…

But I love a ton of other music as well. The Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, Randy Newman… Lately I’m really into the makeout songs of the late 50s / early 60s. Stuff like “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding & “I Only Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos. Also diggin’ John Barry, Judy Garland, Leonard Bernstein, The Andrews Sisters & The Boswell Sisters.

BC: How did you spend your Fourth of July?

JV: On a boat! One of the only times I stepped out of the studio to see the light of day! (so far this summer)

BC: And what’s next for you? Recording, performances, some coveted time off?

JV: Working on my album right now. We’re producing it ourselves, so it takes time to do it right. You gotta give each song what it wants. I just counted, and we’re focusing on 15 songs! (not including covers or the many others that didn’t make the cut) When I finish, there will be some major celebrating.

Photo by Sean MacCuish

Vanessa Carlton Interview: BeatCrave Exclusive

Candace Butler — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:59:34 +0000

Vanessa Carlton became reclusive for two years, and during those two years she turned to Richard Adam’s Watership Down and Stephen Hawking’s Brief History of Time for inspiration. Vanessa entered the pop scene in 2002 with her debut album Be Not Nobody. But nearing thirty, she felt lost. Luckily, Vanessa made her way to Real World Studios in Box, England and began recording her new, mostly-instrumental music directly to tape. Her writer’s block quickly receded; she proceeded to create the dreamy and evocative 10-track album Rabbits on the Run. Now, Vanessa tells us about her upcoming fourth studio album Rabbits on the Run as well as some advice, philosophy, and how her music has evolved over the past decade. Check out our exclusive interview with Vanessa Carlton below.

BeatCrave: What would you say is new or different about Rabbits on the Run as compared to your albums in the past? Any similarities?

Vanessa Carlton: As an analogy I’d say this record is my first album that’s pure muppet….as opposed to being part muppet part CGI. I feel that my heart and brain is all muppet so it’s about fuckin’ time.

BC: What’s your favorite song on Rabbits on the Run? Why?

VC: Hear the Bells. It chronicles my search to fix my health. My favorite cemetery and my witch doctor make appearances. I was a pretty sick bird there for a while. The idea that all the while the remedy is pretty much inside of you the whole time. So simple and true. Sonically it’s exactly what those thoughts feel like. Steve Osborne is a wizard.

BC: Referring to Richard Adams’ Watership Down, your biography quotes you saying: ”My whole being related to this story. I realized how lucky I am to be an artist in this world, how I somehow got out of the burrows.” Could you elaborate on this quote? What does it mean for you to escape the burrows?

VC: I try hard not to live a Karaoke life…..everyday it takes maintenance. Have you heard the Malcolm McLaren TED talk? It’s rad. Watership Down can be used as a totem if you want it to be that.

BC: Can you tell us about your songwriting process? How has this evolved over the years?

VC: Words and melodies that I would have been okay with in the past don’t make the cut anymore. I have almost shed all of the mimickery that I used to propel my process back when I was 17….when I was learning to write a pop song.

BC: Can you tell us about your process for writing the instrumental portion of your music?

VC: It starts with one note or one chord or one idea and my mind starts to weaves it together with the next thing. I feel very much out of control of it, but at the same time I’m very particular about what I like to hear come out of my hands. First part of the process is sitting myself down, which can be difficult at times.

BC: Why was recording your latest album in analog an important aspect of the recording process?

VC: If you go back to the way records used to be made, it changes your recording process. You only have a few takes to get it right. The vibe has to be there already. We rehearsed alot. The sounds of tape, the palette of sounds of the 60′s and 70′s, is what we were working with. Those colors are what inspired this record. It was the only type of record I wanted to make. I mainly listen to vinyl so it makes sense.

BC: Recently in a live chat session, you stated that you’re an atheist. In regard to the lyrics “colored stained glass cathedral/ confines a past that won’t let you go” from your song “Tall Tales for Spring,” do these lyrics refer to a religious upbringing that you’re leaving behind?

