Your name:
Shawn Mazzei.
Where are you from?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Band name:
We're White Light Spectrum.
Who is in your band:
I am the lead guitarist; Matt Friday is lead vocals/keyboard/the occasional sax; Brian High is playing guitar; Shawn Hickman is bass guitar and, Sebastian Secret on the kit.
How would you describe yourselves?
I would describe us as a classically trained, and by classically trained I mean from the 60s and 70s, rock band. It's a soulful blend of blues, funk, rock n roll, and even some punk elements at times. But if we hear something, we just go for it and don't let "genre" get in the way of it.
Who are your main influences musically?
Our influences are all over the place really. Matt, our vocalist, started out playing jazz sax and ended up somewhere around this grungy sort of rock singer and covers the ground in between. I'm a die hard blues fan and listen to a lot of 60s music but I listen to everything under the sun. Shawn Hickman has a serious punk rock background but has a very diverse playlist. Brian trains his ear to the classic singer/songwriters from back in the day but also really digs Jack White. Sebas is the biggest extreme going as far back as us but also diving into the dubstep scene. So needless to say, our influences come from anything that catches our attention and has soul. Gotta be able to feel it.
What do you hope to achieve in music?
I hate to give the cliche, broke musician response but honestly I just want to travel and share my music with everyone. It's the universal form of communication. It's something that everyone around the world gets. As far as more specifics though, I'd love to play the Royal Albert Hall in England. Red Rock in Arizona is like my dream venue. That place is gorgeous. More personally I'd like to be able to say I created something completely its own. Just to have a voice in the scene that's unique. Nothing monetary that I can think of. To be honest, I just got off the phone with a music store spending yet another 2k on a guitar and I could care less if I ever get that back lol.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
I remember New Year's Eve when I was 18 I think. I walked into Moondogs, which is a legendary blues club in Pittsburgh who's seen everyone from Buddy Guy to Derek Trucks. This place was packed to the brim. Norman Nardini was playing - he's an old school rock n roller who's been around since the 70s. I've seen him around before but I had not had the chance to meet him yet. Somehow my dad talked him into getting me on stage that night. It seemed like he was semi-interested at best at the idea and didn't give it much thought. I mean he had a crowd to entertain, was probably worried about other things. So I go up there and light that stage on fire (not literally. I'm saving my Hendrix rendition for another day). Knock out a couple blues rock tunes. Crowd's going crazy and I remember Norman's face, jaw dropping to the ground. We've been great friends since and he's continued to be my mentor since and has been one of the most important people in my life.
And the moment you want to forget?
I'll be honest, nothing rings a bell with this one. Maybe I was drunk and already forgot it haha. Maybe that experience is right around the corner. I'll let you know when it happens.
If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
WLS is still this everchanging thing. We're still so young as a band. I'd say our recording of "Love To Bring" is a good staple. We recorded this tune on the fly about five months in and it got a lot of attention and got us invited to play the biggest radio station in Pittsburgh.
Where can we listen to it?
You can find it on our ReverbNation page http://www.reverbnation.
or just "like" our facebook https://www.facebook.com/
Where can we find out more about your music?
We also recently showed up on Twitter @wlsbandofficial and we're working on launching a website very soon as well.
Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
I'd just like to tell everyone to stay tuned and keep an eye on this band. I've played with a ton of people from all over the place with different styles and I really feel like this band has something. Every practice we keep writing better songs and finding our groove. Be ready for a CD release by the end of the year! We're almost done writing for it now.
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