Shadowqueen Q&A

Your name: 
Alex Deegan.

Where are you from?
Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band:
SHADOWQUEEN.

Who else is in your band?
Robbi Zana - lead vocals - bass guitar
Si Hopman - guitar - backing vocals

How would you describe yourselves?
We are a three-piece rock band that plays music that is diverse, dynamic and melodic.
We love music and we have a good sense of humour.

Who are your main influences musically?
So so many, a few that come to mind are Muse, QOTSA, RATM, Bowie, Prince, Led Zep, Queen, Midnight Oil, Kate Bush, Skunk Anansie, U2, Jack White...heaps more

What do you hope to achieve in music?
A healthy fan base worldwide so that we can write, record albums and tour the world.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Getting to support Shihad (NZ). And getting to support The Butterfly Effect (AU). Why? Because we all love and respect those bands.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Wasting time, period.

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 because our new album hasn't been released and it's quite diverse, but I'll say our latest single: 'Waiting On You' it's a good representation of where the band is currently at; powerful, melodic, funky, playful and brash.

Where can we listen to it?
https://youtu.be/iXTvkyoIdos




Where can we find out more about your music?
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sha...
Merch: http://shadowqueenmusic.bandcamp.com/...
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B009M56H4W
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/2J1DmV...
Subscribe to SHADOWQUEEN's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Shadowqu...
Like on Facebook: https://facebook.com/shadowqueenmusic
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHADOWQUEENband
Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/SHADOWQUEEN_
Official site: http://www.shadowqueen.com.au

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
Our new single and video 'Waiting On You' is out via all good digital distributors, and the video is on our YouTube page, check it out we hope you like it! Our sophomore album is due for release in early 2017! We hope to see you at a show!

The Ruckus Q&A

Your name: 

Tomi Gray (frontman).

Where are you from? 

Sydney, Australia.

Name of band: 

The Ruckus.

Who else is in your band? 

Paul Mason (guitar/icing) Froggy (bass/cake).

How would you describe yourselves? 

We are a socially, politically and spiritually charged group on our own separate life journeys meeting in the middle with our individual experience, influence and knowledge to create music that makes us inspired. 

Who are your main influences musically?

Kendric Lamar, Gill Scott-heron, Pearl Jam, Sting, Jeff Beck, NWA, Limp Bizkit.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To create a vast body of work that reaches out and moves a vast network of people. 

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

When on tour we hear unfamiliar faces singing along to songs we have created together. That's an indescribable vibe. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Every 'bad' experience leaves room to learn and improve. There are a few things that we would probably have done differently now, but unless we'd have messed up in the first place may still not know. A lot of the worst decisions turn out to be the best songs. 

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

Each new piece of work we create we feel as though it's the best thing we've done. I think that's a common trend with musicians/ artists etc. the last thing you've made is the benchmark of where your head is at, even if the next thing sounds completely different, and with us it does tend to. We pool our influences from very wide reach so often when we land in the middle it can be pretty out there. That is why it is important to us to be releasing as much material as we possibly can to paint as detailed a picture of the scope of what we are trying to represent. The latest thing we have put down on record is a song called Fever.

Where can we listen to it?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ft1uA_oW7c

Where can we find out more about your music?

The best place to get the instant full intention of what we are about is at a live performance. The next best thing to that is the Internet. 

www.theruckusband.com 

www.facebook.com/bandtheruckus

Instagram.com/theruckusband 

YouTube.com/bonezmusictv

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

Hopefully we can provide something through our efforts with our music that moves somebody who might get turned onto us through reading this interview. If so then we can close the gap a little. That would be a worthwhile thing.

Vukovar Q&A

Your names.

Rick. Dan. Buddy.

Where are you from?

We are from a decaying industrial town in the North West of England.

Name of band:

Vukovar.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We've been described as 'bleak-pop' and 'dark post-punk' amongst other things, but we like these two.

Who are your main influences musically?

We don't have main influences. Influences are mostly visual or from literature. But musically we take from lots of things and appropriate it. Whether that's from Leonard Cohen to Suicide, Kylie Minogue to Godflesh, D.A.F to The Last Poets, whatever. As a group we like to listen to as many things as possible, always trying to discover new music; nothing beats finding a gem of an acid house track or pop song for example that you've never heard before and playing it to death, absorbing all you can before moving onto the next. 