VC: It is easy to be continously ravaged by the past, but what about embracing that chaos and respecting it for what it is? Understanding that the pattern and creation of the universe can reflect the way your own micro-universe (your brain) works is such an awesome idea. It makes so much sense to me. Stained glass steeples are beautiful and can focus your mind but they’re not gonna rescue you from your own thoughts. There is so much more to this than what I’m saying in this moment. We’ll have to do a part II or something.

BC: What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

VC: Be brief.

BC: Rabbits on the Run was initially scheduled to be released June 22^nd, but is now being released on July 26^th. For fans eagerly awaiting your album drop date, could you give some insight into the release date change?

VC: Razor and tie gave themselves a bit more time to set up the release. Rad.

BC: After your tour this summer, what’s next?

VC: All about bringing this record to life everynight. Tour in fall. I want to go back to the UK…..release this record where it was created and tour lots. Indonesia, Europe, Asia…….if they’ll have me of course. : )

Vanessa Carlton’s Rabbits on the Run to be released July 26th.

Y LUV: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:24:36 +0000

You voted Y LUV as your BeatCrave Fav of the Month of May! Garage indie rockers Y LUV consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Freddy Janney, lead guitarist and vocalist Sam Nardella, bassist and vocalist Luke Hanna, and percussionist Marcello Dubaz. They released their debut album, So I Play, in 2010, and their sophomore EP How Chill Can You Let Go? in April 2011. Check out our interview with Freddy Janney, who tells us about meditation, crocheting, and Y LUV’s summer plans, below!

BeatCrave: What are your practice sessions like?

Freddy Janney: Meditation . . . in the loudest sense of the word.

BC: What is your songwriting process? What inspires you?

FJ: The process is just working on it everyday without making ourselves too crazy, too often. If writing it isn’t enjoyable, we’re usually trying to force something. We’re inspired by mystical tales of epic proportions, like Shazaam.

BC: Do you censor yourselves? Have you ever written anything and then decided it was too harsh or too personal to share?

FJ: We are censorless. What you hear is what you get, you know?

BC: What do you like to do in your down time when you’re not working?

FJ: Sam’s really gotten into crochet lately. He made this really beautiful doily last week.

BC: What are some of your favorite foods and beverages? Do any of you like to cook?

FJ: Marcello and Sam love pasta (they’re Italian) and Marcello can make some real nice pasta sauce. I think Luke eats cat food.

BC: Which song are you most proud of and why?

FJ: We love all our children the same . . . but seriously, “All Night” is our favorite.

BC: What could you see yourself doing if you weren’t a musician?

FJ: Probably, like, making balloon animals.

BC: If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose?

FJ: Royal Albert Hall.

BC: What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?

FJ: Live fast, die old.

BC: In regard to your online bio, I totally get that you are on fire and Marcello is keeping it funky. What is Sam doing to bring world peace? And why is Luke a muppet?

FJ: Sam is trying to bring world peace by sending out good vibes . . . it’s tough to gauge how much of an impact he’s making, but it’s definitely immense. Luke looks like a muppet.

BC: What’s next for Y LUV?

FJ: We’re in the middle of shooting our video for “All Night” right now–it will be out in July. We’ve got a remix of “All Night” coming out in July, too. Annnnd we have a residency at 3 Clubs in Hollywood every Saturday night in July. We’re quite excited.

Download How Chill Can You Let Go?, which contains the single “All Night,” on bandcamp. For all other news and upcoming shows, check out their Official Website or Myspace page.

My Satellite: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Sasha Patpatia — Sat, 07 May 2011 00:36:48 +0000

You voted My Satellite as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of April! The LA based band has been enhancing the music scene with their ambient, dreamlike alternative rock music that paves a unique path through the contemporary LA scene. We got to pick the brain of Bryan Stage, the musical genius behind My Satellite, and find out some answers to our most burning questions (from influences to dream patterns… its all here!). Check out our exclusive interview with My Satellite below:

BeatCrave: Who are some of your major musical influences?

