Sunday 29 November 2015

Typhoid Rosie Q&A

Your name:
Rosie Rebel.

Where are you from? 
Brooklyn, New York.

Band name:
Typhoid Rosie.

Who else is in your band? 
On drums we have the work-horse Phil Wartell, who also produced our upcoming album Hearts Bleed Goodbye. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, we have the lady-slaying champion Matt Kursmark on guitar. We also have the extremely sharp Chris Potter on guitar (who has the nicest haircut I've ever seen on a dude), and on bass we have the badass of Berkley - Mr. Steve Capecci. Plus we just imported a lovely Southern Belle from Texas, Miss Leah Farmer on keys. That's our current live line-up - ready to slay and melt your face off at upcoming shows. I also have to mention that we had Dean Wartell on bass and Justin Rothberg on guitar on the upcoming album. We felt really lucky to have them. Rothberg plays on Broadway these days, and Dean is busy with his greatest creation raising a son. 

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
The best part about our music is that we are not trying to sound like anybody else. A writer from 30 Roses described our sound as "pop hooks with indie grit”. That is about as good a description as I’ve heard and I'm happy with that. I don't mind making pop infused music because I want to write songs for everybody. We are all about the hook. We want every song we make to get inside people's heads, and to move them, and I wouldn't spend my time writing anything that didn't come pouring out of my soul. 

What does Typhoid Rosie sound like? 
People have said my voice sounds like everything from Debbie Harry to Jim Morrison. Sometimes I listen to bands and I ask my husband, "Do I sound like her/him?" and he'll say, "No, and that's a good thing because your voice is your own”. I think that's a beautiful thing, because the last thing we need is another 10,000 singers and bands, copying their sounds from someone else, instead of spending the time to find the most unique thing about them. Our voices are like the thumbprints of our souls, they weather all the storms of our lives, every laugh and every tear has torn into our voices, we're so lucky to be ourselves.

Who are your main influences musically? 
We were introduced to great music at an early age because our parents were baby boomers, so we grew up listening to Doo Wop, Motown, and 60's Rock. Phil came from a Beach Boys home, while my mother was a Beatles fanatic. But when we were old enough to go to shows on our own, we spent most of our teenage years in the 90s at punk, ska and reggae shows. And now there is so much more GREAT music out there. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Saint Motel, Nicole Atkins, and To Kill a King, and I am learning about and loving new bands almost every day. I don’t think we sound anything like the music we listen to. We are only ourselves and when it comes down to it, we're song writers at heart. So if you ask us who we wish we could be, musically we look up to people like Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and George Harrison,  as a lyricist and poet my soul loves Leonard Cohen. A lot of great music has come and gone, but we don't want to pretend it's 1965.The truth is, we make our own music for today.
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What do you hope to achieve in music? 
I want to use music to reach people in a much deeper way. I think that's what I wanted with comedy. My favorite comedians weren't just clowns, they were always the ones who truly had something to say, like Bill Hicks. They didn't just want to make people laugh, they wanted to change the World. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
I've had many highlights. I'm kind of new to music, but I've been a performer for a very long time. As a comedian I've done a lot of cool shit. I made the Queen of England's Royal Guards laugh and it was in People Magazine. I got booed off Amateur Night At the Apollo and got chased around the stage by the Sandman. I got to perform on America’s Got Talent doing my burlesque-comedy act in front of Howard Stern and Heidi Klum, and got to say to Heidi Klum, "Hey Heidi, how's it feel: Me being sexy while you have to sit there and watch!" 
I was also on Last Comic Standing and I got to perform comedy all over England as well as at the Galway Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 
But with music it's all beautiful and brand new to me. So every single moment is a highlight. Every time I'm at band practice, I'm just so happy to be making music with such talented people. Every time someone writes to me and says, "Rosie I love your music!" Every time I haven't listened to our music in a while, and I put it on and I'm so proud of this record we made. Every time someone writes to me and says,"Rosie, I broke up with someone, and your song helped me through it." And every time someone like you writes to us, and says "Rosie we'd love to feature your band." Each one of these steps means a great deal to me, because we're at a stage where we can be grateful for every fan, it's not over-whelming just yet. But it's growing -- I see Typhoid Rosie grow everyday. I try to write back to each and every DJ who plays our song, everyone who writes about our music, and everyone who loves our music, it honestly means so much to me. I will never forget the people who helped us along the way. I heard Louis C.K. won't take pictures with his fans. In a way, I get it, because I never want to bother celebrities, I feel like maybe it's an invasion of his privacy, but the other part of me will never understand why a performer wouldn't take a picture with their fan. They're your patrons. They love you. Why don't you just do comedy in your living room without a camera if you wanted to be alone? I don't want to sing in my living room. I wrote these songs and I want to share them with the world!

