Monday, December 31, 2018
An Interview with The Band Kris
Hello one & all DJ Dizzy here & its time for a band interview this time with a band by the name of The Band Kris who had this to say regarding their success & career.
Q: How’d you get started in music?
A: We’ve been playing music separately since the day we were exposed to our instruments, (piano & guitar) but it was in 2014 that we came together and wrote a song for our brother who was an aspiring musician but passed away. We wrote a song called “Dear Kris” updating our brother on what life is like down here without him and that was the song that brought us together as a sister duo.
Q: Who are your inspirations or influences?
A: We have always been inspired and influenced by Taylor Swift. As self taught musicians, we followed her songwriting techniques and her songs were some of the first songs we learned on our instruments. We are also influenced by Meghan Trainor. We were fortunate enough to meet her a few years back. We love her catchy and honest lyrics! Definitely has some influence over our writing.
Q: What advice would you offer aspiring performers?
A: Passion can take you very far and if you want it bad enough, you will make it happen. The only thing in your way, is yourself! We were scared out of our minds to move to Nashville, 2,000 miles away from home but we want this music career so bad that we will do anything to pursue our dreams! Don’t let fear control your future!
Q: How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?
A: We try to spend our time focusing on how we can be unique rather than comparing ourselves to other bands. We really focus on creating the best songs that we can by turning every single moment into a song. One time we actually wrote a whole song based off of a word we liked- “Expired". This helps us continue to write everyday and develop our own sound. We NEVER stop writing! We also know that our story sets us apart because we are following our dream for more than just ourselves, we are following it for our brother as well. He was an L.A. based guitarist but unfortunately passed away before fully living out his music aspirations so we took it in our hearts to not only follow our dream, but his as well. Now his name, Kris, can continue to live on through our music which is why we call ourselves, The Band Kris.
Q: Any new gigs or albums in the future?
A: We recently released a music video for our single, “Jacket” which is still fairly new. However, we will be releasing another single very soon! So stay tuned! We hope to get in the studio to record an album but until then we release an original song on our Youtube Channel (@The Band Kris) every Tuesday & Thursday.
As far as gigs, we will be playing in a writers round at The Commodore Grille in Nashville, TN on January 31st! We also pop in on Monday nights at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN to play new songs of ours quite often.
Special thanks to the Band Kris for this interview & I wish them nothing but luck in their music. So with that said I'll catch you on the flipside!
Stay awesome & rock n roll!
Saturday, December 29, 2018
DJ Interviews: Vardis
Hey there guys DJ Dizzy here & I sat down & interviewed a band who called themselves Vardis who had a lot to say about their success & career. Enjoy!
How'd you get started in music?
Basically seeing Jimi Hendrix at the cinema in the Woodstock film, first inspired me to play guitar. I then started to write songs and got a band together.
Who are your inspirations or influences?
Jimi as stated, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Dylan, Bolan (lyrics) and of course Chuck Berry (in fact most 1950's American Rock & Blues).
What advice would offer aspiring performers?
First of all, always enjoy what you do and then dont get hung up over money.
How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?
I dont. Honestly if music is from the heart, that's all that matters in the end.
Any new gigs or albums in the future?
Yea I have been recording some new stuff in my studio with my old bass player Alan Selway and drummer Joe Clancy. We have a show coming up on March 10th at the Grim up North festival. This is for a cancer charity so is important to us after losing Terry.
Here is the link: https://www.bandsintown.com
I wish them nothing but luck in their success & their careers that's going to do it for me so until then stay awesome & I'll catch you on the flipside!
I wish them nothing but luck in their success & their careers that's going to do it for me so until then stay awesome & I'll catch you on the flipside!
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
DJ Interviews: Michael Frazer
Hello everyone its DJ Dizzy here with another interview this time with Michael Frazer who had a lot to say regarding in regards to his career.
How'd you get started in music?
------------------------------
I've been on love with songs for as long as I can remember. When I buy a new album I always head straight for the lyrics and read all of the sleeve notes, everything. Always have.
I want to know who wrote each song, who played each instrument, where was it recorded? That's why I still prefer CDs to downloads.
I got my first electric guitar when I was 13. After I learned to play a few cover songs I'd use two cassette recorders, and bounce recordings between them to create a multi-track of me playing and singing.
Later, I bought a reel-to-reel machine, covered up the 'erase' head, and created layered multi-track songs and started to write a little.
I taught myself a little piano along the way, and as technology improved it became possible for solo artists like me to create release-quality recordings with orchestra, drums, keyboards and synths. I play all of the guitars and performed the vocals and backing.
So, although I started playing guitar in my early teens, I am a late developer in attaining the ability, knowledge, and confidence to write and record songs I am proud to play to other people.
