Leaving Eden Q&A

Your name: 

Eric Gynan.

Where are you from? 

Boston MA, USA.

Name of band:

Leaving Eden.

Who else is in your band?

Eve (lead vocals), Ryan Manning (drums) and Johnny V (bass).

How would you describe yourselves?

Well, we def like to have fun! We consider ourselves rock, metal, progressive, alternative  - so that there’s really no box to put us in. We even do acoustic unplugged stuff too!

Who are your main influences musically?

Let's see, we all are influenced by so many great artists but Ryan likes Suicidal Tendencies, Johnny likes Kiss, Eve likes Janis Joplin and I like Sabbath, Disturbed, and way too many to list. Love Ritchie Blackmoore though...

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Great question! I’m not in it for the lure of $$, or even fame for that matter. I just humbly write songs that I hope people will enjoy. We do write provocative lyrics which are reality based so that maybe one could be inspired.

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

So many, that’s a tough question. Leaving Eden has toured the USA, UK and Canada sharing the stage with hundreds of the biggest national bands in the world including; Lacuna Coil, In This Moment, Black Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), Ronnie James Dio, Rob Zombie, 5 Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, Marylyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Puddle of Mudd, Korn, Killswitch Engage, BuckCherry (Jefferson Starship, Big Brother and The Holding Company, Country Joe, 10 Years After, 40th Anniversary Woodstock) Shinedown, Dropkick Murphys, Alice in Chains, Papa Roach, Bret Micheals, Halestorm,Theory of a Deadman, Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, Hell Yeah, Trapt, Dope, Soil, Fuel, Queensryche, Saving Abel, Hinder, Damage Plan, 7Dust, Sebastian Bach, SoulFly, Days of the New, NonPoint, Drowning Pool, The Misfits, The Butcher Babies, Collective Soul, MushroomHead, Mudvayne, Chevelle, Godsmack, Powerman 5000, 10Years, Taproot, Gin Blossoms, Michael Schenker (UFO, MSG & The Scorpions), Herman Rarebell (The Scorpions), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Kittie, One Eyed Doll, Uncle Kracker, Tremonti (Creed/Alter Bridge) Lamb of God, Slayer, Stone Sour, Motorhead, Blackstone Cherry, HOOKERS & BLOW Featuring GUNS N' ROSES, QUIET RIOT, W.A.S.P. Members, Steven Tyler, Ted Nugent, Lita Ford, LA Guns, Trixter, Warrant, Apocalyptic Review (featuring members of Godsmack) & many more..

We were winners at the 2014 New England Music Awards (Best Hard Rock/Hard Core/Metal Act of the Year), winners of The 2015 Pulse Magazine Music Awards (Best Hard Rock/Hard Core/Metal Act of the Year) & (Sexiest Musician "Eve") and submitted for consideration to 15 categories for the Grammys this year. 

With all that said, Sharing the stage with Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) with Ronnie James Dio prior to his untimely death was incredible. I think playing Woodstock Anniversary was full circle in terms of where it all started. Got to hang out with Janis Joplin's band Big Bro and the Holding Co, Jefferson Starship, Country Joe, ya man too cool!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Well, hmmm, I very, very seldom get drunk, maybe once every two years, and I remember on an off night on tour, we let our hair down (I have a shaved head lol) but anyways, ya probably want to forget doing cartwheels down the street somewhere in the Dakota’s...

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

Another good question. Let's see, we got four Albums released to date:

Pinnacle - Welcome To My World -  Between Heaven and Hell - Tied and Bound

So I guess on our Pinnacle album released by Rock Ave Records USA, “Feel Alive” where I believe the lyrics and music are inspiring; “Walk on through before the door closes, you have one shot so you better make it right. The door is wide open, why are you waiting to feel alive?”

