E Eddiittoor r iin n C Chhiieef f
RJ Frometa
W Wrriitteerrs s
Ryan Vandergriff
RJ Frometa
D Deessiiggnneer r
RJ Frometa
1 1.) ) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d yyoouunng g a accttoor r R Ryyaan n B Buuggggllee; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , R Ryyaann! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e b beennd d yyoouur r p prroovveerrbbiiaal l e eaar r w wiitth h o ouur r m myyrriiaad d o of f q quueessttiioonnss, , h hoow w h haas s 2 200223 3 b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoouu? ?
Thank you so much for having me! It has been a busy year so far and I am super excited for you all to see what I have been up to, on camera at least, haha!
2 2.) ) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r ssoolliid d a annd d c coommppeelllliinng g w woorrk k iin n tthhe e h hiit t N NBBC C s seerriiees s L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVUU! ! A As s a a q quuiicck k p prriimmeer r ffoor r a annyyoonne e tthhaat t m miigghht t n noot t b be e iin n tthhe e k knnooww, , ccaan n y yoou u e exxppllaaiin n w whhaat t L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVU U iis s a alll l a abboouut t a annd d h hoow w yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f N Nooaah h B Beennssoon n ffiigguurrees s iinntto o tthhe e p prroocceeeeddiinnggss? ?
Law and Order SVU is the longest running prime time drama! This is season 23! The show follows the Special Victim’s Unit of the NYPD and I play Noah Benson who is the son of Captain Olivia Benson played by the extraordinary Mariska Hargitay.
3 3.) ) W Whheen n yyoou u w weerre e ffiirrsst t a apppprrooaacchheed d a abboouut t p poossssiibblly y b beeiinng g iin n L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVUU, , d diid d yyoou u k knnoow w iimmmmeeddiiaatteelly y tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n yyoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
If I’m being honest I had no clue what this show was! In my defense, I was only 7 years old at the time, but I knew I loved acting, the lights, the cameras, the people and at that age the unlimited access to candy at crafty I still pinch myself knowing the insane privilege it is to be a small part of television history.
4 4.) ) H Hoow w a arre e yyoou u s siimmiillaar r tto o yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f N Nooaah h iin n L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVUU? ? H Hoow w a arre e y yoou u d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
I’m like Noah in so many ways because I have gotten to grow with the character for so many years which is a really cool experience to have as an actor. The writers are always including my real life interest and Mariska and I love to improv so a lot of our banter on the show is just us being us Our main difference is Noah still really enjoys sports like football and baseball in addition to dance I just had to film a scene where I was tossing a football and kept dropping it So embarrassing haha! I think I’ll stick to dance and gymnastics.
5 5.) ) W Whhaat t ccaan n ffaanns s llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o w wiitth h L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVU U a as s iit t ttaacckkllees s iitts s 2 244tth h s seeaassoonn? ?
Oh there is so much! I cannot say much but for Noah at least fans can look forward to seeing a lot more of him! Noah is really trying to figure out who he is and we start to explore that I think the fans
will love it.
6 6.) ) Y Yoou u w woorrk k w wiitth h ssuucch h a an n iinnccrreeddiibblly y ttaalleenntteed d e ennsseemmbblle e iin n L Laaw w a annd d O Orrddeerr: : S SVVU U W Whhaatt’ ’ss iit t lliikke e e exxoorrcciissiinng g yyoouur r o owwn n ccoonnssiiddeerraabblle e a accttiinng g cchhoopps s a alloonnggssiidde e tthhaat t o of f yyoouur r ccoossttaarrss? ? Humbling haha! I just like to absorb everything. Mary Lambert directed an episode not to long ago and I remember just being in awe of standing in the same room as her. I’ve grown so much as an actor and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by these talented legends.
8 8.) ) W Whhaat t d do o y yoou u e ennjjooy y tthhe e m moosst t a abboouut t a accttiinngg? ? W Whhaat t d do o yyoou u e ennjjooy y tthhe e lleeaasstt? ? What I love most is telling great stories and being on set I love the village of friends you make working on a project I really love when I get to do any sort of stunt work. I just recently got to drive in a cop car with IceT and I will never be over that Least? The audition process Especially when you’re so close and you just don’t get it I’m pretty good at auditioning and forgetting about it after.
9 9.) ) W Whheen n y yoouu’ ’rre e n noot t a accttiinngg, , w whhaat t d do o yyoou u e ennjjooy y d dooiinngg? ? I really love gymnastics, dance, guitar I’m also really into Roblox and uno tournaments with my friends get really heated
1 10 0 )) Y Yoouur r ffiirrsst t ccrreeddiitteed d o onnssccrreeeen n w woorrk k ccaamme e iin n 2 2001144’ ’ s s tteelleevviissiioon n s seerriiees s P Peerrssoon n o of f IInntteerreesstt. A Anny y ssppeecciiaal l m meemmoorriiees s o of f tthhaat t ffrreesshhmmaan n p prroodduuccttiioonn? ?
Oh wow. I think I was just turning 4 years old when I worked on that show I don’t remember anything really besides having a great time!
1 11 1 )) IIn n 2 2002200, , yyoou u w wrroottee, , d diirreecctteed d a annd d sshhoot t tthhe e vviiddeeo o s shhoorrt t Q Quuaarraannttiinneed d W Whhaat t w waas s tthhaat t e exxppeerriieenncce e lliikke e ffoor r yyoouu, , a annd d w woouulld d yyoou u lliikke e tto o d do o m moorre e o of f tthhaat t ssoorrt t o of f tthhiinng g iin n tthhe e ffuuttuurree? ?
I literally have no idea how that ended up on IMDb but I wrote, shot and directed a lot of movies during the lockdown My mom is an intensive care nurse so my sister, myself and all of my cousins moved in together for a while to be safe I bribed them on the daily to star in my films For sure, I would love to direct or DP in the future
1 122.) ) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioonn: : W Whheen n a annd d w whheerre e w weerre e yyoou u h haappppiieesstt? ?
Happiest dancing with my friends at the Dancing Dreams Organization
https://dancingdreams org
Credit: Elizabeth Pettey Photography
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d a accttrreesss s M Maarrlleenne e F Foorrttee; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , M Maarrlleennee! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e m meeaannddeer r d doowwn n tthhe e Q Q&&A A p paatthhwwaayy, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r N Neew w Y Yeeaar r b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoouu? ?
My new year has been very busy Very blessed with work and family and love and health! A lot changed for me and my husband at the end of 2021 when we took my parents out of Florida and move them in with us in Los Angeles Lol and despite all the warnings that it would ruin my career, I’ve never been busier which my mother takes full responsibility for! “ Ibring you luck,” was her mantra for 2021 AND 2022
2 2 )) M Maajjoor r ccoonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n a alll l tthhe e a ammaazziinng g n neew w w woorrk k y yoouu’ ’vve e b beeeen n d dooiinngg, , iinncclluuddiinng g llaannddiinng g ttwwo o vveerry y h hiigghhp prrooffiille e rreeccuurrrriinng g rroollees s iin n a a c coouupplle e o of f vveerry y p pooppuullaar r s seerriieess, , T Thhe e L Liinnccoolln n L Laawwyyeer r a annd d T Thhe e R Rooookkiiee! ! S Sttaarrttiinng g ffrroom m tthhe e ttoopp, , d diid d yyoou u kknnoow w a as s s soooon n a as s yyoou u w weerre e a apppprrooaacchheed d a abboouut t b beeiinng g o on n tthhe e N Neettfflliixx’ ’ s s T Thhe e L Liinnccoolln n L Laawwyyeer r tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n tthhaat t yyoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
Well, I worked on Lincoln lawyer last season Judge Teresa Medina was one of the guest star judges last year And yes, even though it was only one episode at the time, I was very interested in the show It is well written and has a lot of diversity It looks like Los Angeles It feels like Los Angeles And I think , it represents Los Angeles quite well Michael Connelly is great at making Los Angeles a character in his novels And Manuel GarciaRulfo is a great Lincoln Lawyer He has been a pleasure to work with And the producers, the cast and the crew on the show have been fantastic So I was very excited to get the call the Teresa Medina would be the main judge in season 2!
3 3 )) W Waas s tthheerre e a anny y h heessiittaattiioon n w whheen n yyoou u w weerre e a asskkeed d tto o rreepprriisse e yyoouur r rroolle e a as s J Juuddgge e T Teerreessa a M Meeddiinna a o on n T Thhe e L Liinnccoolln n L Laawwyyeerr, , o or r w waas s rreettuurrnniinng g a a n noobbrraaiinneerr? ? It was a complete nobrainer and a great Christmas present for 2022!
4 4 )) W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t yyoouur r rreeccuurrrriinng g rroolle e a as s K Kaarrlla a JJuuaarreez z o on n A ABBCC’ ’ s s T Thhe e R Rooookkiiee? ?
Carla Juarez is the mother of the new Rookie played by Lisseth Chavez, who I love to work with She is a wonderful actress who is so present and open, I felt like she was my daughter from the first rehearsal Karla is agoraphobic She is a painter She is a fierce mother who has made mistakes and has been trying to hide from them for years I love Karla
5 5 )) A Accttiinnggwwiissee, , w whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoouur r o owwn n ccrraafftt? ?
I find so many inspirations. I’m inspired by the actresses whose shoulders I stand on and who I watch like acting classes on screen and stage The likes of Betty Davis, Chita Rivera, Rita Hayward, Rita Moreno, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, And some of my own contemporaries, Viola Davis, Penelope Cruz, Rosie Perez, Veronica Falcon! And the talented young ones, paving the way forward Gina, Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria, Ana Del Arma, America Ferrer, Jennie Ortega! I’m inspired by all the Latin names that no longer have to hide
When I started out 30 years ago, there were no Lopez‘s or Rodriguez‘s or Ortega‘s producing They couldn’t even really use their names I myself was asked to choose a more generic name At the time I was still Rodriguez I still had my daughters last name That’s how I ended up with Forte Forte is my mothers maiden name Even Machado was too ethnic: that was my maiden name
6 6 )) IIn n a a p prreevviioouus s lliiffee, , yyoou u o owwnneed d a annd d o oppeerraatteed d a a vviiddeeo o s sttoorre e D Do o y yoou u ffeeeel l tthhaat t iin n ssoomme e w waay y y yoou u w weerre e s suubbccoonnsscciioouusslly y p prreeppaarriinng g ffoor r a an n a accttiinng g ccaarreeeerr? ?
There was nothing subconscious about it I was the first born of an immigrant family Acting wasn’t really seen as a career Singing and dancing, and piano classes were meant to keep me off the streets growing up, but not as a serious career choice lol I
was supposed to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or the very least an English teacher Which was my major English literature Video stores were just starting out around the same time that I was getting into acting I didn’t go to school for acting or film so the next best thing, in my head, was to open up a video store I am the Cuban Quentin Tarantino I just became an actor not a filmmaker lol
7 7 )) Y Yoouur r ffiirrsst t ccrreeddiitteed d a accttiinng g c caamme e iin n tthhe e ffoorrm m o of f tthhe e 1 199991 1 ffeeaattuurre e ffiillm m T Thhe e B Brroonnx x W Waar r A Anny y ssppeecciiaal l m meemmoorriiees s o of f tthhaat t ffrreesshhmmaan n p prroodduuccttiioonn? ?
I do have fond memories of the director, Joseph Vasquez This was my first big part in a movie, and Joseph was very kind, respectful, and really talented It was one of his first movies too Later he would approached me about Hangin With The Homeboys, his claim to fame, but I didn’t want to play the same role He died too young
8 8 )) Y Yoouu’ ’ v ve e s seerrvveed d a as s a a p prroodduucceer r sseevveerraal l ttiimmees s a annd d yyoouu’ ’vve e a allsso o d diirreecctteed d a at t lleeaasst t ttwwiicce e A Arre e tthheesse e b bootth h tthhiinnggs s w whhiicch h ffaanns s c caan n llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d o of f s seeeeiinng g m moorre e o of f ffrroom m y yoouu? ?
I really do love acting And I love working with actors I think I would rather direct on stage than behind the camera if I went that way I love the rehearsal process And in front of the camera rehearsal is a different thing It’s more technical Producing is a very hard job Although I think it’s important that every actor knows how to produce An actor should always be producing work for themselves And if I had to choose between acting and producing, it’s a nobrainer for me But I don’t like to say, never! I’m not getting any younger Let’s see how long I can remember my lines But directing could always be in my future
9 9 )) Y Yoouu’ ’rre e ffeeaattuurreed d iin n tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g ffiillm m Y Yoou u C Caann’’t t S Sttaay y H Heerre e W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l o ouur r rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t tthhiis s n neew w m moovviiee? ?
I am so glad you asked about this film I get to work with my long time LAByrinth member Guillermo Diaz I did my first play off Broadway with Guiilermo at INTAR on 42nd street over 3 decades ago Rough House directed by Kathy Calderon, and written by Lillian Slugocki Anyway, Guiilermo called me up and asked me to play his mom in this movie and sent me the script I loved the character and the script Dealing with my elderly ailing parents, I completely identified And I loved the creepiness of it all!
1 10 0 )) Y Yoouur r d diirreeccttoor r o on n Y Yoou u C Caann’’t t S Sttaay y H Heerre e iis s tthhe e ttaalleenntteed d T Tooddd d V Veerroow w W Whhaat t w waas s y yoouur r ccoollllaabboorraattiioon n p prroocceesss s lliikke e w wiitth h T Toodddd? ? IIs s h he e w whhaat t s soomme e a accttoorrs s m miigghht t ccaalll l ““aan n a accttoorr’ ’ss d diirreeccttoorr””? ? Working with the Todd was the cherry on the cake! I loved him Only wish I had more to do on this film His ease on set was infectious Like a warm blanket Safe Intimate Lovely Hope to work with him again soon !
1 11 1 )) Y Yoouu’ ’rre e a allsso o sseet t ffoor r a a ttuurrn n iin n tthhe e ffiillm m 1 100113 3 w whhiicch h iis s ccuurrrreennttlly y iin n p prreepprroodduuccttiioon n W Whhaatt’ ’ss tthhiis s o onne e a abboouut t a annd d w whho o w wiilll l yyoou u p pllaay y iin n iitt? ?
