HUNDRED HANDED: INTERVIEW

August 12, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

Meet a band that has seen everything in the music world: Hundred Handed! We spoke with Jordan of Hundred Handed and he has a very unique story to tell you about their upbringing in the music industry and what the future has in store. Their newest single, Miss California, can be found now on music streaming programs! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this talented group of guys.

How did you guys come to form a band together?

JORDAN: "Drew and I have been in a few different bands together over the last 7 years. None of them felt quite right so we decided to sit down in our studio during some downtime and just dream up what we'd want to sound like... We liked the idea so much that we couldn't ignore it anymore. There was Hundred Handed."

How would you say your music has grown over the years?

JORDAN: "There seems to be an inverse relationship between our level of maturity and the growth of our music. It seems the more we let ourselves have fun and just be the kids we are inside, the more the music seems to make sense and come together the way we want it to. We wouldn't have it any other way."

Your most recent single Miss California came out in April. What was the inspiration behind the song?

JORDAN: "The state of Texas. ;)"

What do you personally think makes you unique compared to other bands?

JORDAN: "It's us. It's our personalities. It's our sense of humor or memories or creativity crafting the stories... Sure, we try to pull from our inspirations in a unique way and set ourselves apart from similar bands, but at the end of the day it's our individual personalities that give our music it's unique character."

You guys have even gotten the chance to perform at the Dick Clark New Year’s Eve Inaugural VIP Party – how would you describe that experience?

JORDAN: "New Year's Eve in Time Square?! How could that not be towards the top of any band's bucket list. It was definitely a surreal countdown to midnight. We're standing on top of a building in NYC, over looking one of the biggest crowds in the world, standing with everyone that helped get us to that moment... I can't help but get goosebumps thinking about how cool that was."

If you could work with any artist/band – whether it be on a song, a tour, or something else – who would it be and why?

JORDAN: "Daft Punk or Stromae. They are each uniquely creative in a way that inspires me to be better at what I do every time I listen to their music. I would just love to be in a creative environment with them and hope it rubs off! Getting to work with any of them would be another level."

Do you have any goals that you hope to achieve as a band?

JORDAN: "I'd like to be made fun of by SNL or South Park or The Simpsons. That's a pretty tall mark of success when a show based on spoofing popular culture thinks you're well known enough to get laughs for just tearing you apart."

Is there anything we can expect from you in the near future?

JORDAN: "More music, more shows, more fun!!!!! Keep an ear out."

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BATTLE TAPES: INTERVIEW

August 11, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

A band with many genres and talents is very special; that's why we love Battle Tapes so much! Battle Tapes' EP Form released recently and has been receiving great feedback, so we had to catch up with the band and find out how it has been and what their plans are for the future. Make sure to check the band out on all their social medias!

In your own words, how would you describe your music?

BATTLE TAPES: "Heavy-ish. Pop-ish, dancey, electronic laden with bit of a punk rock spirit. Someone once said to me that our music “Punches you in the face while touching your heart.” I think that’s a fair assessment."

Who are some of your musical influences?

BATTLE TAPES: "We have a fairly wide range of influence. From T. Rex to Fred Falke. For our latest EP, Form, we tapped into things I think we peripherally heard through our patents and older siblings growing up. Records like Depeche Mode‘s Violator and George Michael’s Faith."

Is there an artist or band that you guys would love to work with in the future, whether it be on a song, tour, or something else?

BATTLE TAPES: "Oh Jesus, How much time you got? Short list? I’d love to tour or write with Queens of the Stone age. Those guys are the consistently amazing, album after album. Big fans of Boys Noize, Oliver, Com Truise, and Does it offend you, yeah?. Aside from being a fan, I think the opportunity to compliment each other artistically is there."

Recently you guys released your EP Form – can you tell us the process on creating it?

BATTLE TAPES: "We struggled at first to find our direction on this EP. We ended up taking what we called a 'Radical Sabatical' to Palm Springs where we could write and create, free of the everyday trappings of Los Angeles. We went in writing without any intent. Just creating for creation sake. We ended up coming back to LA with a load of new ideas that eventually became Form."

Of the songs on the EP, which do you think best represents you as a band?

