DJ Interviews: Sin Seer

Hey there everyone I had the pleasure of sitting down with a band who answer to the name of Sin Seer who had so much to share on their musical beginings

How'd you get started in music?

-I used to record vocal covers on an MP3 player and I would upload my demos on MySpace. I caught the attention of a few people, and these two brothers liked what I was doing and asked me to join in a band with them. Since then it's been band to band to band and project to project to project. And I'm still going..

Who are your inspirations or influences?

-Different people influence me for all kinds of reasons. But these days I feel I'm more influenced and inspired by the new stream of independent artists that are doing things their own way and going against the grain. 

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

-It's a marathon, not a sprint. I've burned myself out so fast and so quick, that usually I was winded before half of the set was even done. You always want to make sure to keep a solid pace when performing, and that goes for consumption of any kind as well. It's all in the technique, I suppose. Look for new ways to improve. Rehearsing is a constant, but try to find innovative ways to keep it exciting if you can. Most importantly, when the stage is yours, lose yourself in it.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

-It's odd that it's kind of funny now, but really, we just try to be ourselves. We're just two dudes who grew up playing heavy music and enjoyed the whole creative process behind it all. We've never tried to be anything more than what we were. I feel like we've been upfront about our roles in the group and what each person brings to the table.  I think if you listen long enough, lots of bands of similar genre all seem to blur together. I don't think that's the point. I think the overall goal is to leave an impression of some sort with the audience. Something different about you that catches their eye, or their ear. I feel that's where your best luck is now.

Any new gigs or albums in the future

-We've just released our latest EP, 'Vicious Cycles', which has been in production for pretty much all of 2019. We started writing immediately after our previous one [Patch Me Up], and put a lot more time and focus into it this time around. We decided not to announce anything until we were certain it was everything we wanted it to be, and we're proud to see what it's become. We hope everyone has enjoyed hearing it as much as we enjoyed making it. We have many plans set ahead for 2020, including an unplugged session starting the new year off. Thank you for your time. And thanks to everyone for listening. See you in 2020!

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & that's going to wrap it up for this year so until next time I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

NBC Friday Night Videos Christmas Special 1990

DJ Interviews: True the Grey

Hi there everyone its your old friend DJ Dizzy & I had the pleasure of interviewing a band who answer to the name True the Grey who had a lot to say on their music. So I proudly present to you  True the Grey!

How'd you get started in music?

We've both had a passion for playing since we were young, and the desire to make heavy music just sort of came with time (and early 20's angst). We met each other through Craigslist actually...my current band, Me Against Sunrise, was looking for a vocalist and a then-seventeen Scotty answered the ad, and the rest is history. Me Against Sunrise split a little over ten years ago, but a couple years later we got back in touch and wanted to keep making music that matched our inspirations and sensibilities of the time. Few years later, that new project grew into what True The Gray is today! 

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Oh man, all kinds. I often say I'll try listening to anything...except mumble rap. None of that around here. Our biggest influences for True The Gray, if we had to nail it down, would probably be Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Wage War and Polaris. They're all pioneers of the modern metalcore sound, and KsE and AILD both helped establish the genre. The way they've continued to stay relevant and advance their sound is very inspiring to us. 

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Finish. Songs. There's nothing worse than unfinished songs. They might not all lead to a release or people hearing them, but writing songs is the core of being an indie musician these days, and writing good songs only comes from practice and seeing things through to completion. The new model of distribution and listener's habits these days depends on the trickling of constant content - not listening to LPs. The more you write, the better you will get, and the more content you'll have to solidify your sound and find your potential audience. 

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

That's a tough one! We just try to do us. We aren't making music to satisfy any status quo or blend in with what's big in the scene right now, we're just making music and following concepts that appeal to us and that we have fun making. We also try to be genuinely nice dudes, which can be hard in such a negative internet culture. We want to foster community, make friends, support other bands - it's the most fulfilling part of making music and we try and thrive around that. 

Any new gigs or albums in the future

Yes! We are currently back in the studio after releasing our latest single "Made Of Fire" in November, and we're hard at work on our next EP. It will be three tracks, some of which are some of the heaviest and prettiest we've made yet. It's a better reflection of where we are musically than anything we've put out before, so we are super excited to release it and share it with our friends. We've been posting updates on our Twitter & Instagram (@truethegray), so please look forward to it. 