10:13 is a movie my very dear friend David Zayas wrote He actually wrote a play we did at LAByrinth theater company way in the beginning of our existence He later turned it into a movie I play a female detective, Dora Almador, close to end of her career It’s a police crime drama placed in the 90’s in midtown manhattan
1
Living In Oblivion for sure and the best show about a theater company is a Canadian TV show called Slings And Arrows That’s just an added bonus to the question
1 1.) ) W Wee’’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e s sppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d m muussiicciiaan n P Paarrkkeer r G Giissppeerrtt; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , P Paarrkkeerr! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e rriigghht t iinntto o tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A m moosshhppiitt, , h hoow w g gooees s y yoouur r
2 200223 3 tthhuus s ffaarr? ?
2023 has been wonderful so far It feels great to have released my new album, GOLDEN YEARS, and I’m happy to be back playing shows after the break from Covid.
2 2..) ) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n a a v veerry y b buussy y ttiimme e ffoor r y yoouu, , p prrooffeessssiioonnaallllyyssppeeaakkiinngg! ! S Sttaarrttiinng g a at t tthhe e ttoopp, , m maajjoor r p pllaauuddiitts s a annd d k kuuddoos s o on n tthhe e a ammaazziinng g n neew w s soollo o a allbbuum m G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrss! ! W Whhaat t w waas s tthhe e g geenneessiis s o of f tthhiis s rreemmaarrkkaabblle e a allbbuumm, , h hoow w d diid d iit t c coomme e a abboouutt? ?
I’d been out touring SUNLIGHT TONIGHT, and had taken a couple stabs at writing the follow up album which I’d originally imagined as a more acoustic based album. The pandemic hit and I found myself at home, quarantined, and longing for the rock bars and clubs which have become a second home for me through the years. I knew it was a moment in time that eventually would pass, and this album was the album I wanted to hear blasted out in a club once things got back to normal.
3 3..) ) W Whho o w waas s y yoouur r p prroodduucceer r o on n G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrs s a annd d w whhaat t d diid d tthhe e c coollllaabboorraattiioon n b beettwweeeen n p prroodduucceer r a annd d a arrttiisst t llooook k lliikke e iin n tthhe e s sttuuddiioo? ?
Roger Moutenot and I produced this album together and the collaboration was a fun and easy one for me. Roger is a legendary producer, mixer, and engineer and I respect his opinion very much, so it allowed me to concentrate on performing the songs and enjoying the experience, knowing that the sonics would be well taken care of by him. He did a great job of weighing in on arrangements and parts with the band I’d assembled, and he created a relaxed atmosphere for everyone
4 4.) ) H Hoow w iis s G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrs s s siimmiillaar r tto o S Suunnlliigghht t T Toonniigghhtt? ? H Hoow w iis s iit t d diiffffeerreenntt? ? They’re similar in that they’re both deliberately what they became and what I mean by that is they’re both the albums I set out to make They’re quite different in terms of instrumentation, arrangements, mood, sonics, and lyrical concepts.
5 5..) ) C Caan n y yoou u iinnttrroodduucce e o ouur r e evveerriinnqquuiissiittiivve e rreeaaddeerrs s tto o s soomme e o of f tthhe e o otthheer r ttaalleenntteed d m muussiicciiaanns s tthhaat t lleennt t tthheeiir r m muussiiccaal l a allcchheemmy y iinntto o m maakkiinng g G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrs s a a fflleessh h a annd d b bllooood d rreeaalliittyy? ?
Yes! Everyone lives in Nashville now,
but drummer John Kent used to play with Ben Kweller and is from the Hill Country area in Texas Rob Crowell used to play in Deer Tick and is an active session musician originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia Lead guitarist Evan Scott Penza is originally from Encinitas, California and keyboardist / background vocalist Thayer Sarrano is my old friend from Athens, Georgia where I used to live. They’re all wonderful people and artists in their own right.
6 6..) ) G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrs s w weeiigghhs s iin n a at t w whhaat t ffeeeells s tto o b be e a a jjuussttrriigghht t n niinne e s soonnggss. . W Waas s tthheerre e a annyytthhiinng g tthhaat t d diiddnn’’t t m maakke e tthhe e c cuut t o on n tthhiis s a allbbuum m w whhiicch h w we e m miigghht t h heeaar r o on n a annootthheer r rreelleeaasse e llaatteer r o onn, , o or r w waas s tthhe e a allbbuum m a allwwaayys s p pllaannnneed d s sppeecciiffiiccaalllly y w wiitth h tthheesse e n niinne e iinnccrreeddiibblle e ttrraacckkss? ? The album was originally planned as an eightsong affair, but I felt it was missing something so I added in “Moving On,” which I wrote a couple years before the other songs on the album.
7 7.) ) G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrs s w waas s rreelleeaasseed d b by y rreeccoorrd d llaabbeel l N Noorrmmaallttoowwnn//NNeew w W Weesst t R Reeccoorrddss. . W Whhaat t m maakkees s N Noorrmmaallttoowwnn//NNeew w W Weesst t tthhe e p peerrffeecct t h hoomme e ffoor r y yoou u a annd d y yoouur r m muussiicc? ?
First off, I love the humans that work for the label and also New West’s offices are in Athens, Georgia and Nashville, Tennessee which are the two cities I’ve lived in the past 22 years. Normaltown was the neighborhood in Athens where I used to live.
8 8..) ) W Woorrd d ‘‘rroouunnd d iinndduussttrry y c caammppffiirre e h haas s iit t tthhaat t y yoouu’’rre e s seet t tto o h heeaad d o ouut t o on n a a ttoouur r o of f s soollo o a accoouussttiic c s shhoowws s llaatteer r tthhiis s m moonntthh! !
W Whhaat t c caan n y yoou u tteelll l rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t tthhiis s ttoouur r a annd d s soomme e o of f tthhe e o otthheer r p peerrffoorrmmaannccees s tthhaat t y yoouu’’rre e lliinneed d u up p ffoor r a afftteerr? ?
Yes, the tour kicks off in Memphis, March 26th and ends in Denver April 20th I’ll be heading to Texas, California, Washington, Utah, Idaho, and Colorado
9 9.) ) W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s y yoou u m muussiiccaallllyy? ?
I’m inspired by so many folks musically From classic to obscure albums to watching someone play in a local club or watching a nonprofessional musician friend pick up a guitar, I take inspiration wherever I can find it.
1 100..) ) A Anny y ffiinnaal l tthhoouugghhtts s w whhiicch h y yoou u m miigghht t lliikke e tto o s shhaarre e a abboouut t o onne e o of f tthhe e b beesst t a allbbuumms s c cuurrrreennttlly y o on n tthhe e s scceennee, , G Goollddeen n Y Yeeaarrss? ?
I think that about covers it! Put the album on and rock it one time all the way through for me.
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
Photo credit: Jana Schuessler
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o w weellccoomme e tto o o ouur r e evveerrh huummbblle e p paaggees s a accccllaaiimmeed d D DJJ, , p prroodduucceer r a annd d O OG G tto o tthhe e E EDDM M s sppaacce e K Kaat t N Noovvaa; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , K Kaatt! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinntto o tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A m moosshhppiitt, , h hoow w h haas s y yoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g y yoouu? ? Thanks for having me! 2023 has been great! I have been focusing on music and releasing new tracks every month.
2 2 )) M Maajjoor r c coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n y yoouur r rreecceennt t a annd d o offffiicciiaal l rreemmiix x tto o S Saawweeeettiiee’ ’ s s M My y T Tyyppe e a annd d yyoouur r c coollllaabboorraattiioon n w wiitth h Z Ziiaah h o on n O Occeeaan n L Loovvee! ! S Sttaarrttiinng g a at t tthhe e ttoop p w wiitth h M My y T Tyyppee, , h haavve e y yoou u b beeeen n s suurrpprriisseed d b by y h hoow w m muucch h a atttteennttiioon n a annd d lloovve e ffrroom m ffaanns s y yoouur r b brriilllliiaannt t rreemmiix x h haas s g gaarrnneerreedd? ?
To be honest with you, My Type is a huge song so I expected some love but not as much as I got I think I was the only one who had done a house remix of this song and I was curious if people were going to like it or not The numbers speak for themselves haha!
3 3.) ) W Whhaatt’ ’ s s tthhe e s seeccrreet t tto o a a g gooood d rreemmiixx? ? Y Yoouu’ ’vve e a appppaarreennttlly y g goot t tthhe e S Seeccrreet t F Foorrmmuulla a a as s iis s e evviiddeenncceed d b by y M My y T Tyyppee? ?
I honestly don’t think there is a secret formula to a good remix or a hit song You just never know People like what they like regardless of what you think or like .
3 3 )) W Whhaat t w waas s y yoouur r c coollllaabboorraattiioon n lliikke e w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d a arrttiisst t Z Ziiaah h o on n O Occeeaan n L Loovvee? ?
I had two songs out with Ziah She is super talented and it was super easy working with her We truly connected on many different levels. We filmed two different music videos as well Can’t wait until our next collab
4 4.) ) Y Yoouu’ ’ v ve e g goot t s soommeetthhiinng g a allttooggeetthheer r u unniiqquue e a annd d e exxcciittiinng g a abbrreewwiinng g w wiitth h tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f o onne e o orriiggiinnaal l ttrraacck k e eaacch h m moonntth h o of f tthhe e ttoop p o of f tthhe e y yeeaar r ffoor r 2 2002233! ! W Whhaat t c caan n y yoou u tteelll l o ouur r e evveerriinnqquuiissiittiivve e rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t a alll l o of f tthhiis s e exxcciittiinng g n neew w m muussiic c ffoorrtthhccoommiinng g ffrroom m yyoouu? ?
I don’t like feeling as if I am being put in a box or when people tell me what genre I have to play or produce which is why I decided to make different types of songs and let people decide what they personally like the most. I like all sorts of music and enjoy combining a little bit of everything
5 5.) ) W Whhaat t s sppeecciiffiic c c chhaalllleennggees s d dooees s tthhiis s a ammbbiittiioouus s rreelleeaasse e s scchheedduulle e ffoor r y yoouur r n neew w m muussiic c p prreesseennt t tto o y yoouu? ?
Mostly time. I travel a lot and barely sleep sometimes! It has been challenging to finish music and artwork on time,
schedule releases, shoot videos, etc I wish that there were 2 of me lol.
6 6 )) W Wiitth h tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f tthheesse e n neew w ssiinngglleess, , c caan n ffaanns s llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o a a p poossssiibblle e 2 200223 3
L LP P rreelleeaasse e ffrroom m y yoouu? ?
Absolutely, it’s coming!
7 7.) ) Y Yoou u b beeggaan n y yoouur r tteennuurre e a as s a a D DJ J w whheen n iit t rreeaalllly y w waassnn’’t t a as s m maaiinnssttrreeaam m a as s iit t h haas s b beeccoomme e S Sppeeaakkiinng g o of f cchhaalllleennggeess, , w waas s iit t c chhaalllleennggiinng g tto o c caarrvve e o ouut t a a n niicchhe e ffoor r y yoouurrsseellf f a as s a a D DJ J w whheen n yyoou u w weerre e jjuusst t s sttaarrttiinng g o ouutt? ?
Being a female dj is a challenge on its own. You have to earn respect. You have to be good at what you do and eventually you have to make your own music as well. Everything was a challenge from getting gigs to traveling every day, proving your worth, learning how to produce and figuring out your own style.
8 8.) ) W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s y yoou u m muussiiccaallllyy? ?
That's a difficult question for me to answer. I enjoy so many artists across various genres I can go from Whitney Houston or Queen and Elvis, to Raye , Tiesto Carl cox , Black Coffee , Peggy Gou, and Blondish !
9 9.) ) O On n tthhe e h heeeells s o of f tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f a alll l o of f tthhiis s g grreeaat t n neew w m muussiic c c caan n w we e llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o s seeeeiinng g y yoou u o ouut t o on n tthhe e p peerrffoorrmmiinng g c ciirrccuuiitt? ?
Absolutely! I just wanted to work on my music first while I have some time and then you can expect me to get back on the road .
1 10 0 )) Y Yoouu’ ’ v ve e m moorre e tthhaan n m maadde e yyoouur r b boonnees s a as s a a rreessppeecctteed d a annd d a accccllaaiimmeed d p prroodduucceer r W Whhaat t d do o y yoou u e ennjjooy y tthhe e m moosst t a abboouut t p prroodduucciinngg? ?
Making music that people love !!!!!
There is no better feeling in the world than seeing people enjoy music you made for them !
1 111.) ) Y Yoouur r s sttyylle e m meerrggees s h hoouusse e m muussiic c a alloonng g w wiitth h v vaarriioouus s o otthheer r g geennrreess. C Crreeaattiivveellyys sppeeaakkiinngg, , w whhaat t d dooees s y yoouur r m meetthhooddoollooggy y llooook k lliikke e w whheen n y yoou u s siit t d doowwn n tto o ccrreeaattee, , m miix x a annd d p prroodduuccee? ?
There is no plan I never know where I’m going to end up . Sometimes I make three different remixes of the same song and try to pick the one I like the most Me being indecisive does not make it easier . When it comes to mixing I take the route of going with whatever I feel at that moment I always enjoy what I do and tend not to plan things .
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d a accttoor r Z Zaacck k B Brrooookk; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , Z Zaacckk! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e m meeaannddeer r d doowwn n tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A p paatthhwwaayy, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoou u tthhuus s ffaarr? ?
A1: Thank you so much, I am so excited to sit down and talk with you today 2023 has been pretty great so far The days have been flying by I’ve been doing a lot of auditions, biking, skateboarding and practicing guitar I just went to a JVB concert with my older brother this week and that was totally awesome I love the Beastie Boys and they remind me of them
2 2 )) M Maajjoor r ccoonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r a accccoommpplliisshheed d ttuurrn n iin n tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g A Apprriil l 2 28 8 L Liioonnssggaatte e ffeeaattuurre e ffiillm m a addaappttaattiioon n o of f tthhe e ccllaassssiic c JJuuddy y B Blluumme e n noovveel l A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ss M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett! ! F Foor r tthhe e o onne e o or r ttwwo o ffoollkks s o ouut t tthheerre e tthhaat t m maay y h haavve e m miisssseed d tthhe e n noovveell, , w whhaat t ccaan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ssttoorry y o of f A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ss M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreet t a annd d h hoow w yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f P Phhiilllliip p L Leerrooy y ffiigguurrees s iinntto o tthhe e p prroocceeeeddiinnggss? ?
