Samantha Scarlette Q&A

Your name: 

Samantha Scarlette.

Where are you from? New York City, New York.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

I describe myself and my music as soft grunge. Some 90s, some alt, some goth, it's a mix. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

I listen to a lot of 90s alternative and grunge bands, as well as some of the 80s new wave stuff and then the early-mid 2000s emo/pop rock stuff that was popular during my formative years.... So I guess I draw and take influence from all of those genres.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
I'd like to take my music as far as I can and branch out with other ventures (such as what I'm doing now with my clothing line Mk-Ultra90 clothing) . Why set limits?

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?  
The process of recording and releasing music.. I love everything that goes into it; music videos, promotions, etc. I like being busy.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
None that I care to share here. It would be nice to be able to go all Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind though.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?  
"These Violent Delights" because it's thus far the song I'm most proud of.

Where can we listen to it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3mpvaWwmB8

Where can we find out more about your music?
You can find my music on ALL major digital retailers and streaming services.. iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Tidal, Google Play, Rhapsody, etc.
www.SamanthaScarlette.com
merch.SamanthaScarlette.com
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/samantha-scarlette/id447101959
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SammiScarlette
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SamanthaScarlette
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/SamanthaScarlette
Tumblr: http://www.samanthascarlette.tumblr.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/SamanthaScarletteMusic
shop.MK-ULTRA90.com
http://www.instagram.com/MKUltra90Clothing

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?  
Thanks to everyone for the support & glad you're listening to my stuff! The new cd will be out later this year! <3

City Of Auburn Q&A

Your name: 

Michael Osborn.

Where are you from?: 

Plattsburgh, New York. Really upstate, basically the border of Canada. 

Name of band: 

City of Auburn.

Who else is in your band? 

James Motter (Drums), Luke Weeks (Bass), Jake Potter (Guitar) and Jordan Shepherd (Guitar). 

How would you describe yourselves?

We're probably the weirdest group of people. We're all really into different things and our dynamic is really complimented from that. All of us were great friends before the band came together and playing together is really just the greatest hangouts. We also really love memes.

Who are your main influences musically?

We're all into different types of music but we all have a great appreciation for alternative rock and that's kind of always been the genre we'd play. I love bands like Paramore, Falling Up, Subseven, Crooks UK, PVRIS, Being as an Ocean, the list goes on. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I love to dream, so If all my dreams came true I'd love to tour the world on an album that we make together, play Warped Tour, tour with our favorite bands, be one of those bands that can influence a whole generation of musicians in the same way that other bands have done for me. But for now, we're recording a new album and we are really concentrating on that right now. We're hopeful for the opportunities it can open up. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We are a really, really new band. We played our first round of shows at the beginning of this year, we made a little weekend tour out of it. We played through Denton, Houston, and San Antonio all in one weekend and that was seriously the greatest experience I've ever had in a band before. Waking up knowing that you get play music every night was the greatest feeling. I can't wait to hit the road again. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Actually, there really has been nothing in my time in City of Auburn that has been regrettable, I'm having a blast. But I was in an older band for a long time and we tried to film a music video with some old friend of ours. We were in the middle of some god-forsaken wooded area in Texas and it was around 3am in the morning. There were spiders, there were snakes, and it was just horrible. The music video was actually never completed and never released. That was pretty much the most unenjoyable band experience. I have yet to go through something that tops that ha. 

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

I think I'm just going to with the single off our EP 'Soul Searcher', the song is called 'In Waiting' and I think it represents us our music really well because musically and lyrically, it introduces that drive the other songs have and it really opens up to that emotional output we want to portray. It give a great representation of what we can do and the EP just expands on that. I think we're going to have some really defining songs on this new album we're working on.

Where can we listen to it?

http://youtu.be/kqQbQiMyvk0

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/cityofauburnmusic

http://cityofauburn.bandcamp.com

Instagram @cityofauburn

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

Thank you so much for having us. Like us on Facebook! 

Froomador Q&A

Your name:

Ryan Froom.

Where are you from?

Orlando, Florida.

Name of band:

Froomador.

Who else is in your band?

I'm going solo for now but intend on blending with and putting together a fixed band in the near future.  

How would you describe yourselves?

I like spending time connecting with people but sometimes I just need to retreat to my own solitude to recharge. So I guess that makes me introverted. I find rest and peace in the outdoors and singing can almost be as cathartic as surfing. My soon-to-be released album Can't This Wait combines nylon-string flavoring with the electrical pulse of alternative indie rock. There is also a Latin element that pokes its head up in certain tracks.

Who are your main influences musically?

For me it's never easy to pin-point the exact influences I draw from but the ones that I am aware of are...  Antonio Carlos Jobim, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Beach Boys and, and my very own dad.      

