Malice & Mario Q&A

Your names: 

Malice & Mario Sweet.

Where are you from? 

Seattle, Washington, USA.

Who else is in your band?

My wife and I.

How would you describe yourselves?

We would describe ourselves as a smooth eclectic mix of neo soul, R&B hip hop and funk. 

Who are your main influences musically?

Malice's main influence is Erica Badu and Mario's main musical influence is D'Angelo. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?  

We hope to achieve a positive feel-good vibe that makes people dance and look at life for the beautiful canvas that it is. We make music that we love in hopes that it evokes human emotion. 

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

The highlight of our career so far has been touring with our larger conglomerate 'The Physics' all throughout the United States. Selling out both LA's 'The Key Club' and New York's 'Bowery Ballroom'.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Only we probably most likely want to forget it would be our very first performance as a duet. We had so much nerves that we barely could relax and enjoy ourselves. From the crowd response it went well but we were more nervous than we ever been. It was a great growing experience but definitely a moment we will never forget because it was our first time performing live. 

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 our very first song that we ever released 'Speed of Light'. The song beautifully illustrates our love and our ideology on exploring life in love as a couple. 

Where can we listen to it?

https://m.soundcloud.com/malicemariosweet/02-speed-of-light

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://www.MaliceMarioSweet.com

Twitter: @MaliceAndMario

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

You can expect more music from us in the future as we continue to grow in life & love.  

Corey James Q&A

Your name:

Corey James.

Where are you from?

Venetia, PA (just south of Pittsburgh, PA).

Who else is in your band?

I am a solo artist.

How would you describe yourself?

I would label my music as acoustic/indie/pop. A lot of my songs are stories about overcoming the hardships in life and coming out the other side a better person.

Who are your main influences musically?

I listen to all music. My main influences are artist like Dave Mathews, Incubus, Third Eye Blind. Basically I enjoy artists who tell stories from the heart with their music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I just hope that someday my music will reach out to others and help somebody.

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

I played a show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh last year. I opened a show for the band Nine Days and a lot of people in the crowd were singing my lyrics along with me. There's no way to describe the joy I get from someone else liking my music enough to memorize the words. They were a great crowd and a really great show.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I have no regrets. Everything happens for a reason. Although sometimes that reason is unclear for a while, it always works itself out in the end.

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

(We are) Who we are. The song is about how we are who we are. And that we should love each other regardless of our defects. The world doesn't have to be full of judgement and hatred. But it's up to us to change it. We're all just trying to find our way in life.

Where can we listen to it?

www.reverbnation.com/coreyjamesmusic

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Where can we find out more about your music?

www.twitter.com/iamcoreyjames

www.facebook.com/coreyjamesmusic

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

Music is all I've ever wanted to do. I hope to have the chance to travel, play my music, and hopefully make a difference.

Héllena Q&A

Your name:

Héllena.

Where are you from?

Greece.

Who else is in your band?

Max Atman on guitar, Mike Exarchos on the bass and the Beats and Daniele Giovannoni on the drums.

How would you describe yourself?

Stubborn R'N'B singer/songwriter, free inside.

Who are your main influences musically?

Lacuna Coil, Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Make a living through it and inspire people to achieve their own dreams!

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

To work with the MTV award winning producer Stereo Mike on my forthcoming debut album "Body and Soul" is a big achievement for me and to be shortlisted in the top 20 on MTV Unsigned competition 2013 was a blessing. Sorry I couldn't pick just one :D

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There are few...

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

Hmmm definitely "Listen"from my EP which is very powerful, the first song I've ever written and very personal.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/hellenamusic/listen-ft-stereo-mike

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.hellenaofficial.com

www.facebook.com/theartisthellena

www.youtube.com/helenamicy

www.twitter.com/helenamicy

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/helenamicy3

https://soundcloud.com/hellenamusic

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

My next single "Dream Big" is going to be released on the 19th of May. It is a song that describes me 100% and I strongly believe many people can relate to it too so stay tuned for that! :) Thank you for the interview! 

New EP from Canadian post-punks WTCHS

POST-punk outfit WTCHS release their new EP It's Not A Cross, It's A Curse on Tuesday on Sonic Unyon, Out Of Sound and their own PERDU label.

In the past year the band from Hamilton, Canada, has released a digital single, cassette tape EP, a compilation 7", a split 7" and a lathe cut. But the band says INACIAC is the first release to "fully embrace our frantic, thunderous live performances and encapsulate all of these mediums".

You can check out the video (directed by Dean Tzenos of Odonis Odonis) for the track Over Kilmer below, get the EP from wtchs.bandcamp.com and for more information visit facebook.com/wearewtchs

Nanaki release Afterlight EP

POSTCODE  guitarist Mikie Daugherty has put on his Nanaki hat and released the EP Afterlight on Small Bear Records.

The five tracks were recorded last autumn while Postcode was regrouping with a new drummer.

Mikie explained: "Back in the early-to-mid part of the last decade Nanaki was an instrumental post-rock-type band based on the Isle of Man, at a time that such a thing was not really deemed socially acceptable in the local scene.  