BATTLE TAPES: "Oh. That’s a tough question. Hmmm, I think as far as represents us as a band, Last Resort & Spa is a fair, 'Hi, nice to meet you!' song. Its got a lot of the qualities I mention in your first question. It’s heavy, its vulnerable, a little goofy, with a few cheeky lyrics."

How do you think your music has grown over the years?

BATTLE TAPES: "It’s become more refined, for sure. We’ve tried to work faster and smarter, and tried to create an environment that doesn’t allow us to over think what we are doing, focusing more on just executing. I’d like to think of our path less like a car going from point A to point B and more of a ship rising and sinking with the swell of the tides. "

Is there anything we can expect from you guys in the near future?

BATTLE TAPES: "More, more, more. We are definitely on a creative high at the moment. Extending further than just music. We want to try new things in all facets of our output channels. New Ideas for shows, videos, social interaction, etc. New solutions to the same old problems."

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JENNA KYLE: INTERVIEW

August 8, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

It is no doubt that being around music all her life helped this next star become who she is today. Who are we talking about? Jenna Kyle, of course! Jenna's debut single, Dust, was released in January of this year. Ever since then, she has been working on creating the next best thing for her audience, and she has succeeded. In this exclusive interview, we spoke with Jenna Kyle about her newest single, Summer with You, and more! Make sure to keep your eye out for this talent!

How did you first become interested in music?

JENNA: "Music accompanied every activity growing up - cleaning to disco makes things way more fun! We had an old upright piano that I remember plucking at as a really little kid and learning how to sing the same note I was playing. I’ve been singing since I could remember."

Who are some of your musical influences?

JENNA: "It’s all over the place… Etta James, Miriam Makeba, David Byrne, Joni Mitchell, Hall & Oates, Earth Wind and Fire, Massive Attack, Radiohead, James Blake, alt-J, Bon Iver, Bonobo."

Your debut single Dust was released this past January and reached #25 on the US and Canadian 50 Top Viral charts – how did it feel when you first found that out?

JENNA: "I was so excited that people were listening to my music! It gave me the confidence to keep writing and keep producing.

What is your songwriting process like?

JENNA: "I write daily, sometimes just little poems or ideas. I try to have a system, but it’s usually the things that come up out of the corners of thought, while I’m busy doing something else, that are the best."

Can you tell us a little about your new single Summer with You?

JENNA: "Summer with You is a bit of a love song; returning to California, and trying to let go of living for other people - saying and doing what you want. With Wes [Wes James of Le Youth] we had been wanting to do a song together, so it was just a matter of finding time to get in the same room. The lyrics came up organically out of me being in his Venice Beach studio, realizing how much I missed California and that environment."

What is your dream venue to perform in?

JENNA: "I was just out at Red Rocks in Colorado with the band Joseph and Amos Lee, and it was amazing."

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BLIND REVISION: INTERVIEW

August 2, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY

If you are in the alternative rock scene and are looking for a new band to appreciate, look no further! Introducing the lovely Blind Revision, this band with an incredibly unique sound just released a new EP called Of White and Grey. Learn all you need to know about your new favorite band below!

In your own words, how would you describe the band’s music?

BLIND REVISION: "The band sounds like a cross between Evanescence and Coheed and Cambria. We have melodic female vocals and some metal/progressive rock instrumentals."

Who are some of your musical influences?

BLIND REVISION: "Our songwriting style is definitely influenced by Coheed and Cambria. We try to write catchy choruses that will get stuck in your head, but also have some progressive rock verses that keep people interested. I realize a lot of musicians say this, but I honestly think we have a unique sound that you don’t find in rock too often anymore. The vibe and mood of many of our songs is also somewhat dark and mysterious."

Back in May you released your EP Of White and Grey – what was the creative process like?

BLIND REVISION: "We started writing that EP the summer before it was released. We took a month off from playing shows to write it. Basically, we just all got together, had a lot of fun and took it song by song. First, most of the instrumentals were finalized. One of the guitarists would usually bring an idea to the band and then we would all build off of it. Then Jen our vocalist put all the lyrics together. We decided early on that we wanted to do a concept EP, so we made sure that all the lyrics fit in together. Therefore, we wanted all the music finished before we even started writing lyrics. Each song represents a different lobe of the brain, as well as a different internal 'demon' that haunts people."

