Monday 21 December 2015

Shïppa-63 Q&A

Your name: 
My real name is Mark Hoy…

Where are you from? 
A humble Maths teacher from Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia. But my alter-ego is…

Name of band:
Shïppa-63.

Who else is in your band?
Shïppa-63 is a solo band, rather than a solo-artist or one-man band. I want to achieve a full three-four piece rock band sound. All vocals and instruments are by me. As I am the only member, I take all the credit and criticism, so that I can share it evenly amongst the others.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
My music is very heavily influenced by Brit-rock/pop/punk, especially of the 80s and 90s, and some of the 00s… This could be due to the fact that I was born in Enfield, Middlesex, and have always had some kind of psychic bind with the UK…or I just love the music that I grew up with.

Who are your main influences musically? 
I would have to say bands like Radiohead, Muse, Elbow, Blur, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Cure, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Fischer-Z etc. More recent bands, such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Doves have also had an effect on my musical stylings. Oh, and I would have to say that my mum was a huge influence in my love of music. She was a cabaret singer in her younger days…brilliant voice.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
Music is a passion and a therapy for me. I hope that I can covey and convert this passion and share my tracks with as many people that I can. I have always wanted to be able to perform in a band, creating my own stuff, and being able to reproduce it live would be my ultimate goal. It’s difficult when there is only one of me…but you never know.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Having a song selected for a compilation CD early on was one highlight, being interviewed on the radio and hearing my tracks played was another, but getting positive feedback from John Watts (Fischer-Z) for a cover I did of his track Pretty Paracetamol was pretty much up there…he is one of my musical heroes. Oh, and last week I was put on a playlist on Italian Radio with The Killers, Oasis, Supergrass, Muse, Blur and Radiohead…now that was kinda special (as you can probably tell, I’m easily pleased).

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
I guess at this stage there haven’t been any real things I’d like to forget along by brief musical journey. It’s a learning curve, so if any glitch occurs, I take it as a lesson to be learned and move on.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
It is difficult to say which song best represents my music, as it often depends on the mood I’m in as to which one I’d pick. But…I would say that There & Back (Again) would be the track I’d pick, as it turned out almost exactly as I had planned it (in my head…I can’t read or write music!). It’s a song about my frustration with politicians, and how they promise to take you to a better place, but you always end up back where you started. The vocals are in the style of John Watts (falsetto in places), and all instruments are played by me (as they are on all my tracks). I have only just started to learn what I can do with a guitar, so I was happy with what transpired in the recording.

Where can we listen to it? 



Where can we find out more about your music? 
You can find my tracks on:
…as well as my Social Media pages:

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask? 
I am fully aware with how difficult it is to make a career out of music. I’m definitely keeping my day job, but when music is a passion, you just want to enjoy it while you can. I plan to keep making music for as long as I can, and if others enjoy it, well, so be it. If they don’t, well at least I tried (and enjoyed myself in the process). Thanks so much for asking me to join in your musical journey.

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Myth Guitar Q&A

Your name:
Mylène Douriez.

Where are you from?
France.

Name of band: 
Myth Guitar.

Who else is in your band? 
Me, myself and I. Or maybe should I say my guitar is the singer of the Myth Guitar project? 

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
I write instrumental music. I refer to my tracks as my babies so I guess they sound a lot like me: dynamic, wild, feminine, indie and rock ’n’ roll. 

Who are your main influences musically?
Bob Dylan, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Cadaveria just to mention some artists. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Making people smile and dance is all what I wish. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Being able to record my album « Tap’ This ! » at home. The main challenge was to make it a 100 per cent tapping album, exploring different moods with one guitar technique only. I also recorded the drums and the bass myself. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
One day as I was changing the strings on my electric guitar, I hurt my palm with one of them. The pain made me scream and I woke the cat up. She was mad at me for a few hours because of that… 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I would say my newly released single « Graffiti Town ». It is a colourful track, quite catchy and cheerful. I believe it represents the album « Tap’ This! » well. 

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?
I would like to thank you for your time and these interesting questions! Best wishes. 

Go Primitive Q&A

Your name:
Dan Teale.
 
Where are you from? 
Rugby, Warwickshire.
 
Name of band: 
Go Primitive.
 
