Hey there guys its your old friend DJ Dizzy hee, & here's my interview with garage rockers, Loonie Claire which includes theire new music video in which some links will be featured below. Enjoy!
How'd you get started in music?
I’m from Detroit so my roots are Motown and classic rock radio — listening to bands like KISS. I started recording on cassette tapes armed only with a flea-market acoustic that I couldn’t tune. I wanted to write like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. I started playing electric guitar in college (at Michigan State), and eventually moved to Washington DC (for graduate school at GWU) where I played in several local bands and started Lonnieclaire. Now I live in NYC and the magical mystery tour continues. I love indie music because there is always something to learn. I ended up writing, singing and playing most of the instruments on the newest Lonnieclaire release (available exclusively at Lonnieclaire.bandcamp.com) Self-producing the release was a humbling yet invigorating experience.
Who are your inspirations or influences?
If I feel something in my “gut” — whether it is a song or anything else in life — I‘m inspired! The other artists in the indie music community — bands like Norwegian Soft Kitten and Grim Rock — are very supportive. But beyond music, I pull inspiration from my friends and family, and day-to-day life in NYC. I see people working hard just to put food on the table and help their kids – their struggles end up in my songs somewhere. With regards to influences, I love my old vinyl, so my Spotify Playlist (if I had one) would feature bands like X, The Jayhawks and T-Rex.
What advice would you offer aspiring performers?
Don’t listen to me (LOL) — I’ve never had any commercial success! But honestly, I believe it is important to develop healthy work habits, and at risk of sounding preachy or “straight edge”— I am proud that my songs are “chemical free”. Kick away any crutches you are leaning on! You don’t need a pill or pipe to be creative! Have FUN! Block off time everyday to practice, write or record. Use the cloud to keep all your ideas organized. Go back and edit, and re-do your songs. Let them grow organically. Get your friends involved. Teach them your songs or learn how to play covers of your favorite bands together. Book a gig before you are ready, and jump in the deep end. Build a scene where everyone has a special role to play!
How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?
I don’t deliberately try to set Lonnieclaire apart or strategize ways to sound “different”. My goal is to have FUN and produce the best possible songs (given the limitations I have – some are skills based and some are budget driven) So what makes Lonnieclaire unique? I have my own individual stories to tell based on my personal experiences. Put another way: Nobody on the planet has lived the same life as me! What else makes Lonnieclaire unique? Currently our music is only available on Bandcamp, so in other words, we aren’t on Spotify or working with any “streaming” distributors.
Any new gigs or albums in the future?
Playing LIVE is currently on hold due to Covid. Also, the band’s line-up is in need of some much needed patching. We used to have three guitars in Lonnieclaire!!! After that, I would need to clear out time for rehearsals. All of it makes it very difficult for me to predict when we will play our next gig. Plus, NYC venues – struggling even prior to Covid – are still trying to get back to “normal.” On a brighter note, Lonnieclaire has new music planned for the Fall. This next batch of songs was self-produced and recorded / mixed at 2nd Avenue Sound in NYC. As I often say in interviews: “We are not at all a nostalgic throwback… “. We want to sound plugged in and mindful of what is going on in the world. I put in the hard work because I honestly think our music offers our listeners an attractive contradiction: Songs that are achingly prosaic, and elusive while still being tangible, searingly honest and painfully true – lyrics and chords that echo familiar voices while still providing new experiences.
Special thanks to them for the interview & I wish them luck in their music & feel free to check out their tunes by way of the links velow. So until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! stay awesome & rock n roll!
https://youtu.be/85pv4kla9NU – and our brand-new single ‘Cars, Bars and Broken Hearts’ on SoundCloud (free download) at https://soundcloud.com/
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