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I hope to keep making records, learning about different approaches to writing songs, sharpening my stage act...but more importantly being a better listener to music, to people and their stories. So much of the music being consumed now is image driven.  Maybe a bit of a far-fetched of a guess but...I wonder if what we view first is starting to become more and more the REASON why we listen? As a result of being over drenched by videos I feel like I'm losing the skill of active listening - meaning listening with a sense of intention without distracting images. For me viewing images while listening to a song can be sensory overload thus disrupting and making it hard to really hear (and missing out on) the subtle nuances that lie deep within a sonic landscape.     

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

The highlight came the day I decided to not be afraid of exposing my music.        

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Wow, that's a tough one. I'm not asking for alzheimer's but sometimes I want to forget all moments. I think this comes from a longing to live solely in the present moment. On the other hand not to sound too cliche but they say that "we don't remember days we only remember moments". I'm grateful for all moments (or those that i remember at least) because I recognize that my "being" or who I am currently is merely a culmination of every moment leading up to this point and/or experience that has happened to me - good/bad/ugly/or sad. But to be frank I suppose I'd rather not remember the moment when I got struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.             

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

At the moment I would say, Solar Energy. It touches on some environmental issues and I feel like... lyrically...it's one of my stronger songs.       

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/froomador

Where can we find out more about your music?

froomador.com  (official site)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0TZAqW8dOs  

https://www.facebook.com/froomador/

https://twitter.com/froomador

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

Please watch the music video single Solar Energy, which is out now. Oh yeah and...thanks for taking an interest in my music. Be well!  

Arcade Fortress Q&A

Your name: 

Gavin Connolly.

Where are you from?

London, United Kingdom.

Name of band:

Arcade Fortress.

Who is in your band?

Gavin Connolly: Vocals, guitar, colourful sock fancier.

Richard Fox: Lead guitar, artwork, Grant’s chauffer.

Bill Sim: Bass guitar, pizza acquisition.

Grant Salmon: Drums, pizza consumer, misplaced sense of entitlement.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Our band functions on a strict diet of beer and banter. A phenomenon we call ‘the shark tank’. No space for shrinking violets here. Underneath a veneer of general debauchery, there is a great deal of commitment that goes into creating music that we’d want to listen to ourselves. Every practice results in the beginnings of new material, as well as honing our existing set. We’ve been together since June 2015 and have around three albums worth of quality material, with more being added all the time.

Who are your main influences musically?

Musical influences across the band are varied and eclectic. We all love Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro. I’m a Led Zeppelin fan. Richard likes Avenged Sevenfold. Bill is mildly obsessed with Metallica. Grant loves Abba and The Beatles. Varied, to say the least.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I feel there’s space in the market for a new British rock band. We all have day jobs, but what we aspire to is to be paid to make music for a living. I realise nobody is going to hand us success on a plate, so we’re working hard to try and make that happen. It’s not enough just to have good songs these days, everything on social media has to be spot on too, so when we’re not performing, I’m usually making sure everything is kept up to date. On the music front, I try to write songs that stand the test of time, songs that I’d like to hear and buy myself. Some albums are simply timeless; I still listen to Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin), Dookie (Green Day) and Ten (Pearl Jam) regularly. I aspire to write albums of that calibre. My dream is to be standing on a festival stage with the crowd singing my lyrics back to me. That would be a major bucket list tick for sure.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We’ve been lucky enough to play at some legendary venues such as The Dublin Castle (a past favourite of The Libertines & Amy Winehouse) and The Water Rats (where Bob Dylan played his first UK show, and Oasis made their London debut) but my best band moment so far was recording ‘Tinder’ at Ventura Soundhouse Studio. I was laying down one of the guitar tracks and had a moment where I realised we were creating something special. I may have had a small lump in my throat. In a very manly and rock ’n’ roll way of course.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

On stage, at The Angel in Hayes. We’d just finished playing our last song ‘Overdrive’. Grant gets really excited during that one. At the very end he launched his drum sticks into the audience. One of them split a guys head open. There was a fair amount of blood. He’d had a good night though, so he was cool with it. We bought him a beer.

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

Tinder. It’s an anthem. I could imagine playing it on a festival stage.

Where can we listen to it?

Stream @ https://soundcloud.com/arcadefortressrockband/tinder

Buy @ http://arcadefortress.bandcamp.com/track/tinder

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://www.arcadefortressband.com

Flops Ego Q&A

Your name: 

Benjamin Michael Thorpe.

Where are you from?

Kalamazoo, MI.

Name of band:

Flops Ego.

Who else is in your band?