Who else is in your band?
Tomm E Williams (Lead vox / Guitar)
Adam White (Guitar / Backing vox)
Ben Goodwin ( Bass / Backing vox)
Dan Teale (Drums)

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
Musically, we describe ourselves as catchy melodic rock with plenty of attitude! We are suckers for groove, a killer riff, and a sing-a-long melody.

Personally we like to have a bit of fun, although we take our music very seriously. Too many bands out there take themselves too seriously, so we like to portray our light-hearted side. We’ve done video shoots about chocolate addiction and spoof vampire flicks, and our next video is out of this world! That’s all I’ll say about that haha. We feel it just adds another level of entertainment to the band for people to enjoy.

Who are your main influences musically?
The four of us are predominately into rock but we also have such a varied taste in music. From hip-hop and funk, pop and rock, all the way to metal and even tech metal, which we feel adds a unique element to our style being able to draw from all of those.

Collectively we definitely get inspiration from the likes of Foo Fighters, The Used, Billy Talent, Biffy Clyro, Breaking Benjamin, and Rueben. More recently the likes of the awesome Arcane Roots and Lower Than Atlantis have caught our attention. The list is endless!

What do you hope to achieve in music?
World domination too much to ask?! Ha. We love music, we love playing, we love writing, we love touring, we love video shoots, we love photo shoots, we love our fans, we love it all… to be able to do that as our living for the rest of our lives? Well, that would be the dream!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Recording our EP 100 Ways with Romesh Dodangoda (Kids In Glass Houses, Funeral For a Friend, Motorhead) in Wales was a big highlight this year. We had so much fun and it was great to see our songs come to life.

In September we opened for Mallory Knox and We Are The Ocean in our home town, which was really exciting for us! We sold a lot of tickets for this show and the crowd reaction for us was insane! It solidified why we do what we do, and struggle like every other unsigned band day in day out to reach a point where we can play to crowds like that every night.


And what's the moment you want to forget?
There are a few, but one night sticks out where everything went wrong for us. Well, for Tomm our singer that is!

We were playing a venue in Leicester and everything seemed to be going well. The bands were great, the promoter was great, and the venue was great. It was time for our slot, so we set up ready to go. We began full of energy as we do with every gig, and we notice the cab that Tomm was using stopped working half way through the first song. We kept the energy up while Tomm fixed things. During the next song, the cab blows completely, and we have to stop playing to swap out cabs. This was a major buzz kill for us, but we carried on regardless. In the third song Tomm’s top string broke… a pattern emerging here haha. The rest of the set went smoothly, until the very last song. We have a section where the guys go out into the crowd to rock out with the audience, and as Tomm was doing his usual head bang, his guitar wireless pack unplugged. He twisted to sort it out and suddenly crumpled to the floor! The rest of us thought he’d just got carried away in the moment, but then we see him hopping back on stage in pain to sing the final chorus. He nearly passes out during those final moments of the song! We finish the set, and Tomm tells us he had dislocated his knee, and managed to pop it back in on the floor before getting back on stage to finish the set! If that’s not rock and roll eh?!
…Oh and to top off the night, at the end our merch board got completely knocked over and smashed a few glasses.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Id probably say our next single In A Band. Musically its heavy yet subtle, and its catchy as hell. Sitting in the middle of genres, we fit very well with the more mainstream bands as well as the underground heavy scene. We feel we have a lot to offer being able to play heavy music that is listenable for mainstream audiences. With the likes of Bring Me The Horizon softening down, and Lower Than Atlantis doing what they do so well, the style seems very popular at the moment. 

The song itself is about the arrogance that can come with being in a band. We’ve seen this a lot on the road. For us, being in a band is not about being a “rockstar” (by all means we’d cash in the pay cheque ;)) It's about playing music together, purely because it’s the only thing we want to do!
The song is also a light-hearted one, as not to take ourselves too seriously. The video will show you what I mean! We plan to release it in February.
 
Where can we listen to it?
In a Band isn’t out until February 2016 but you can listen to our lead track “Breathe In, Bleed Out” here https://soundcloud.com/goprimitiveuk/breathe-in-bleed-out-100_ways
Watch the Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx7UyvEJOgM
  


Where can we find out more about your music? 
www.goprimitive.co.uk
www.facebook.com/goprimitiveuk
www.twitter.com/goprimitive
www.youtube.com/gopritv

Anything else you'd like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
Our Ep “100 WAYS” is out now!