A2: Thanks I am honored to be apart of such a classic, heartfelt story Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret! is about a girl named Margaret who’s going through all kinds of changes She’s going through puberty, is confused about religion and moves to a new town Margaret is trying to fit in at her new school She makes friends with Nancy and some other girls and that is where the fun begins The girls all have a crush on the cool kid, Philip Leroy and he becomes an important part of her journey Not all in positive ways but he has his own journey as we all do
3 3.) ) P Prriioor r tto o llaannddiinng g tthhe e ccoovveetteed d rroolle e o of f P Phhiilllliipp, , h haad d yyoou u rreeaad d JJuuddy y B Blluummee’ ’ s s A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ss M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett? ?
A3: No I hadn’t because I thought it was a book for girls But after I read it for the role, I really fell in love with the storyline and could really relate to some parts of the book It also gave me a better understanding of the difficult things girls have to go through
4 4 )) IIs s tthhe e ffeeaattuurre e ffiillm m a addaappttaaiioon n o of f A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e
G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ss M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreet t p prreetttty y ffaaiitthhffuul l tto o tthhe e o orriiggiinnaal l s soouurrcce e m maatteerriiaall? ?
A4: Yes it definitely follows the story Of course some parts had to be left out for time but it captures the book perfectly Even Judy Blume herself said she loves the movie more than the book!
5 5 )) W Whhaat t w waas s yyoouur r ccoollllaabboorraattiioon n p prroocceesss s lliikke e w wiitth h K Keelllly y F Frreemmoon n C Crraaiigg, , tthhe e d diirreeccttoor r o of f A Arre e y yoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ s s M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett? ? IIs s s shhe e w whhaat t ssoomme e a accttoorr’ ’ss m miigghht t rreeffeer r tto o a as s ““aan n a accttoorr’ ’ss d diirreeccttoorr””? ?
A5: Oh my gosh! I love Kelly, she is not only an incredible director but she is so sweet and generous to her actors She was so patient and understanding and even hired and amazing acting coach named Sara Arrington to work with us if we needed She is most definitely “an actor’s director” and it would be a dream to work with her again
6 6 )) Y Yoou u w woorrk k w wiitth h ssuucch h a an n iinnccrreeddiibblle e ccaasst t iin n A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ss M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett, , iinncclluuddiinng g tthhe e lliikkees s o of f A Abbbby y R Ryyddeer r F Foorrssttoonn, , R Raacchheel l M MccAAddaamms s a annd d
K Kaatthhy y B Baattees s W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e e exxoorrcciissiinng g yyoouur r o owwn n ccoonnssiiddeerraabblle e a accttiinng g cchhoopps s a alloonnggssiidde e tthhiis s b brriilllliiaannt t e ennsseemmbbllee? ?
A6: It was truly amazing working with Abby! She’s talented, funny and smart Working scenes with her was so fulfilling Sadly I did not have any scenes with Kathy or Rachel but I hope to work with them in the future and I look forward to meeting them at the premiere
7 7 )) H Hoow w a arre e yyoou u s siimmiillaar r tto o yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f P Phhiilllliip p
L Leerrooy y iin n A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ s s M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett? ?
H Hoow w a arre e yyoou u d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
A7: Oh that’s a good question! I would say one way that I am similar is that I love his style His wardrobe was designed by the legendary Ann Roth Seriously, the 70s had the best clothes He loves to mess around and hang out with his best friend, Freddy played by Jecobi Swain which of course is my favorite thing to do as well On the other hand, I’m very different than Philip in the way he treats girls He can be a bit disrespectful to his teachers which I would never do In real life I do my best to be a nice guy
8 8 )) A At t tthhe e e ennd d o of f tthhe e d daayy, , w whhaat t d do o yyoou u h hooppe e m moovviieeggooeerrs s w waallk k a awwaay y w wiitth h a afftteer r w waattcchhiinng g A Arre e yyoou u tthheerre e G GOODD? ? IItt’ ’ s s M Mee, , M Maarrggaarreett? ?
A8: I really hope moviegoers will have a lot more compassion for the things middle school girls have to go through It’s a very confusing time for young teens anyway, but this film is so great at shining a light on how hard it is to be a female at that age
9 9 )) H Hoow w d diid d yyoou u llaannd d u uppoon n tthhe e p paatth h o of f w waannttiinng g tto o b be e a an n a accttoorr? ? IIs s tthheerre e a an n E E! ! T Trruue e H Hoollllyywwooood d S Sttoorry y yyoou u ccoouulld d sshhaarre e w wiitth h rreeaaddeerrs s rreeggaarrddiinng g yyoouur r a accttiinng g o orriiggiinnss? ?
A9: Ha ha! It’s not quite E! True Hollywood Story material but here’s how it happened My mom is an actress and I watched her film her auditions since I was about 3 years old Sometimes they were pretty intense so I wondered why she was screaming or crying one minute and fine the next When I found out that she was just pretending to be a character, I thought that was pretty amazing and I wanted to try I began auditioning when I was about 10 I did commercials first and eventually got bigger auditions that lead to this part I also met Chad Michael Murray and his wife at one of my mom’s movie premieres when I was 11 and he came up to me and said I seemed like a movie star and I that I should act!
1 100.) ) W Whheen n y yoouu’ ’rre e n noot t a accttiinngg, , w whhaat t d do o yyoou u e ennjjooy y d dooiinng g jjuusst t ffoor r y yoouurrsseellff? ?
A10: Probably the thing I love to do most is play guitar I have a Fender American Stratocaster that my dad gave me last Christmas which makes it even more special to me Other than that, I skateboard, ride mountain bikes here in Austin, oh and I’m a pickle ball champion in a league where I’m about 40 years younger than everybody else I love being around people of all ages
1 11 1 )) W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s y yoou u a accttiinnggwwiissee? ?
A11: There’s so many actors who inspire me in different ways Robert Downey Jr of course ever since I was little I mean I was obsessed with Iron Man! At the moment, I can’t get over the performance that Tom Hanks gave in “A Man Called Otto” He blew me away because he so totally embodied the character of Otto and I completely forgot he was Tom Hanks I mean that’s what it’s about right? That sort of versatility is what I want to aim for in my career
A12: I don’t have much I can say about it It’s been in development for quite sometime That happens, but I hope it gets into production soon It’s set in the Deep South before the Civil War That’s all I really know so far I absolutely love stories that take place in different time periods and hope to do more
Credit: Candice Barley
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e h haappppy y tto o b be e s sppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d s sttaanndduup p ccoommeeddiiaan n JJaacckkiie e P Piirriiccoo! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinn, , h hoow w h haas s y yoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n sso o ffaarr? ?
I can’t lie, my 2023 has been pretty fabulous so far!
I’ve had some great career news and travelled for a couple of very fun festivalsI I also happen to have a birthday in February, so that always helps break up the deep, dark, postholiday winter hellscape somewhat!
2 )) M Maajjoor r ccoonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r 2 200223 3 JJUUNNO O A Awwaarrdds s N Noommiinnaattiioon n ffoor r C Coommeeddy y A Allbbuum m o of f tthhe e Y Yeeaar r ffoor r y yoouur r rreecceennt t a allbbuum m S Sppllaassh h P Paadd! ! C Caan n y yoou u ttaallk k a abboouut t w whhaat t iit t m meeaanns s ffoor r yyoou u b bootth h p peerrssoonnaalllly y a annd d p prrooffeessssiioonnaalllly y tto o rreecceeiivve e tthhiis s h hiiggh h h hoonnoor r a annd d rreeccooggnniittiioonn? ?
Thank you so much! It has been such a fabulous whirlwind since the nominations were announced; I still haven’t come down! Stand up comedy in my opinion is one of the most vulnerable forms of performance art, and at times it can really shake your confidence and test your mettle But to now have my art validated by this nomination, from an entity as prestigious as CARAS, feels so fortifying; not only for my professional career as a whole, but for my creative confidence as well I’m finding a stronger belief in myself on stage; allowing me to come even more into my own artistic voice I’m so grateful!
3 3 )) S Sppeeaakkiinng g o of f S Sppllaassh h P Paadd, , d diid d yyoou u h haavve e a anny y iinnkklliinng g p prriioor r tto o iitts s rreelleeaasse e tthhaat t tthhiis s w woouulld d b be e sso o w weellllrreecceeiivveed d b by y b bootth h a auuddiieennccees s a annd d ccrriittiiccss? ?
I was certainly happy with Splash Pad throughout the various stages of the process the recording, editing, distribution and release but I truly was never 100% confident about the audience and critical reception This is largely because like with my debut album Dream Phone in 2019 I recorded and produced Splash Pad independently along with my fabulous sound engineer and mixer Jeremy Mersereau That means I was heavily involved in every step of the editing, meaning I was listening to the raw tracks over and over again, for months on end! That’s when things start to get a bit squirrely And other comics will tell you this too that kind of repetition and analysis renders the material somewhat distorted in one’s mind You start thinking, hang on, is this funny? Or is this insane?! Is this amazing? Or utterly deranged crap?!
Haha! It’s like being in an isolation tank; your senses become warped! That’s why many comedians who release albums with labels leave that editing process to someone else entirely; a producer or editor at their label, for example That said, I at least had enough belief in Splash Pad to release it, which I suppose at the end of the day is all the inkling I needed! And let me tell you, I am so overwhelmed and grateful for the reception all around; even before the nomination, but of course now more than ever!
4 4 )) F Foor r tthhoosse e n noot t iin n tthhe e k knnooww, , c caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n b beehhiinnd d S Sppllaassh h P Paadd, , o onne e o of f tthhe e ffuunnnniieesst t a allbbuumms s w wee’ ’ v ve e e evveer r h haad d tthhe e p plleeaassuurre e o of f lliisstteenniinng g tto o Thank you so much! That’s so kind I think my major inspiration behind the recording of Splash Pad was simply to hit the ground running in the wake of the pandemic I recorded it in April of 2022, when venues were still not even running at full capacity! Leading up to that, I’d been lucky to have stayed quite busy with virtual shows during lockdowns, and I got right back out there to outdoor shows and limited capacity shows between lockdowns as well So I think the recording of Splash Pad was my way of laying down all the hard work I’d done during arguably one of the craziest, scariest and most bewildering times in history; I was proud of that Material wise, however, Splash Pad is the culmination of a real grabbag of very personal inspirations I have always been quite truthful and personal in my material, but this album really showcases a lot of my inner life, such as my hypochondriac tendencies, and some biographical bits about my wedding day and my childhood as well It feels great to tell the world these personal histories and be met with such a warm reception! Ifeel like Sally Fields when she said: “You like me! You really LIKE me!”
iit t e eaassiieer r o or r m moorre e d diiffffiiccuullt t tto o d do o ssttaanndduupp? ?
I found that immediately after the many lockdowns, audiences were somewhat more timid and stiff; it was a bit harder work to get them to loosen up and crack open And who could blame them? We all sort of forgot how to interact in public spaces, and our social confidence on the whole was really shot! Mine was too! So shows were, for a time, a little harder; somewhat more awkward But I feel things have reached an equilibrium again, and it’s starting to feel more like it did prepandemic; more fun again!
6 6 )) S Sppeeaakkiinng g o of f d diiffffiiccuulltt, , s soomme e ffoollkks s ccoonnssiiddeer r c coommeeddy y a as s a a w waay y tto o a addddrreesss s c coonnttrroovveerrssiiaal l ttooppiiccs s W Wiitth h s soomme e o of f tthhe e b blloowwbbaacck k tthhaat t c coommeeddiiaanns s h haavve e rreecceeiivveed d o ovveer r tthhe e llaasst t ffeew w y yeeaarrss, , iis s iit t d diiffffiiccuullt t tto o ttaacckklle e iissssuuees s tthhaat t ssoomme e ffoollkks s a arre e s seennssiittiivve e ttoo? ? IIs s iit t a a ffiinne e lliinne e w whhiicch h y yoou u h haavve e tto o w waallkk? ?
I certainly know this is the case these days, with the sensitivities and the blowback But personally, my material doesn’t really dive into many socially complicated or controversial territories, and so creatively, I havent had to make much of a pivot or adaptation to this new, possibly more sensitive climate Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate people who’s comedy has a more socially impactful message, but personally, I’m just goofin’ off up there and trying to take people on a fun, weird, and lighter ride! Nothing too heavy at all
7 7 )) W Whhaat t a arre e yyoou u m moosst t llooookkiinng g ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o a as s n noot t o onnlly y a an n a atttteennddeee e b buut t a allsso o a as s a a n noommiinneee e a at t tthhe e JJUUNNO O A Awwaarrdds s w whheen n iit t ttaakkees s p pllaacce e tthhiis s M Maarrcchh? ?
As a nominee I’m extremely excited about the group I get to go to the awards with; my fellow nominees are the greatest bunch of funny, talented people who are not only so easy to get along with, but a blast to party with too! And as an attendee in general, I’m really just excited for some glam! I love getting dressed up and making use of the fancy frocks I have hanging in my closet, which are usually just collecting dust! There’s not enough opportunity these days for glitz and glam, so I’m thrilled for that; thrilled for the pageantry of it all!
8 8 )) W Woorrd d ‘‘rroouunnd d c caammppffiirre e h haas s iit t tthhaat t y yoouu’ ’ v ve e g goot t a an n u uppccoommiinng g p pooddccaasst t e ennttiittlleed d H Hoow w C Caan n W We e H Heellp p W Whhaat t ccaan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhiiss? ?
That’s right, it’s all very exciting! I’ve teamed up with my friend and creative colleague, beloved and prolific comedian and actor Mark Little Each episode we address anonymous questions from listeners who are seeking advice for life’s many problems surrounding career, family, relationships, everything! As completely unaccredited, unlicensed and possibly untrustworthy advisors, we try our best to steer people down the right path, or maybe just a path It’s a lot of fun, and we’re often joined by hilarious guest advisors as well Tune in!