As for shows, we are still in the process of bringing True The Gray to the stage, but we are ever hopeful that we'll make the transition. We found a drummer several months ago and are currently in the process of rounding out the lineup and figuring out what our music live will look like; hopefully we'll have more to share on that front soon. 

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them luck on their success. So until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll! & of course to one & all Happy Holidays!

DJ Interviews: Residual Self

Hey there one & all its your old friend DJ Dizzy & I have an interview with a band who call themselves Residual Self as they spoke on their musical careers.

How'd you get started in music?

I got my start in music when I was about 14 and my father bought both a guitar and a bass for himself. I watched him play and started messing around with the instruments on my own. I had a few lessons in both guitar and bass, but found bass was more of my calling. At 17 I joined my first band as a bass player, and have been in and out of many since then going from punk to blues to jam bands, until in 2016 when I was 22 I decided to form my own studio project and bring the songs around at open mics. By 2017 I had formed a full band for “Residual Self” and we’re still going strong with the original line up.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

The type of music that caught my attention from a young age was the 90’s Grunge and Alternative scene. Bands like Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, and Soundgarden to name a few. On the other end of the spectrum, Goth Rock and Industrial Metal are just as much influences with bands such Type O Negative, White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails for example. My ideal sound is combining the two. Goth meets Grunge, or Grunge Noir as I refer to it as.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Always be yourself and go with what feels right to you. Don’t try to be a copy of anything else out there. Make sure you have passion for what you’re doing, take pride in what you craft, and above all, perseverance to keep pushing forward and make a name for yourself.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

On top of musical influences, I am heavily influenced by sounds and effects I hear in movies, television series, and video games. I am always finding new effects to vary my voice depending on the message I want to convey. My words are always what’s most important to me as a song writer. When you look at our music, we can have acoustic ballads, dark spacey jams, nothing is out of our realm of creativity. I find there’s no reason to restrict myself to be defined by one sound. I change, as well as my emotions, so should my music.

Any new gigs or albums in the future

Since our inception, we put out a batch of 3-5 songs at least once a year. So you should always expect new music annually from us. Right now we have another 3 songs ready to go for when we record. We’ve got our January booked for shows right now, and we’re working on our bookings for the rest of the first quarter as we speak. We’re always open to play more in The New England and Tri State Area, if anyone is scouting for some shows and a new band to connect with, we'd be more than willing to hop on!

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them luck in their musical career. So until then I'll catch you on the flipside stay awesome Happy holidays to all & to all rock  n roll!

A Song from SNL: I Wish It Was Christmas Today VI - SNL

Deck The Halls

The Soul of VH1 Christmas Special (1991)

Kids' WB! Kooky Karolfest

Here's something for the holiday season so happy holidays & hope you enjoy it!

CHRISTMAS HERE WITH YOU FOUR TOPS ARETHA FRANKLIN

Cynical Sons - Defiance

DJ Interviews: Cynical Sons

Hey there everyone DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of interviewing a band who are based in Canada who are called Cynical Sons & they had a lot to say on their humble beginnings.

How'd you get started in music?

J-S Bass  and co-writer:  As a young kid my mom would play piano all the time and I got into that a little bit but as I got older I discovered rock music more so Green Day’s Dookie when it came out in 1994 and Offspring’s smash that same year and made me realise that I could play cool music and maybe make a living with it.  With that I decided to grab an electric guitar and eventually studied sound engineering and made a career with that so that I’m able to play music and still be involved in the industry. 

Shawn, Singer and co-writer: For me I started playing drums in a band with my family when i was 8 years old in local  bars. When I was a little older around 15 years old I realised I go do more than just play drums and I started to play guitar and sing and completely fell in love with the process of creating music.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

J-S Bass and co-writer: Hands down 90’s punk music for me! Bands like No use for a Name, Face to Face, Rancid etc… For me have been a big influence in my writing style but for this particular project I watched The Dirt the Motley Crue movie and was like… How come I’ve never listened to this kind of music before! It’s was like the perfect blend of punk and metal for me and with Shawn on vocals I was like no way that we are not doing anything else than 80’s kinda metal!

