The Darlins Q&A

Your names: 

Erinn Bates and Jude Toy.

Where are you from? 

Erinn is from Nashville, TN, and Jude is from Portland, OR.

Name of band: 

The Darlins.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

We are a country duo based in Nashville. We write most of our songs together and sometimes with other writers. Our music is rootsy, real, and written from our own experiences. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

Our main influences range from Dolly Parton to Stevie Nicks. We also love Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, and Loretta Lynn. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

We hope to be super successful singer/songwriters living the dream of performing and sharing our music with music fans around the world. 

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

The major highlight so far would be winning the second Annual Hourly Gig, the national battle of the bands sponsored by Snagajob, here in the US.  Being voted by the country to open for hit duo, Montgomery Gentry, opened major doors for us. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

I think we could both agree that having a band back you up on stage at the last minute (and they have never heard your songs before) was a really bad idea. That happened in Nashville at a major showcase early in our development as a duo and it was being filmed for a TV pilot! Not a good moment!

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

At the moment, Crush would represent The Darlins very well. It is a song we wrote together that was the first one that really defined our sound. 

Where can we listen to it? 

Listen at our official website at www.thedarlins.com or at https://m.soundcloud.com/thedarlins/crush

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Please check us out and like us at www.facebook.com/thedarlins, say hi to us and follow us at www.twitter.com/thedarlinsmusic, www.instagram.com/thedarlins and for news, tour schedule, and more updates, please check out our website, www.thedarlins.com. 

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

Thank you so much for finding us! We appreciate your time and interest in us and our music. We hope to make it to the UK soon!

Dirty Minutes Q&A

Your name:

Hey! My name is Sam Gerendasy.

Where are you from?

I'm from Portland, Oregon.

Name of band: 
Dirty Minutes.

Who else is in your band?For the most part I do the whole composing, arranging, and producing alone, but work with the talented Madi Arnot for live performances.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

My music is bi-product of accessible recording equipment coupled with an ongoing existential crisis. I'm never satisfied even from some of my favorite tunes. I eventually grow sick of a genre's format so my goal is to see if I can make music that is less predictable, more engaging, and still enjoyable. 

Who are your main influences musically?Philip K Dick. He defined science fiction as being a genre of novels where the protagonist is an idea. That really stuck with me. I try to write each of my songs as if they were a collection of characters playing out a scenario in a hypothetical world. 

I don't have many direct influences from other artists, but some of my favorite to listen to are Pretty Lights, Foals, Opeth, Flume, The Roots, Blackalicious, Mr. Bill, Phantogram, Marian Hill, Netsky, Herbie Hancock, Purity Ring, Santana, Justice, Guidance Counselor, Helio Sequence, and the Gorillaz. Definitely a lot of the Gorillaz. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?I have all these ideas for a song but have limited knowledge on how to get them recorded. Hopefully that'll stop being an obstacle at some point, but I feel like it's an obtainable goal ya know? One of the more difficult ways to grow as a musician would be creatively. There's always room to grow.

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

Just starting this project has been uplifting for me! I've been a drummer in bands for the last eight years. Now writing my own music without rules or a format feels natural. If I'm lucky there will actually be a noteworthy highlight.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I have a folder on my external drive called "old projects". It's full of everything I want to forget.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?Upcoming track off my debut called "Chew Z". 
I'm not even done with the mix at this point, so I'm going to link you to the 2nd best choice: Fireworks & American Noise. Yeah, this song may have been technically difficult for me to produce, but it was the easiest to write because the character of the song was so clear to me that it just kinda evolved on it's own. It only gets 2nd choice because it is so far from being an accessible song, it takes a second to really hear what it's saying.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/dirtyminutes/fireworks-and-american-noise

Where can we find out more about your music? 

I hate Twitter but I'm fairly active on it. If you don't mind an occasional 140 character rant or seeing me pick fights with celebrities, follow me at:
https://twitter.com/DirtyMinutes
Otherwise I have a tame-ass Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dirtyminutesmusic
And of course, soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/dirtyminutes

The Nonsense Buffer Q&A

Your name:

The Nonsense Buffer.

Where are you from?

Born in Cleveland, OH, but mostly grew up and lived in Western Oregon and on The Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

Who else is in your band?

Collaborations with artists from all over the world, including here in the States, the UK, Greece, Canada, Portugal and France.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

I technically consider myself a jazz musician. I do my best to thoroughly explore music, and have no genre barriers. I've been a serious musician since I turned a teenager, and have seriously studied the electric bass and voice. I just started playing the drums seriously the last couple years. I record everything on my laptop and other cheap recording equipment. I've never recorded in a major studio and have only set foot in one once.

Who are your main influences musically?

The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Rush, Chris Cornell's Projects, Dream Theater, Swollen Members, Sublime, Devin Townsend's Projects, The Roots, '30s & '40s Vocal Jazz and '50s & '60s instrumental jazz.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I want to end the cloning of The Mainstream Industry Mind.

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

Within the last two weeks I have recorded the greatest music of my life solo.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

When I was not able to play music for seven years.

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

My new song Suffer Hungry. It's my greatest recorded achievement.

Where can we listen to it?

ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/antipoliticalnonsensebuffer

Get Band email for free at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonsenseBuffer

Bandcamp: https://antipoliticalnonsensebuffer.bandcamp.com/

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

I've been on the internet since 2009. I've never paid for any kind of advanced service from the sites I use. All my exposure in from personal contact with fans and fellow artists. I'm all about being independent from the mainstream, and hope to build an honest and honorable career that fits within my belief system of how the musical art should be expressed.

New video from Defeat The Low ahead of album launch

ROCKERS Defeat The Low have unveiled the video for their song Aurora Ave taken from the band's forthcoming debut album.

A Nervous Smile is out on November 17th through Rise Records with the band also heading out on the label's USA tour with Dance Gavin Dance, Secrets and Alive Like Me.

The Aurora Ave video takes cues from the song's lyrics, which quote Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide note.

Vocalist Chris Huaraque told RealSoundsOK: "The song is strongly influenced by an early 90s, grunge-like feeling of nostalgia that I seem to get when I put on a Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, or Foo Fighters record.  

"The emotion and raw honesty that Cobain expressed in his writings, music, and performances will always be a strong influence on me, as I feel I can relate to a lot of the struggles of a small town upbringing from which seem to drive a lot of that emotion. 

"Some of the performance shots throughout the video have a look similar to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit video, such as the smokey and amber-colored tones. We are very pleased with the work Max Moore has done and even more excited for you to get the song stuck in your head!"

The band recorded their self-produced ten-track album at Rain City Studios in their home town of Portland, Oregon.

Huaraque added: "I think that everyone in the band wanted to record a solid rock album that represents us in our most honest form. We feel that each of these songs take on a character of its own, by the message and emotion conveyed. 

"Each song is special in its own right, to us, as it’s been a journey writing these songs over the past year. Each song does a good job of conveying our thoughts and feelings throughout this process of becoming friends and bandmates."

Check out the video for Aurora Ave below and for more on the band vist facebook.com/DefeatTheLowOR

The High Violets Q&A

Your names:
Clint Sargent and Kaitlyn ni Donovan.

Where are you from?
Portland Oregon.

Name of band: 
The High Violets

Who else is in your band? 
Luke Strahota and Colin Sheridan.

How would you describe yourselves?

Kaitlyn: Shoegazy dream pop with soaring, effected guitars, angelic vocals & lyrics focused on love and the complications of it in many forms..mostly.

Who are your main influences musically?
Kaitlyn: The pioneering bands of shoegaze and our various eclectic tastes in music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Kaitlyn: To continue pleasing our fans and making new ones. Create music that the listener may become blissfully lost in, away from their worries and woes.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Clint: There have been some good highlights, but collaborating with Ulrich Schnauss was definitely an exciting one. He remixed our song "Chinese Letter". 

https://vimeo.com/59262151

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Clint: Playing In New York City and having our fog machine set off the fire alarm.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?Love Is Blinding. This song captures our sound completely.

Where can we listen to it?  

https://vimeo.com/105076511

LOVE IS BLINDING from The High Violets on Vimeo.

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://www.facebook.com/thehighviolets

https://twitter.com/Thehighviolets

http://www.thehighviolets.com

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-high-violets/id40718883

Dysfonic Q&A

Your name:
My music moniker is Dysfonic. My real name is not so important.

Where are you from?
I grew up in small-town Oregon near Portland, and currently live in Santa Barbara, California

Name of band:

Dysfonic.

Who else is in your band?

It's just me. I'm a very DIY oriented person, and I love that with the music I make, I can be in full control of all aspects of the production.

How would you describe yourself?
I make loud, fun, mostly electronic music. While I draw a lot of inspiration in my sound from modern EDM, my first love was rock music and the structure of my songs (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) comes mostly from that style. I tend to favor quick changes in tone and dynamics, rather than the long drawn out build-up then "the drop" structure of most EDM. Although some of my songs are instrumentals, when I include lyrics I try to make them meaningful, at least to me.
Outside of music, I make my living as a research scientist at a university. With my technical training in the sciences, the signal processing aspects of music production come very naturally for me.

Who are your main influences musically?

I listen to and like lots of music, so my influences come from everywhere. For electronic music I look to the drama of Nero, the energy and intensity of Skrillex, the hard-hitting fun of Dada Life, and the catchy pop melodies of Zedd. The first, most important band influencing me musically are the Smashing Pumpkins: creative and varied sounds ranging from heavy rock to light acoustic. While I don't think my music sounds anything like them, my songwriting thought process and ethos comes from them.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I mostly just want to get better and better at what I do, and become capable of making music that is competitive (in artistic content and production quality) with the music-makers I admire. I think I'm making progress. Of course, I'd love to get a solid community of fans that really enjoyed my music, but only time will tell if that happens. 

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

I recently released my first EP on Bandcamp, called Progress (shameless plug), which you can get at crlsscllctive.bandcamp.com/album/progress-ep

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I haven't been releasing musically publicly for very long, so no bad moments yet. There are some old music recordings I made a long time ago that make me cringe now. Hopefully those never get out.

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

My song Freedom. I think it's my most instantly appealing song, and contains all of the pieces I described earlier: EDM sound, rock structure, meaningful lyrics. It's also the first song that I felt totally satisfied with when I finished. There isn't anything I would change about it.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/dysfonic/freedom

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Here's the full list:
(the nice part of inventing a word for your name is that no one has taken the URL)
https://soundcloud.com/dysfonic
https://www.facebook.com/dysfonic
Twitter: @dysfonic
To download EP: http://crlsscllctive.bandcamp.com/album/progress-ep
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/dysfonic/videos
Soundcloud is the best place to listen to new music as I release it. If you like it enough to download the EP, the best place is the Bandcamp link above. The Bandcamp link has the possibility to donate money for the EP, but much more than money, if you like my music please share it with others!

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

A big part of the little bit of attention I've had on Soundcloud is due to the CRLSS collective that I'm a part of: https://soundcloud.com/carelesswithvinyl. It's a great bunch of really talented indie musicians of disparate styles that release a mix tape every couple of months. If you're reading this blog, then you're probably the type of person that would enjoy their music.

Jimmy Curry Q&A

Your name:
Jimmy Curry.

Where are you from?

Portland, Oregon.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm manic, heartbroken, obsessed, and sleep deprived. My music lately has been really loud and funky. I'm so tired all the time. Whenever I perform I get pooped from all the shouting.

Who are your main influences musically?

Beck, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Deerhunter, Wilco, My Bloody Valentine, Hank Williams, Merzbow, Neu!, Broadcast, Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 2 Chainz. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I want it all...! I want to make music that is never boring and always different and also really exquisite and good. Most ambitiously, I want to write songs that people remember things by. Weird moods they got that they flash back to when they hear my tunes. I want to be famous. I want to change the game. I want to make people dance and weep as if something important has happened.

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

A show I did at Reed College a couple months ago as I was finishing up my electro-pop album Apocalypse Freaks. It was something of a concept show: I enlisted some friends to dress up in exercise apparel (headbands, sweatpants, etc.) and be my backup dancers as I danced and sang along to pre-recorded backing tracks blasting on a PA system.

The setting was perfect. I bought a couple of six-packs of bright green gatorades to surround us, and the only lights on were these red LED strips on the ground that made the whole thing look like a gym from hell. The sound was great, the moves were funky, and the crowd loved it. It was so much fun!!

I loved this performance because I felt very artistically fulfilled, yes, but also especially because I really felt like I was part of a creative community that night. Noisy soul-screech looper Consumer (http://soundcloud.com/consumermp) played, as well as a brilliant performance art duo called Yah-Eef-Ay (their whole performance that night is on Youtube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-LB99lixwao).

It was all so good!! I have never felt more welcome than I have in Portland. Nights like that are what I live for.

And what's the moment you want to forget?

There have been really bad times I just won't talk about. Most of high school, maybe. My music wasn't good yet and neither were my friends. A lot of toil and a lot of waiting in those days.

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

That is so hard!! I work in albums and streams and concepts! But if I had to pick: maybe the song Charlene, which closes my lo-fi noise rock album Never Been Lonely. It's about girls, it's about loneliness, it's about the immense wonder of being, and god damn if that isn't what most of my music is about. Sonically I pick it because it goes different ways; it's quiet and it's loud and it's rhythmic and it wilts too.

It's a folk song, which is funny because I've recorded almost no folk songs despite writing many dozens of them by now. Maybe I pick Charlene, then, because it hints at my music's potential. I think I've made good stuff now, but I don't think I've begun to approach the good I'm truly capable of.

Where can we listen to it?

http://jamescurryiv.com/tagged/charlene

Where can we find out more about your music?

jamescurryiv.com is the place. I also have a soundcloud, and a Facebook page, and a twitter all under the handle jamescurryiv. I have a youtube channel too (youtube.com/thethefourth) where upload music videos, demos, and other sorts of musical sketches.

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

Thank you for reading, if you read, and thank you for listening, if you listened. I mean what even is a book if no one reads it?

Jim Guittard Q&A

Your name:

Jim Guittard.

Where are you from?

I am originally from Dallas, Texas, but have lived all over including Gunnison, Colorado, Hollywood, California, Pernik, Bulgaria, Portland, Oregon, and now Fort Worth, Texas.

Name of band: 

It’s just me: Jim Guittard and sometimes crew.

Who else is in your band? 

Throughout the years, I have had a few people help with the recordings from time to time including Vladimir Maskov (Russian dude), Bob Guittard (my brother), Jim Seagroves (long-time friend), Ekaterina Guittard (my wife) and Warren Barry. But mainly it is a one-man band effort.

How would you describe yourselves?

Well, I’d like to think that I can’t be boxed in. Here is my short bio: Jim Guittard creates music in a documentary music style from psychedelic folk to lo-fi indie-rock. He's been putting out his brand of do it yourself little demo tapes since his college days that serve as a personal diary. Guittard has spent some time in Hollywood pounding the musical pavement. His 4th album "Busted In Bulgaria" was recorded while he lived overseas in Bulgaria as a teacher.

Who are your main influences musically?

I have a lot of diverse influences which include Beck, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, Gene Clark, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Woody Guthrie, the Cure, Roger McGuinn, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Velvet Underground and Tom Petty. Early on one of my influences was a guy at my same high school who played in several school bands called Wes Cunningham. He really is why I started playing guitar. These sum up the main ones!

What do you hope to achieve in music?

The main thing I hope to achieve in music is simply to document what’s going on in my life and to hopefully connect with some people in the process. I do hope to make a mark in an underground kind of way. I’d be doing music even if I wasn’t making a penny. Getting some money would be nice but that’s not the main thing. I’d like to get some of my songs into films or on TV.   

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

The highlight thus far has been a few hour long interviews I’ve had with a podcaster up in British Columbia called Jay Daniels. His show’s called the Muffin Junkee and broadcasts groovy lo-fi music: http://www.buzzsprout.com/10029/96793-the-muffin-junkee-7-the-guittard-tapes-with-co-host-jim-guittard  It was a highlight because someone took the time to feature me and my music with an in-depth interview.

Coming in second would be when I wrote a protest song while I was serving as a Peace Corps volunteer English teacher in Bulgaria and it almost got me kicked out of the Peace Corps. The diplomats at the U.S. Embassy Sofia were having a melt-down after I was in the papers regarding the ongoing teacher strike. It was a highlight because my music was pushing the envelope.

Another highlight would be recording and doing music with Henry McGuinn in our little duo called the Ragas. Henry is the son of Roger McGuinn who is one of the founders of the 1960’s band the Byrds. (http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/339962/the-ragas)

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There’s really nothing I’d like to forget. Everything has been quite nice. I did have some guitars and other gear stolen a few years back but these things happen and you just gotta get back up again and carry on. These situations make me the person I am today. Take the good and leave the bad behind.

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

One of the songs that represents my music quite well is a song off my Rise album called You Can Not Knock Me Down.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/jfguittard/you-can-not-knock-me-down

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Guittard/33600816077

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jimguittard

Official Site - http://jimguittard.com/

ITUNES - https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jim-guittard/id429471110

Spotify - https://play.spotify.com/artist/5vFGj1nH2MwOucNgtpFX3B

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/jgidd

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

I’d just like to encourage other creative types to create. There’s really no excuse to squander those talents if you have them. Be yourself! The technology is there to be heard or seen and to make a difference in this world. Get going. 

Hungry Girls Q&A

Your name: 
Dave Wolfe McKey.

Where are you from?
Medford, Oregon, USA.

Name of band:

HUNGRY GIRLS.

Who else is in your band?

It’s a one man band with a ton of soul.

How would you describe yourselves?

Family-oriented, humble and driven. I’ve been playing music for a long time and it’s always been there to keep me sane. My Girl and my kiddos keep me pushing forward no matter what.

Who are your main influences musically?

City and Colour, The Builders and The Butchers, Portugal. The Man, Iron and Wine, Nick Drake, Al Green.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I just love making music, and I love that people enjoy listening to it. I just want to live. I just want my family to be happy, healthy and proud and I want to do everything I can to share my soul with the world.

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

After writing/recording/playing music for nearly 15 years, the last eight months since HUNGRY GIRLS has begun has really been the highlight of musical endeavors. I have never received a response like this before, and it humbles me beyond belief to know that I’m creating something that so many folks are enjoying. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Every time I’ve screwed up on stage, haha. 

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

“Don’t Mind Me”. It’s my working class, real life, family man anthem. Lines like “Never got no handouts, I got my hand-me-downs for free” and “Don’t mind me, I just want to live” pretty much embody the spirit of my creative output.

Where can we listen to it? 

http://www.reverbnation.com/hungrygirls/song/20223900-dont-mind-me

Learn how to get a song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.reverbnation.com/hungrygirls
www.facebook.com/therealhungrygirls
twitter @realHUNGRYGIRLS
http://radioflote.com/band/hungry-girls

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

Cheers, love and respect to every single person out there who has ever even thought of listening to HUNGRY GIRLS. 

Defeat The Low sign with Rise Records

OREGON rock five-piece Defeat The Low have signed to Rise Records and have released a video for the track Turn To Hate to celebrate.

The Portland band bring a 'do it yourself' attitude to their music and self-produced Turn To Hate. And they recorded their debut album - due later this summer - themselves at Rain City Studios in their home town with lead guitarist Ryan Furlott at the helm.

Vocalist Chris Huaraque said: "We couldn't be more stoked to release our debut album with such tremendous support behind us. This collection of our first songs written together as a group is emotionally charged and straight to the point.

"Defeat The Low aims to be as enthralling as it is familiar."

You can see the video for Turn To Hate below and for more on the band type the words Defeat The Low into Google and click on one of the links. Honestly, I can't do all the work for you all the time.

The Longshots Q&A

Your names: 
Ben Hampton and Eric Johnson.

Where are you from?   
[Ben] The band was formed in Eugene, Oregon, and we’re now relocating to Portland, Oregon.

Name of band: 

The Longshots.

Who is in your band?  

[Eric] We've got myself on saxophone, Blake Hoshibata on guitar, Shane Connor on vox and keys, Ben Hampton on drums, Tom Wade on bass, Justin Canfield on trombone, and sometimes Ben Caiazza on trumpet 

How would you describe yourselves?   

[Ben] A handful of guys from Oregon who just happen to love ska and reggae. We all come from different backgrounds and are at different stages in our lives, but we keep playing shows, writing songs and meeting new fans. As our music keeps improving we seem to be finding out just how deeply we are connected to this music. This doesn't feel like a college party band any more, at least not to me.

Who are your main influences musically?  

[Eric] The Slackers and Westbound Train are the two big ones, but we all love the Aggrolites, Jimmy Cliff, Skatalites, Toots, Alton Ellis 

What do you hope to achieve in music?  

[Ben] To make music that we love and that our audience loves. We want to make people dance, we want to make people feel good, and we want to have songs that people can really connect to; songs that will stay with them and that they will want to listen to at home and connect with life events and all that goodness.
[Eric] Yeah, and make playing music our day jobs...haha.

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

[Eric] Well a couple things stick out. The first is sharing the bill and hanging out with The Skatalites in Eugene, TWICE! Also, playing the Folk Life festival in Seattle was killer. Our last show in Eugene was great but the kicker was a guy in front that none of us knew was singing along to every song, THAT was cool! Those type of experiences make all the shows that weren't as fun worth it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?  

[Ben] That gig at a Unitarian church that ended with us loaning out all of our instruments and then not getting to play.....we didn't get paid or anything either, it was bad. 
[Eric] Or that one night where a particular member of the band was quite intoxicated and decided it was a good idea to yell at the crowd while we were on stage, in particular telling people how hot his girlfriend was.
[Ben] Oh man.....and pointing at each girl in the audience.  “My girlfriend’s hotter than you, and you, and you.....”

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

[Ben] Act Right. It was an indicator of the direction that the band’s music and songwriting would go in the next two years, and we still consider it to be one of our best songs.  
[Eric] Yeah, definitely.

Where can we listen to it?   

http://thelongshotsska.bandcamp.com/ It's the first track you can play, and you can hear our whole album here.

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://thelongshotsska.bandcamp.com/ 
https://twitter.com/thelongshotsor
https://www.facebook.com/thelongshotsska
https://soundcloud.com/the-longshots-or
http://www.reverbnation.com/thelongshotsska

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

[Ben] We are raising money for the release of our third studio album. You can pre-order your copy of the album and help us get the production done by visiting this site:   
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/be-a-part-of-the-longshots-3rd-studio-album#share    
We have roughly 14 new songs to record, and I think it’s easily our best material yet.
Los Angeles producer Brian Wallace will be producing the album. We couldn't be more excited to be working with Brian.  He produced one of our absolute favorite albums of all time, Westbound Train’s Transitions, and also produced the Western Standard Time-A Big Band Tribute to the Skatalites album that came out last year. 

Sister Midnight Q&A

Your name: 

Gabe Pierce.

Where are you from? 

Beaverton/Portland, Oregon, USA.

Name of band:

Sister Midnight.

Who else is in your band? 

Nathan Pogue on drums, and sometimes his sister Lauren Pogue on bass and backing vocals.

How would you describe yourselves? 

Diverse influences melded into a recognizable and personal sound combing inspiration from both old and relatively new rock bands in something we can call our own.

Who are your main influences musically? 

The Jesus & Mary Chain, Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, Jimi Hendrix, Sonic Youth, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the White Stripes, New Order, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Pavement, Happy Mondays, Can, and the Cure.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Influence upon other bands, the means to keep making music and keep the band together, and reaching as wide an audience as possible without selling out. If we ever achieve financial success I would like to use alot of those resources to support humanitarian causes that I am passionate about.

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

Our first studio recordings. Was impressive hearing ourselves with such depth and clarity compared to most home demos. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Our first gig where the person who set it up, and was supposed to get us a decent spot in the lineup by talking to the booker, was a no show. So we played last to quite a small crowd and my amp/guitar tone sounded castrated by the sound guy.

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

Of the songs recorded in studio so far, I would personally choose Stiletto because it does a good job combining our noise pop/shoegaze, grunge, and melodic pop influences. I know Nathan and Lauren prefer Speechless.

Where can we listen to it?

sistermidnight.bandcamp.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

twitter.com/sistermidnight_ 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sister-Midnight/179966715433742

Link to speechless as a single release http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sistermidnight

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

Nope, you're on top of your game Greg!