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
I'd love to forget what it was like to see my mother die. That was the worst thing I've ever seen, and felt. It tore me in half. Death is so strange. The second her soul left I didn't even recognize her face. I want to forget the sounds of my grown brothers wailing for our mother. I want to remember the sound of my mother's laugh, her smile, and what it felt like to hug her without the incredible longing, pain, and sadness that I feel now when I think of her. I want to remember her and smile, but there's really no way to grieve. But I wrote her some of the most beautiful music to say we didn't make it all up. I was here, and she was here. But this moment is so defining, how could I ever wish away my fate? I don't second guess my creator, I guess that's the one thing my mom taught. We were all put here for a reason, and I'd like to believe that.  

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
I'd pick the title track for the upcoming album, “Hearts Bleed Goodbye”, because the song came from the source of my deepest wound. I know that out of pain and tragedy comes some of the world's greatest works of art. When I made it, it came from the most vulnerable and sincere place. I was lucky to see the Taj Mahal in person after my mother died. It was only through my greatest loss that I could truly understand why someone would build the most beautiful tomb in the world. Every year, pilgrims of love from all around the world look to see just how much this man loved this woman. But it wasn't only him that took part, it was also the artisans who built. Honestly, my songs are nothing without my band, they all had a hand in crafting our album Hearts Bleed Goodbye. Mortality is the one wound that all of mankind shares, and we will all play a part in it. The sooner you understand that, the quicker we'll all start living the lives we were meant to live. If you knew what the people in your life were worth, and what little time we really have, we wouldn't waste a second in the wrong places. 

Where can we listen to it? 
Also on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes.



Where can we find out more about your music? 
We communicate a lot through social media. So it would be great if you could tune in from home, or at the office. We can really use your downloads, likes, listens, follows, and shares. I usually try to make it fun for everyone. I crack a couple jokes, post some goods songs, and take award winning photos. I wish I could stand at the door of the internet and hand out free lollipops like they do at the bank. Once they can substitute real life for glowing boxes, I'm on it. 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
Personally, I think if you can, you should spend $1 and buy that song you really like from that band you love, cause it cost that band a year of their lives and a lot of time and money to write, rehearse, record, promote, and release that song. Every time you stream your favorite song for free, Spotify and Pandora get paid, while the bands are cut a check for .00000007 cents. Could you imagine getting a check for a year of your life that amounted to a fraction of a penny? Support your local Typhoid Rosie, there's probably thousands of bands out there just like us that you never heard of. Lastly, I am always so grateful to people who run blogs like this, that get the word out, every fan means the world to us. Thank you! 

Low Battery Q&A

Photo Credit: Robin Groulx
Your name:
Brendan - Drummer.

Where are you from?
Washington, DC.

Name of band:
Low Battery.

Who else is in your band? 
Vince - Lead singer, Rhythm guitarist/Bass
Johnny Mac - Lead guitar

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
We are looking to create a monument to rock. We want to being rock back to its roots.

Who are your main influences musically?
We all mutually love blink-182. I think a lot of bands would not be around without them.
Then I like more of the hardcore scene. Vince likes Kanye West/hip hop, and Johnny Mac digs the old school pop-punk and The Get Up Kids

What do you hope to achieve in music?
We want to take over our local scene and reach the airwaves across the US. Some main goals for us right now:
- Get into a studio with a producer
- Get airplay on DC101
- Open for a band at the 930 club

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
We won a battle of the bands back in 2012 and were able to open for Life on Repeat at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD. Also selling out a small venue for the first time was a pretty great feeling.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
We had one show at a battle of the bands at our college that we graduated from. The crowd wasn't into it and were all so young. It was the wrong place and time and we couldn't get the crowd involved.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I would say Blondie represents our band's current direction musically. It's our most popular song off our new record. But, Get Away will always remain our mantra as a band. Just like blink is known for Dammit, Low Battery is known for Get Away.

Where can we listen to it?


Where can we find out more about your music? 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
We are representing Washington, DC rock and are ready to take it to the next level in our careers. We are the type of guys who act like we have our own TV show. Seriously, if MTV is reading this, Low Battery would be a hit on reality TV. 


Friday 27 November 2015

Narrow Plains Q&A

Your name: 
Charlie Ferriday.

Where are you from? 
London, UK.

Name of band: 
Narrow Plains.

Who else is in your band? 
Stuart and Roger Connick.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
We are a trio and normally call our sound “acoustic indie”. We write and record our own, original songs that are acoustic-based but owe a lot to the indie tradition.