Shawn, Singer and co-writer:  I grew up listening  to bands like Aerosmith, Guns'N'Roses and Motley Crue in bars so hands down those guys have been a major influence on my writing and development.  In more recent years, bands like avenged sevenfold and Santa Cruz have shaped my sound for sure! I feel like these bands have held up a sound that is missing from radio  now and still managed to break through in an industry lacking rock 'n' roll balls!

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Shawn, Singer and co-writer: Just never let go of your dream! Believe in yourself and strive for greatest. Always push yourself... Kinda like sports you need to practice you need to try to improve your talent constantly, it’s important and don’t let people bring you down! We all sucked at the beginning!lol Never forget why you started doing music in the first place.

J-S Bass and co-writer: Something I’ve realised over the years is quality over quantity for me anyway. Concentrate on writing a good song spend time recording it with the highest quality you can afford get it tight and than tighter.  One great song is better than 10 ok ones. Play less shows but make them worth it for your fans and friends until you can tour.. And don't worry about the local scenester kids if your not part of them. You can build your own fan base if you have strong music the people will come! And don't wait on other to come grab you for shows book them yourself.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

Shawn, Singer and co-writer: What sets us apart from all the other bands is that we’ve managed to create a new more modern 80’s sound inspired by a bunch of older bands.  Where all coming from different musical backgrounds J-S kinda brings a melodic punk groove to the songs and Mart just shreds like he was raised in the 80’s!lol  Dré on drums is just a double bass drum machine and brings a more death metal kinda vibe while Nick has riffage power from the likes of Strung out to Killswitch Engage!

J-S Bass and co-writer:  I think Shawn’s voice says it all though! He can do pop, rock, metal and scream! And it sounds very 80’s which is missing in music these days I think! He’s always on pitch even on the recordings no autotune or melodyne needed what you hear is what you get live!

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Shawn, Singer and co-writer: We are working on our first album now ! And playing our first show on the 1st of february at the Minotaure!

J-S Bass and co-writer:  It’s a cancer fundraiser on february first in Gatineau near Ottawa called  ROCK the CURE! and all the proceeds will be going to The Ottawa Regional Cancer foundation. Cancer as touched us really close with friends and family in the last few years and we felt the only way we could do our part to help this cause was by raising money. Close to 40% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime and we need to do our part to stop it! So we gathered together a bunch of great bands from the Ottawa-Gatineau region (Cevilain, Colorsfade, Hartford and Ooluu) who share this same passion for the cause and we are looking forward to Rocking the Minotaure February first!!  After that head back in the studio to record some tracks and hopefully have an album or new ep out before the summer. 

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them nothing but luck in their music & success so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

Fedras - Breathe (Official Lyric Video)

DJ Interviews: Fedras

Hey there folks Its DJ Dizzy here & sat down with a band who had a lot to say on their humble beginnings so sit back & relax as I proudly present to you, Fedras!

How’d you get started in music?

I (Alex) started taking piano lessons when I was six. Eventually, I started doing the RCM classical program and completed the program a couple of years ago. This foundation has helped me to be able to compose my own songs, as it gives me a solid foundation to work with.

Stef  started guitar lessons at the age of seven.  Afterwards, she started taking vocal lessons when she was thirteen.  Using these two instruments together she started getting into song writing and composing.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

As a pianist, I look up to Ludovico Einaudi. His compositions are phenomenal and I listen to them when I’m studying, out for a walk or just relaxing at home. I’ve also started learning his pieces so chances are my future compositions will have elements inspired from him.

Stef likes listening to Freddie Mercury. She admires the way he captivated his audiences and his stunning vocal performances.

We both like and enjoy the music of Oh Wonder and Adele.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

The best advice we could offer is to keep writing. As simple as it may seem, it’s one of the most effective strategies. We tend to get discouraged once one song doesn’t work out. However, it’s important to keep going and to learn from the mistakes of those songs. We sit and right dozens of song ideas, but it’s likely only one or two of them will end up getting developed into a full song.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

We try and standout by incorporating classical elements into the piano parts of our songs. We also try and build and layer our songs in unique ways. Finally, our twist on the usual pop genre allows our songs to become a unique genre, different than what most are used to hearing on the radio.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

We are currently recording our second song and have enough material to complete our first EP (4 to 5 songs) which we are planning to complete and release by the Fall of 2019.  As for Gigs, we will have a few small shows in town when we have enough material ready, and time will tell of course based  on interest and feedback received on our music.