Physical Cd: http://goprimitive.bigcartel.com/product/100-ways-e-p

Monday 14 December 2015

Years Young Q&A

Name of band: 
Years Young (Luke answering Qs).

Who is in your band?
Luke Colclough, Gary Butler, Ollie Griffiths and Danny Binnington.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
We are an alt-rock band that packs a punch, our live shows are energetic but polished and we have a sound that, I feel, blends quite a lot of different bands within the alt-rock genre together.

Who are your main influences musically?
Our musical influences span from a host of different bands and genres, I’m massively inspired by Biffy Clyro, Mallory Knox and Lower Than Atlantis. Gary is a big fan of Bloc Party and that shows in our music also. Danny enjoys his heavier music such as Trivium and Memphis May Fire. Ollie has influences drawn from pop punk, through to indie and acoustic artists. So it makes for a nice blend of sounds within our music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
We want to get as far as possible with our band, our dream is to be able to wake up everyday and go to work in the band, not having to work a 9-5 to pay the bills and the band stay a hobby. Touring and releasing music is what we want to be doing for the rest of our lives.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
We’ve only been gigging since July so it’s been a very short amount of time, but in that time we have played gigs with Fearless Vampire Killers and Funeral For A Friend. We’re incredibly proud to be able to say that and we hope it can only get bigger in the near future.

And what's the moment you want to forget?
We don’t really want to forget anything we do in this band, be it good or bad. You learn from things daily and if you don’t make mistakes you don’t progress in the same ways. I feel I speak for everyone in the band when I say we don’t regret anything we have done and we will continue that way.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Miracles is probably the most all-round song to capture our overall sound, it’s not the heaviest track but it does capture the feel of our music, that’s mainly the reason we chose it as our first single.

Where can we listen to it?
Miracles is available to buy on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/miracles-single/id1032111437
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Years_Young_Miracles?id=Bkjfcmioeqofkkfqly7mm5drpa4
and many other online retailers including Spotify.
The Video is on our VEVO Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXusBXcZdwM



Where can we find out m
ore about your music? 
Our website has links to all our social media at the bottom, you can go to www.yearsyoungmusic.com to get access to everything.
You’ll also be able to go to our online store there too.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are all either @ or / Yearsyoungmusic
Youtube is www.youtube.com/yearsyoungVEVO

Anything else you'd like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
We have recently announced the launch of our debut EP ‘Hiraeth’ which will be available online and also physically on January 15th. you can find out more on our social media over the following weeks.


Vuolla Q&A

Your name:
Ilari.

Where are you from?
Jyväskylä, Finland.

Name of band: 

Vuolla.

Who else is in your band? 
Kati Kallinen - vocals and keyboard
Ilari Kallinen - guitars
Kalle Korhonen - growls
Mika Laine - bass
Timo Ruunaniemi - drums

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
We're a bunch of different personalities that share a passion for music. We all look at music from different angles but there are some bands that rock the boat for each one of us. Like Type o' Negative.
Describing Vuolla's music with genre words has always been a difficult task for me. There are elements of post rock, doom metal and even fragments of death metal. On the other hand there are very light moments where we go almost pop. I like to think we're making music that holds and delivers strong emotions and is not chained to any defining words.

Who are your main influences musically?
Just to lay down some bands I would say: Opeth, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Isis (the band).

What do you hope to achieve in music?
We have just signed a record contract with Schwarzdorn Production from Germany. We hope this co-operation to carry on for more albums and hopefully I will see Vuolla playing some good heavy metal festivals in future.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Our first tour outside Finland. This took place last year in September. We played seven shows in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. Good tour, met a lot of lively people that experience music to the heart.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
There are some "mistakes" I have made along the way by choosing wrong people to play in Vuolla. I would like to forget some of those, yes. But then again, I don't blame myself. You can go on for years without knowing the real personality of the guy next to you. Moving on is the key.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
"Rivers In Me".. It holds the kind of lyrics that represent our music and style to the core.

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?
To all who read this: Support the underground..!