9 9 )) W Whhaat t o otthheer r p prroojjeecctts s d do o y yoou u h haavve e o on n tthhe e g go o tthhaat t yyoou u ccaan n tteelll l u us s a abboouutt? ?
Any day now, I’ll be making a standup appearance on CBC Gem’s third season of The New Wave of Stand Up, which was recorded last year as part of Just For Laughs NorthWest in Vancouver It was such a fun time, and I’m very excited to see the premiere! I’ve also teamed up with my fabulous writer and director friend Jose Lourenco at one time a Juno nominee himself for Best Music Video to work on a very fun idea for a series which would star yours truly more on that in the future, I hope!
1 10 0 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioonn: : B Beesst t ccoommeeddy y d duuo o ––L Luucciilllle e B Baalll l a annd d V Viivviiaan n V Vaanncce e o or r B Biinng g C Crroossbby y a annd d B Boob b H Hooppee? ?
Both duos are fantastic but I gotta go with the girls here! Lucille and Vivian’s extraordinary chemistry on and offstage as dear friends is undeniable! Imagine getting to goof off with your best friend like that for your whole career?! I remember a 1975 clip of them reuniting after a few years apart on The Dinah Shore Show, and the love, warmth and hilarity between the two was gorgeous, effortless They didn’t miss a beat! I just love funny girls!
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e s sppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d a accttoor r B Brreettt t D Doonnaahhuuee! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinntto o tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A rraabbbbiit t h hoollee, , h hoow w h haas s y yoouur r N Neew w Y Yeeaar r b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoou u tthhuus s ffaarr? ?
My year has started off just fine I had a movie shoot right away in January, my birthday was in early February and I may have spaced out the celebrations for a few weeks, and now I'm writing this Buenos Aires So I'd say I've had a pretty fortunate start to the year
2 2 )) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r u uppccoommiinng g rroolle e iin n tthhe e ffoouurrtth h iinnssttaallllmmeennt t o of f tthhe e m moovviie e e evveennt t T Thhe e L Loovve e C Clluub b F Foor r a annyyoonne e n noot t iin n tthhe e k knnooww, , c caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s w whhaat t T Thhe e L Loovve e C Clluub b iis s a abboouut t a annd d h hoow w yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f N Nooaah h ffiitts s iinn? ?
So the Love Club is a series of four films centered around the love lives of four friends I appear in the final installment of them and my character Noah becomes the love interest of Tara. We're both musicians and fall in love while creating music, and carrying out a whacky scheme thought up by Tara
3 3 )) D Diid d y yoou u k knnoow w a as s ssoooon n a as s yyoou u w weerre e a apppprrooaacchheed d w wiitth h T Thhe e L Loovve e C Clluub b tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n yyoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
I was excited about the challenge of having to sing and play piano during the shoot It was a new experience for me, and I'm always wanting to try new things in these processes
4 4 )) W Whhaat t w waas s y yoouur r o onnsseet t c coollllaabboorraattiioon n w wiitth h tthhe e d diirreeccttoor r o of f T Thhe e L Loovve e C Clluub b J Jiilll l C Caarrtteer r lliikkee? ?
IIs s sshhe e w whhaat t ssoomme e a accttoorr’ ’ss m miigghht t rreeffeer r tto o a as s ““aan n a accttoorr’ ’ss d diirreeccttoorr””? ?
I had a wonderful time working with Jill I find with these films, what's on the page can be pretty formulaic and sometimes limiting. So I always try to infuse my scenes with something a little extra I try to personalize it a bit with some choices that aren't necessarily written on the page But this can sometimes create a bit of friction, because there's the reality of what I find interesting, and what the producers need to keep what was approved going I found Jill navigated this with us so effortlessly, giving us the space we needed to make the scenes as interesting or real as we could She was very supportive the whole time, but knew how to kick some ass to ensure the set was moving the way it needed to I have a lot of respect for her, for achieving what she did with this whole project Shooting four films in a row like this is no small feat
preparation haha I was on another shoot just prior to starting The Love Club and sometimes information takes a long time and travels through many hands to finally get to you Let's just say it was a bit of a time crunch to get those songs under my hands
7 7 )) Y Yoou u w woorrk k w wiitth h s suucch h a a tteerrrriiffiic c e ennsseemmbblle e iin n T Thhe e L Loovve e C Clluubb. W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e w woorrkkiinng g w wiitth h tthhe e c caasstt? ?
It was a really nice group of women to collaborate with Ours was the last film in the series and sometimes it can be tough to walk in and find your place amongst something that had already been rolling for a few months But they were all so welcoming, and working with Camille was just a joy
8 8.) ) Y Yoouu’ ’ v ve e w woorrkkeed d a as s a a p prroodduucceer r iin n tthhe e p paasstt. IIs s tthhiis s s soommeetthhiinng g tthhaat t y yoou u e ennjjooyyeed d a annd d w whhiicch h yyoou u m miigghht t lliikke e tto o d do o m moorre e o of f iin n tthhe e ffuuttuurree? ? I have so many more experiences ahead of me in this business I'm just hoping that the opportunities that come are ones that challenge and continue to fulfill me
9 9 )) Y Yoouur r ffiirrsst t c crreeddiitteed d o on n s sccrreeeen n w woorrk k ccaamme e iin n tthhe e ffoorrm m o of f tthhe e 2 200007 7 tteelleevviissiioon n ffiillm m S Soommeetthhiinng g B Beenneeaatthh. A Anny y s sppeecciiaal l m meemmoorriiees s o of f tthhaat t ffrreesshhmmaan n p prroodduuccttiioonn? ?
Other than not knowing what the hell I was doing?? It was a fun project and I was so excited about my first day and when I got on set and found out that I have a trailer all to myself, I think I made three or more phone calls to my friends to tell them about it What I learnt later on, was how thin trailer walls were, so one of my colleagues who had been doing it for a while overheard all of the conversations I was pretty embarrassed, but it was pretty funny
1 100.) ) W Whhaat t ffaasscciinnaattees s y yoou u tthhe e m moosst t a abboouut t a accttiinngg? ?
The investigation of it all I love having to look at characters' actions and find the psychology of what makes them do what they do and why. How to play within and outside of those motivations Also, the interpersonal relationships I get to have with people I'm working with Often they're quick and intense, so you can get to know someone pretty fast, and then potentially never see them again It's bizarre, but it can be really meaningful
1 11 1 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioonn: : F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m maakkiinng g o of f m moovviiees s –– L Liivviinng g IIn n O Obblliivviioonn, , T Thhe e P Pllaayyeer r o or r S Swwiimmmmiinng g W Wiitth h S Shhaarrkkss? ?
Something fun, funny, heartfelt, with some lovely music
Different kind of film making, but I'd say Boogie Nights, haha Another, and it's not about making a movie but a stage play, would be Noises Off Opening Night is a great film too
6
llleennggees s w whhiicch h yyoou u ffaacceed d iin n p poorrttrraayyiinng g tthhe e cchhaarraacctteer r o of f
Trying to learn the songs with about a week's
1 1.) ) W Wee’ ’rre e h haappppy y tto o b be e ssppeennddiinng g ssoomme e ttiimme e ttooddaay y w wiitth h a awwaarrddwwiinnnniinng g a accttoorr, , w wrriitteer r a annd d p prroodduucceer r H Heeiiddi i L Lyynncchh. B Beeffoorre e w we e s sttaarrtt, , h hooww' 'ss yyoouur r 2 200223 3 sso o ffaarr? ? Honestly, amazing Things are moving in all facets of life again. I am mindful that covid is still causing multitudes of issues – my main sympathies go out to waiting lists for surgeries But I have to focus on the fact that my nearest and dearest are all doing well for the time being
2 2.) ) O Onne e o of f tthhe e m maanny y rreeaassoonns s w wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g w wiitth h yyoou u iis s b beeccaauusse e o of f yyoouur r b brriilllliiaannt t m miissssiioon n o of f a addvvooccaattiinng g ffoor r tthhe e e ennddoommeettrriioossiis s ccoommmmuunniittyy. T Thhiis s iis s e evveen n m moorre e ttiimmeelly y n noow w b beeccaauusse e M Maarrcch h iis s E Ennddoommeettrriioossiis s A Awwaarreenneesss s M Moonntth h F Foor r a annyyoonne e o ouut t tthheerre e tthhaat t m miigghht t b be e u unnaawwaarree, , ccaan n yyoou u e exxppllaaiin n w whhaat t e ennddoommeettrriioossiis s iis s e exxaaccttllyy? ?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes In their lifetime, approximately 1 in 10 girls and women, and unmeasured numbers of transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse individuals, will develop endometriosis
3 3.) ) E Ennddoommeettrriioossiis s h haas s ttoouucchheed d yyoou u p peerrssoonnaallllyy. C Coouulld d yyoou u rreeccoouunnt t h hoow w yyoou u ffiirrsst t b beeccaamme e a awwaarre e o of f e ennddoommeettrriioossiis s b baacck k iin n 2 2002200? ?
I experienced bad periods off and on my entire lady life, but February 2020 was next level. I was in pain (and bleeding) for 28 days straight My partner forced me to go to the doctor and as he gave me an ultrasound and I held my partner’s hand he told me I needed surgery and that I had “endometriosis”, which I had never heard of
4 4 )) W Whhaat t a arre e ssoomme e o of f tthhe e m miissccoonncceeppttiioonns s o ouut t tthheerre e a abboouut t e ennddoommeettrriioossiiss? ? That a hysterectomy can cure it That birth control will help – it just masks symptoms
e edduuccaatte e a annd d e ennlliigghhtteen n o otthheerrss? ?
No – I just survived It was the height of the pandemic, so I was in Canada and my partner was stuck in the U K as the borders were closed I lived with my parents under a blanket waiting for surgery I didn’t start expanding my thoughts until after my surgery.
7 7.) ) W Whhaat t ssuurrpprriisseed d yyoou u tthhe e m moosst t a abboouut t e ennddoommeettrriioossiis s a as s yyoou u b beeggaan n y yoouur r o owwn n rreesseeaarrcch h o on n tthhiis s ccoonnddiittiioonn? ?
That it has been found in the lungs, and even in the brain That there is no cure or funding towards that cure even though it affects so many people That it takes on average eight years for someone to be diagnosed
8 8.) ) Y Yoouur r e effffoorrtts s o on n A Avvooccaaddo o T Tooaasstt: : T Thhe e S Seerriiees s m maay y h haavve e b beeeen n tthhe e ffiirrsst t p pllaacce e tthhaat t ssoomme e w weerre e m maadde e a awwaarre e o of f e ennddoommeettrriioossiis s A As s a a w wrriitteerr, , p prroodduucceer r a annd d ssttaar r o of f tthhaat t sseerriiees s d dooees s tthhiis s rraannk k a as s a a ssuuppeerrpprroouud d a acchhiieevveemmeennt t ffoor r yyoou u b bootth h p peerrssoonnaalllly y a annd d p prrooffeessssiioonnaallllyy. 100% I have had really touching messages from strangers, even from our cast/crew explaining that they didn’t know about endo before working on the show. Creating awareness and ability for others to advocate and push for themselves if their pain is not being taken seriously is so important to me
9 9.) ) H Haavve e yyoou u b beeeen n ssuurrpprriisseed d b by y h hoow w tthhe e ssttoorry y o of f M Moolllly y a annd d E Elllle e iin n A Avvooccaaddo o T Tooaasstt: : T Thhe e S Seerriiees s h haavve e rreessoonnaatteed d w wiitth h tthhe e a auuddiieennccee? ?
Yes. It is such a wonderful part of the process I liken it to turning shit into gold A hard experience makes more sense if it helps someone else
1 100.) ) W Wrraappppiinng g tthhiis s u upp, , w whhaat t ffiinnaal l w woorrdds s w woouulld d yyoou u lliikke e tto o sshhaarre e w wiitth h rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t e ennddoommeettrriioossiiss, , e essppeecciiaalllly y iif f tthheeyy’ ’rre e g gooiinng g tthhrroouuggh h iit t tthheemmsseellvveess? ?
?
Find your support system, advocate for yourself and when you can’t… ask them to advocate for you Find wonderful support networks on Instagram like @thisisendoglobal @endonetwork canada
6 6.) ) IImmmmeeddiiaatteelly y a afftteer r rreecceeiivviinng g yyoouur r o owwn n p prrooggnnoossiiss, , d diid d yyoou u s seet t a abboouut t tthhiis s q quueesst t tto o
Debilitating pain that takes you away from life, community, and who you truly are because of periods is common, but it is NOT NORMAL. You should not be suffering through that We as a community need to help you with that. Reach out Slide into my DM’s anytime on Instagram @heidilynchfilm.
5 5.) ) W Whhaat t w woouulld d yyoou u lliikke e tto o ssaay y tto o a annyyoonne e w whho o h haas s b beeeen n d diiaaggnnoosseed d w wiitth h e ennddoommeettrriioossiiss?
W Wee’ ’rre e h haappppy y tto o w weellccoomme e tto o o ouur r p paaggees s a accttoor r L Liiaam m M Maa! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e rriigghht t iinn, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r N Neew w
Y Yeeaar r b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoouu? ?
Thanks so much for having me. I’m not one for resolutions or celebrating the symbolic nature of the New Year, but for some reason, this year feels different. I feel like I'm on the precipice of a truly transformative year ahead.
M Maajjoor r c coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n y yoouur r u uppccoommiinng g rroolle e iin n tthhe e n neew w h hiigghhlly y a annttiicciippaatteed d d drraamma a s seerriiees s S Sttrreeaamms s
F Flloow w ffrroom m a a R Riivveerr! ! C Caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s w whhaat t tthhe e s shhoow w iis s a alll l a abboouut t a annd d h hoow w y yoouur r c chhaarraacctteer r o of f H Heennrry y ffiitts s iinn? ?
Our beloved series is somewhat of a love letter to our parent’s generation. It’s a reflection on the cyclical nature of pain, the complexities of generational trauma, and the strength of family
For Henry, the youngest child in the family of four, it's an exploration of identity and a journey of finding his place in the world.