My Satellite: I’ve been influenced by so much music over the years it’s really hard to narrow it down to just a few. I listen to psychedelic rock, classical, jazz, 90s grunge, early emo, post rock, 70s and 80s punk, post punk, electronica, indie, etc. Putting my iPod on shuffle is a nightmare of clashing songs and genres. Bjork and David Bowie are two of my biggest musical heroes because they have uncompromising musical visions, they take lots of risks and they are both just so ridiculously cool. A few other favorites are Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Vivaldi, Aphex Twin, Crystal Castles, The Cure, Papa M, Postal Service, Elliott Smith, Blonde Redhead… I could go on for quite a while. I like a lot of music and try not to obsess over any particular artist. Obsession leads to mimicry.

BC: How do you set yourself apart from the Los Angeles music scene, lyrically, melodically, etc.

MS: A number of our fans have described the music as “epic” which is obviously a really broad term and feels far too elevated of a description to me at times. I feel like it would be rather presumptuous of me to describe my music like that, but when I really think about it, from the beginning my goal was to make each song as big, as powerful and as beautiful as it can be. In a way it’s a pretty spot on description. The music is “epic” in it’s own way. I think that makes us very different than most bands in the scene. A lot of bands here have gone for a more minimalist approach which works great on a lot of levels and I like what a lot of these bands have been doing, but My Satellite is different. I like to do a lot with a little, not the other way around.

BC: One of my favorites is “A Nighttime Daydream”. What do you dream about?

MS: Kittens, popsicles and kittens eating popsicles. Oh… and murder. Sometimes the popsicles are alive when the kittens are feasting.

BC: With so many layers, harmonies, and rich melodies in your music, how do you compose each song, and what is the writing process for your lyrics like?

MS: My writing process is usually a mess of inspiration, perspiration and drunkenness. There may also be some dancing involved. Maybe. It usually starts with some haphazard banging around on my guitar or my keyboard which turns into an idea that I like and I begin building the song from there. The layers and harmonies tend to become obvious to me as the song progresses. Each song is very much like putting together a puzzle. Since I record everything myself, it’s nice to be able to write and record at the same time so that I can play with a number of options and figure out what works. And once I’ve figured it out the song is done and I don’t need to go back into a studio and rerecord it. That’s one reason I really love digital recording. I know that statement may turn off the analog purists, but oh well. Fuck it. I am a fan of technology.

Lyrics tend to be the final step in the process. I tend to have a vocal melody from the start, but the lyrics don’t typically take shape until I have all the music and the vocal melodies laid out. I’m not at all a linear writer of lyrics. Not a storyteller in that sense. I’m more interested in conveying an emotion which is never a linear feeling. At least not to me. I really enjoy open ended art that allows for individual interpretation and meaning. I tend to talk around the subject of my lyrics, or at least what I intended to be the subject so that the meaning is what you make of it. Finding your own message in a song makes it more personal and significant. When people ask me what a song means I don’t like to answer them. I don’t want to ruin the trick by explaining how it’s done. Never mind the man behind the curtain!

BC: How did the live band lineup come about?

MS: At the end of last year I was finishing up the second My Satellite EP, Depths, and I felt like it was time to start making this band a reality. Ryan Ward and I used to work together and have been friends for years, playing music together off and on for various projects. He was always a fan of My Satellite and is a great guitarist so I asked him to join the band. So that was easy enough. I knew that I wanted a female keyboardist to handle some of the higher octave vocal harmonies that I did in the recordings. We were searching for months. It was really trying. I had all but given up hope that this band would materialize when I got an email from Sammi Doll who had happened to come across the music and was really into it. She sent me a demo of her singing and playing and I knew right then that she was exactly what I was looking for. Soon after meeting her we found out that she was friends with Justin Paul who is a great drummer and happened to be looking for a band. Justin came down and auditioned and it was immediately obvious that he was the person we needed. We had four-fifths of the band together without auditioning anyone other than who was in the band. Once we were ready to add a bassist that could also sing backup vocals, it turned out that Justin’s roommate Andy Marshall was really into the music and that was once again a natural fit. It took a little time, but once we were all finally in the same room it felt like we had been playing together for years. I couldn’t ask for a better or more talented group of people to play with.

BC: Do the other members of the live band have any influence on the songwriting process of your music?

MS: I had all the music written before I started putting together the band so obviously they were not involved with that, but the live sound is a little different from the recorded songs and we have all worked together in finding the best way to adjust the songs to make them work with a live band. They are all really talented musicians so as we progress as a unit I’m looking forward to adding their input into the creative process.