The Glass Children Q&A

Your name: 
Daniella Kleovoulou.

Where are you from?
Born in Athens, Greece but now I live in London, UK.

Name of band: 
The Glass Children.

Who else is in your band? 
David Fairweather - synths/vocals.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
Dark electronic pop.

Who are your main influences musically? 
The Cure, NIN, Massive Attack, The Knife, The Smiths, Portishead.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
Short term - to play the UK festivals over the summer. Long Term - to tour the world with our music!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Hearing 'Capture' on BBC Radio 6 Music earlier this year. We've both discovered great music from there so it was exciting to hear our song being played on the station.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Being invited to play a gig in a well respected venue in London, but arriving to find the promoter had been fired and that the new sound guy couldn't work the sound board. Well we enjoyed playing our music anyway..but rather forget the experience.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
It would have to be 'Capture' as there was a good synergy between David and I. We wrote the lyrics together and had a clear vision about the imagery and feelings we wanted to express.

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? 
You didn't ask us about what cover we'd most like to do? And our response is... we've wanted to do 'Some Velvet Morning' by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra for a while now. We're planning to stream the cover in December so give it a listen!

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Waiting For Hollywood Q&A

Your name: 
Daniel Kai (lead singer).

Where are you from? 
The Midlands, UK, and Camila is from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Name of band: 
Waiting For Hollywood.

Who else is in your band? 
Camila Miller (bass), Conor Heath (rhythm guitar), Matt Trenfield (lead guitar) and Daz Franklin (drums).

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 
Our genre would be classed as pop/pop-punk, up-beat fun-loving music that is the perfect thing to keep you smiling through a tough day! We are all fun-loving guys and gal, easy to talk to... (kinda sounds like a tinder bio right now). Love speaking to the fans, we try to keep blog entries on our YouTube channel, we love to show our band life the highs and lows to our followers, so they get to know us as people as well as a group.

Who are your main influences musically? 
You me At Six, All Time Low, Four Year Strong with a little 5SOS thrown in there for good measure.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
We would love to achieve something were proud of. We started this band with the thought of making some feel-good music that others could get into and enjoy any time of year day or night, rain or shine! We would love to make a name for ourselves both here in the UK and worldwide as an awesome LIVE band as well as a kick ass record that hits every note. We're already in talks to shoot a few music videos and plans for next year are coming thick and fast :)  

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
We supported Britain's Got Talent Finalists The Loveable Rogues the end of last year and this year we were in talks with 5 Seconds of Summer to support them on their arena tour, which fell through last minute. But either way, knowing the lads like our material and having Luke Hemmings follow us is a good start.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
I had to play rhythm guitar at an open air music festival earlier this year, which considering I have never played guitar live before turning up to play I was BRICKING IT! I had to learn something like seven tracks in two hours! the show went off without a hitch and we had some awesome feedback which was a relief.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
That's a tough question to answer as we all have a different favourite. We try not to write the same song twice. We like to add factors into each of our tracks, but for me personally I would say either NYC or This Town (at least out of the ones you can listen to currently). We have some new material were working on which I think most people will be into from the first bar :) It represents us as a fun-loving group of cheeky chappie/ettes who are just out to make some feel good solid pop punk to make you move :)

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're currently working on an album which will be available the start of the new year. For fans of melodic pop punk that just want to get their party on! We will be hitting the road next year on tour around April time also, so look out for us in your city. See you there!

Velcro Mary Q&A

Your name:
Jason Erb.

Where are you from?
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Name of band:
Velcro Mary.

Who else is in your band?
Nobody.  It’s just me.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
I’m a one man band, recording under the name Velcro Mary. I follow a very DIY punk ethic, meaning that I do almost everything myself, and I’m mostly self taught. Most of the music is guitar driven, and would be classified in the indie rock or alternative rock genres. I write, perform, record, mix, and master everything at home.

Who are your main influences musically?
I took a lot of inspiration from late 80's to mid 90’s college radio. Stuff like the Pixies, The Dead Milkmen, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Pavement, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and the list goes on and on. That was a really great time for music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
I just want to be loved.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
The absolute peak of my career was being interviewed for RealSoundsOK.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Some of the first songs I wrote and recorded are probably a little embarrassing to listen to now. But you have to write a lot of bad songs if you want to learn how to write good ones. And I think the ones I’m writing now are pretty good.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
“Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night,” which is the first track on Leave A Light On. If I had to pick one song to represent the album, that would be the one.