D Diid d y yoou u k knnoow w a as s s soooon n a as s y yoou u w weerre e a apppprrooaacchheed d ffoor r S Sttrreeaamms s F Flloow w ffrroom m a a R Riivveer r tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n y yoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
I remember I booked the part while I was on set for a commercial shoot So, being able to step into a story and a world that was so personal and so validating was such a welcome gift.
W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e w woorrkkiinng g w wiitth h tthhe e c caasst t a annd d c crreeww? ?
Our showrunner, Christopher Yip, put together a really beautiful set. All around, it was an incredibly affirming experience. We had a cast and crew that was predominantly East Asian, and it allowed a story like this to flourish I have such an appreciation for the crew because I’ve always been fascinated by the technical workings of production so I’m always trying to learn as much as I
can while on set
W Whhaat t w waas s yyoouur r c coollllaabboorraattiioon n lliikke e w wiitth h d diirreeccttoor r C Chhrriissttoopphheer r Y Yiipp? ? IIs s C Chhrriissttoopphheer r w whhaat t ssoomme e a accttoorrs s m miigghht t ccaalll l ““aan n a accttoorr’ ’ss d diirreeccttoorr””? ?
Our very first meeting we shared very similar, personal journeys I think, after that, it opened up a space to really be in tune with one another and to find a creative synergy
H Hoow w a arre e yyoou u s siimmiillaar r tto o yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r H Heennrryy? ? H Hoow w a arre e yyoou u d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
I found a lot of myself in Henry. Henry came at a time when I was exploring a lot of the same questions, of identity and belonging. What does it mean to confront a child’s unwritten obligation to family? What does it look like to love and be loved on your own terms? How does life open up when you give yourself permission to dream?
W Whhaat t d diiffffeerreennttiiaattees s S Sttrreeaamms s F Flloow w ffrroom m a a R Riivveer r ffrroom m a annyytthhiinng g e ellsse e o on n tthhe e 2 200223 3 tteelleevviissiioon n llaannddssccaappee? ?
I think it's so unique to see an Asian Canadian story on our screens, particularly one with such specificity and nuance. And to have that move from the world of independent film, into the mainstream spectre is really special.
A At t tthhe e e ennd d o of f tthhe e d daayy, , w whhaat t d do o yyoou u h hooppe e vviieewweerrs s w waallk k a awwaay y w wiitth h a afftteer r w waattcchhiinng g S Sttrreeaamms s F Flloow w ffrroom m a a R Riivveerr? ?
I think the greatest experience is to see the specificity of your own experiences and feelings reflected back to you It’s incredibly affirming I hope to inspire more stories like ours, and for audiences to see themselves as an integral part of the collective, a bridge towards healing our community as a whole.
Credit: MAD Works Photography
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o h haavve e ssoomme e ttiimme e ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d d diirreeccttoor r a annd d a accttoorr, , s sccrreeeennwwrriitteerr, , p prroodduucceer r a annd d ccrreeaattoor r S Saammaanntthha a W Waann! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinn, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n sso o ffaarr? ?
It feels like I'm finally starting to breathe since the beginning of the pandemic and at the same time trying to figure out how to be social again So, Good? I think the pandemic has complicated the answer to "how are you?” for the next decade haha
2 2 )) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n y yoouur r rreecceennt t
C Caannaaddiiaan n S Sccrreeeen n A Awwaarrdds s
is s rreeccooggnniittiioonn? ?
Really rewarding I’ve been really focussing on developing my craft and reputation as a director lately, so it’s a good sign that I'm doing something right!
3 3.) ) C Caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a a lliittttlle e a abboouut t L Loovve e A At t S Skky y G Gaarrddeennss? ?
Love At Sky Gardens is a romantic comedy It features an unlikely pair, a barista and a junior event planner, who team up to put on an extravagant rooftop garden wedding and of course fall in love in the process We're all familiar with romantic comedies but my goal in the process was to bring characters that felt real like friends we would want to hang with I think you can really see the actors' authenticity in the film, which was my goal.
4 4 )) Y Yoouu’ ’ v ve e d doonne e s soomme e g grreeaat t w woorrk k a as s a a d diirreeccttoorr. W Whhaat t ffaasscciinnaattees s yyoou u tthhe e m moosst t a abboouut t tthhe e a arrt t o of f d diirreeccttiinngg? ?
I love that directing is a balance of intricate planning and spontaneous creativity It's one of the few jobs where both are equally important, and often at the same time. You need the imagination to come up with the vision and then the technical know how to execute it Using both sides of my brain in the directing process is what I find so satisfying and special.
5 5.) ) B Beettwweeeen n tthhe e ttwwoo, , w whhiicch h d do o yyoou u p prreeffeer r tthhe e m moosstt: : a accttiinng g o or r d diirreeccttiinngg? ?
Great question and I refuse to pick haha! Acting inspires me, allowing me to play in a fantasy world as someone else Whereas directing/writing allows me to express my voice and share my personal points of view I'm coming to terms with the fact that I need both and it’s been hard owning that But I'm looking more at creators like Taika Waititi, Phoebe Waller Bridge and LinManuel Miranda, who are involved in all facets of production and am modelling my career in that direction
It was the first project where I was only playing one role: the director So it's a very special project to me because it's where I've got to discover my leadership and directing style Honestly it's the project where I proved to myself I had the chops to make it as a director.
7 7 )) W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e d diirreeccttiinng g tthhe e c caasst t o of f L Loovve e A At t S Skky y G Gaarrddeennss? ?
Fabulous. I already knew my two leads Jenny and Andrew So there was already a sense of comfort when we began With all of my actors we were always trying to find a way to play with the scene. An example would be a scene where Jenny's character has a high stakes phone call with a client I thought it would be fun for her to be in the middle of eating a giant bowl of grapes when she gets the call. An obstacle to struggle against as she's trying to sound professional on the phone Those small details are sometimes what makes a scene come alive from let's say a regular phone call So I always give my actors lots of movement and props to play with and I love seeing what they come up with and how it affects their performance.
8 8.) ) W Whhaat t d do o yyoou u h hooppe e tthhaat t m moovviie e ffaanns s w waallk k a awwaay y w wiitth h a afftteer r w waattcchhiinng g L Loovve e A At t S Skky y G Gaarrddeennss? ?
I hope they have a fun time and feel like they spent an hour and a half with some good friends.
9 9 )) W Whhaatt’ ’ss o on n d deecck k ffoor r y yoou u ffoor r tthhe e rreemmaaiinnddeer r o of f 2 2002233? ? C Caan n yyoou u g giivve e rreeaaddeerrs s a a h hiinnt t o or r tthhrreee e a as s tto o w whhaat t tthheey y m maay y e exxppeecct t ffrroom m y yoouu? ?
I am currently developing a feature film that's very personal to me about my journey with my father and dementia. It's a much more dramatic piece for me and I’m excited to share that deeper, more introspective part of myself with an audience next.
1 12 2 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioonn: : F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m maakkiinng g o of f m moovviiees s –– L Liivviinng g IIn n O Obblliivviioonn, , E Ed d W Wooood d o or r T Thhe e P Pllaayyeerr? ?
I'm going to counter with a different film. It's my favourite movie (and play) about what it takes to create a theatre show and the chaos behind the scenes It's called “Noises off”. It's one of the funniest comedies I have seen to date, featuring an insane cast (Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve, and many more). I feel exactly like Michael Caine in that film when I'm trying to put something together!
1 1..) ) W Wee’ ’rre e vveerry y h haappppy y tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accttrreesss s M Maašša a
L Liizzddeekk! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinn, , h hoow w h haas s y yoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n sso o ffaarr? ?
Thrilling! I have been working on many exciting opportunities... I've also recently just become sober, it'll be 9 months in April so I am super grateful to be present and experience life to the fullest
2 2.) ) M Maajjoor r ccoonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n y yoouur r rroolle e iin n tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g ffeeaattuurre e ffiillm m
S SIIMMUULLAANNTT! ! F Foor r a annyyoonne e n noot t iin n tthhe e kknnooww, , c caan n yyoou u e exxppllaaiin n w whhaat t
S SIIMMUULLAANNT T iis s a abboouut t a annd d h hoow w y yoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r o of f L Liissa a ffiitts s iinn? ?
Thank you! Simulant is a scifi thriller that follows the story of a widower who tries to replace her newly deceased husband with an android simulant Lisa serves as an interiorbased service android for the couple. My skills include but are not limited to... being a chauffeur, vacuuming and making pancakes.
3 3 )) A As s s soooon n a as s S SIIMMUULLAANNT T c caamme e o onntto o y yoouur r rraaddaar r d diid d y yoou u k knnoow w tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n y yoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
Absolutely! I was a fan of every member attached to the project so naturally, extremely excited to be part of such a great team.
4 4..) ) W Whhaat t w waas s yyoouur r c coollllaabboorraattiioon n p prroocceesss s lliikke e w wiitth h S SIIMMUULLAANNT T d diirreeccttoor r A Apprriil l M Muulllleenn? ?
April Mullen is an extremely gifted and caring director. She checked in with me each day before shooting, always interested to hear my input and comfort level. It was a joy to make her laugh and I hope to work together again
5 5..) ) W Whhaat t d diiffffeerreennttiiaattees s S SIIMMUULLAANNT T ffrroom m a annyytthhiinng g w wee' 'vve e sseeeen n o on n ssccrreeeen n sso o ffaarr? ?
Simulant will differentiate from
others just by standing out in the genre category alone. This film is a love story that takes place in a sciworld with so much action happening around
6
6.) ) Y Yoou u w woorrk k w wiitth h s suucch h a a g grreeaat t c caasst t iin n S SIIMMUULLAANNTT, , iinncclluuddiinng g tthhe e lliikkees s o of f S Siimmu u L Liiuu, , S Saam m W Woorrtthhiinnggttoonn, , JJoorrddaanna a B Brreewwsstteer r a annd d R Roobbbbiie e A Ammeellll. W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e w woorrkkiinng g w wiitth h tthheemm? ? This cast was extraordinary. Everyone was so kind and generous. The energy on set was always uplifting and positive. I'll forever cherish those memories
7 7.) ) A Arre e y yoou u a a ffaan n o of f s scciiffi i ffiillmmss, , lliitteerraattuurre e a annd d tteelleevviissiioonn? ? I do enjoy watching scifilms. Some of my favorites are The Matrix, ExMachina and Alien
8 8.) ) Y Yoouu’ ’vve e g goot t a a ffeew w p prroodduuccttiioonns s iin n tthhe e p piippeelliinne e a afftteer r S SIIMMUULLAANNT T s suucch h a as s tthhe e ffeeaattuurre e ffiillm m T Thhe e B Booy y iin n tthhe e W Wooooddss. . W Whhaat t ccaan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhiiss? ?
The Boy in the Woods, directed by Rebecca Snow, tells a remarkable truelife survival story of a Jewish boy hiding and being hunted in the forests of Nazioccupied Eastern Europe Based on the memoir The Boy in the Woods by Maxwell Smart. I play Kasia, a polish peasant who takes in young Max during his treacherous adventure.
9 9 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioonn: :
F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m maakkiinng g o of f m moovviiees s –– L Liivviinng g IIn n O Obblliivviioonn, , T Thhe e B Biig g P Piiccttuurree, , E Ed d W Wooood d o or r B Baarrttoon n F Fiinnkk? ?
I'm gonna have to give another option and say State & Main (2000), highly recommend it, it's hilarious.
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accttoor r V Vaas s S Saarraannggaa! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e iinn, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n sso o ffaarr? ?
I get to talk with y’all about starring as a lead character on an awesome new series, so I’d say pretty great so far!
2 2.) ) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r rroolle e iin n tthhe e n neew w C CBBC C G Geem m o orriiggiinnaal l ccoommeeddy y sseerriiees s Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerroo! ! F Foor r a annyyoonne e n noot t iin n tthhe e kknnooww, , ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a a lliittttlle e a abboouut t tthhiis s n neew w sseerriiees s a annd d h hoow w yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r E Erriic c ffiitts s iinn? ?
You’re My Hero is a super funny and heartfelt series that centers around Ian, a blunt 20something guy with cerebral palsy who navigates the ups and downs of life in a world not designed for wheels I star as one of the lead characters, Eric, Ian’s best friend and roommate Eric is totally immature and the type of best friend that gets Ian into a ton of trouble, but also helps dig him out of it. Eric is the life of the party but also has a sweet, endearing innocence that tends to win his critics over in time
3 3 )) D Diid d yyoou u k knnoow w a as s ssoooon n a as s yyoou u w weerre e a apppprrooaacchheed d a abboouut t Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerro o tthhaat t tthhiis s w waas s a a p prroodduuccttiioon n yyoou u w waanntteed d tto o b be e a a p paarrt t o off? ?
I knew Kevin Wallis already, the showrunner, and loved his work I hadn’t met the show’s creator, Sean Towgood at the time but after reading the opening scene of the first episode, I was pretty much sold
4 4 )) Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerro o w waas s ccrreeaatteed d b by y –– a annd d ssttaarrs s –– S Seeaan n T Toowwggoooodd. IIs s S Seeaan n vveerry y h haannddsso on n w whheen n iit t ccoommees s tto o g guuiiddiinng g tthhe e sseerriiees s a as s iitt’ ’ss sso o p peerrssoonnaal l tto o h hiimm? ? Even though he originated the concept and characters, and cowrote all the episodes, Sean was very gracious in giving all the actors freedom right out of the gate to take ownership of their roles. He answered any questions we had, whenever we had them, as so much of it was rooted in his personal experience. But, he also reinforced that Kevin was the showrunner and was steering the ship, so we were in good hands! Sean was happy to help in any way he could to guide the series, but he had a lot on his plate as an actor, and when we got to set, his focus on playing the role of Ian paid off. He gives a badass comedic performance!
5 5.) ) W Whhaat t d diiffffeerreennttiiaattees s Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerro o ffrroom m a annyytthhiinng g e ellsse e o on n tthhe e 2 200223 3 tteelleevviissiioon n sscceennee? ?