BC: What is the origin of your band name?

MS: It fell out of my brain one day as I was driving around LA. It evokes imagery of space and emptiness yet at the same time a feeling of comfort, attachment and warmth which is very appropriate for the music.

BC: How do you connect with the audience during live performances, and what do you want fans to walk away with at the end of shows?

MS: I view a live set like a good DJ set. It has to get the audience in the mood right from the start and build them up as the set goes on with some peaks and minor valleys along the way. We try to allow the set to do a lot of the work for us while our energy and passion for playing this music and with each other is what puts it over the top. I hope that people walk away from our shows inspired and feeling like they shared an experience with us rather than just watched a band play.

BC: If your band had an alter ego, what would it sound like?

MS: Something like a screaming sasquatch playing a banjo while parachuting into the Costa Rican rain forest.

BC: Where do you see the band in the future, in the next 3-5 years?

MS: We’ll have enjoyed four straight years of unsurpassed success. Adored by fans and critics alike, to the outside world it will seem like we have it all, but by year five it will all come apart at the seems. I will have entered rehab after my fifth marriage in as many years has fallen apart due to my herion, meth and bestial porn addictions. It will be revealed to the world that Sammi was actually an MI6 secret agent attempting to bring down the American music industry from the inside. She’ll narrowly escape death as she flees to the UK. Justin will decide that his true calling is being a mime, will quit music, enter mime school and later move to Paris where his “I’m trapped inside an invisible box” routine will be perfected. Ryan will start a cult whose belief system centers around a magic tub of hummus. Andy will move into the woods of Michigan and join a militia and never be seen without his tin foil hat.

And if none of that works out, we’ll be on the road playing to our amazing fans and having a shitload of fun.

Jason Spooner: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Candace Butler — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:44:38 +0000

You voted for Jason Spooner as your BeatCrave Fav for the month of March! The contemporary, folk and blues trio from New England consists of their namesake, Jason Spooner, on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Adam Frederick on bass and vocals, and Reed Chambers on drums and percussion. All three members are award-winning musicians, and combining Jason’s folk and blues sound with Adam’s jazzy style and Reed’s knack for funk and reggae produces a fresh, energetic sound that is highly-praised. In 2002, they released Lost Houses, followed by sophomore album The Flame You Follow in 2007, and their most recent album, Sea Monster, late last year. They regularly play at festivals and music conferences, have appeared on NPR and the Food Network, and have won a line of songwriting competitions along the way. Check out our exclusive interview with Jason Spooner below…

BeatCrave: Your trio is one of the strongest bands out there today. How did you meet Adam and Reed?

Jason Spooner: I actually met Reed about 10 years ago here in Portland, ME in a fairly random scenario. I was selling some PA speakers through the local music rag. When I started playing solo gigs around New England I had purchased these monster 15 inch PA speakers that weighed a ton. I got tired of lugging them around and figured I could sell them to a band. Reed was the drummer in another local band at the time and he answered my ad. We got to talking and hit it off and he came up to my studio and checked out some of my tunes. We started playing duo gigs (acoustic guitar and drums shortly after that initial meeting) and it sounded great. Reed has a very tasteful approach that works in a variety of scenarios… everything from listening rooms to clubs, theaters and festivals. I’m very lucky to have connected w. a drummer who listens musically and knows how to dial a performance based on the nuances of the songs and the venue.

We formed the trio several months later. Adam came on board a few years back. He was essentially the alpha bass guy in town and we were always fans of his playing. He subbed on a few gigs and we were hooked. He’s just an incredibly musical guy that people like to watch when he gets going. Sometimes I feel like I’m in HIS band! We invited him on board soon after and he gladly accepted.

I never really set out to do that “band thing” and it all happened pretty organically. I’m really pleased with how we’re developing as a live band. It’s something that only comes out of years of playing together. I must hear at least one audience member at every show take me aside and tell me that I struck gold in finding this rhythm section. I definitely feel extremely fortunate.