"Known for our intense performances and excessive volume, Nanaki only released one album in its lifetime, the exceedingly limited-edition Fashion Is The Enemy Of All Art, back in The Summer Of Rock, 2003.  That record predated the existence of Nanaki as a full band, having been written and recorded by myself and, on some songs, bassist Emma Ryan before the addition of extra personnel to the line-up."

The new EP was recorded in a similar manner, with all instrumentation being handled by Mikie, with no intention to return to live performance with other musicians. 

He added: "Perhaps less obviously post-rock than the live band had been, Afterlight also sees Nanaki explore new areas, including experimentation with tempo changes and, in Saint Alessa, a 'concept' piece of sorts."

You can check out the EP below and the video for Regretfully, I Must Decline Your Invitation above.

New single from E-MUTE

ALT-rock outfit E-MUTE is now a solo project and has a new single out on April 10th.

The video for Miracle can be viewed above and Theo Mak - the brains behind the music - has been in touch with RealSoundsOK to tell us about the shift in set-up and sounds.

He said: "It is actually the first piece of music that I started writing a few years ago totally on my own without having to depend on any sort of collaborations with other musicians. Finally I got round to properly recording it and releasing it.

"I came up with the main piano arpeggio and melody during a very intense period of my life. My dad was in the hospital literally counting his last days and my band with Scott James from the Stereophonics had just split up.

"I have never again felt like that in my whole life. I was experiencing a great level of sadness and sorrow while discovering a state of existence and a side of myself that until that point; I did not know it was there. I’m overall a very positive personality but back then I was just overwhelmed by my emotions.

"I was just living the moment and was not concerned about the future or the past. Miracle was a product of those times. The lyrics and melody of the song reflect it. I was very angry and outraged so this was a conversation I was attempting to have with God himself (or whatever is out there). As always, it ended up being a monologue, never got a reply back but hey, it's a very good and unique tune - I think - I absolutely love it.

"It is real music coming straight from my soul and thanks to that I managed to get a lot of the darkness that was in me during that period out.

"A few things that I love using when I write lyrics is metaphors, oxymorons and antithesis. Did you notice that the last chorus twists the whole meaning of the song? That ‘YOU’ in capital letters has replaced ‘I’. For me God, the world, the Universe is what we make out of it. We are the Universe’s consciousness. Let’s all try to improve ourselves first and then seek for redemption. That’s the meaning of my song. Hope you enjoy the track!"

Londoner Theo has been working on an album's worth of material, but says - at this point - it makes more sense for him to release a single at a time.

You can pre-order the single on Amazon and for more information visit emutemusic.com

Second Pass Q&A

Band name:

Second Pass.

Where are you from?

Toronto, Canada.

Who is in your band?

Veronica McNamee - Vocals

Steve Pass - guitar

Andrew Buntain - bass

Rich Rizzo - drums

How would you describe yourselves?

We like to describe our music as just down and dirty plain ol' hard rock. We blend driving rhythms with bombastic guitars and add some pretty powerful vocals to create a high energy, in your face kind of sound.    

Who are your main influences musically?

There are too many to name! Even though we share a love for hard rock from Zeppelin and Sabbath to Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, we also each bring a unique blend of musical influences into the band...blues, punk, jazz, prog rock.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We are thirsty for true rock! Songs with integrity and soul that will stimulate a hell of a lot more than just the genitals, if you know what I mean. What we hope to achieve is to bring our sound to the masses and bring dirt rock back...no gimmicks, no crazy electronics, no auto-tune, and definitely no banjos.

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

Honestly...the highlight was our first jam together..it was surreal. From then on...it just gets better and better...every jam, every gig, it's all one big highlight.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

You know that gig?...yeah...that one. Ugggh. 

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

Biting My Tongue. It's high energy, spacious riff and very emotional. 

Where can we listen to it?

http://www.reverbnation.com/secondpass

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Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/secondpassband
www.twitter.com/secondpass
https://soundcloud.com/second-pass

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

2014 is shaping up to be a kick ass year for us. We have a line up of gigs supporting some pretty spectacular bands including the Misfits, Slaughter and Vixen. Our video for Biting My Tongue is in production, and we are getting ready to record our second EP this spring.  

In This Mode Q&A

Your name:

Andreas Kuepper.

Where are you from?

Tasmania, Australia.

Name of band:

In This Mode.

Who else is in your band?

Future members TBC.

How would you describe yourselves?

Electronica,  new wave, synthpop and dance would probably describe the genres but describing myself is more difficult. The music though I guess is an extension of who I am so what I write about is ... well to some extent anyway me. :) I guess that is what many artists write about when composing, themselves. Even if we write about external events or circumstances we are mostly writing from our perspective. I guess the best way to describe In This Mode is it's me bearing my soul to the world.

Who are your main influences musically?