Where can we listen to it?



Where can we find out more about your music?
Mailing List:  http://eepurl.com/q_ytj

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Merry Xmas - here's 30 more Download bands

DOWNLOAD Festival's booking gurus have delivered an early Christmas present for metal fans with an announcement of 30 - yes 30 - stonking acts for next summer's event.

Shinedown, Killswitch Engage, Down and Don Broco are among the deluge heading to Donington Park in June.

Architects, Neck Deep, Tremonti, Gojira, Ghost, Billy Talent, Saxon and The Amity Affliction will join them across the weekend.

Halestorm, Beartooth and Twin Atlantic are also among the shit-ton of additions sure to get your bells jingling all the way.

You can check out all the new names joining the likes of Rammstein, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Korn, Disturbed and Deftones at download.co.uk




Friday 4 December 2015

Vincent Paragano Q&A

Your name: 
Vincent Paragano.

Where are you from?
I am from Yardley, PA.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
I would describe myself as an artist first and foremost. I compose and produce music. I am also an illustrator. Aside from this, I have a passion for creative writing, as well as photography. 
In regards to my music, I would describe it as atmospheric in nature. Ultimately though, my sound is influenced by a multitude of genres.

Who are your main influences musically?
Primarily, I am influenced by Depeche Mode. My other musical influences include Tears For Fears, Cocteau Twins, Genesis, Phil Collins, Drake, Illangelo, The Weeknd, Partynextdoor, The 1975, Sade, Brian Eno, M83, Washed Out, Kanye West, and The Japanese House.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Music has brought me both joy and a sense of peace. At the end of the day, I hope my music can do the same for others. Ultimately though, I hope to have a positive impact on the world through my art.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Recently, I have had the opportunity to work with the singer, Res. A few years ago, she released a cover album of Fleetwood Mac songs, Refried Mac. One of the songs she covered was “Dreams.” I am a college student studying music production. Last year, I took a production class taught by Tom Spiker, who produced Refried Mac. For a final assignment, he presented students with the option of creating a remix of “Dreams.” I chose to do this. Upon creating my remix, I wanted to get it Res, as I was wondering what she thought of it. After trying to get in touch with her earlier this year, she responded, telling me how much she enjoyed it. She then explained how she wanted to include it with rare tracks of hers as a thank you to fans who donate to her upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Following this, she asked me to choose another song to remix from Refried Mac. I decided to create a remix of her cover of “Little Lies.” I had the chance to meet with her in person this past summer when she visited Philadelphia. Looking back, I feel so grateful for having had that opportunity.
Res is such a talented vocalist and musician! I thank her for everything.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
I do not want to forget anything, as everything I have experienced thus far has made me who I am today.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
As opposed to one song, I would instead recommend my debut EP, Reflections. I feel it introduces me best, encompassing the various styles of music which influence my sound.

Where can we listen to it?


Where can we find out more about your music?
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates on my work:
Twitter: @v_paragano
Instagram: vincentparagano

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
The cover of my debut EP was photographed by my uncle, Glenn Race. He brought such a unique and creative vision to the process. I thank him for everything as well.

His website can be found here: http://www.glennrace.com

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Second To Sun Q&A

Your name: 
Vladimir Klimov-Lehtinen.

Where are you from? 
Russia.

Name of band: 
Second To Sun.

Who else is in your band? 
Just me and Fedor Borowsky (drums).

How would you describe yourselves? 
We play metal.

Who are your main influences musically? 
Norwegian/Finnish black metal and Finno-Ugric folk music.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
I see no point in such hopes so there are none.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Recently we got the 1st place in the Russian Google Play chart, and 7th in iTunes.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
There are just too many of these, really.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
As the first pick I’d recommend “Virgo Mitt”. It has some nice hardcore drive, black metal and catchy folk themes. The second one would be “Red Snow”. It has everything.

Where can we listen to it?
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/S2SIT
Google Play: http://smarturl.it/S2SGP
Bandcamp: http://smarturl.it/S2STFCL

Where can we find out more about your music?