BC: Sea Monster embraces the instrumental aspect more than your previous albums, Lost Houses and The Flame You Follow. Did that happen because you purposefully focused on the music more, or is your music simply evolving in that way?

JS: I think it’s a result of a more focused preproduction process. We really took the time months prior to going into the actual studio to explore each tune and try different angles in various demo settings until we agreed on things that worked. I think we wanted this album to be more indicative of where we were musically as a band. There were definitely times when we’d reach a point in a song and collectively realize that we need to push harder and come at it from a completely different viewpoint. It was through this rehashing process that we came across a lot of the most interesting moments on the album… an outro, a re-harm, a bridge, a time signature change, a solo, etc..

BC: You once made an appearance on the Food Network’s “FoodNation with Bobby Flay.” Can you give us the juicy details?

JS: Yeah, that was a whacky one! The visitor’s bureau in Portland managed to lure Bobby Flay up to Maine to do a culinary feature on the state. They traditionally choose a local band to be a part of whatever area they are profiling. I was actually a fan of the program so we were honored when they asked us to do it.

It was fun but far less robust & comprehensive than we’d expected. I was under the impression that they’d film some actual live footage of the band performing at a show but they ended up just getting some shots of us on the beach and whatnot. It was a little campy but I think I sold more cd’s in the 3 weeks after the show aired than I had in the entire year previous to that. Orders just started pouring in from all over the country. It’s amazing what nationwide television can do for sales.

It was also cool to meet Bobby Flay… he was a smooth operator. More of a rock star than most musicians I’ve met.

BC: Do you, Adam, and Reed cook? What’s your favorite food to eat while on tour?

JS: Sure… we all dabble in the kitchen and we get together for grilling parties in the summer.
When we tour, we’re pretty good about eating at interesting and respected local places. It’s fun to put in the research to find the trusted hidden bakery or the mom & pop breakfast joint that the locals frequent in a given town. The online tools out there these days make it pretty easy to find quality spots but we still ask around when we’re talking to people we meet. It’s one of the best ways to get a real feel for a region or a city. You also meet a lot of characters at the local joints which we enjoy.

We’re all coffee fiends so finding the best crack-shack is usually how the day begins on the road. Coffee is probably our favorite food.

BC: You used to work primarily as a graphic and web designer, and I know you designed your website. Did you create the album artwork for each of your albums?

JS: That’s true… I still do some design work here and there and currently manage jasonspooner.com which keeps me busy for sure.

I would say that I “art directed” the album artwork in each case (I chose most of the elements and then mocked layouts up in Photoshop which were then used in the final product). I’ve never considered myself a print designer so I generally outsource that role to someone I trust and then torture them with endless micromanagement and absurdly detailed feedback about things like kerning and CMYK values. I formally apologize NOW to everyone I’ve worked with!!! It’s tough when you hire a designer to design for a designer… ugh, that just SOUNDS bad. It’s bound to be a wrestling match and a perfectionism joust. I certainly wouldn’t want to do a project for another designer. I get asked to design websites for other musicians quite often and it’s the last thing I’d want to get involved in. Picky artists drive me nuts!

BC: When people listen to your music and see you perform live, what do you hope they walk away with?

JS: Hmmm, well… I hope that they walk away with something interesting to consider… whether it’s a musical moment on record or a dynamic performance from a live show. I think being a trio really amplifies & informs this in a lot of ways… there’s just not a lot of fluff to go around so all of the pistons have to be firing at once. With a three man band, you can’t really slack if you’re having an off night. You just have to plough through it and step up. It’s one of the things I like about the scaled down formation… you need to “do a lot with a little” and, on the good nights, I feel like we do that and people walk away feeling like they heard something unique.