Tyler White (Drums) and Nicholas “Duchess” Miller (Bass).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

This is a big question. For me, it’s all about releasing tension. There are different emotions and different tensions in life and I’d say anger and frustration are big ones for me. So the music sounds a bit intense. Some songs are a lot more melodic and less progressive metal though. I’m really excited going forward because we have a good vision of what the future holds.

Who are your main influences musically?

Main influence is a better question than the “what influences you” question. Our main influence would be progressive rock and metal. Anywhere from Rush to The Fall Of Troy. We tend to like prog three piece bands considering that’s who we are. I highly recommend you check out To Whom It May from Galveston, TX. They are a prog 3 piece that will stick in your head. I’ve been listening to a lot of Karnivool lately too. Their Asymmetry album is one of those “thank God they did it so I don’t have to” albums. Also check out Puscifer.  

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I hope to travel the world and connect with an audience that is as frustrated as I am with the status quo. Especially in America. It seems that people only think pretty people can be famous and those pretty boys and girls are spoiled brats. Usually. There are always exceptions to the rule.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Hands down when I got to open for Nothing More and Sleepwave in Grand Rapids Michigan.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I’d love to forget the fact that people don’t buy music any more. They just stream it and download it. If you really love a band, make sure you buy their music. They don’t get much of the money from it but it helps their stats for label scouts. Every purchase goes a long way!

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

Our new song “Armageddy”. The reason is that it’s a compact little journey of a song that really captures where we are right now as musicians. It's out now. Please buy it on iTunes it helps a lot more than you think (itunes.apple.com/us/album/armageddy-single/id1087654670).

Where can we listen to it?

https://youtu.be/vuPCzSrThG4

Where can we find out more about your music?

Twitter is best @FlopsEgo

But we also have facebook.com/flopsego and flopsego.com has all our old stuff available for streaming.

Strobegirl Q&A

Your name:
My name is Heather-Jane.

Where are you from?

I am from Croydon, South of London.

Name of band: 

I work under the name of Strobegirl.

Who else is in your band?

It's just me :-) I play all the instrument parts myself, but sometimes I collaborate with other artists and producers.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

I would describe myself as eclectic and kooky! The music I am currently producing I describe as folktronica as I blend folky and electro elements together in my work. I like to take elements from different genres and mix them up.

Who are your main influences musically?

My musical influences are hugely varied and there are so many of them. I was influenced early on by folk artists then later by punk, rock and electronica. Vocal wise I have been influenced a lot by Joni Mitchell, Julianne Regan, Hope Sandoval, Siouxsie Sioux, Suzanne Vega, Tori Amos and Deborah Harry.  

Music wise I have been influenced by those people too but also Kraftwerk, Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, Queens of The Stone Age, Massive Attack, Sufjan Stevens, Grimes, Alt J, Little Boots, Imogen Heap, Froux Froux, The Japanese House, Foals, 1975 a big mixture.  

I am very very taken with the work Grimes has been producing lately as well as Alt J. They are two current artists that I admire a lot. Again I think I am attracted to the way they build up such emotive layers in their music. Fantastic musical soundscaping, I like that. I could talk music and musical influences all day!

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I have achieved what I set out to do which was to produce music and find an audience for it. I am happy with where I am at, I have no desire for fame or fortune etc, that's not why I do it although I wouldn't say no to a wider audience and a regular income.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

The highlight of my career was the year 2015 because so much amazing stuff came together! A track that I had written with one of my collaborators Illustrial was picked up and used on TV and on the back of that many good things have happened.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There's been nothing that I want to forget yet, so maybe that's still to come! I'm a big believer in taking positive from a not so great situation and learning and moving forward from that point so maybe that's why nothing seems like a negative. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I think it would be my current track Alice as it is the culmination of a huge musical journey and I am really happy with how I have blended the folk and electro influences in to it as well as the other diverse musical sounds I had wanted to try and blend. 

Where can we listen to it?

You can listen to it and download it from my bandcamp page and also listen to it from my soundcloud page the direct links are here :- 

https://strobegirl.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/i-am-strobe/alice

Where can we find out more about your music?

You can find me on most of the social networking sites and my downloads are available from my bandcamp page. There is currently a 15% reduction if you buy my full discography!

https://strobegirl.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/i-am-strobe

https://twitter.com/I_am_strobe

https://www.facebook.com/StrobegirlUK

https://www.reverbnation.com/strobegirl

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

Just please take a listen to it. I have a large back catalogue of tracks through my collaborations with other people as well as my own material. l  do like to think there is something a little refreshing and different about the music I produce and I would love to share it with as many people as possible.  

The Ninth Chapter Q&A

Member name: 

Jaz Munro

What city/country are you from? 

Brisbane, Australia.