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/leavingeden

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/bandleavingeden/

www.twitter.com/Leavingeden

www.linkedin.com/in/leaving-eden-39320010

www.instagram.com/leavingedenofficial/

www.youtube.com/user/leavingedenband

www.soundcloud.com/leavingeden

www.reverbnation.com/leavingedenmusic

www.myspace.com/leavingedenband

www.bandsintown.com/LeavingEden

www.leavingeden.com

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

Sure man, wanna thank ya for chatting with us here and ya, here’s our video for We Are Not Alone, https://youtu.be/lLMINm6TV3Y 

We are touring the USA, Canada and Europe so hopefully we can catch ya when we come thru! Peace!

Jeff Michaels Q&A

Your name: 

Jeff Michaels.

Where are you from? 

Boston, MA.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

Indie piano rocker with a touch of humor and good old fashioned rock 'n roll.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Ben Folds, The Beatles, Counting Crows.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To continue to put out high-quality independent albums and grow our audience internationally.

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

There have been a few. Appearing on NPR and CNN Radio were both great accomplishments, as was having our music played on MTV's Real World, and some of the great gigs we've done. But I think the highlight so far was receiving a personal thank you letter from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for "Boston Strong", a song I wrote after the tragic marathon bombings for the city of Boston.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

There's be a few gigs... like the one we drove miles outside of Austin, TX to play only to find it was an open-mic night run by the drunkest guys I've ever seen.

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

I think Top of the World from our new album, Townie Paradise really captures our sound right now. It has elements of pop, rock, and piano that result in a sound I'm really proud of.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/jeffmichaelsband/top-of-the-world

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://www.jeffmichaelsband.com/

https://www.youtube.com/jeffmichaelsband

http://www.reverbnation.com/jeffmichaels

http://www.twitter.com/jmichaelsrocks

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

Be sure to join our independent mailing list! We routinely send out all kinds of free music, fun videos, and you'll be first to know about upcoming releases. Join here with one click: http://www.jeffmichaelsband.com/subscribe/

The Gravity Guild Q&A

Your name:

Colin Simson, lead vocalist.

Name of band:

The Gravity Guild.

Who else is in your band?

Jay Way – Guitars/Backing Vocals

Colin Simson – Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitars/Percussion

Abel Vallejo – Drums/Percussion

Where are you from?

Guitarist Jay Way moved out to Los Angeles from Michigan in 2000 to pursue music and studio engineering. He met a drummer who helped hone the sound that would later become The Gravity Guild. Way found Boston native Colin Simson through an online ad and the two started playing and writing songs, quickly realizing that they had the same taste in music and had a great creative connection.

Shortly thereafter, Way and Simson met Abel Vallejo, drummer extraordinaire, who embodied everything that the band stood for and wanted in terms of heavy hitting and intelligent musical reactions to the riff-based sound.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

The Gravity Guild blends a mixture of classic progressive rock styles with modern progressive metal all wrapped up with a thick cocoon of 90's grunge. Progressive grunge? Perhaps, but it’s more refined than that… Think Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater and Rush meet Alice in Chains, Tool and Soundgarden.

Who are your main influences musically?

We are constantly inspired by classic rock and the grange era - music that we grew up listening to as well as the newer bands who’ve come out recently that clearly share our taste for heavy-hitting rock and alt metal.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We want to take this project as far as it can go. The Gravity Guild is currently laying down tracks for our third studio release tentatively titled, "III" ... It promises to be our hardest hitting album yet.

Our first release, “I” is a crushing album that breaks the typical boundaries of hard rock while paying tribute to 70's rock, 90’s grunge, and modern rock. “I” swaggers with innovative guitar sounds and powerful riffs melded with heavy hitting drums and monster bass lines that carve out canyon-sized grooves over odd-meters. Melodic hooks laced with tight harmonies and evocative lyrics bring all of these elements together in this impressive full-length album.

Our sophomore release, “The Great Divide” expands on our experimental sound-scape while offering listeners a moody and introspective experience. The tracks for “The Great Divide” and “I” were recorded simultaneously giving the band an opportunity to have a follow up release less than a year after the release of “I”.  These contrasting styles inspired the band to re-imagine a couple tunes from “I” using their new acoustic approach. Ominous tracks “The Game” and “Time & Again” were stripped down and restructured, giving the audience a fresh perspective.