On the other side, as a lyricist, I’m trying to put ideas and stories out there that ideally allow connections to be made. I grew up listening to my dad’s vinyl and eight-track collection which included all of the giants of the 70′s – Neil Young, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Dylan, Jim Croce, Carol King, etc.. I was very moved by a lot of that stuff and it just made me realize what a powerful form of art a simple 4 minute song can be. I can point to series of lines in Beatles or Neil Young songs that really gave me my first complete understanding of an emotional concept as a kid… that is heavy stuff. The lesson for me was to try to put content out there that is really delving and searching for something… again, a connection, a lesson, a truth… whatever you’d like to call it. Not everything needs to have some ground-breaking revelation attached to it but if there’s a true focus on the writing side, it’s going to yield and more effective and relevant end result. I think listeners can immediately tell when lyrics have been “phoned in.” I get antsy when I hear tunes like that.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of benign material out there on the radio that is actually hugely successful but I’m glad there are still some spaces in the musical parking lot reserved for musicians who keep the writing in focus. The success of people like Josh Ritter, Mason Jennings, Ray LaMontagne, Kathleen Edwards, Patty Griffin, Mumford & Sons & The Avett Brothers is a good indication that listeners still value lyrical content.

BC: Do you find inspiration everywhere for your lyrical poetry, or are you drawn to specifics?

JS: I’m not generally one of those notebook writers where I’m carrying a pad around jotting down words and scribblings when I’m driving or after I read something. Most of my ideas for lyrical content tend to be driven by music and melody. I generally start strumming or messing around on a piano and find a progression that starts to appeal to me. From there it’s a lot of humming and nonsensical phrases until a dominant vibe starts to take shape. The actual words come later when I have a working progression and vocal melody happening. I suppose that it sounds fairly predictable but I tend to write a lot at the changing of the seasons. That first breath of spring or the first chill of fall, the first whiff of wood smoke… all of that stuff triggers the creative side of my brain like nothing else.

BC: If you could play any venue anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

JS: Well, if we’re going full dreamland on this… I’d have to say Pompeii. Watch Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii from 1972 and you’ll understand why! Just a magical film… it would be like playing inside a dream.

BC: If you could have people remember you for one thing regarding your music and songwriting, what would it be?

JS: I think it would be pretty simple… hard work. Music (whether writing, performing, promoting, networking, etc.) requires a ton of focus and perseverance. That’s not a bad thing to be known for. I meet a fair amount of musicians at all levels and nothing turns me off more than meeting someone who emanates a sense of entitlement or smugness. I love it when we open for a big national act and you go into it suspecting that they won’t give you the time of day and then they end up being very humble and welcoming. I think those are the people that end up truly succeeding long term.

BC: Lastly, do you have any words of advice for other musicians trying to get into the business?

JS: The two best pieces of advice that were ever passed on to me over the years are deceptively simple… but they have served me and my projects well. I’ll share them without explanation:
1. No one cares about your music career more than you do.
2. Never be above or below any opportunity.

Want more Jason Spooner? Here’s a partial list of their tour schedule:

5/5 – Bartaco (Cinco de Mayo Festival) - Port Chester, NY
5/30 – Barcelona (Memorial Day Festival) – Fairfield, CT
6/2 – WTMD’s First Thursday Concert – Baltimore, MD
6/3 – The Durham Center for Performing Arts – Durham, NC
6/4 – The Hard Rock Cafe – Gatlinburg, TN
6/12 – The Portland Lobster, Co. – Portland, ME
6/24 – The Victoria Mansion – Portland, ME
7/3 - The Portland Lobster, Co. – Portland, ME
7/10 - The Portland Lobster, Co. – Portland, ME
7/13 – Four Mile Historic Park – Denver, CO
7/15 – Targhee Fest – Alta, WY
7/16 – Targhee Fest – Alta, WY
7/17 – Targhee Fest – Alta, WY
…find more on Jason Spooner’s Official website!

The New Regime: BeatCrave Fav of the Month

Lindsey Darden — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:47:24 +0000

Your votes have been counted and The New Regime is your BeatCrave Fav for the month of February! Twenty-two-year-old Ilan Rubin has a very impressive resume inside and outside of his solo venture, The New Regime, which he took on and subsequently launched in 2007. The former Lostprophets drummer has experimented with instruments since he was in single digits.

Before reaching pre-teen status, the San Diego, California native claimed a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records for youngest musician at Woodstock and was named “Best Undiscovered Drummer Under the Age of 18″ by Modern Drummer Magazine, only to tackle and tame the guitar, bass, and piano (classically) since. Rubin also toured with Nine Inch Nails during their farewell tour with Jane’s Addiction in 2009. (We told you it was an impressive resume.)