You’re My Hero is truly funny and heartwarming. It’s so original and easy to relate to We’ve got a character with a disability in the spotlight exploring situations we don’t tend to see often in screen stories. The show doesn’t fall into the trap of only showing the extremes that are most often explored with characters with disabilities, i e “triumph” or “tragedy” It explores every day, relatable problems – life, love, work, friendship – but also things like discrimination and accessibility (or lack thereof) All with a fine comedic touch The
cast is super diverse, hilarious, and talented, so it’s got the whole package
6 6 )) T Thhoouuggh h b beeiinng g b biilllleed d a as s a a sseevveennppaarrt t sseerriieess, , w wiilll l tthheerre e b be e a a cchhaanncce e tthhaat t Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerro o h haas s m moorre e ssttoorry y tto o tteelll l ffoor r a a sseeccoonnd d sseeaassoonn? ? There is definitely a lot more story to be told with these characters, so I’m hoping we get to continue their journey for a second season!
7 7.) ) IIn n p prreeppaarriinng g ffoor r Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerroo, , w waas s tthheerre e a annyytthhiinng g ssuurrpprriissiinng g tthhaat t yyoou u d diiddnn’’t t rreeaalliizze e a abboouut t cceerreebbrraal l p paallssy y p prriioor r tto o ttaakkiinng g p paarrt t iin n tthhe e sseerriieess? ?
I didn’t know that cerebral palsy can present differently in terms of signs and symptoms in people – namely that some people with CP can walk, while others need a wheelchair It helped to learn more about it directly from Sean Towgood, the creator of the show He was very open in talking about it and always answered any questions anyone had about his own experience with cerebral palsy
8 8 )) Y Yoou u w woorrk k a alloonnggssiidde e ssuucch h a a b brriilllliiaannt t e ennsseemmbblle e iin n Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerroo, , iinncclluuddiinng g tthhe e lliikkees s o of f T Tiinna a JJuunngg, , T Taarra a S SppeenncceerrNNaaiirrnn, , A Alli i H Haassssaann, , C Caassssiiddy y C Ciivviieerroo, , G Geeoorrgge e A Alleevviizzooss, , JJooaannnne e L Laattiimmeerr, , K Keellsseey y F Flloowweerr, , a annd d C Chhrriissttiiaan n S Smmiitthh! ! W Whhaat t w waas s iit t lliikke e tto o b be e o on n sseet t w wiitth h tthhe e ccaasst t a annd d ccrreeww? ?
It was unbelievably fun working with the cast and crew. Everyone seemed to have a great sense of humor so we always enjoyed making each other laugh It was one of those sets that you never want to leave. If we didn’t have lives to get back to, I’m sure we would all be hanging around continuing the fun Oh yeah, and it was next to impossible not to crack up during some takes We shot extra ones for good measure
9 9 )) A Accttiinnggwwiissee, , w whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoouu? ?
I gotta say, my wife Marina is an amazing actress and gives me so much inspiration and insight on auditions and roles I don’t know where I’d be without her! Many Hollywood heavyweights inspire me too: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Michael J Fox, Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, Himesh Patel, Seth Rogen, Mindy Kaling, and so many others
1 10 0 )) W Whhaat t e ellsse e d do o yyoou u h haavve e ccoommiinng g u up p a accttiinnggwwiisse e w whhiicch h rreeaaddeerrs s m miigghht t lliikke e tto o kknnoow w a abboouutt? ?
I have a RomCom called “Mistletoe Match” hitting Lifetime network holiday season 2023
I’m also in an indie film called “Doubles With Slight Pepper” that should be on the festival circuit later this year
1 11 1 )) A Anny y ffiinnaal l tthhoouugghhtts s o on n Y Yoouu’ ’rre e M My y H Heerro o w whhiicch h yyoou u w woouulld d lliikke e tto o sshhaarre e w wiitth h rreeaaddeerrss? ?
I think audiences are gonna dig it. Wait, can I pull off saying “dig it”? I think so
1
)) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d a accttoorr, , w wrriitteerr, , p prroodduucceer r a annd d ccoommppoosseer r A Annddrreew w C Chhaappppeellllee; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , A Annddrreeww! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e g go o ffuullllttiillttbbooooggiie e o on n tthhe e Q Q&&AA, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r N Neew w Y Yeeaar r b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoouu? ?
So far 2023 has been extremely reflective and creative. I started the year off in Palm Springs with a great group of friends I attended Sundance Film Festival for the first time and have had lot of fun skiing and hiking with my rescue dog Patti.
2 2.) ) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n yyoouur r u uppccoommiinng g e elleeccttrriic c ttuurrn n iin n sseeaassoon n 2 2 o of f tthhe e h hiit t S Sttaarrz z sseerriiees s B Blliinnddssppoottttiinngg! ! F Foor r a annyyoonne e n noot t iin n tthhe e kknnooww, , ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s w whhaat t B Blliinnddssppoottttiinng g iis s a alll l a abboouut t a annd d h hoow w yyoouur r cchhaarraacctteer r ffiigguurrees s iinntto o tthhe e p prroocceeeeddiinnggss? ?
Thank you! We are thrilled to come back for another season The “Blindspotting” series is actually a continuation of the 2018 film by the same name The series follows Ashley and her son Sean as they navigate their life with their husband/father Miles newly in prison I play Scotty, Ashley’s work bestie/confidant
3 3.) ) C Caan n yyoou u g giivve e ffaanns s o of f B Blliinnddssppoottttiinng g a a h hiinnt t o or r tthhrreee e a as s tto o w whhaat t tthheey y ccaan n llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o iin n sseeaassoon n 2 2? ?
This season you can look forward to seeing Scotty out of his work clothes and in the streets!
4 4 )) H Haavve e yyoou u b beeeen n ssuurrpprriisseed d b by y tthhe e w waarrm m rreeaaccttiioon n B Blliinnddssppoottttiinng g h haas s rreecceeiivveed d ffrroom m vviieewweerrs s a annd d ccrriittiiccs s a alliikkee? ?
We have the best fans! They have been so supportive and vocal about wanting this second season I’m thrilled they get to see it this year
There is truly nothing like this “Blindspotting" on television The show is very special to all of us who make it and I think the fans are an extension of that
5 5.) ) M Maajjoor r p pllaauuddiitts s a annd d kkuuddoos s o on n a an n u uppccoommiinng g p prroodduuccttiioon n w whhiicch h w we e kknnoow w iis s n neeaar r a annd d d deeaar r tto o yyoouu, , tthhe e sshhoorrt t ffiillm m F Faannaattiic c w whhiicch h yyoou u w wrroottee, , a acctteed d iin n a annd d ccoommppoosseed d m muussiic c ffoor r W Whhaat t iis s F Faannaattiic c a abboouutt? ?
Yes! Fanatic is my screenwriting debut I’m so proud to have gotten it made Fanatic is a gay buddy comedy It follows Gerald and Charlie who revive their onehitwonder boy band, 2N1, for an unexpected second chance at their dream and a much needed cash payout
6 6.) ) F Faannaattiic c iis s d diirreecctteed d b by y ttaalleenntteed d h heellmmeer r T Taarraan n K Kiillllaam m W Waas s tthheerre e e evveer r a a m moommeennt t w whheerre e yyoou u ccoonnssiiddeerreed d p piicckkiinng g u up p tthhe e d diirreeccttiinng g rreeiiggnns s yyoouurrsseellff? ?
I’ve definitely considered it! But Taran was without a doubt the best director for Fanatic Considering I wrote and starred in the movie, making my directorial debut felt ambitious
7 7 )) W Whhaat t s soorrt t o of f ccoollllaabboorraattoor r w waas s T Taarraan n o on n tthhe e sseet t o of f F Faannaattiicc? ? IIs s h he e w whhaat t s soomme e a accttoorrs s m miigghht t rreeffeer r tto o a as s ““aan n a accttoorr’ ’ss d diirreeccttoorr””? ?
I knew Taran was perfect for the project because of his excitement and colorful ideas
that enhanced the script. And since he's an actor, he definitely knows how to talk to actors!
8 8 )) O On n tthhe e h heeeells s o of f tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f F Faannaattiicc, , ccaan n w we e llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o sseeeeiinng g m moorre e o of f y yoouur r w wrriittiinng g iin n tthhe e n neeaar r ffuuttuurree? ? You can! I started writing a new project this week actually We are also imagining what Fanatic will look like as a full length feature.
9 9 )) Y Yoou u h haavve e a annootthheer r c coouupplle e o of f p prroodduuccttiioonns s w waaiittiinng g iin n tthhe e w wiinnggs s ffoor r rreelleeaasse e T Thhe e ffiirrsst t o onne e iis s e ennttiittlleed d M Muurrrraayy’ ’ s s H Hoomme e ffoor r M Moovviinng g O Onn. W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t tthhiis s iinnttrriigguuiinnggssoouunnddiinng g p prroodduuccttiioonn? ? MHFMO is a film I produced by a talented writer/director Maky Rupert. It takes place in the not so distant future at a self help retreat Participants can move on from grief if they are willing to pay the price
1 10 0 )) T Thhe e S Siinnggiinng g T Teelleeggrraam m iis s a annootthheer r u uppccoommiinng g ffiillm m w whhiicch h y yoou u a arre e ffeeaattuurreed d p prroommiinneennttlly y iin n W Whhaatt’ ’ss tthhe e ssttoorry y b beehhiinnd d tthhiis s sshhoorrt t ffiillmm? ?
The Singing Telegram is a rom com about a singing telegramist who is stuck performing humiliating telegrams until one customer forces him to wake up and face the music I play the main characters boyfriend Daniel. I loved being back in New York to film this!
1 11 1 )) W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s y yoou u a accttiinnggwwiissee? ? C Coonnvveerrsseellyy, , w whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoouur r w wrriittiinngg? ?
Ben Stiller, Eric André, Sean Hayes, Chris Tucker are huge acting inspirations! Tina Fey’s writing has been making me laugh since Mean Girls. “30 Rock” is a huge inspiration. I also loved the writing on “Don’t trust the B in Apt 23”
by Nahnatchka Khan1 122.) ) Y Yoou u w weerre e a a m meemmbbeer r o of f tthhe e o orriiggiinnaal l O OffffB Brrooaaddwwaay y p prroodduuccttiioon n o of f H Haammiillttoon n W Waas s tthhaat t a a g gaammeecchhaannggeer r ffoor r yyoouu, , ccrreeaattiivveellyyssppeeaakkiinngg? ?
I’d say that changed everybody involved! A wild moment in time that I’m eternally grateful for. It was incredible to bear witness to the creative process for a show of that magnitude
1 133.) ) D Do o y yoou u h haavve e a a p prreeffeerreenncce e b beettwweeeen n w woorrkkiinng g o on n tthhe e s sttaagge e o or r m maakkiinng g ffiillm m a annd d tteelleevviissiioonn? ? O Or r iis s iit t a alll l a appppllees s a annd d o orraannggeess? ?
I just like working in general But after 10 years of working in New York on Broadway, I’m enjoying this new chapter exploring television and film I hope to return to Broadway again Just waiting for the right show!
1 14 4 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! QQuueessttiioonn: : F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m maakkiinng g o of f m moovviiees s –– B Baarrttoon n F Fiinnkk, , L Liivviinng g IIn n O Obblliivviioonn, , T Thhe e P Pllaayyeer r o or r S Swwiimmmmiinng g W Wiitth h S Shhaarrkkss? ?
Of those choices I’m partial to Living in Oblivion and The Player However, I think my most honest answer would be television series about about making television. Top of that list are “The Comeback,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and the gone to soon series “Reboot" that was just on Hulu
Photo by Ted Ely
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d W Weellssh h rroocckkeerrs s T Thhe e N Nooww; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , g gaanngg! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e s sttrraaiigghht t a awwaay y iinntto o tthhe e Q Q&&A A m moosshhppiitt, , ccoouulld d y yoou u a alll l s saay y ‘‘hhii’ ’ a annd d iinnttrroodduucce e yyoouurrsseellvvees s tto o o ouur r e evveerriinnqquuiissiittiivve e rreeaaddeerrss? ?
Hi I’m Shane I’m the lead singer and guitarist of the Now
Hi I’m Jay I play bass and dabble in backing vocals
Hi I’m Brom I play lead guitar and pretend to dabble in backing vocals
Hi I’m Will I play drums and definitely play no part in any vocals whatsoever
2 2 )) P Pllaauuddiitts s a annd d ccoonnggrraatts s o on n tthhe e b brraannddssppaannkkiinn' ' n neew w ssiinngglle e D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e
M Mee! ! S Shhaannee, , w whhaat t w waas s tthhe e g geenneessiis s o of f tthhiis s rreemmaarrkkaabblle e ttuunnee? ? H Hoow w d diid d iit t c coomme e iinntto o b beeiinngg? ?
Thank you very much! Within the writing process sometimes you have to work hard at writing a particular tune but sometimes songs somehow fall out of the ether and just seem to happen. Luckily Devil Inside Me was one of those We had the bare bones of the song and luckily, Will had been listening to INXS in the days before practice and sort of we upped off their hit “Devil Inside” for our musical gain If they want to sue us they can but they’ll have to settle for £1 50 and a Mars bar
3 3 )) W Wiillll, , tthhe e m muussiic c vviiddeeo o ffoor r D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e llooookks s a as s iif f iit t w weerre e a a h hoooot t tto o s shhoooott! ! H Hoow w iinnvvoollvveed d ccrreeaattiivveelly y w waas s T Thhe e N Noow w iin n tthhe e o ovveerraalll l llooook k a annd d ffeeeel l o of f tthhiis s m muussiic c vviiddeeoo? ?
Funny enough the shoot was done quite quickly I think we’ve fallen into the trap previously where we think a huge production will warrant a massively impressive video but we’ve found that less is more, more of than not
In regards to the involvement in the look it pretty much writes itself doesn’t it Devil Inside Me = red, black; a dark look which is what we
obviously went for Shane already had a red and black leopard print jacket which he’s still not taken off so anything for him to maximise his return on that purchase of his I also bought a similar jacket so we’re both winners A big shout out to Jay’s mate Pricey too for being the lead actor considering he’s not and has never acted he nailed it!
4 4 )) C Caalllluumm, , iin n yyoouur r h huummbblle e o oppiinniioon n w whhaat t d diiffffeerreennttiiaattees s D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e ffrroom m tthhe e D Diissttiinngguuiisshheed d C Coommppeettiittiioon n o on n tthhe e 2 200223 3 m muussiic c sscceennee? ?