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

The highlight of our career continues to be meeting new fans. Our fans are everything to us! Without fans we’d be playing these songs in our studio for ourselves. But because of support from loyal music enthusiasts, we’ve been able to play the best venues all over Southern California and even make a little money for doing what we love. It doesn’t get any better than that!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Being in a band is very much like being in a relationship. We’d never speak ill of the musicians who’ve come and gone during the early stages of forming The Gravity Guild, but the most frustrating parts of being a professional musician, and the things I think we’d all like to forget, have to be those moments when you realize that someone in your band isn’t working out. 

Break-ups are never easy but often necessary in order to keep moving forward creatively.

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

SLO is the perfect track for audiences to get to know The Gravity Guild because it is both heavy and upbeat. Plus, SLO showcases the band’s versatility through Jay Way’s killer guitar lines featuring his effects-heavy sound, Simson’s soaring vocal lines with tight harmonies, and an array of African percussion including congas and djembe that augment Vallejo’s massive drum grooves.

Where can we listen to it?

http://youtu.be/0nvO5vXOnPM

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.TheGravityGuild.com

facebook.com/TheGravityGuild

twitter.com/TheGravityGuild (@TheGravityGuild)

youtube.com/thegravityguild

reverbnation.com/TheGravityGuild

thegravityguild.bandcamp.com

iTunes: The Gravity Guild

cdbaby.com/Artist/TheGravityGuild

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

The Gravity Guild is not yet signed, and though we welcome the right deal, we are proud to say that everything we've released has been written, produced, recorded and mixed in-house in our home: Inside Studios.

Hillary Reynolds Band Q&A

Your name:  

Hillary Reynolds - piano/mandolin/vocals.

Where are you from?

I'm originally from Wisconsin, but the band was born in Boston, MA.

Name of band:

Hillary Reynolds Band.

Who else is in your band?

Trevor Jarvis - cello/vocals, Jeff Hale - drums/ukelele/glockenspiel, Chris Mewhinney - upright bass/electric bass & Connor Reese acoustic guitar/pedal steel guitar/vocals/electric guitar

How would you describe yourselves?  

We're like a family with all of its kinks and quirks but at the heart of everything, unconditionally love one another and love creating music together. Chris brews absolutely delicious beer and cooks unbelievably good Indian food. Trevor lives for summer beach sunsets in southern Massachusetts. He also loves a good pair of cheap sunglasses. Connor is obsessed with The Lord of the Rings, and is absolutely AMAZING with impersonating characters with different dialects. He also knows every single Weird Al song. Jeff is a quiet soul, but an animated story teller. It's rare to see him in that form, but whenever he tells a story, I am usually laughing in hysterics for minutes after. He loves the Smoky Mountains, has a convincing southern accent, and got the entire band into listening to "trucking music". As for me, I love forests, flannel, a good glass of bourbon by a fire and watching baby elephant YouTube videos.

Who are your main influences musically?

The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Nickel Creek, Jethro Tull, The Civil Wars, James Vincent McMorrow, AC/DC, Alison Krauss, The Oh Hellos and Puggy to name a few... 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Our collective goal is to be able to use our voice and artistry as a force for good. I personally want to be able to be a voice for positive change wherever our music is consumed. I want our band to add light to the collective consciousness of the world. 

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

Two moments stand out to me. One highlight was opening for Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons and Norah Jones at Mile of Music last year. There were 1000 people in the crowd, listening to us share our stories, and watching us express ourselves. The energy of our performance was reflected with the audience. It was a beautiful mirror. After that performance, I became addicted to that spark and connection. The other ongoing highlight of our career is playing a concert and seeing kids run up to us saying they want to be like us when they grow up. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

After a week out on the road, we were making our way back to Boston from NYC. There were a couple accidents along the way & there was terrible traffic. It was hours of traffic. Once we were finally in the clear, we noticed the engine overheating, only 25 miles from Boston in the middle of August. We had to drive slow on the interstate, roll the windows down & blast the heat in order to offset the heat from the engine just so we could get it back to Boston & to the mechanic. Most miserable 25 miles ever.