Following his 2008 debut Coup, is his sophomore album titled Speak Through the White Noise, which will be released this April (digital release April 5, physical release April 26). Per Rubin, the album is largely about America’s use of broadcast information, with topics not limited to the exaggerated quality of entertainment and fear subsequently placed upon the consumer due to the economy’s climate.

Rubin’s life has revolved so much around music and performing that such a confident sound, style and air is to be expected. Yet his passion for learning and continually bettering himself as a musician (AKA never settling) along with a display of concern for our generation and the next is not without its humility. His drive is inspirational, a drive worth looking to for those looking for their own footing in the music world. Check out our exclusive interview with Ilan Rubin, The New Regime, below…

BeatCrave: What was your job before becoming a full time musician?

Ilan Rubin: The only job I’ve ever held was giving drum and guitar lessons for the one and a half years I was in high-school. Halfway through my sophomore year I had to check into homeschooling so that I could tour for lengthy periods of time.

BC: When exactly did you realize that music was your calling?

IR: I can’t say that there was a defining moment when I realized that music was my calling, but I would say that it was embedded in me because of how early I started. The older I got, the better I got, so my expectations and goals kept growing as well.

BC: How would you describe your music?

IR: I would describe my music as true quality. While I might sound like an asshole for saying so, I put A LOT into my music, definitely more than most because of all the roles I have to assume in order to complete something. It’s music that has many layers and I really feel that there’s something in it for everybody. The melodies are there for the people who just want to listen. The musicianship is there for the musicians, and the craft of songwriting and inventiveness is there for the people who really want to dig deeply.

BC: What would you say is your overall goal as an artist?

IR: My goal as an artist is to achieve a level of success where I can do exactly what I want. I’d like to be able to acquire any and every instrument of my liking, use them to write and record songs, release them and perform them live for people. A lot of people.

BC: What advice would you give to someone who is trying out a solo venture for the first time?

IR: For someone who is trying out a solo venture for the first time there is a ton of advice out there. Paying attention to other peoples’ instrumentation is extremely important because depending on how “solo” you want to be, you need an understanding of the rest of the musical parts and harmony that will make up a finished song. Also, while this may seem obvious, being able to finish a song from top to bottom is extremely important, but lots of people underestimate that.

BC: Are there any instruments that you don’t yet play that you would like to?

IR: There are of course a million instruments that I don’t play, but I would definitely like the get into the world of strings. The violin is probably the most difficult instrument I’ve ever tried to play. I got as far as playing a G major scale without screeching but decided that if I really wanted to get good at it, it would be too time consuming. So I’ve left it in the closet for the time being but will definitely get to it later on.

BC: Now for a few random questions: Where do you hope to be at midnight this New Year’s Eve?

IR: I’d like to be playing a quality show on New Year’s Eve, anywhere. Typical New Year’s festivities aren’t up my alley so a show would be fun.

BC: Favorite article of clothing? Is there any significance behind it?

IR: I couldn’t say I have a favorite article of clothing but slim fitting clothes are a must. I have a hard time finding jeans so black skinnies that fit properly are very important to me.

BC: You have a week off. Dream sequence, we know. What do you do with the time off?

IR: I don’t think I’m capable of relaxing for more than a couple of hours. I always need to be working on something

For a free download of The New Regime’s “Live in Fear”, click here! Also, check out a preview below for his upcoming album, Speak Through the White Noise, due out this April.

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BeatCrave: Who are some of your major musical influences?

BC: How do you set yourself apart from the Los Angeles music scene, lyrically, melodically, etc.

BC: One of my favorites is “A Nighttime Daydream”. What do you dream about?

BC: With so many layers, harmonies, and rich melodies in your music, how do you compose each song, and what is the writing process for your lyrics like?

BC: How did the live band lineup come about?

BC: Do the other members of the live band have any influence on the songwriting process of your music?

BC: What is the origin of your band name?

BC: How do you connect with the audience during live performances, and what do you want fans to walk away with at the end of shows?

BC: If your band had an alter ego, what would it sound like?

BC: Where do you see the band in the future, in the next 3-5 years?

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