What song on the EP are you most proud of and why?

BLIND REVISION: "That’s such a tough question. We are obviously proud of the whole EP but I think Frontal: Seeker has some very difficult drum parts, so our drummer is quite proud of that one. It’s also very fast and energetic, so when we initially wrote it, we actually got very tired at first. It was pretty sad. That song taught us physical stamina!"

What is your favorite part about performing live?

BLIND REVISION: "My favorite part is the energy. I love when we have a really enthusiastic crowd, and we can build off of their energy and they build off of us. That’s the best. It’s like you’re both complimenting each other and building each other up. We try to put on a very energetic show and move around a lot, so it’s great when the crowd does too. And of course, it’s wonderful when they sing our lyrics back to us :) It’s just a wonderful feeling of, people are listening to what we have to say. People actually took the time to memorize what we sing about and what we care about. That’s incredible."

Do you have any goals that you want to complete as a band?

BLIND REVISION: "We are planning another tour, so that is in the works. We’d really like to tour with more amazing bands and meet awesome people. We use Facebook and Instagram a lot, so if you have them, follow us @blindrevision and tell us where you want us to tour! We always want to know what people think. It actually helps us a lot when we plan tours."

Is there anything we can expect from you guys in the future?

BLIND REVISION: "We are planning a new song to go with a music video. Currently we don’t have specific plans on when we will be shooting, but it’s definitely in the works. We also recently did a fun photoshoot and it will be published in an alternative magazine soon - be on the lookout for that!"

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PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS: INTERVIEW

July 23, 2017

INTRO BY MADDEN LEVIN

INTERVIEW BY JAMIE LANGLEY

For all our rock fans out there, you might need no introduction for this talented band. However, for all the rest of you, meet Gared O’Donnell, lead singer and guitarist of Planes Mistaken for Stars. The band of almost twenty years spoke with us about some very pressing topics that any new and old fan must read.

So, I wanted to ask you some off the wall questions here, questions you guys haven’t gotten asked a lot. So, first question would be, what would you say is the most important factor of playing live shows? For example: the energy, the atmosphere, etc.

GARED: "Like why I do it?"

I would say like when you play a show and there’s not as many people…

GARED: "It doesn’t matter. I was talking about this when we got here, because some of these shows have been kinda like, not that packed at all, kind of small turnouts, but I went back in my mind and I thought about like when we’ve played shows when there’s 300 people there and there was no energy or there were just like twenty kids that were stoked and like 300 other people who didn’t give a shit. So, it’s fine, I guess what I’m saying is the kids that have come out to the shows have all been very fucking enthusiastic and like 'with us.'"

Like they came to see you, not just because their boyfriend wanted to go or something?

GARED: "Yeah! They came to do the thing with us, to be at the show. That feels really nice."

Yeah, I find more in the punk/hardcore scene I see a very present cult-following, these bands might not have a ton of likes on Facebook, but everyone just gets so involved at the show.

GARED: "We don’t have like a huge core audience, but at our core, core, the people that really love us are extremely loyal, and like, have followed us for twenty years now. I think about almost every night on this tour I’ve had somebody come up and show me a tattoo of our band name, artwork or lyrics. A guy came up to us and was just like, 'Hey, I just want to tell you a story about how your song got me sober. My shit was fucked up and your words were the only thing that got to me.' So every night we’ve heard a story, they’re all different, but they’ve all been very special and amazing to kind of like, step back and realize that outside of my own vanity, my own reasons for doing this, I feel like I’m serving a purpose. I feel like we have collectively been able to change certain small threads in the fabric for the better, and that’s really a special feeling. I had somebody who told us he proposed to his wife at our show ten years ago. So, whether it’s somebody getting sober, or somebody proposing, as far as what makes it the best show is just honesty. It’s just an honest union between all the threads and the loom."

What are some of your go-to tour essentials? Something you can’t be on the road without?