Name of band: 

The Ninth Chapter.

Who else is in your band?

Dan Bowland, Glen McClymont, Zac Page, Tom Hilliar, Dillon Carlsson, Fraser Munro.

How would you describe your sound? 

Funk & Groove music...

Who are your main musical influences? 

Skunkhour, Stevy Ray Vaughan, Budos Band.

What do you hope to achieve with your music? 

A life-long bond between the members and shows that regularly surprise us after nine years of playing together...actually we have this already.

What has been the highlight of your career so far and why? 

We have been together for almost nine years and have played up and down the East Coast of Aus. A highlight would be playing the New Year's Show at the Woodford Folk Festival to thousands. Great atmosphere and a two-hour set of epic proportions.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Driving so much between shows.

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

Coming Back. Groove based track mixing our influences from all of the members. One our most popular songs live also.

Where can we listen to it? 

www.onepagelink.com/theninthchapter

Where can we find out more about your music?

Yes all the mentioned but our www.onepagelink.com/theninthchapter has the most concise material.

Marto Q&A

Your name: 
Dean Amato.

Where are you from? 
Fremantle, Western Australia.

Name of band:
Marto.

Who else is in your band?
Adam Round, Jaxon Boin, Chris Mackenzie and Harry Harrison.

How would you describe yourselves? 
Alternative but easy listening.

Who are your main influences musically? 
Faith No More.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
Awareness and consciousness for young kids. To let them know that life is 80% bullshit and that love and sticking together is all that matters.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Getting to meet Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Why? cause they were real people under it all.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
Selling my front row centre ticket to STING in order to go to a wedding.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 
Track 2 on the album Wont Let You Down, simply because it represents me. Straight to the point, heart felt and under four minutes.

Where can we listen to it? 
https://soundcloud.com/martofreo/wont-let-you-down


Where can we find out more about your music? 
https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/roads/id1049003565?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
www.marto.com.au
www.facebook.com/martofreo
www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/marto
www.soundcloud.com/martofreo


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

All the music from this album came from a 12-month journey around Australia in my beloved VW Kombie YOLO.

The Smashed Idols Q&A

Your name:

G Blue.

Where are you from?

Houston, Texas.

Name of band: 

The Smashed Idols.

How would you describe yourselves?

Music is quirky alternative punk with a few screamed lyrics and heavy guitars.

Who are your main influences musically?

Main influences are bands like the Pixies and The Cure, also always dug the Rolling Stones, anything with hooks and driving lyrics. Another big influence is ZZ Topp, but you don't hear that so much on the recorded stuff.. some old school punk like the Dead Boys.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Just wanna tour around and have a good time. Make people smile and have a good time.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Playing South Padre Island. It's gorgeous and people are happy to be in paradise.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

A gig at a seedy club where the neon lights on the circuit were messing up our sound (lesson learned). A dude even tried to steal our bass guitar after the gig and it didn't end well for him in the parking lot.

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

Well, I've always been partial to Alien Song. It isn't as musically complex as some of our other jams, but it is funny and has a message.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/the-smashed-idols/alien-song-m

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://www.facebook.com/thesmashedidols/

https://twitter.com/TheSmashedIdols

Older Than Oceans Q&A

Name of band: 

Older Than Oceans.

Where are you from? 

Long Island, NY.

Who is in your band?

Anthony Muhlig- Lead Guitar
Brian Rudolph- Drums
Nick Dipace- Guitar/Vocals
Tom Taglianetti- Lead Vocals 

Steve Cole- Bass

How would you describe yourselves?

We have a very diverse sound. We can be on both sides of the spectrum, edgy and upbeat or emotional and powerful. We have alittle bit of everything.

Who are your main influences musically?

As a band, we've definitely been influenced by other groups such as Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember, The Story So Far, Taking Back Sunday, the list goes on..

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We just enjoy creating the music we play and playing out to anyone we can. The ultimate goal would be to live a life where we can continue to create the music we love while being able to survive off it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Our latest release "It's Not Me, It's You" has definitely been our highlight so far. It's opened so many doors for us already in the Long Island scene.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Those special few gigs every band has where just everything possible goes wrong, ya we can forget those ha-ha. Even know it has moulded us into the band we are today.

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

Hindsight Isn't Always 20/20 for sure. It carries deep emotion and shows our diverse aspects from our other songs. We made a music video for it check it out!

Where can we listen to it?

https://youtu.be/vXOSAUskXpM

Where can we find out more about your music?

Website: www.olderthanoceans.com
Facebook.com/olderthanoceans 
Instagram/Twitter: @olderthanoceans

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

We plan for another release around early summer along with some out of state shows. Let us know where you want to see us play!