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

I would select "Honey, Come Home" because it reveals the sonic depth of our instrumentation, as well as the dynamic of our arrangements. The song shows the intimacy of our simple, yet heart capturing lyrics, and the energy of the track really aligns with who we are.

Where can we listen to it? 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xNbseZp9Jc

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Official Website - http://www.hillaryreynoldsband.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hillaryreynoldsband

Twitter - @HillReyBand

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/hillary-reynolds-band/id441968862

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

What are the best ways to make the best of a nine-hour car ride while on tour? Well, first there's Mad Libs, and Cards Against Humanity. Both are great ways to laugh between naps and silence. And then there's listening to every music genre we can possibly think of - everything from bluegrass to 90s pop to hard rock, metal, classical, jazz, Jethro Tull, electronic music, Disney film scores, and our personal favorite: old two-step trucking country songs. 

Thank you for the lovely interview! Sending our love across the pond. 

American Hi-Fi to return with new album

AMERICAN Hi-Fi will release their first album in five years this September on Rude Records.

The Boston pop rockers, who have been on a hiatus, made the announcement at one-off show in London.

The first single off new album Blood & Lemonade will be Allison, which you can listen to below and buy on iTunes.

Singer Stacy Jones said: "We can't wait for people to hear Blood & Lemonade. It's a return to a big guitar sound that is most reminiscent of our first album.

"I am so proud of the songs on this record. It looks like we have finally hit our stride in defining our sound. I think recording the majority of the record live lends itself to an energy that can't be captured any other way.

"We are proud to represent an era where musicians had to get in the garage with their friends, play cover songs, get in a van and play crappy gigs wherever they could until they found their voice. Rock 'n' roll music at its best has - and always will be - created this way."

Debut album from Anda Volley

AVANT-rock chanteuse Anda Volley has released her debut album Inside the Ghost Machine. 

The first single from the album - Laura Inside The Ghost Machine - was number one on Soundcloud's rock chart on the week of release.

You can have a listen to the album by the Boston artist below or by visiting andavolley.bandcamp.com

You can also find her website at www.andavolley.com or facebook.com/andavolleymusic

Anti-Clone Q&A

Your name: 

Peter Moore.

Where are you from?

UK.

Name of band:

Anti-Clone.

Who is in your band?

Peter Moore (Vocals)
Andrew Moore (Drums)
Conor Richardson (Guitar)
Fraser Burch (Bass)
Dom Whiffen (Guitar)

How would you describe yourselves?

Anti-Clone are an escape from the norm, a band not conforming to the now and popular. They are a misfit to everything that is present and because of this they are one of the most exciting bands around. The music is a mash of many influences which come together in a brutal groove accompanied by an intense live show that will leave you wanting more. The band has gone from strength to strength since it's birth in 2011 with the release of there debut single and video, 1984, recorded by legendary producer Matt Hyde (Slipknot, Machine Head, Fightstar etc). This is a band with a vision and a fire burning brighter than the sun, so keep your eyes fixed because this is the calm before the storm!

Who are your main influences musically?

We have a huge collection of influences throughout the band. Mine would be, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Mudvayne, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Static X, Slipknot and many many more

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We are all passionate about music and we all want this to be what we do, day in and day out. We want to live through music!

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

For me we have two major highlights, the first was supporting ESO in London to a crowd of 200+ and the other would be recording with producer Matt Hyde.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I wouldn't want to forget anything.

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

1984 because it's the only song recorded so far haha.

Where can we listen to it?

www.youtube.com/AnticloneHQ

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/AnticloneHQ

www.twitter.com/AnticloneHQ

www.youtube.com/AnticloneHQ

www.anticlonehq.com

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

We will soon be announcing information about our debut EP. 

Arthur Nasson Q&A

Your name:
Arthur Nasson.

Where are you from?
Boston, Mass. USA.