The guys who produce our records, Phil Reynolds and Dan Ankers, are the same. They put us onto a lot of interesting music too.The stuff they do for our music is phenomenal.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We want to be able to keep making records. We want everybody in the world to listen to our music and find something in it. We want to be able to live off our art. We want the world... We want to achieve lots of things. Everything.

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

Supporting Brix & The Extricated and meeting her was great. We all got along v well, a lot in common. We're big on The Fall, so to see the Hanley brothers, one of the all-time great post-punk rhythm section, whilst being involved with the show, was something else. We supported Blue Orchids recently too which was fantastic. Our friends in Glasgow, Spinning Coin and Breakfast Muff (you should really give them a listen, hint hint hint...), invited us to perform there at the Old Hairdresser's which was a great DIY show. DIY shows tend to be the best anyway, but it was lovely of them to ask us. Also, meeting and recording with Graham Duff for our next record, PURITAN, was one of those experiences whereby it still hasn't really been taken in as everything was perfect. Meeting up with our favourite artist, Andrzej Klimowski, was one of those moments too.

As you can tell, we enjoy what we do and the opportunities that come out of the work that we put in. We enjoy every slight, innocuous detail that comes out of it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Any show we've played for so-called 'professional promoters'. Awful. Being on stage and working together, we'll keep those memories. But the events themselves, the audience (or lack thereof) etc etc etc...

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

At the moment, it would be The Blood Garden. It has the pop melody, it has the beauty in its depth + production, it has the dark Badalamenti synths, it has the delicacy and the noise simultaneously and has the shifting dynamics and most importantly, has the influence of the transcendent moment from JG Ballard's High Rise.  

Where can we listen to it?

 There is a video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alf6t0Su_AY 

 A single... https://vukovarsmallbear.bandcamp.com/album/the-blood-garden-single

 And as part of our second LP 'VOYEURISM' which is the best way... https://vukovarsmallbear.bandcamp.com/album/voyeurism

Where can we find out more about your music?

We are on itunes and Spotify but have neither programme so no links. But we can give you social media and places to listen and download and purchase the beautifully produced CD's, which is really the best way to listen... 

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

Twitter... https://twitter.com/vukovaruk 

Bandcamp... https://vukovarsmallbear.bandcamp.com/album/voyeurism

CDs... https://vukovarsmallbear.bandcamp.com/merch 

Jon Ross Q&A

Your name: 

Jon Ross.

Where are you from? 

Originally from Chicago, IL, USA. Currently living in Nashville, TN, USA.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

My music is mainly singer-songwriter style in the pop/rock genre. Many of the songs have a positive vibe to them and there's usually a message of positivity, encouragement, or something along that line.

Who are your main influences musically? 

My influences range greatly, from Beethoven to the Beatles to Billy Joel. I'm also heavily influenced by progressive rock groups of the 70s like Genesis and Rush, as well as 80s rock and pop, which is the music I grew up with.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

My purpose as an artist is to infuse the world with art and uplift this civilization through that. I want to be well known, well thought of, and well exchanged with in the world as a result. 

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

I got to perform on a cruise ship in front of dozens of people and the performance was very well received.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

I performed at an open mic night about 7 years ago, and I forgot the opening lyrics to one of my songs. I had to then stop and start over. That was really embarrassing!

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

I would choose the song entitled Everything Happens For A Reason. I had adopted that philosophy many years ago, and there have been countless times in my life where that mindset has proven to be true time and time again.

Where can we listen to it?

My music is on https://soundcloud.com/jonrossmusic

Where can we find out more about your music?

You can go to www.reverbnation.com/jonrossmusician and that would probably be the best place to hear more of my songs. My website is currently under construction :).

I'm on Twitter at twitter.com/jonrossmusician and my Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/jonrossmusician/. People may also email me directly at jonrossmusician@gmail.com. I would welcome any opportunity to interact directly with the people who love what I create.

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

I would simply like to say thank you for taking the time to interview me, and thank you to anyone who takes time out of their busy lives to listen to my songs!

Corner Pilots Q&A

Your name: 
Jake France.

Where are you from?

Surrey, England.

Name of band: 

Corner Pilots.

Who else is in your band?

Dan Stafford - Vocals
Josh Bennett - Guitar
Ben Mawdsley - Bass
Reece O'Brien - Drums

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We are an young alternative guitar band who's music is built on bluesy fuzz driven riffs, thundering drums and catchy lyrics. 

Who are your main influences musically?

Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We would like to see ourselves making a living within the music industry. We want to be playing the best venues with as big a crowd as possible.