Who are your main influences musically? 
Many and varied but particularly Goo Goo Dolls, Ben Howard, Bon Iver, Mumford, Newton Faulkener.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
Write and record the best songs that we can and share them with as many like-minded people as possible.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Winning “Hard Rock Rising” at Hard Rock Café in London. Tough competition with a lot of great acts competing.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
Losing my voice when half way through a set – tried to get the crowd to sing along instead but it really didn’t work out too well!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Probably “So Rewind” – it’s a very popular song live and was one of the first songs that we all wrote together. It was a more ambitious song as it changes tempo, includes a samba beat and features some vocal harmonies.

Where can we listen to it? 
On most music media but here’s a link to Soundcloud: 


Where can we find out more about your music?

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
We have a new album coming out on January 22nd 2016 – it will feature 12 of our own compositions and is being released through Smart Indie.

Maximum Carnage Q&A

Name of band:
Maximum Carnage.

Who is in your band?
Gavin Grobler, Kyle Alers, Wouter Botha and Dale McHardy.

Where are you from?
Pretoria, South Africa.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
We are chilled out dudes who love to express ourselves creatively through death metal and horror-themed music.

Who are your main influences musically?
Everything influences us, from radio jingles to brutal death mash-ups, the world around us is ultimately the biggest influence as we are a result of our surroundings. 
Bands like Gojira, Exodus and Cannibal Corpse are primarily at the top of our playlists though....

What do you hope to achieve in music?
We hope to write inspirational music that we, and everyone, can enjoy. We indulge in the creativity that pushes us all as musicians every day, writing, recording and performing.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
There have been so many high points in this year alone. One of them was definitely performing at 5am for a fully packed, booze driven crowd in Botswana, those metal cowboys showed us the spirit of metal in the best way we could ever experience.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
We do run out of fuel on occasion on tour. But no worries, a good walk never hurt anyone.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Butchering the Mainstream, because fuck The Man!

Where can we listen to it?
The songs are available for free download.



Where can we find out more about your music?

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
Let the music speak for itself! Go listen!

The Shanks Q&A

Your name: 
Pistolwhip von Shankenstein (but you can call me Ian Starkey if I am not wearing the red shoes!).

Where are you from? 
A farm in the Sovereign Township of Mono, Ontario.

Name of band:
The SHANKS.

Who else is in your band?
John David Brumell AKA Colonel Crankshaft (on the drums).

How would you describe yourselves? 
In a very kind critic's words... "Epic, awesome and surreal".

Who are your main influences musically? 
Hmm... my father's classical record stack, Black Sabbath and 80's new wave FM radio.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
To share gifts I have received with as many people as possible.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Recording an as yet unreleased album entitled Prisons of Ecstasy with Nicke Andersson in Stockholm, Sweden. Amazing to find out that a musical hero is also a fucking awesome human being and getting to spend some time together with him. Huge validation for my work as a songwriter and singer.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
The morning after the Prisons of Ecstasy wrap party at the Hotel Reisen in Gamla stan...

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Of released Shanks material probably When We Come from our last LP Surfing The Lexicon. That track probably portrays the epic nature of our rock vision, the sweeping vista of melody and the sense of grand abandon that pervades the typical Shanks jam!

Where can we listen to it?
There is a "travelogue" video of our very first visit to Berlin, When We Come is the soundtrack...



Where can we find out more about your music?

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
The real reason to write, record and attempt to propagate these songs (through touring, making videos etc.):  In me being me, I hope to encourage others. I feel super-fortunate to be a person who gets to play music, the message for others is to not give up on the hopes and dreams they once had of being able to do something creative in their lives to express who they really are. My greatest hope is that something in this music will resonate within people and let them know that it is OK to become more fully what they were made for.  The deepest human joy in this life is to be known fully and loved - everyone has got some music to make.

Courtyards Q&A

Your name:
Matt (vocals, guitar).

Where are you from?
Northern band based in Huddersfield, UK.

Name of band:
Courtyards.

Who else is in your band?
Matt Riley (vocals, guitar), Luke Allcock (drums), Mortimer Pavlitski (keys & synth), Callum Usher (guitar) and Nathan Pearson (bass).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
Five-piece alternative indie-rock band. Students full of severely mediocre banter.

Who are your main influences musically?
Catfish & The Bottlemen, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Muse.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Get more people enjoying our music, write more material and go on tour. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
We have been lucky to support some big names such as Sigma, Josh Kumra, Carnabys, Kerri Watt, and Mistajam but probably the highlight of our career was having a slot opening HudLive festival this year

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
One of our early gigs playing at a pub on our student campus where two of our guitarist's strings snapped, an amp malfunctioned and the PA we were using kept giving out.