I think the fact that it’s a balls out rock n roll track with hints of old school rock n roll riffs, but at the same time it still is modern and commercially viable Luckily, I’m my opinion, it bridges the gap between the rock audience all the way to your nan singing along to it on her way to bingo Well my nan said she sang along to it on the way to bingo anyway and that’s a result if you ask me!
5 5 )) JJaayy, , w whho o w waas s tthhe e p prroodduucceer r o on n D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e a annd d w whhaat t d diid d tthhe e ccoollllaabboorraattiioon n b beettwweeeen n b baannd d a annd d p prroodduucceer r llooook k lliikke e iin n tthhe e ssttuuddiioo? ?
Oli Jacobs was the mastermind producer on our album so he got his hands dirty on every track! He’s recently just won a Grammy so we basically gave him full reign on all our tracks This track however was pretty much a get in the studio, play loud, take your top off and smash it out process Some of the other tracks there was more of a collaborative structure but this one just hit the ground running recording wise
6 6 )) S Shhaannee, , h hoow w iis s D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e s siimmiillaar r tto o T Thhe e N Nooww’ ’ s s 2 200221 1 rreelleeaasse e o of f F Frriieennddlly y F Fiirree? ? H Hoow w iis s iit t d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
The only similarities I’d say is the fact it’s a rock track with that big sing along chorus
For me personally it’s a million miles away from previous recordings Will wasn’t in the band for the recording of Friendly Fire, it was recorded in Rockfield quickly over a weekend and we didn’t have the genius touch of Oli to bring it to life like he has done with Devil Inside Me
The band itself has evolved so much since that period it feels like a lifetime ago but I’m still proud of all our previous recordings nonetheless
7 7 )) A A q quueessttiioon n ffoor r a alll l o of f yyoouu: : M Muussiiccaallllyy, , w whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoouu? ?
Will The inspiration behind us wanting to be in a band is watching my next door neighbour defrost his car, drive to work looking miserable, then coming home to his wife who he clearly disliked and then watching that same routine unfold day after day!
For most this is the harsh reality of life I guess striving to work hard to pay for your all inclusive holiday once a year, there’s nothing wrong with that However, when you watch Morrissey swing some flowers around on stage at Top of The Pops and hear of Ozzy eating a bats head that gets me harder than a fucking new Ford Focus and a trip to the Cotswolds every other Sunday of the month!
8 8 )) B Baacck k q quuiicckklly y tto o S Shhaannee: : W Woorrd d ‘‘rroouunnd d iinndduussttrry y ccaammppffiirre e h haas s iit t tthhaat t T Thhe e N Noow w h haas s a a b boonnaaffiidde e L LP P sseet t tto o p prreemmiieerre e tthhiis s ssuummmmeerr! ! W Whhaat t c caan n yyoou u rreevveeaal l a at t tthhiis s ssttaagge e a abboouut t tthhe e n neew w a allbbuumm? ?
I can only imagine what that campfire would look like! Everyone singing hymns and listening to Dido!
But yes, we have recorded and will be releasing the album later this year We’ve got 3 singles to releases altogether and then it’s followed by the full LP I can hear the sound of hearts racing with anticipation from all in Wales
9 9 )) C Caalllluumm, , a at t tthhe e e ennd d o of f tthhe e d daay y w whhaat t d do o yyoou u h hooppe e lliisstteenneerrs s w waallk k a awwaay y w wiitth h a afftteer r g giivviinng g D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e ccooppiioouus s s sppiinns s o on n tthheeiir r rreessppeeccttiivve e ttuurrnnttaabblleess? ?
very worn out needle !
ma
kees s D Deevviil l IInnssiidde e M Me e tthhe e p peerrffeecct t cchhooiicce e a as s tthhe e ssoonng g o offf f
o of f tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g L LP P tto o rreecceeiivve e a a s siinngglle e rreelleeaassee? ? IIs s iit t rreepprreesseennttaattiivve e o of f w whhaat t ffaanns s ccaan n llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o w wiitth h tthhe e n neew w a allbbuumm? ? We just wanted to ease you all in ready for what’s to come We’ve got so many treats lined up for you; basically Devil Inside Me in the cheeky starter before the main course of sheer rock n roll deliciousness, followed by a dessert of foot stomping sweetness to send you on your way to buying the album!
1 111.) ) S Shhaannee, , o on n tthhe e h heeeells s o of f tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f a alll l o of f tthhiis s iinnccrreeddiibblle e m muussiicc, , c caan n ffaanns s e exxppeecct t tto o s seee e T Thhe e N Noow w o on n tthhe e p peerrffoorrmmiinng g a annd d ttoouurriinng g c ciirrccuuiit t iin n tthhe e w weeeekks s a annd d m moonntthhs s tto o ccoommee? ?
Yes we’ve got a really busy year ahead, we’ve got festivals booked in but not announced yet and many more gigs around the country for all your “Now needs” just make sure you follow us on social media to find out all about upcoming shows
1 12 2 )) F Fiinnaal l –– S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioon n ((ffoor r a alll l o of f yyoouu!!)): : F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m muussiic c sscceenne e –– T Thhiis s IIs s S Sppiinnaal l T Taapp, , A Allmmoosst t F Faammoouuss, , T Thhe e C Coommmmiittmmeenntts s o or r W Waallk k tthhe e L Liinnee? ?
Brom High School Musical for me; Zac Effron is pure babe!
Jay Supersonic, I love Oasis, the attitude, the rock n roll lifestyle and the fact they are working class boys like us who dreamt of “making it” and then did ten fold
Shane The Dirt just watch it what I’d give to be in Motley Crue during that time! I’m glad I wasn’t though as I’d be dead within 3 days!
Will Whiplash not only is it a film about drumming but the film itself is a masterpiece You don’t even have to like or know how to play drums to appreciate it but it helps!
1 1WWee’ ’rre e vveerry y h haappppy y tto o w weellccoomme e tto o o ouur r h huummbblle e p paaggees s lleeggeennddaarry y g guuiittaarriisst t //ssiinnggeerrssoonnggwwrriitteerr//pprroodduucceerr//rreeccoovveerry y a addvvooccaatte e a annd d R Roocck k a annd d R Roolll l H Haalll l o of f F Faammeer r R Riicckky y B Byyrrdd; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , R Riicckkyy! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e g geet t ssttaarrtteedd, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r N Neew w Y Yeeaar r b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoou u tthhuus s ffaarr? ?
It’s been productive so far Things are slowly getting back to some sort of new normal I’ve been part of some cool benefit events Some for recovery organizations, and some for other charities I support Also I’ve been working with a new recovery platform called ALLSOBER com as an ambassador I’m helping them by trying to get others in my industry who are public about their recovery to be part of a cool inspiration page on featured on the site You never can tell when you are going to inspire someone to change
Of course I’ve been writing and recording new songs I’ve signed up with Wicked Cool Records and I’m aiming at just doing singles for now I’ve recorded almost enough to put out a full length so who knows where I’m headed Glamdemic Blues is the first release
M Maajjoor r ccoonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n tthhe e b brraannd d n neew w rreelleeaasse e o of f tthhe e d diiggiittaall/ /
7 7” ” ssiinngglle e G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluuees s w whhiicch h iis s b baacckkeed d w wiitth h R Reeaacch h O Ouut t
((II’’lll l B Be e T Thheerree))! ! W Whhaat t iis s tthhe e o orriiggiin n ssttoorry y o of f G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluueess? ?
W Whhaat t iinnssppiirreed d tthhiis s a ammaazziinng g g geem m o of f a a ttuunnee? ?
About a year and change into the pandemic I was feeling the same frustration as everyone All immediate plans on hold, gigs cancelled, not sure when things would at least be manageable enough to pick up where we left off, if anything would be even left where we left off I started writing new material and had the music and melody but not sure what to write about I had put out 2 Recovery themed RnR records in 2017 and 2020 Clean Getaway and Sobering Times I thought it was time to find some other subjects to mine My frustration with the holding pattern we all were in pushed me in the direction of writing a letter to Life That’s what Glamdemic Blues is!
Sidenote: Michael Des Barres is a pal of mine and I remember sending him a rough as soon as I got out of the studio MDB says to me “Dear Boy I love the song but why not start with the hook lol
So back I went into the studio and put that little bit of the hook at the top On any given day I’m either the student or the teacher!
A As s a a cceelleebbrraatteed d p prroodduucceerr, , iis s iit t ssaaffe e tto o a assssuumme e tthhaat t y yoou u d diid d tthhe e p prroodduucciinng g h hoonnoorrs s o on n tthhe e n neew w ssiinnggllee? ?
I’ve been coproducing with my longtime pal Bob Stander at his Long Island Parcheesi studio forever We’ve done all 3 of my solo records there, and now this batch of singles At this point we have our own recording language I know what I want to hear and Bob knows how to make it sound like what’s in my head I’m also grateful to have had one or two songs from each record played on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, and when I hear them blasting out of my car radio I couldn’t be happier with the way they sound Bob is also a great guitar player so he knows what I’m aiming for sound wise when I try and explain it in doubletalk lol He’s also the bass player on all my stuff
W Waas s iit t a at t a alll l iinnttiimmiiddaattiinng g tto o ccoovveer r tthhe e ccllaassssiic c F Foouur r T Toopps s ttuunne e R Reeaacch h O Ouut t ((II’’lll l B Be e T Thheerree))? ?
Reach Out was supposed to go on my last release “Sobering Times” but I ran out of room, plus there was a commercial running on TV using a version of the song at the same time I was getting ready to release it I figured I’d save it for something else Then I needed a b side for Glamdemic Blues
As far as intimidating musically I wasn’t because I was doing my version which was more of a RnR take than the Four Tops version The intro was fun to do on guitar I tried to give it a Jeff Beck (may he rest in peace) vibe Actually Bob had the hard stuff to do on bass, especially the riff before th hook As far as singing, I just closed my eyes and gave it my best Jeff Kazee (Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes keyboard player) and Christine (The Beehive Queen Ohlman) were on backgrounds with me Jeff plays keys on all my stuff
W Whhaat t d diiffffeerreennttiiaattees s G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluuees s ffrroom m a annyytthhiinng g e ellsse e o on n tthhe e ccuurrrreennt t d daay y m muussiic c llaannddssccaappee? ?
My music is a combination of everything I grew up listening to and loving Along with the Stones, the Faces, Humble Pie and that lot, I also loved Slade and Sweet and Suzi Quatro to name a few The big drums, guitars and giant vocal hooks were part of my 70’s influences Of course when I was in the Blackhearts we leaned that way on some tunes as well, like Do You Wanna Touch Me You’ll also hear some soul and blues bits in some of my tunes All because of when I listened to radio as a kid in the Bronx, the NYC AM stations played all styles The top forty hits of course but all styles From Sam Cooke to the Kinks to Trini Lopez to BB King to Al Green to the Beatles and the Stones to Dean Martin etc That’s what’s
great about Little Steven’s Underground Garage You never know what they’ll play
In answer to your question I don’t think that deep I just pick up my guitar and see what comes out Aiming at writing singles definitely is different than writing album tracks Keep it simple, short as it can be and still tell the story, and get to that hook as fast as you can baby!
I listen to a lot of Underground Garage in the house and my car so I kinda had a feel for what would jump out from some of the other songs being played , style wise I thought a big Glam tune with singable guitar riffs, lots of ear candy and a big hook would fit nice right now The La La’s in the last chorus don’t hurt either ;)
G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluuees s iis s b beeiinng g rreelleeaasseed d vviia a W Wiicckkeed d C Cooool l R Reeccoorrdds s W Whhaat t m maakkees s W Wiicckkeed d C Cooool l tthhe e p peerrffeecct t llaabbeel l ffoor r yyoou u a annd d yyoouur r m muussiicc? ?
First off I love Steven Van Zandt for what he’s done to help extend the life of RnR He plays artists that wouldn’t be played anywhere else in 2023 He really cares about the music and the RnR culture On top of that he’s a real character out of a Damon Runyon story and I love that Of course the fact that he likes what I do helps Where else can you hear one of my tunes followed by a Temptations song The other important thing in this day and age is their social media presence Always posting about their artists and the new releases Every time I go on twitter , IG or FB there is always something about Wicked Cool to read Very inportant these days
W Whho o h haas s iinnfflluueenncceed d yyoou u m muussiiccaalllly y o ovveer r tthhe e yyeeaarrss? ? Too many to mention
Just listen to my music and you tell me!
A At t o onne e ttiimme e o or r a annootthheerr, , yyoouu’ ’vve e rruubbbbeed d e ellbboowws s p prrooffeessssiioonnaalllly y w wiitth h P Paauul l M MccCCaarrttnneeyy, , R Riinnggo o S Sttaarrrr, , A Alliicce e C Cooooppeerr, , B Brruucce e S Spprriinnggsstteeeenn, , S Stteevveen n V Vaan n Z Zaannddtt, , JJooe e W Waallsshh, , M Maavviis s S Sttaapplleess, , D Diioonn, , B Brriiaan n W Wiillssoonn, , S Smmookkeey y R Roobbiinnssoonn, , JJiimmmmy y P Paaggee, , G Grraahhaam m N Naasshh, , S Saam m M Moooorree, , S Stteevve e M Miilllleer r a annd d E Ellvviis s C Coosstteellllo o W Whhaat t h haavve e tthheesse e m muussiic c lluummiinnaarriiees s ttaauugghht t yyoou u – ssoommeeoonne e w whho o m moorre e tthhaan n kknnoowws s h hiis s w waay y a arroouunnd d tthhe e a arrt t o of f tthhe e ffiieelld d a abboouut t m muussiicc? ?
C Coonnvveerrsseellyy, , w whhaat t d do o yyoou u ffeeeel l y yoou u m miigghht t h haavve e ttaauugghht t s soomme e o of f tthheemm? ?