I had also played in local rock and pop bands during this time playing bass and/or vocals, performing cover versions of whichever songs we liked, plus we'd sometimes sneak in some of our own songs. I stopped playing live in cover bands in order to focus on recording my own music.
If there's a downside to being a solo artist, it is that I have to learn to play, or programme all of the parts myself, and I have no-one to bounce ideas off. The upside is that I get to create something exactly how I want it, without compromise.
The challenge is always to try to get the song that I can hear in my head out into the real world.
Who are your inspirations or influences? ------------------------------
The artists who inspire me are those that follow their own path. Regardless of what they have created previously, or what might be expected of them, they just do what THEY choose to do.
The Beatles are one of earliest bands to do that from what I can see, David Bowie and Kate Bush are also great examples. U2 went away to reinvent themselves and came back with Achtung Baby, a terrific album.
As far as influences go, I guess that I must have learned, or absorbed something from all of the songs, and the artists that I have enjoyed listening to. I can't listen to a song without dissecting it's structure, arrangement and production on some subconscious level to try to understand why it works for me.
I love Elbow, great songs, and I love Guy's voice. Also Neil Finn and Crowded House.
I do tend topick up on individual songs rather than artists so it's hard for me list artists as such. I could list songs, from Johnny Cash covering 'Hurt', to Sam Smith's 'Writing's on the Wall. That would be a better view of my influences.
What advice would offer aspiring performers? ------------------------------
Do what you enjoy, don't deviate, or you'll end up doing something you don't enjoy.
Don't change what you do to fit a genre, your music will change and grow as you do so don't tie yourself down.
I don't pay any attention to what's current or popular, that never lasts.
How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? ------------------------------
I don't pay any attention to what's current or popular, that never lasts.
I create songs as they emerge. I don't try to make a song sound like the others on the album, each one is a brand new 'thing'.
Any new gigs or albums in the future? ------------------------------
I will rebuild my home studio over the next few months, ready to start recording new material for the next album
I've been on love with songs for as long as I can remember. When I buy a new album I always head straight for the lyrics and read all of the sleeve notes, everything. Always have.
I want to know who wrote each song, who played each instrument, where was it recorded? That's why I still prefer CDs to downloads.
I got my first electric guitar when I was 13. After I learned to play a few cover songs I'd use two cassette recorders, and bounce recordings between them to create a multi-track of me playing and singing.
Later, I bought a reel-to-reel machine, covered up the 'erase' head, and created layered multi-track songs and started to write a little.
I taught myself a little piano along the way, and as technology improved it became possible for solo artists like me to create release-quality recordings with orchestra, drums, keyboards and synths. I play all of the guitars and performed the vocals and backing.
So, although I started playing guitar in my early teens, I am a late developer in attaining the ability, knowledge, and confidence to write and record songs I am proud to play to other people.
I had also played in local rock and pop bands during this time playing bass and/or vocals, performing cover versions of whichever songs we liked, plus we'd sometimes sneak in some of our own songs. I stopped playing live in cover bands in order to focus on recording my own music.
If there's a downside to being a solo artist, it is that I have to learn to play, or programme all of the parts myself, and I have no-one to bounce ideas off. The upside is that I get to create something exactly how I want it, without compromise.
The challenge is always to try to get the song that I can hear in my head out into the real world.
Who are your inspirations or influences? ------------------------------
The artists who inspire me are those that follow their own path. Regardless of what they have created previously, or what might be expected of them, they just do what THEY choose to do.
The Beatles are one of earliest bands to do that from what I can see, David Bowie and Kate Bush are also great examples. U2 went away to reinvent themselves and came back with Achtung Baby, a terrific album.
As far as influences go, I guess that I must have learned, or absorbed something from all of the songs, and the artists that I have enjoyed listening to. I can't listen to a song without dissecting it's structure, arrangement and production on some subconscious level to try to understand why it works for me.
I love Elbow, great songs, and I love Guy's voice. Also Neil Finn and Crowded House.
I do tend topick up on individual songs rather than artists so it's hard for me list artists as such. I could list songs, from Johnny Cash covering 'Hurt', to Sam Smith's 'Writing's on the Wall. That would be a better view of my influences.
What advice would offer aspiring performers? ------------------------------
Do what you enjoy, don't deviate, or you'll end up doing something you don't enjoy.
Don't change what you do to fit a genre, your music will change and grow as you do so don't tie yourself down.
I don't pay any attention to what's current or popular, that never lasts.
How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? ------------------------------
I don't pay any attention to what's current or popular, that never lasts.
I create songs as they emerge. I don't try to make a song sound like the others on the album, each one is a brand new 'thing'.
Any new gigs or albums in the future? ------------------------------
I will rebuild my home studio over the next few months, ready to start recording new material for the next album
I wish him nothing but luck in his musical journey & special thanks to him in doing this interview.
So until then I'll catch you on the flipside!
stay awesome & rock n roll!
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