GARED: "Mine are all just weird, little unique tokens. My youngest son bought me this rainbow neck pillow for Father’s Day, so that’s been my go to. Everyday, if I’m feeling a little blue or like a little frustrated I just lay on that and it grounds me. And then, you know, there’s all sorts of regular comfort creatures that you have. We buy a lot of Club Soda, ‘cause it helps when you’re not drinking a shit ton of beer. It hydrates you and it seems like you’re drinking a beer. We just can’t hit it as hard as we used to, it used to be (like ten years ago) I could drink all fucking day, I’ve had six drinks today and I’m tired. We also bring Bitters, it’s a thing you put in drinks, you can even put some in Club Soda. I always bring mixed CD’s, I think we started it on our first tour. Mixed CD’s have always been crucial for me…"

And now you can just make Spotify playlists.

GARED: "Yeah, well these guys use their phones, so it’s kind of like a mix but it doesn’t have the same magic. You’re not purposely putting together a set of songs, because when I put together a mixtape, I do it like I would the sequence of a record, like songs that are supposed to be next to each other. Again, tailoring the fabric of reality, ya know?"

I think this next question is really interesting because from my experience in living in New York to DC to Virginia, I often see a lot of people confuse genres and they’re like, “Oh no, this band is emo,” “No, they’re metal,” and they just fight over it, and I don’t see why a band can’t be classified as a few or just one, why do they need a genre?

GARED: "We’re just a rock band. You know, I don’t know, I mean I know that if you were to really get down to who we are, I guess you could label us as ‘punk rock’ but that means so many different things in itself and to so many different people, but I’d say we’re all little punk rockers at heart, because that’s what got us into music. It was skateboarding, and punk rock, the whole counter culture. I would say we’re heavy. When people ask, 'Well, what do you sound like?' I’m like, I guess we’re heavy? I listen to Thin Lizzy as much as I listen to Black Flag as much as I listen to Marvin Gaye. So I’m always just trying to take little pieces of fabric from everything you love."

Yeah, yeah. You wanna be versatile. No one person just likes one music genre. So who writes your songs? Is it a collaborative effort?

GARED: "It’s collaborative, I would say that there’s a large part of me conceptualizing something and I bring an in or an idea and these guys basically my crappy songs really good. These guys are all world class musicians, any of them could be studio musicians, and I’m just sort of like the odd ball."

And going on that, what would you say the main themes or topics that come up over again in most of your songs, or would you classify them as all different?

GARED: "I mean, you know, love, loss, fucking injustice, just the whole thing of life. They’re all true stories. I used to think I was being clever, in that I just wrote clever lyrics, and then I realized, they were all autobiographical. I didn’t realize they were like predestined things, you know? It’s just kind of the path you walk. I never tell people what the songs are about when they ask, I can’t really tell them because as soon as we record it, it’s everybody's. Whatever they want it to be to them is what it is to them. What it is to me might have been a totally different thing. But sometimes it takes me awhile to understand what records I write mean."

What has been your greatest challenge as a band? I’m sure the hiatus you guys took has been a challenge, but at the same time, you probably needed that time to grow and develop maybe certain styles that you didn’t have before.

GARED: "I’ve noticed that a lot of the hiatus---we started pretty early after we broke up to play shows here and there just to get together. Because when we’re not together, we’re still all integral parts of each other's lives. Like, my wife’s best friend is our drummer’s girlfriend. You know, so it’s like, we always see each other and it kinda got to be like: why don’t we just see, let’s write a record and if it doesn’t sound good then we just won’t put it out. But yes, the time that we did have apart from writing, which was over ten years, was good, I think. I believe we all learned a lot and added stuff to our quivers."

Could you describe how you think your show comes off to the audience? For example; the visual aspect, or just musically. Basically, what do you try to put into the performance so someone seeing it gets something out of it?

GARED: "I don’t know if I consciously do anything, I just put all into it. It’s all in, it’s like sex, you know? We’re like good sex, at least. Or like anything good... it’s like, why would you paint if you weren’t really trying to create something special? Why would I ever phone anything in? Everything with intent. Do everything in your life with intent, even if it’s drinking a glass of water. You know, you’re giving yourself something you need and vice versa when you cook for somebody, cook with intent, give them love, give them care. Because there’s too little of that in the world and I don’t think people understand how much better off we would all be if we did things with intent. And that could be darker things too, like if you’re going to haul off and fucking slug somebody or do something fucking wack, then do it with intent so at least people know what kind of person you are, don’t mask it. So basically, to wrap the question full circle would be: I’m not masking anything, this is exactly what I mean, this is exactly who I am."

No bullshit.

GARED: "Yeah, no bullshit, there you go. You know, it’s all with intent."

I’m always interested in what people are listening as for new music or just an album that you can listen to over and over again without it getting on your nerves after awhile. It could be old music too, that you’ve just discovered and loved hearing.

GARED: "Well I guess it’s all relative, 'new' doesn’t mean in the now. My shit’s all over the map, I’ve been listening to this old funk band called McNeal and Miles which is the perfect shit to play at a barbeque or drink wine on the porch, and on the flip, I’ve been really getting into Sisters of Mercy, who the fuck knew, you know? I’m revisiting old punk rock that I forgot how good it was, like the UK Subs, The Ruts, anything honest, really! I wanna be like ah, I listen to a lot of old soul, but I also listen to a lot of old punk rock. But there’s just so much out there, so much shit, so it makes the 'so much good stuff' so much better. I was excited that Afghan Whigs put a new record out, I love that band. Satyricon, I was at a re-sale shop in Peoria, IL, where I live and there's just a grip of CD’s and a lot of them were just burnt CD’s. Like somebody died or something, and just their whole collection was donated maybe. So, there’s this band called Satyricon which is like a Norwegian black metal band, and I don’t really like metal that much, but I really kind of dug it once I’d found it there, but my wife became really into it, although you’d never guess she would’ve been. It’s her go-to driving record. And it’s just like a burnt CD that someone made their friend."

That’s awesome, and you probably got it for real cheap too!

GARED: "I got it for like, a nickel! It was totally worth it (laughs)."

Why do you choose the songs you choose to play live? And a lot of times I think people wonder just that because I’ve even been to shows where the crowd requests a certain song and the band doesn’t want to play it live, and I just wonder why they would write a song that they didn’t want to perform.

GARED: "Some of our early stuff, people will ask us to play and I just simply can’t. I just can’t because I feel like I’m phoning it in, I feel like I’m acting. Because the guy that wrote that song that was twenty years ago and I don’t really relate to it anymore, I understand why it’s relatable but it’s kind of like if I were to try on clothes that I wore when I was fifteen, you don’t want to see me in that, I would look ridiculous. We have probably about 45 - 50 songs to choose from. We have four full lengths, so at least 45 songs that we can play at any given show. It’s kind of like, we just have to stick to what feels good…"

And what people like?

GARED: "Eh, I don’t really care what people like.."

Well if you can play it well then that should be the top priority.

GARED: "That’s what it is. Because there’s some songs that people ask for and some songs I love but just aren’t so easy to pull off and also part of it is that my register has changed over the years and some songs I could nail in the studio but not live, and I don’t want to be a guy squawking up there."

Yeah, unless you’re 80 years old and it’s the reunion tour.

GARED: "Yeah, right. And that’s a perfect analogy there because we’re not a reunion, we feel like a band. So, I think a good band plays what it knows and knows how to lock down. Some shows if people don’t go bananas, or they don’t care as much as you’d want them to, if we played tight then I’m stoked. You know, like, if we had that connection, the four of us, because ultimately…."

That’s why you started?

GARED: "And that’s why we’ll finish."

So for our last question, I’d like to ask you something that I have gotten asked a lot over the years in school. They would ask where do you see yourself in a few years and I think bands can be asked the same question with the same intent, because you don’t start for nothing, that’s your passion, you’re not a musician as a hobby, or it might start out that way and then you just end up loving it, you can’t leave it.

GARED: "You know, that’s interesting with us, because I think at this point we like realize that it’s not a career and it’s not really a hobby because a hobby makes it sound so much more insignificant. I don’t know, and that’s kind of one of the good things, one of the things I love about the position we’re in, because none of us have to do it. There’s no deadline, we don’t have the thing where we have to get together and make a record every two years or so, for us it’s just sort of like, if it feels right, we’ll do it. So, in two years, I don’t fucking know. I mean, I’d like to go to Europe again, that would be cool, and we could. But we also have lots of other shit going on in our lives, every one of us. So when people ask what do you see yourself doing, I see myself taking care of my own and that’s the band, that’s the kids, my wife, my friends, or anyone at all that needs tended to, really. I hope I can get some music done in the meantime though. Just intent, do everything with intent."

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