DJ Interviews: Aeolion

Hi there everyone its your old friend The DJ & I had the honor of interviewing a band who have a big sound when it comes to metal. Ladies & gentlemen I give you Aeolion!

How'd you get started in music?

All of us started in music along 90's. Alberto, Dani and I were playing in different local bands. Carlos was playing with some bands in Madrid and Gabi studying with a well-known guitar teacher in Mallorca.

In 2016 I started a personal project. I didn't know if I would find musicians for setting up the band, but I finally did. I was lucky. I know Dani since we were fifteen and we had been playing together in another band, so he told me to record the voices of this new project. After sometime looking for a drummer, Alberto asked me for setting up a band and I told him about my project. I sent him the sketches of the songs and he liked them. Gabi is my colleague in an instrumental band where I play trombone. He joined us after he listened to the several sketches.

Finally, Santiago Gil was the session bassist.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Our inspiration is mainly Melodic Death, Black and Death Metal bands from 90's. But we feel free to merge our music with any good musical influences we like. We try to create the music we would like to listen to.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

The most important thing, in my opinion, is practicing. Also, nowadays there are lots of bands out there and many of them have the same sound and similar style. Try to create something new. Compose original stuff without copying the big bands. It’s difficult to get known so you have to stand out from the crowd. You have to work hard on it.

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

The main difference among other bands is the environmental lyrics. Well, many bands talk about it, but it's our mark of identity. Another difference would be the way how we compose the music. Sometimes is difficult to tag us. We like to surprise the listener and make unexpected changes in our songs, so you can find catchy melodies followed by a typical black metal blast beat. In conclusion, not to be bored.

Any new gigs or albums in the future

Yes! We are working on new stuff. We have already 10 new songs and we are writing lyrics and composing drums and basses. We don't have a release date yet but it would be at the end of 2020. Talking about gigs, we are arranging something in Germany and probably in Czech Republic on October 2020 and we will play in our home island at the beginning of June. We will announce it on social media once it’s all booked.

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

Sin Seer - Like Swimming In Circles - Music Video

DJ Interviews: Eden's End

Hello one & all it is I your friendly neighborhood DJ Dizzy here with an interview with a band by the name of  Eden's End,

How'd you get started in music?

Eden’s End was formed in 1985 purely out of a passion for alternative rock music and a desire to learn to play. It only took a few months to assemble a set of original material and the band began to play in local clubs around Calgary. Jack Goodwin is the only remaining original member. Ken Kittlitz & Tim Faunt joined the line-up in 1990. Greg Hamel joined in 1996.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Our influences are many and it depends on which band member you ask although there are common threads.

Tim says musical inspiration = increased volume. Tim always cranks up New Model Army, Forbidden Dimension & every Foo Fighters / Dave Grohl song ever; especially the drum war with Animal. And Sarah McLachlan. Go figure!

Ken says many of his influences aren't alive any more. Amongst Ken’s influences are TheBeatles, The Clash, Joy Division, Led Zeppelin, Buzzcocks, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Church, GunClub, and Velvet Underground.

Greg echos Tim's sentiment by saying his key influence has always been volume, followed by beer, followed by trashy 80's rock  like Van Halen, Black Sabbath, and Sting followed by somewhat less trashy 90's rock such as SpinDoctors, Nickleback (yeah he actually said Nickleback) and Collective Soul. More recently it's classical and jazz influences like Jacques Loussier, Diana Krall, and more Sting… and whatever his son is studying in piano these days. "His pieces are much nicer than what I remember having to work with."

Jack pulls influence from all over the place. R.E.M. is noteworthy in terms of Jack's vocals and bass playing. Jack says he is generally influenced by artists that offer something unique whether it be guitar you feel in your gut, vocals that make you shiver, or unexpected melodies and/or arrangements. Some other influences include The Cure, 54-40, Ultravox, TheEagles, U2, Daniel Lanois, Keith Urban and many artists the other guys mentioned including Joy Division, Foo Fighters, The Clash, Sarah McLachlan, and Collective Soul.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Don’t take it too seriously. Do it because you love it. There are over 40,000 songs released every single day and getting noticed quickly is nearly impossible. If fame is what you’re after, you’re very likely to be setting yourself up for disappointment. Grow relationships with other artists and support them. If your music is good, your audience will find you naturally. Enjoy and celebrate the small wins along the way.

Also, aspiring artists should watch out for scammers. The internet is full of these people who charge artists money for followers & streams. They’re all fake and generated by bots. You’re throwing your money away. Real audiences take time to build, so be patient and keep working hard. There are legitimate people out there promoting music that don’t charge anything.

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

We are at a place in our journey where we are simply satisfied to get together and play. We haven’t actually seen a stage for 25 years. We don’t aim to fit a specific genre and we certainly don’t write love songs or aim for the pop scene. It’s all about pure creativity. We just let our music become whatever it becomes. We hope people like it. Those who follow us on social media will probably know that our guitar player Tim was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Stage IV (terminal brain cancer) this year, so we are honestly just grateful for every minute we get to hang out together and jam.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

We released 2 singles in 2019; Diamonds are Forever and The Cat on the Runway. Both of these songs will be included on an upcoming album. Tracking is about 80% done, but we have not yet formalized a release date. Not long after that we have another 7 songs written for the next album & we also plan to release some of our back catalogue as well. The band isn’t a full time activity, so we’re often struggling with scheduling challenges.

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

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!