Who else is in your band?
It's been a solo project for years where I play all the instruments [no machines]. Though recently my young sons Graham and Colin have joined in. Graham played drums on the entire last album West Cambridge Cowboys and Colin has been adding synthesizers, sonically treated guitars and percussion to a couple of tracks. My friend Paul Curcio is involved as well, we go way back meeting as teenagers at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York - he joins us on bass guitar.

How would you describe yourselves?
In the seven albums released so far, they seem to occupy two mind sets. Those that are very structured, song-oriented rock recordings, and those that attempt to eschew cultural confines and break down and eliminate structure.
Sometimes these two disparate worlds spill over into one another. I love when that happens. I always like music that pushes forward to new places while having reverence and a depth of understanding of what's been.

 Who are your main influences musically?
 There are many so I'll try to be brief and categorize.
 In rock - Beatles,Todd Rundgren,Steely Dan, Frank Zappa,Little Richard,Jimi Hendrix.
 In jazz - Thelonious Monk,Sun Ra,John Coltrane.
 In classical - Bach,Stravinsk.
 In blues - Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf.
 In electronic music - Morton Subotnick, Karlheinz Stockhausen.
 In boogie piano - Meade Lux Lewis, Professor LongHair, Champion Jack Dupree.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Global domination as well as finally having my own fragrance placed in department stores, because this will bring happiness to all.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
I have been very lucky to have received many highlights so far. Recently I have taken up filmmaking and my videos are being picked up by TV stations in many countries around the world. I find this surprising as well as charming.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Moment? There have been many but for the most part positive. I have interacted with various characters here and there over the years, and have found, that it's just like any other business.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
While there are many, I will go with She Was Never Really There. It takes elements of classical harmony, diminished chords, thirds in the bass, an unusual piano figure, adds some jazz harmony, of course rock, the lyrics work well it has a good story line, and a  multi-tracked vocal breakdown in the middle that I still find absolutely stunning. Very proud of this one.

Where can we listen to it?
http://youtu.be/F29iKlDmL5s




Where can we find out more about your music?
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/arthur-nasson/id4391911
www.arthurnasson.com
https://twitter.com/ArthurNasson
https://www.facebook.com/arthurnasson

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

Third album from The Hush Now

INDIE-pop quartet The Hush Now will release their third album Memos on June 17th.

The band from Boston, Massachusetts have been compared to an array of artists including My Bloody Valentine, Guided By Voices, The Cure and Hall & Oates.

Written entirely by the band and produced, mixed and recorded by well known Mad Oak Studio’s head engineer and producer Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, The Dresden Dolls), Memos may be their strongest, quality album to date. 

You can find out about the band at www.facebook.com/TheHushNow or www.twitter.com/thehushnow and have a listen to I'm Always Broke In December below.

Defeater continue the story on Letters Home

DEFEATER recently wrapped recording their third full-length album Letters Home, which will be out on Bridge Nine Records on July 15th.

The ten new tracks are heavy and haunting, while lyrically poignant and continuing the story of a working class family living in post-WWII America.  

'Letters Home' revolves around the father of two brothers that listeners were introduced to in two of Defeater's prior releases - Travels and most recently Empty Days & Sleepless Nights - giving a background to the character and seeing some of the events from those past albums through his eyes.  

Vocalist Derek Archambault said: "Inspiration for this record came from a few places. Much like with Lost Ground, these stories are based around my two grandfathers' service in WWII.

"Musically the record hearkens back to Travels and Lost Ground.  EDSN was a bit of a departure for us, and I think we took some good chances on that record but Letters Home brings it back to why we started this band in the first place five years ago."

Letters Home is the heaviest body of music yet from the Boston, Massachusetts, hardcore outfit.

Guitarist Jay Maas added: "Letters Home is more focused on sounding dirty and mean, but at the same time we have improved as songwriters so some of these ten tracks are our most accessible."  

The album was recorded at Maas's own Getaway Recording Studio (where the band's prior releases were also tracked), and features the first recorded appearance by Defeater's new drummer Joe Longobardi who Maas describes as "some kind of drum wizard".

"His memory for organizing parts is sincerely inhuman, and he has such amazingly tasteful composition skills," the guitarist added. "Everything he plays just feels meant to be which really lends itself to an easier time for the rest of us."

For more information visit http://www.bridge9.com/defeater or https://www.facebook.com/defeaterband

Transit set for new LP release

BOSTON group Transit will release their long-awaited new LP Young New England on April 1st via Rise Records. 

It was recorded with Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly) and Gary Cioffi (“Listen & Forgive”) in Massachusetts.

Lead singer Joe Boynton said: “The whole process came very naturally; we started writing songs in early summer of 2012 on the Warped Tour. We're all very proud of Young New England because we feel that it paints a clear picture of who we are, and where we're from."

You can listen to the album's lead track Nothing Lasts Forever below:

Guitarist Tim Landers added: "This album is different. We're always progressing and growing. We've been close like family for so long that the songs, in a way, just write themselves. This time around we just wanted to really make a statement of who and what Transit really is. I can confidently say we accomplished that."

Through their relentless tour schedule and incredible work ethic, the band has shared the stage with artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, Senses Fail, Saves The Day, Four Year Strong, The Wonder Years and many more as well as a stint on the entire Vans Warped Tour.

With their second Rise Records full length, Young New England, the band continues onward and upward.

After a busy tour in the US, the guys head over to the UK in the latter half of May for a number of dates including the Slam Dunk festival.

For more information visit 

www.facebook.com/transitmakesmusic,

www.transitband.com or

www.riserecords.com

The Hush Now issue new single Arkansas

BOSTON quintet The Hush Now have been making a noise at SXSW and are now putting out a new single Arkansas.

Taken from the band’s forthcoming third album Memos, the track showcases them at their rousing, indie-pop best.

Vocalist Noel Kelly said: “Arkansas started out with a garage band loop conjured up by our keyboardist in the back of our crammed tour van while on our way down to SXSW.

“It's a good 36-hour haul from Boston to Austin. We played a couple of shows on the way down in NYC and Philadelphia, but on the last leg of the trip and about halfway through the state of Arkansas our drummer found out that a dear friend had passed unexpectedly.

“We stopped and mulled over our options at a gas and sip and eventually decided to carry on. We spent the week in Austin like ghosts shifting through the crowds and then piled back into the van for a marathon, non-stop drive back to Boston.

“Although the song at its core is about being caught in a manipulative relationship, the lyrics try to capture that time rumbling back through the vastness of Arkansas, staring out the window and lost in reflection with a sense of nothing to return to at home.”

For more information on the band, visit http://thehushnow.bandcamp.com or www.facebook.com/TheHushNow

American Beauties Q&A

Your Name:

Michael Gray.

Where are you from?

Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Band Name:

American Beauties.

Who is in your band?

Jonas Kahn – Guitar; Justin Kolack – bass; Jeff Allison – Drums and background vocals; Amber Casares – Background vocals; and Me – Guitar, vocals, harp.

For our recent record release 'Too Worn To Mend' we had a number of additional musicians contribute. The album was co-producer and engineered by Ducky Carlisle (Mike Viola, Buddy Guy, etc.), who played drums and other instruments on the record and is an adjunct Beauty.

How would you describe yourselves?

American Beauties is somewhat of a throwback band. We play a lot of music that you might have heard out of California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We are primarily a folk-rock band, but we venture into pop, with some country influences as well. I guess Americana is a good overall description, but I’m still not sure if that fits us perfectly. Also not exactly sure what Americana refers to since some of the greatest Americana-type artists hail from Canada and overseas, so maybe that description is a little broad… and pretentious.

Who are your main influences musically?

Our main influences are bands like Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, CSNY, and The Band. I think we also have elements of some more recent bands like The Jayhawks and Wilco.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We recently released our debut full-length album Too Worn To Mend in October 2012 so we are still in the midst of getting the word out and building interest in the band and our music. We’ve had some really good success so far where we’ve been added and played on over 150 independent and college radio stations around the US and Canada, and have received some airplay in the UK (Brooklands Radio, Olympic Radio, and Krystal Radio) as well.

We also receive regular airplay on a few internet radio stations in the US including Wrecking Ball Radio (Chapel Hill, North Carolina), The Penguin (Asbury Park, New Jersey), and a syndicated show called New Driven CRUISIN out of Atlanta, Georgia. These are really great stations that play excellent independent music along with more mainstream artists. The station formats are very eclectic and typically have very passionate musical directors and DJs that have great taste in music and spin the music they love. It’s a growing format that can be streamed around the world and is a great way for independent artists to get their music heard.

On the live front, we typically play shows around Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville,

Massachusetts and do a few regional festivals around New England. I think for the live shows, unless something really significant happens for the band, we will probably stay pretty close to home.

All in all we want to continue to write, record, and try to have some artistic success with our music; most importantly we want to get it out so that people can hear it.

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

Actually just the other day we were informed that our record was accepted by over fourteen cable TV shows in the US who have requested licensing agreements with us to use the music on their shows. This opportunity came through one of our promoters, Tinderbox Music, out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They managed our radio campaign and they are also networked with many program and musical directors in the cable TV market to whom they submit their artists for consideration.

We were really surprised that so many shows picked up the album, some of them are pretty well-know programs in the US, such as The Kardashians (E Channel), The Real World (MTV), Teen Wolf (MTV), and the big surprise was that we were picked up by NASCAR, which is the largest auto racing organization in the US. There are no guarantees for placement, but the licensing agreements are a huge hurdle and not so common for indie bands to get. For that reason we see it as a great accomplishment for the band. The best case is that it generates an added revenue stream for the band to pursue our other endeavors.

What’s the moment you want to forget?

There haven’t been many recently, but I think it’s the typical technical snafu at the live shows. I’d gone pretty much unscathed for the last several years playing live shows; then the other night at a show in Somerville, my amplifier wouldn’t amplify! After about 10 minutes trying to figure it out I had to borrow an amp from one of the other bands and our 45-minute set became a 30-minute set, with some added anxiety. It turned-out fine, but it was certainly forgettable.

If you could choose one of your songs as an advert for your music, what would it be and why?

Snow Blind, which is the opening track on Too Worn To Mend. It was the first song that I recorded with my buddy Ducky playing drums and it was one of those songs that took us one or two takes to get all the guitars, drums, and the lead and background vocals, which were all finished in a day. We later added bass and the lead guitar, but that initial day in the studio was very creative and productive. I think the song portrays many of American Beauties’ influences and is a little off from the Americana leaning tunes on the album.

I think it’s important not to be too narrowly classified as a band or artist. Our next record is going to be much different. I think you’ll still be able to identify the American Beauties sound, but the songs may deviate a little more from the roots-type influences toward more pop influenced folk and rock.

Where can we listen to it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwQ6bUkX5KY

Where can we find-out more about your music?

www.reverbnation.com/americanbeauties

Twitter - www.twitter.com/abeauties

Facebook - www.facebook.com/#!/pages/American-Beauties/333581570003075

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanBeauties1

http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=373030

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/american-beauties/id587583179

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/americanbeauties

Anything else?

We hope people will get a CD copy of Too Worn To Mend to listen to. We put a lot of thought into the tracking sequence and the packaging, which we tried to make like an old school album release with lyrics, credits, etc. The album artwork is an original design by our great graphic designer Standard Design out of Northhampton, MA. I’m a big proponent of listening to an entire album in sequence to get a sense of the artist’s perspective for that recording. I also think every record deserves a few listens to see if attaches to you or not. That’s always been my experience as a listener.

Finally, I want to mention our promotions team at LadyLake Music. We just happened upon them through a CD submission for their indie music awards and have been working with them over the past few months since the album release. They have done so much for us already as far as promoting our music, the band, and the record. It’s really been a blessing to have people that are really good at what they do (A&R and marketing) in your corner. Many great promotional opportunities (including this one) have presented themselves in just the short time we’ve worked with LadyLake and we’re really happy to be on their roster.

Thanks so much for the interview. We are really appreciative of any interest in the band and we hope the next time around American Beauties will be a more familiar entity to everyone.

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