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

Playing Barfly was special. It is such a prestigious venue and somewhere we have watched many a great band.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

To be honest there aren't really any. Being in a band is such a fun experience, as long as you are playing shows and writing new tunes there isn't anything to complain about. Maybe a couple of the early tunes can be forgotten. I wont tell you what they are just in case they are lingering on the internet somewhere.

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

Our latest single "Jump" represents us really well. It's a slow but upbeat song with a huge chorus. It's one that the crowds love when we play live and has had quite a good reception from people in general so far. It's out on iTunes and Spotify at the moment.

Where can we listen to it?

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Z5xHf1zl9Sau2b2PnwqR0

Where can we find out more about your music? 
www.cornerpilots.com

www.facebook.com/cornerpilots

www.soundcloud.com/corner-pilots

Nick Ryan Q&A

Your name: 

Nick Ryan

Where are you from? 

Virginia, USA.

How would you describe yourselves and your music? 

I am an alternative pop/rock singer-songwriter. I like to blend different genres and have also dabbled in folk, country, Celtic, and R&B with my songs.

Who are your main influences musically? 

Sheryl Crow, The Corrs, and Alanis Morissette would probably be my top three. Well, add Fleetwood Mac and Lissie to that list. Probably also Garbage and Liz Phair. I love a great song, great musicians, and an honest female vocalist. I also grew up listening to Amy Grant, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and James Taylor.  For the album, I also tapped into Michael Jackson, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Halestorm, Seal, Paramore, Matchbox Twenty, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm all over the place! I've opened up my ears as I have gotten older, which isn't usually the case for most people.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

I hope that I can be an artist that can live off of being an artist. It's harder now with all of the competition, but it's also made it easier for people to get their careers started. Anyone can do it now. I want to tour and be able to afford to create new music regularly and work with honest musicians.

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

Probably my performances this past weekend (Ed's note - this was written in June)! It was great hearing people resonate with my original music. Even better than being played on SiriusXM!

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

The recording process was a nightmare. I was working with people that were trying to change my artistic vision. And I was paying for it. I was being used. Consequently, we aren't speaking.

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

Probably You Are Not My Friend. I think it encapsulates all of my influences in on song. It was also one of the first songs I wrote for the record. King of Excuses is a close second.  The chorus is my favorite lyric.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://itunes.apple.com/lu/album/lone-wolf/id1069040589

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook.com/NickRyanOfficial
twitter.com/nickryanmusic
instagram.com/nickryanofficial
Youtube.com/nickryanofficial
soundcloud.com/nickryanofficial
Reverbnation.com/nickryanproject

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

I write songs from personal experiences. I don't write hits, but I think I have songs that can become hits. I believe in being true to yourself and the success with follow after.

SOAD, Biffy and Aerosmith to headline Download 2017

DOWNLOAD Festival has announced its 2017 headliners - with System Of A Down, Biffy Clyro and Aerosmith topping the bill at Donington next summer. 

Photo credit:

 

Ross Silcocks

System Of A Down described the Download atmosphere as "electric", while Aerosmith's Joe Perry said: "Donington is like home to us. I have some great memories playing there and I can't wait to make some more."

Other bands joining the bill across the weekend of June 9-11 include Prophets of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch, AFI, Of Mice & Men, Fozzy, Rob Zombie and Slayer, among others.

You can look back at this year's festival with the RealSoundsOK reviews of Day One, Day Two and Day Three.

But for updates on the 2017 event, visit downloadfestival.co.uk

The Backseaters Q&A

Your name:

Jake Cook (Vocals/Guitar).

Where are you from?

Denver, Colorado.

Name of band:

The Backseaters.

Who else is in your band?

David Jerusik (Drums).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We are an indie/alt-rock duo devoted to playing honest, whole-hearted music!

Who are your main influences musically?

Our primary influences as a band are The Front Bottoms, The Gaslight Anthem, and bands like Tiny Moving Parts and Death Cab for Cutie.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Jake: Personally, I hope to achieve a steady career. I want to travel the world writing and performing my music and making just enough to get by! I don’t need to be playing arenas and what not; all I want to be able to say is that I play music for a living!

David: For me ultimately, I hope that with this band we can connect with our followers in a real personal way. Also I just really want to be be able to progress our collective sound and our skills as musicians! 

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

Jake: I would have to say that the highlight of my musical career was playing our album release show this past April! It was my first time not only releasing a full-length album, but it was also the first time The Backseaters had ever headlined the Marquis Theater (Denver, CO). We had so much support and it was just a mind-blowing experience to be able to do all that!

David: I think the ultimate highlight for us as a band has been playing a headlining, album release show at one of our favorite local venues in Denver, The Marquis Theatre. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Jake: This is a tough one because I always tell people that “I’m human… I will make mistakes,” but I don’t know that I would change anything thus far that has happened in my musical career. As cliché as it sounds, I truly believe that I have learned from each one of my short-comings.

David: Back when we first started playing as a band, we played a couple shows that were just kind of jumbled and didn't go smoothly, but as hard and difficult as those shows were, we learned so much about ourselves and what we as a band could really be capable of. 

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

Jake: I would definitely have to pick our song “Limbo” off of A Place To Rest Your Feet! It has the fast, driving beat, with the thick melodies, and also encompasses the way that we can drop our dynamic volumes down to a soft whole note strum with beautiful chords!

David: For me it would have to be The Lottery. I feel like the sound really defines our musical sound and our ability as musicians. 

Where can we listen to it? 

thebackseaters.bandcamp.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://soundcloud.com/the-backseaters

www.reverbnation.com/thebackseaters

www.facebook.com/thebackseaters

www.twitter.com/backseatersband

www.reverbnation.com/thebackseaters

www.instagram.com/thebackseaters

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

Check us out, LIKE or follow our pages, and listen to the music! At the end of the day, that is all we want! We just want people to hear what we have to say and the music we love to make!

The Conniption Fits Q&A

Your name:

Stevens Blanchard.

Where are you from?

West Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA.

Name of band:

The Conniption Fits.

Who else is in your band? 

Shawn Snyder (Drums) and Jamie Hosley (Bass).

How would you describe yourselves?

Upbeat modern rock with a pop edge.

Who are your main influences musically?

Anything from Dr Dre to Foo Fighters. I love alternative rock with massive pop hooks that manages to avoid the same old chord progressions you’ve heard 1000’s of times.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Worldwide domination. Seriously though, we are pretty happy doing what we are doing, making a living and having fun.

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

We opened for the Goo Goo dolls in Idaho. We killed it and were so swamped with fans they missed the Goo Goo Dolls concert to talk with us and have us sign stuff.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

So many. Every time I can’t remember a lyric or badly mess up a part. Good thing is, I’m pretty good at forgetting the negative stuff.

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

I’d pick “The Call”. It has the rock and pop elements that we love and is probably smack dab in the middle of what we do. But I also want you to listen to the single that is doing very well for us, “I Need You (Ay-O)”.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/conniptionfits/the-call-1

https://soundcloud.com/conniptionfits/i-need-you-ay-o

Where can we find out more about your music? 

https://www.facebook.com/conniptionfits/

https://twitter.com/conniption_fits

https://www.youtube.com/user/ConniptionFits

http://www.conniptionfits.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rjY7vl4mvKvgau3DJzR7P

https://itun.es/us/fg3zm

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

We are really a live act. We aim to entertain with tons of energy and a touch of humor. See us live if you can! Tour at conniptionfits.com 

Owleye Q&A

Your name:

David.

Where are you from? 

Denver, Colorado.

Name of band: 

Owleye.

Who else is in your band? Tim, Brad, Frank and Dave.

How would you describe yourselves? 

This question is always hard. I think, I am a very humble and honest person.

Who are your main influences musically? 
I would say Joe Pass. But honestly any musician that pays with a heart.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To make music a career. But most importantly share my story through my passion and hope it helps anyone as much as it helps me by playing it. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
I would say releasing new music then play a show a week later and have the crowd/fans sing along. That is still something I think will never not make me smile on stage. It is a very deep feeling having a room sing/scream along to our songs. Its kind of like showing your insecurities to someone and having them accept you for who you are. No words can describe it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
None. Either its good or bad. Mistakes or not they are memories. We are all human and we all makes mistakes but they don't define who we are.

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

I would say our song Cycles, which is our last track on our EP No Wounds that came out in the beginning of April. Why? Because its about loosing someone that has made an impact on our lives that are no longer with us and reflecting on the lessons they taught us or memories we shared. To moving on to making it a positive outlook on it. The song has a lot of emotions in it and people can feel it, which makes me happy.

Where can we listen to it? 
https://youtu.be/gEsXQyfoHNQ

Where can we find out more about your music?
Any social media http://www.owleyeofficial.com/