Musical influences are probably to numerous to mention but heres some of it, some of the giants of electronic music, Gary Numan, John Foxx, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Visage, Human League, Tangerine Dream leading into The Shaman, The KLF, Front 242, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Sisters of Mercy, Orbital, Dead Can Dance and more recently Assemblage 23, VNV nation, and Royksopp just to name a few. Along the way lots of classical music found its way in there and a bit of Jazz as well. The list really is to long to list so I won’t but my thanks to any one who has ever provided musical inspiration. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

This is a really good question.....I'd like to get the music out to as many people as possible, most importantly I guess is that it is heard and that it touches people and has a positive effect on them. That it gives them something they want in listening to it. As an artist I'd like to create a bridge between the audience and I that goes beyond personalities and connects us in a much deeper way. A more meaningful way to everyone involved. Music is a kind of Transcendent art form and so I would like to transcend the stuff that keeps me stuck in ways of living that aren't fulfilling through my music and I'd like everyone who hears it to have a similar experience. Om Namah Shivia!

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

The highlight so far (although there have been many) would have to be the release of the video for "Spiral" through SJE Records. Visually representing this track was really important to me because the idea for the song came to me while watching the Spiral arm of the Milky Way one night and I think there is a lot about the video that communicates some of the images that were running through my mind that night. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Hmmm that would be the moment I released a 12" single with a band back in the late 80's. The reason for it being a lowlight when it should have been a highlight is we tried to make a commercially viable track rather than what was really true for us, or at least me, I ended up not liking the record at all and almost felt embarrassed by it. To top it off we sold about 50 copies out of a run of 1000, I don t even know what happened to the other 950 copies :)

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

The song I'd pick would be "Spiral" The song I think epitomizes the impulse behind In This Mode. The song speaks about the existence of this form, the Spiral, which is inside of us in the form of our DNA and outside of us in many places including the shape of a galaxy. It connects us to everything else in the universe including each other, we really are one. 

You can read the blog I wrote on it at themusicblog.com.au/spiral-video

Where can we listen to it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9efVLQ4c6Fk&feature=youtu.be

https://soundcloud.com/inthismode/sets/spiral-mp3-download-original

Where can we find out more about your music?

Website - www.inthismode.com

SJE Records - http://sjerecords.com/artist/in-this-mode/#sthash.gaGqsWAo.dpbs

www.twitter.com/ThisMode

www.facebook.com/inthismode

www.soundcloud.com/inthismode

www.reverbnation.com/inthismode

The Phantoms Q&A

Band name:

The Phantoms.

Where are you from?

West Lothian, Scotland.

Who is in your band?

Colin Simpson, Colin Mckillop, Peter Stewart, Blair Cullen.

How would you describe yourselves?

We recently done a Q&A for The Scottish Sun in which Jim Gellatly described our sound as "soaring atmospheric Britpop". We think that's pretty spot on.

Who are your main influences musically?

Kasabian, Oasis, The Libertines.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Grow a loyal fan base, play bigger venues.

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

Last year was a big year, there were a few highlights. We done a UK tour, played HaddowFest in Edinburgh along with The Rifles, Catfish and the Bottlemen and We were Promised Jetpacks.
 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I don't think we'd like to forget any of it, it's a learning curve, its part of the experience.

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

Our new single Revolution. I think its the sound we've been after from the start, it sound big, atmospheric, that's what we want.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/thephantomsuk

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TMATW
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Phantoms_The
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE (EP) - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/thi...

Psylhouette Q&A

Your name:
I go by my producer name Shadowless Man on this one, sorry to be faceless.

Where are you from?
Brighton, UK.

Name of band:
Psylhouette ­ probably a silent 'P', but say it if you want, I won't mind.

Who else is in your band?

This one is just me, I play all the instruments and handle all the production. Hopefully there'll be a live incarnation of the project soon featuring some other people. You'll quite often to see Psylhouette referred to with "us" and "they", it's just the way it is.

How would you describe yourselves?

This is a bit of an exploration, to see what comes out if I'm left to my own devices.

Who are your main influences musically?

For this project, I was looking to bands like Can, The Doors, Sigur Ros, Neu!, I doubt I got anywhere close, but it's only my first EP.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

The chance to get the time to develop artistically, that's so important. Few people get there straight away. I'm so fascinated and immersed in music, if anything I do can become a small part of someone else's musical experience, that would be amazing.

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

I've been lucky to work with some great people on some great projects over the years.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There have been tough times, that's for sure, but I think most people who are involved with music sometimes wonder why they bother, but then can't seem to stop doing it.

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

There's only four tracks in Psylhouette's catalogue so far, the title track off the new EP "In on the Outside" might be a good place to start, I've written a few tracks in 7/4, it's such a solid groove.

Where can we listen to it?

You can hear clips from all four tracks on the EP on Soundcloud, follow us too if you have an account ­ https://soundcloud.com/psylhouette/

Where can we find out more about your music?

Trying to be good on Twitter follow us here ­ https://twitter.com/Psylhouette
Facebook page is here ­ https://www.facebook.com/Psylhouette
The main website is just pretty rather than informative ­ http://psylhouette.co.uk/

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
The debut EP was out 24th March, it'll be on general digital release on the main outlets like iTunes and Amazon, as well as Spotify, and best of all on our website ­http://psylhouette.co.uk/shop/