Special thanks to them for this interview & I wish them nothing but luck in their music & careers so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

Forgotten Door

DJ Interviews the Forgotten Door

Hey there one & all its your old pal DJ Dizzy here with an interview of a band who call themselves The Forgotten Door who had so much to say on their sucesss

How'd you get started in music?

The individual band members all started their love of music under the age of Ten. We individually pursued our various talents and continue to protect our craft.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, Janis Joplin, Allman Brothers Band, Duran Duran, The Police

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Stay positive and keep the love of music a priority.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

We keep creativity and story telling a staple of our creative process.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Currently working on songs for a new album, also we have concerts planned the first part of the new year.

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them nothing but luck in their music. Well that's going to do it for me but until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

ALWAYS /JAM-TAKO from ROCKSAURUS

I Saw You

Eddy Grant - 1983 Interview Friday Night Videos

DJ Interviews: Shaun Ginka

Hello one & all its DJ Dizzy here with an artist who answers to the name Shaun Ginka who sat down with me to speak of his musical career & beginnings.

How'd you get started in music?

I started singing when I was seven, then got a keyboard for Xmas when I was 13.  Started writing songs then. Joined a band at school when I was 15 and just took it from there.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

The Beatles

Elton john

Coldplay

Queen

David Bowie

Oasis

Pink floyd

Norah Jones

The list goes on

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

For performers, go to big live gigs and see what the pros do.  Watch videos of live concerts and watch how they perform.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

Don’t know to be honest, it’s all about the tunes for me :-)

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Debut EP out - Reflections

Available on all digital download sites x

Special thanks to him for doing this interview & I wish him nothing but luck in his career. So until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

DJ Interviews: Phillip Foxley

Hello everyone Its DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of sitting down with a singer named Phillip Foxley

How'd you get started in music?

Well I started way back in the 1970’s when I bought an old (even then) Gibson SG Junior guitar to play Black Sabbath riffs. As time went on I joined a few of the local club bands where I learned about chord structures and the importance of accurate timing, by playing the standards of the day. Strange thing is that I started thinking that, because the SG only had one P-90 pickup, it was somehow a ‘beginners’ or ‘student’ guitar so I sold it for a pittance and bought myself a Fender Strat’ simply because it had three pickups lol. Years later, I discovered that the SG was really rare and worth a small fortune. How I wish I had it now.

After gigging around for a few years, I was asked to play on various studio sessions for other bands which was really a great time for me.  I soon realised that I actually preferred song writing to actual playing gigs all over the place so I naturally gravitated towards the recording and production side. I still much prefer this even today.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

My inspirations and influences are many and varied from my early days playing Black Sabbath riffs through to Buzzcocks, The Clash, Mick Ronson (David Bowie), Zal Cleminson (Sensational Alex Harvey Band), David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler and Yngwie Malmsteen to name a few. Life experience is also a strong influencer.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

I can spout on about the need to practice to perfect your craft etc. All of which is important, but for me the most important thing is to be original, which means writing about what you believe in and playing what you feel. There are many examples of brilliant artists out there that are very successful and instantly recognisable because they have their own style, yet they may not be the best musicians. They surround themselves with great musicians.   

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

I think the answer to this is mainly within my previous response. In my case, it’s tricky because my songs are multi-genre (I don’t know why) which means that I don’t have a specific fan base. I tend to get different fans on a track by track basis. This appears to make me very different from the norm. Something I’m now used to.  

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

No gigs or new albums planned. I released my debut album ‘I’ll Try ‘Till I Die’ in 2015 but the funny thing is that I don’t intend to release any more albums so I just keep adding tracks to this one. Right now there are 24 tracks from the first to my latest releases – it’s all on there. Not sure if that’s a great marketing strategy but it’s just how it worked out.

Special thanks to him for this interview & I wish him luck in his success & career so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll