Starfinder Q&A

Your name:

Ian Galloway.

Where are you from?

Chicago, IL right now.

Name of band:

Starfinder.

Who else is in your band?

For now Starfinder is a project where I write, perform, and record all the music. Although in the future I may have some other members for live performance.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

I'm a punk rock guy at heart who has also loved new wave and synthpop since I was a young teen. I've been a member of several past and present punk, garage, and indie rock bands including Porno Mags, whose self-released debut album peaked at #47 on CMJ in 2014. I also a member of Chicago bands Witchfeet and Joy Shooters. I started messing around with synthesizers and samplers about five months ago and decided to start writing 80s influenced new wave tunes in my spare time. It's been a blast so far and I'm just completely out of this world happy how well received my first two singles have been by both fans and the media.

Who are your main influences musically?

They are all over the place. I love 70s punk like Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Jam and stuff like that. I'm also a huge fan of old power pop and garage rock like The Real Kids. 90s indie rock is something I'm way into as well, stuff like Guided by Voices, Dinosaur Jr, etc. For Starfinder I take a lot influence from bands that used a lot of electronic elements like New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Human League, and stuff like that. Blend all of this together and that's where Starfinder comes from.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Ideally I'd love to find a label interested in pressing some vinyl for Starfinder. I'd also like to do some short tours with Starfinder in the future, possibly with a couple other people to help pull it off live. Mainly I just want to keep writing songs and sharing them with anyone who's into it. It's really rewarding just working on music on my own and releasing songs when I can.

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

I've had lots of great things happen over the years. Touring in some of my bands, meeting great people all over the US, getting played on college radio all over the US and charting on CMJ, playing street festivals here in Chicago, hearing Starfinder on the Synth City radio show in the UK, playing really fun house shows, recently having Starfinder reviewed on the Indie Rock Cafe blog, the list goes on...

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Definitely had lots of van break downs in the past when touring. One time it was the middle of winter in Wyoming in a huge snow storm. We had to wait for a couple hours for tow truck in no heat. As we were sitting there on the side of the road, we saw a flatbed tow truck coming in our rear view mirror. We were happy to see our tow truck coming, when all of a sudden the truck started sliding sideways. The truck slid off the road at like 50 miles an hour and missed hitting our van by inches. It was really scary. Luckily that wasn't the truck coming for us! Another time our van flew off the road, again in the snow and did a 180 spin at like 70 mph all the way across to the other side of the highway. That was probably the single scariest moment of my life.

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

Well, I only have two singles out right now so either one is pretty representational of the band at this point but I'll go ahead and pick "If I Were You", it seems to be the fan favorite right now.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/starfinderchicago/if-i-were-you-single-mix

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starfinderband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarfinderSynth

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/starfinderchicago

Bandcamp: https://starfinder.bandcamp.com/

Tumblr / Website: http://starfinderband.com/

Harlow Q&A

Your name:

Kelly.

Where are you from?

Metro Detroit, MI, USA.

Name of band:

Harlow.

Who is in your band?

Lauren – vox / Tomas – Guitar / Kelly – Bass,vox / Kevin - Drums.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We are a female-fronted hard rock band based out of Detroit and you can hear metal, punk, pop and rock influences in our music.

Who are your main influences musically?

A lot for each member but you can hear Pat Benatar, Debby Harry and Pink in Lauren's Delivery vocally and the rest is everything from Sabbath to Bring Me The Horizon.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We would love to be able to do this as a living and tour as much as possible or as much as the fans will want us to.

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

There have been a lot of them but we focus on making each show a highlight for all those in attendance and for us on stage every night.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There has been a few of them but we don’t let ourselves look towards the past as we head forward.

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

Ooooh tough question. Our first single off this album is called “Shattered” and we have a video out on YouTube for it. We selected it because it sets the tone for the album about breaking down and finding your independence. My personal favorite is either Leech or Home.

Where can we listen to it? 

You can go to www.harlowband.com and listen to the track and see the video.

Where can we find out more about your music?

As mentioned before you can go to www.harlowband.com and you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, bandsintown, Reverbnation and YouTube.

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

We love what we do and we value each and every one who supports local music scenes for allowing us to come out and be a part of yours… Get out to a venue, support bands, buy merchandise and CDs and let's rage!!! Thank you for the opportunity to tell people about us!

Level & Tyson Q&A

Your name: 

Richard Noir and Lorentz Johansen.

Where are you from? 

Oslo, Norway.

Name of band:

Level & Tyson.

Who else is in your band?

Sofie Søndervik Sæther (bass and vocals), Namra Saleem (Keys, guitar and backing vocals) Joakim Kristiansen (Guitar) and Mattis Møksvold Lauritzsen (Drums, backing vocals and electronics).

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

I think we are all freaks. I think that is the glue that binds us. And that is reflected in the music as well. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

That's really a tough question to answer since we get influenced by new stuff all the time, and the fact that everyone in the band has different things they're into, but we all have a lot of love for bands and artists like  Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, The Pixies, Pere Ubu, The Cure, Velvet Underground. But also new things like Rihanna, Kendrik Lamar etc.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To keep moving I guess, and have fun while we do it. The road is the goal.

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

Finishing projects always feel like a highlight. When the mix of an album is ready and you can't stop listening to the music it's a real rush. But I guess you meant commercially? In that case, our first tour in the USA felt like a step up and a personal achievement for me.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

They are forgotten =)

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

We tend to be pretty restless and looking for new things, and that's kinda the unwritten rule in the band; we're making music that keeps us interested at the time. The song that represent the band the most at this point and the upcoming music I think is «Tied Up». It's fun and has layers of emotion.

Where can we listen to it?

soundcloud.com/levelandtyson/sets/gruesome-twosome

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/levelandtyson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LevelandTyson

Spotify: Level & Tyson

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/no/artist/level-tyson/id540162583

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B008FQSQ7A?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Level%20%26%20Tyson&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levelandtyson/

Webpage: www.levelandtyson.com

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

When can you hear some new from us? In August!

Paddy Garrigan And The Stroller Priests Q&A

Your name: 
Paddy Garrigan.

Where are you from? 
I live in Ulverston, South Cumbria; the rest of the band lives in Lancaster, Lancs UK.

Name of band: 
Paddy Garrigan and The Stroller Priests.

Who else is in your band?
The band is:
Paddy Garrigan (Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin)
Darren Leadsom (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Ben McCabe (Drums, Backing Vocals, French Horn)

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
Ourselves: partially bearded, fully clothed. Talented, witty and self-deprecating. You decide which is which.
Our music: When you want the mixtape with the heart-breaking ballads amidst the barrelling rock music, the punk poppyiness amongst the stories and the shanties; when you need a new earworm to catch and eat the one you’ve been feeding all month, you need to come and find us.

Who are your main influences musically?
The Band getting beery with the Beatles. Richard Thompson squaring up to Neil Young as to who can play the wonkiest. The Clash being put straight by Half Man Half Biscuit for taking themselves too seriously.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

1.    To continue creating music that people love;

2.    To facilitate mass enjoyment and the buying of our latest record and

3.    To write a pop song as good as YMCA

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
BBC 6music DJ and remarkable human being Tom Robinson described our song “Sea Monsters” as “an awesome record”, and went on to describe how he’d been singing it whilst doing the washing up. It is of course great to receive acclaim from songwriters (and connoisseurs of new music) that you admire, especially the ones who don’t mind doing the washing up.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Fortunately it hasn’t happened yet.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Start with the afore-referenced “Sea Monsters”. It has lots of things we often do – crafty lyrics and a tune you shall not escape from this side of next week placed on top of a groove you could slide a hippo down – though it also has cunning gaps where the other things we do ought to be. But you’ll have to listen to “I jumped ship”, our latest album, to find out what they are.

Where can we listen to it?
https://soundcloud.com/stroller-priests/paddy-garrigan-and-the-stroller-priests-sea-monsters

Where can we find out more about your music?
Website – www.strollerpriests.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Paddy.Garrigan.Band/
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/stroller-priests
Bandcamp - https://paddygarriganandthestrollerpriests.bandcamp.com/

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

We would love for you to meet our music, please come and say hello as and when the opportunity arises.

The Psykodelik Vampyres Q&A

Your name: 

Gethin Lewis.

Where are you from? 

Philadelphia PA, USA.

Name of band: 

The Psykodelik Vampyres.

Who else is in your band? 

Scott Murray (drums) and Dave Murray (bass).

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

A group of trans-dimensional beings from the farthest regions of inner space. Having escaped the confines of the prismatic void, The PVamps venture forth across the desolate wastelands of their adopted planet Earth, consuming any dark energy that they encounter and radiating positive vibrations by means of the ancient art of neurosynthesis. 

The Earth creatures call it "music".

Blending of many diverse elements of sounds and visions, psychedelic, goth, jazz, blues, punk, reggae, waltz(!), steampunk, classic horror, funk, glam, electronica...we like to call it Heavy Mental.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Way too many to mention, but since I write the majority of the music, I'll say Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Syd Barrett, Yes, and thousands more.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Being able to make a living at bringing good vibes and hope to people as well as having a good time all the time. 

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

Still awaiting some highlights, especially with the grey hairs coming in...

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

If one song could represent your music, that'd be pretty boring.

Where can we listen to your music?

https://www.reverbnation.com/psykodelikvampyres

Where can we find out more about your music?

https://www.facebook.com/PsykodelikVampyres/

https://www.reverbnation.com/psykodelikvampyres

https://twitter.com/PsykodelikV

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

Thanks for the interest, and all good vibes/thoughts/wishes to you!

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

Velcro Mary Q&A

Your name:

Jason Erb.

Where are you from?

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Name of band:

Velcro Mary.

Who else is in your band?

Nobody.  It’s just me.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

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

Who are your main influences musically?

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

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I just want to be loved.

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

The absolute peak of my career was being interviewed for RealSoundsOK.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

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

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

“Whatever Helps You Sleep At Night,” which is the first track on Leave A Light On. If I had to pick one song to represent the album, that would be the one.

Where can we listen to it?

https://velcromary.bandcamp.com/album/leave-a-light-on

Where can we find out more about your music?

Bandcamp:  https://velcromary.bandcamp.com

Loudr:  https://loudr.fm/artist/velcro-mary/3xYYW

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/velcro-mary/id449194436

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/6GfH9O0NBD2K2I9UZhEN60

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VelcroMary

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/velcromary

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/velcromary

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/velcromary

Mailing List:  http://eepurl.com/q_ytj

Email:  velcromary@gmail.com

Here Comes The Airplane Q&A

Your name: 

Andrew John Voller.

Where are you from? 

Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Name of band: 

Here Comes The Airplane.

Who else is in your band? 

Nick Greenhalge.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

We play rock music with elements of indie, punk, hardcore, and pop. We have no label, no distribution, and no drummer! We formed in 2010 and recently (2015) re-recorded our early demos into a full-length debut album. We did it all ourselves and the result was a raw, no frills, rock record. We feel that this type of sound is missing in popular music today, with most artists or bands being over polished and over produced. 

Who are your main influences musically? 

NOFX, Alkaline Trio, Huey Lewis And The News, Genesis, The Police.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

We hope that we can inspire people to see the beauty in simplicity. Our goal is to make you happy and make you sad. We hope to make you laugh and make you cry. We want to make you feel alive.

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

Recording our debut album after years of sitting on the original demo material. And doing it all on our own.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

The years we let lapse before releasing our material.

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

Let's Settle This On The Soccer Field. Musically it represents the simplicity and raw power of our sound. Lyrically it balances feelings of depression and hopelessness with the desire to start anew and leave the negativity behind while moving forward into a new situation.

Where can we listen to it? 

herecomestheairplane.bandcamp.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwzl2nYI0R6EDZu20a1xbQ
www.twitter.com/hctamusicgroup

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

You forgot to ask us what our favorite flower is. Roses or Violets? The answer is neither. We prefer birds of paradise.

The Uppercuts Q&A

Your name: 

Jamie Hall.

Where are you from? 

Essex and Hertfordshire, UK.

Name of band: 

The Uppercuts.

Who is in your band?

Jamie Hall - lead vocals & guitar

Wes Myers - lead guitar and backing vocals

Steve Dewis - drums and backing

Lee Head - bass and backing  

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

Mix of rock, ska and punk. Energetic and upbeat with catchy melodies riffs a plenty and stomping drums. Rock with a bounce..!!

Who are your main influences musically?

Rancid, The Clash, The Jam, The Police, The Specials.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

The dream is to play music full time. It's what we all love. It's a drug ya know. Like you can't go a day without thinking about it and just itching to get on the road and hit them venues.

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

Definitely supporting Rancid and Cock Sparrer at the Forum in London. What a night...!! Just spurs us on even more to make this what we do and who we are.  

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Drinking far too much and putting on the worst set of our lives on headline slot to a full house at the Purple Turtle in Camden. Never again. We now have a no drinks policy before every gig. After the show? Fill your boots..!! 

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

That's a tough one. But maybe a track that's not yet release titled Don't Complain. It's a real upbeat bounce-along track with a positive message and I love it. Keep your ear to the ground for that one. It's coming 

Where can we listen to it?

You can't yet. But you can check out the double A side here - 

https://soundcloud.com/theuppercutsuk/sets/double-a-side/s-k26j3

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook

Twitter

Www.theuppercuts.net

And Soundcloud of course with the link -  

https://soundcloud.com/theuppercutsuk/sets/double-a-side/s-k26j3

BROOMFILLER Q&A

Band name: 

BROOMFILLER.

Where are you from?  

Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Who is in your band? 

Richard, with Jack, Chris, Terry & Val live.

How would you describe yourselves?  

Melodic punk rock.

Who are your main influences musically?

BROOMFILLER have been compared to Foo Fighters holding hands with Bracket while sitting on a park bench made by Jawboxx and Husker Du, eating a sandwich made by Bad Religion and Face to Face.

What do you hope to achieve in music?  

Connect with people.

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

Playing a packed 1700 seat venue - The Grove, in Anaheim, CA.

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

How Long, So Long - it represents (lyrically and musically) what I've been going through over the last year, losing both my parents and trying to cope.

Where can we listen to it?

YouTube lyric video link:  http://youtu.be/DoAwQLaZhC0

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Facebook - www.facebook.com/broomfiller

Twitter - www.twitter.com/broomfiller

Official site - www.broomfiller.com

iTunes link - https://itun.es/ca/s9dS9

Tumblr - broomfiller.tumblr.com

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

We are currently on a full Canadian tour, please check out our tour dates and come say hi at our Merch booth!!