What song would you use to describe your music?
Darude - Sandstorm. Nah, 'Disarray', as it was our first recording and first original as a band.

Where can we listen to it?



Where can we find out more about your music? 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
Were in the process of writing some new material that's slightly different to 'Disarray' and are excited to get in the studio soon! Keep an eye out!

Thursday 26 November 2015

Honest John Q&A

Your name:
Rob Muir.

Where are you from?
Bedford, UK.


Name of band:
Honest John
.

Who else is in your band?
Alex Small (Vocals) Dan Jack (Drums) & Katy Haynes (Bass)
.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
As a group of people we’re pretty diverse and have quite different personalities. This all plays a part in the our sound which is very eclectic. We describe our sound as alternative rock/outlaw funk infused with blues, groove and soul, which is filtered through melodic and psychedelic rock sensibilities…or ROCK for short.


Who are your main influences musically?
Individually this would take up a whole book. I am rediscovering my love for the Smashing Pumpkins at the moment and in terms of new music, I am listening to a lot of Wolf Alice, Screaming Females, The Ghost of A Sabre Tooth Tiger, Tame Impala and a whole bunch of other stuff that subtly informs our writing.
We all listen to such a huge array of music which is vastly different and those tastes are ever-evolving but collectively we find common ground in bands like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Reef and Pearl Jam. 


What do you hope to achieve in music?
I think anyone who is interested in and passionate about music is looking for some form of success/recognition for the art. I also think that the dream of making a living from music is always a factor, despite the fact that it seems cool to say otherwise. But we’re realistic and the main goal is to enjoy doing what we do, if that stops, so do we.


What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
It’s still very early days for this band as we formed at the start of 2015 but probably the recording of our debut EP Blue Mantra, because it was around that time when our musical ideas started to gel and we could get a taste of the fruits of our labour.


And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Actually we almost broke up in the first few months of forming! The pressures of being an unsigned band eh? Rest assured we are friends again now.


If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I’m not sure if it’s been written yet. I feel the best is yet to come from us. We get a lot of feedback about various songs that people seem to really like and Slow Honey from our EP is always in that equation.
 We're also pretty excited about our latest song, Caldera (yet to be released so look out for this one live!)

Where can we listen to it? 
https://honestjohnband.bandcamp.com/track/slow-honey available to stream and download for free.





Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Keep coming out to our shows and supporting us however you can and we’ll keep playing and creating. Stick with us and we'll stick with you. Thanks. Rob HJ.

Here Comes The Airplane Q&A

Your name: 
Andrew John Voller.

Where are you from? 
Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Name of band: 
Here Comes The Airplane.

Who else is in your band? 
Nick Greenhalge.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
We play rock music with elements of indie, punk, hardcore, and pop. We have no label, no distribution, and no drummer! We formed in 2010 and recently (2015) re-recorded our early demos into a full-length debut album. We did it all ourselves and the result was a raw, no frills, rock record. We feel that this type of sound is missing in popular music today, with most artists or bands being over polished and over produced. 

Who are your main influences musically? 
NOFX, Alkaline Trio, Huey Lewis And The News, Genesis, The Police.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
We hope that we can inspire people to see the beauty in simplicity. Our goal is to make you happy and make you sad. We hope to make you laugh and make you cry. We want to make you feel alive.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Recording our debut album after years of sitting on the original demo material. And doing it all on our own.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
The years we let lapse before releasing our material.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Let's Settle This On The Soccer Field. Musically it represents the simplicity and raw power of our sound. Lyrically it balances feelings of depression and hopelessness with the desire to start anew and leave the negativity behind while moving forward into a new situation.

Where can we listen to it? 



Where can we find out more about your music? 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwzl2nYI0R6EDZu20a1xbQ
www.twitter.com/hctamusicgroup

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
You forgot to ask us what our favorite flower is. Roses or Violets? The answer is neither. We prefer birds of paradise.

Raising Jupiter Q&A

Your name:
Dave Aitken.

Where are you from?
Based in Cork, Ireland.

Name of band:
Raising Jupiter.

Who else is in your band?
Raising Jupiter is basically the name I put my music out under. In a "live" situation I either put together a band and mix it up between full electric and acoustic shows.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
I like to think the sound is ever evolving and rocking!

Who are your main influences musically?
I love Rush and Johnny Cash for example.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
To be doing this full time is the dream!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Recently released the Chrome EP, which was mixed and mastered by the legend that is Beau Hill! The EP has been getting great reviews and a tremendous amount of airplay around the globe.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
None really - all part of the experience!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Give me the News.

Where can we listen to it?

Where can we find out more about your music?