First off you always need to be open to learning new things no matter how long you’ve been at this Every time I play with someone, like the people you mention I notice little things that make them who they are whether on stage of off As I said before, on any given day I’m either the student or the teacher
I’ve also learned that most artists are pretty down to earth
Lord knows not all but most When I met Smokey Robinson at an event I was playing guitar for him, he was so kind, joyous, and humble with that big Smokey smile it just put me at ease, because I was definetely nervous He took a few minutes to chat with me and I never forgot I think about that when someone comes up to me who might have grown up listening to something I was part of Always lead with the heart Remember even the biggest artists are fans of someone they grew up listening to
Fans are the reason we continue to get to do what we do
O On n tthhe e h heeeells s o of f tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluueess, , w whhaat t d dooees s yyoouur r ttoouurriinng g d daanncce e ccaarrd d llooook k lliikkee? ? C Caan n ffaanns s llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o sseeeeiinng g yyoou u p pllaay y tthheeiir r h hoommooeettwwoonns s iin n tthhe e ccoommiinng g w weeeekks s a annd d m moonntthhss? ?
Nothing yet I enjoy playing one off events Maybe a few special shows down the road Perhaps an acoustic thing I don’t really have a band and the thought of putting one together sends a chill up my spine Right now I’m happy writing, recording and hearing the result on the radio if I’m lucky
IIs s G Gllaammddeemmiic c B Blluuees s tthhe e o oppeenniinng g vvoolllleey y ffoor r a an n e evveennttuuaal l L LP P rreelleeaasse e ffrroom m yyoouu? ?
One never knows I said I just wanted to put out singles yet now I have about 11 tracks Some done , some works in progress We’ll see what Wicked Cool thinks as we progress
A As s a a
Always the music for me Sometimes I might have a cool title but I always come up with riffs and chords first
Pic by Aidan Tooth
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e v veerry y h haappppy y tto o h haavve e s soomme e ttiimme e ttooddaay y w wiitth h D Deennvveer r P Poop p P Puunnk k g grroouup p e exxttrraaoorrddiinnaaiirre e B Buurry y M Miiaa; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , g gaanngg! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e L Laammbbaadda a d doowwn n tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A p paatthhwwaayy, , ccoouulld d yyoou u a alll l ssaay y ‘‘hhii’ ’ a annd d iinnttrroodduucce e y yoouurrsseellvvees s tto o o ouur r e evveerrccuurriioouus s rreeaaddeerrss? ?
Howdy doody, my name is Justin I provide vocal and guitar stylings with the grace of a baby giraffe tripping over tall grass
Yo yo yo! Thank you for having us it’s a pleasure This is Marcus I play drums
Hi I’m Steve, the token hardcore guy pretending to play guitar and spending way too much time adjusting my amp at practice Devin declined, but he sings and plays bass
2 2 )) C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n y yoouur r e elleeccttrriiffyyiinng g ––aannd d cclleevveerrlly y ttiittlleed d n neew w ssiinngglle e W Wee' ' v ve e B Beeeen n T Trryyiinng g tto o R Reeaacch h Y Yoou u A Abboouut t Y Yoouur r C Caarr' 'ss E Exxtteennddeed d W Waarrrraannttyy! ! JJuussttiinn, , w whhaat t iis s tthhe e S Seeccrreet t O Orriiggiin n ssttoorry y b beehhiinnd d tthhiis s g geem m o of f a a ttuunnee? ?
Sometimes we ask Marcus to come up with a unique beat as the start to a song Since there’s a tendency to follow the guitar, it helps to come up with a unique direction and this song was one of those cases We were messing around in our practice space and I played the opening riff over the beat and we wrote most of the core of the song in that first session It’s a mostly rare case for us where the song felt like it wrote itself From there, Steve wanted to get a New Found Glory style breakdown and Devin had direction for lyrics about a sort of malaise building up in moments of darkness and quiet thought I had been messing around with a concept of pinning emotional experiences on specific punctuation marks and the idea that a semicolon being the most longing of all fit really well with the theme 3 3 )) D Deevviinn, , y yoouur r p prroodduucceer r o on n W Wee' ' v ve e B Beeeen n T Trryyiinng g tto o R Reeaacch h Y Yoou u A Abboouut t Y Yoouur r C Caarr' ' s s E Exxtteennddeed d W Waarrrraanntty y iis s n noonne e o otthheer r tthhaan n n niiggh h lleeggeennddaarry y A Annddrreew w B Beerrlliin n W Whhaat t w waas s tthhe e b baanndd’ ’ss c coollllaabboorraattiioon n lliikke e w wiitth h A Annddrreew w iin n tthhe e s sttuuddiioo? ?
Working on “Car Warranty” was another phenomenal time at The Blasting Room
We actually recorded our full album “Somewhere Between Where We Are and Where We’ve Been” there We were really able to get in touch with ourselves as musicians and even show more with the new single Andrew and the crew really have treated us well and helped us develop a sound we’ve grown to love But no matter how many times you track at The Blasting Room you always feel like a kid in a candy store
4 4 )) S Stteevvaann, , h hoow w iis s W Wee' ' v ve e B Beeeen n T Trryyiinng g tto o R Reeaacch h Y Yoou u A Abboouut t Y Yoouur r C Caarr' ' s s E Exxtteennddeed d W Waarrrraanntty y s siimmiillaar r tto o s soomme e o of f tthhe e p paasst t m muussiic c o of f B Buurry y M Miiaa? ? H Hoow w iis s iit t d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
Well, it’s similar because it’s basically the same members doing what they’ve been doing, it’s different because now they have MY style added to it ha Truthfully though, I think just adding in some new influences and growing as a band has resulted in a slightly different style of song, but with the same “meat n potatoes” if you will
5 5 )) M Maarrccuuss, , ffoor r tthhe e u unniinniittiiaatteedd, , ccaan n y yoou u g giivve e u us s tthhe e V VHH11BBeehhiinnd d tthhe e M Muussiic c ssttoorry y o on n h hoow w B Buurry y M Miia a c caamme e ttooggeetthheer r a as s tthhe e p phheennoommeennaal l b baannd d w we e h heeaar r ttooddaayy? ?
This is a tale of punkrocksexdrugssuccessfallingfromgracesextape(s)findinggodredemption Ok, not really Bury Mia was born a few years prior to my joining in 2019 If I remember the origin story correctly, Justin & Devin were driving to a gig to perform with a band they were in at the time and were discussing unique band names They thought it would be funny to name a band something that could be read in a humorous way on a marquee "Bury Mia Live " Get it?? Once their band broke up, they started Bury Mia This was in 2015, I believe A few iterations followed over the years involving different guitarists & drummers Fast forward to 2019 I was just getting back into music after taking a lot of time off after college Punk/ Pop Punk was the only genre I was interested in playing so I began auditioning with those bands in Denver We've had three different guitarists since 2019 Steve joined in 2022 right before our second tour of the west coast He comes from a metal background and adds a flavorsomeedginess to our sound that you can clearly hear on our new single "We've Been Trying To Reach You "
This current lineup began to hit its stride last year when we headlined a successful show at The Fox Theatre in Boulder and had the opportunity to support some pretty rad national touring bands like State Champs, Heartattack Man & Boys Like Girls at some of the iconic venues in Denver like The Ogden Theatre & The
Awesome question! And yes, we hope to receive maximum spins on the device of the listeners choosing but even better if there’s actual spinning (We’re sorry we don’t have vinyl yet) I hope we can bring the riffs and hooks that our fans have come to enjoy but also take it to a place that’s a bit darker, a bit heavier, and
convince them to keep their eyes on us because this is just the beginning and we have so much more to give
7 7 )) D Deevviinn, , w whhaat t d dooees s tthhe e ttoouurriinng g d daanncce e c caarrd d llooook k lliikke e ffoor r B Buurry y M Miiaa? ? A Arre e yyoou u a alll l p prreetttty y b booookkeed d u up p iin n tthhe e ccoommiinng g w weeeekks s a annd d m moonntthhss? ?
We definitely will be out on the road in 2023 but nothing solidified We have a couple shows lined up in Colorado; but Bury Mia will be in a city near you very soon We post and announce stuff all the time in social media so follow us to keep tabs
8 8 )) S Stteevvaann, , w whhaat t m maakkees s W Wee' 'vve e B Beeeen n T Trryyiinng g tto o R Reeaacch h Y Yoou u A Abboouut t Y Yoouur r C Caarr' 'ss E Exxtteennddeed d W Waarrrraanntty y d diiffffeerreennt t tthhaan n a anny y o otthheer r m muussiic c o on n tthhe e 2 200223 3 m muussiic c llaannddssccaappee? ?
I think the biggest difference is that we aren’t chasing that modern pop punk sound that most people are doing these days I think we’ve done a good job of sticking to our individual roots during the writing process and it shows It’s got parts that remind you of early 2000s emo, hardcore, indie and post rock
9 9 )) A A q quueessttiioon n ffoor r a alll l o of f yyoouu: : W Whho o a arre e yyoou u a alll l iinnssppiirreed d b by y m muussiiccaallllyy? ?
Justin: Mostly John Candy’s work in Home Alone and the horn section in Lou Bega’s Mambo No 5
Marcus: I love this question as my answer is one I've not shared before, even with the guys in the band My greatest influence as a drummer is probably Roger Taylor of Duran Duran His driving, steady style & understanding of the importance of space between notes definitely influences how I play today
Devin: What inspires me musically right now is anything you can really feel emotion to Songs written from the heart and that writer not being afraid to tell you how they feel Music with a real passion
Stevan: I’ve always been inspired by early 90s/2000s hardcore It’s not readily apparent at first, but If you were to listen to bands like xDisciplex A D Poison The Well and Brothers Keeper you’d hear it in Car Warranty
ry y M Miia a ssoommeettiimme e iin n 2 2002233? ?
2023 would be a strong promise but we will have at least 2 more singles coming out before mid year and absolutely a larger project before mid 2024, including a
more traditional pop punk song which is appropriately called “Daddy Issues” We have so much material in the can that I’m driving the rest of the band crazy by bringing in new ideas every practice and we will be spending some time in the studio this summer as well
1 11 1 )) D Deevviinn, , w whheen n tthhe e b baannd d g geetts s ttooggeetthheer r tto o ccrreeaatte e n neew w m muussiicc, , w whhaat t d dooees s tthhaat t c crreeaattiivve e p prroocceesss s llooook k lliikkee? ? D Dooees s e evveerryyoonne e h haavve e a an n e eqquuaal l s saay y o on n tthhe e m muussiicc? ? Songwriting for us happens in a few ways One is we all lock ourselves in our studio and write whatever comes to our heads Someone may start with a riff or a beat and we all just elaborate from there At times we pair up and might write something as a duo and bring what we’ve written to the next formal practice Lastly, we all do write on our own in our free time either with our instruments or jotting down lyrics It’s a great process and it’s always enjoyable to see a song grow from nothing
1 12 2 )) F Fiinnaal l – S SIILLLLYY! ! Q Quueessttiioon n ((ffoor r a alll l o of f yyoouu!!)): : F Faavvoorriitte e m moovviie e a abboouut t tthhe e m muussiic c s scceenne e –– T Thhiis s IIs s S Sppiinnaal l T Taapp, , O Olliivveer r S Sttoonnee’ ’ss T Thhe e D Doooorrss, , 8 8 M Miille e o or r T Thhe e B Buuddddy y H Hoolllly y S Sttoorryy? ?
Justin: Currently, Green Room Big horror fan and it starts with a band on tour doing what they can to get gas money, a common situation for all of us It’s pretty brutal Also, you get Patrick Stewart as a terribly convincing white nationalist
Marcus: I find the 30 Seconds to Mars documentary "Artifact" a poignant film that highlights many of the unfortunate truths about the music industry Plus, the footage of what goes into writing & recording an album offers an intimate look at the interpersonal relationship(s) between band members (and brothers)
Devin: One of my favorite movies about the music scene is a documentary put out a while ago called “Punk is Dad” The premise is all the punks that grew to fame now have families or had families while climbing the ladder It talks about the struggles they’ve had from being rebellious youth to parents and figures in the scene There are a lot of great musician stories and some tearinducing moments as well I would recommend to watch it for anyone in the scene especially ones with kids
Steve: Justin stole my answer for Green Room so I’ll have to go with That Thing You Do It shows the rise and fall of a small town band that focused on fame, just to crash back to reality and realize what music is actually about
W Wee’ ’rre e h haappppy y tto o b be e s sppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d s siinnggeer r a annd d s soonnggwwrriitteer r D Daavviid d H Heeaattlleeyy; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , D Daavviidd! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e d diivve e d doowwn n tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A rraabbbbiit t h hoollee, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g y yoouu? ?
It’s life, so it’s always one big messy tangle of joy and pain that you can’t separate out But ! I do have a good feeling about this year and I’m thrilled to be releasing my new album
C Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g M Maarrcch h 2 24 4 rreelleeaasse e o of f y yoouur r ssoopphhoommoorre e ffuulllllleennggtth h a allbbuum m IIF F !! W Whhaat t w waas s tthhe e g geenneessiis s o of f tthhiis s g geem m o of f a an n a allbbuumm? ? H Hoow w d diid d iit t c coomme e iinntto o b beeiinngg? ?
I recorded my first solo record down in Louisiana in 2021 and while recording down there and getting to know so many inspiring musicians, I found myself writing new songs, one after the other There’s definitely something in the bayou air Before we had even mixed the first record, these 10 new songs had come to me I tend to fall in love a lot and I think I fell in love with all of the guest singers on that record So “If ” is kind of a selfportrait of what I’m like when I’m feeling inspired by and lost in an unrequited crush, but also the reckoning that happens during the “come down” and what you do with yourself when all of your projections on the other person fades
Y Yoou u a arre e a allsso o tthhe e p prroodduucceer r o on n IIF F W Whhaat t ssppeecciiaal l c chhaalllleennggees s d diid d yyoou u ffaacce e s seellffpprroodduucciinng g tthhe e n neew w L LP P v veerrssuus s b brriinnggiinng g iin n a a p prroodduucceer r ffrroom m tthhe e o ouuttssiiddee? ? Mark Bingham produced my last record and he generously opened up his rolodex to me, handpicking all the Louisianabased players So this record was a continuation of that process and I tapped many of the same collaborators and many others suggested by him and Jimbo Walsh (brilliant arranger on the record) I had too many of my own opinions about how I wanted the final songs to sound to be able to credit any one outside person as producer, but I owe a lot to Mark for getting the ball rolling and for believing in my songs to begin with
C Caan n y yoou u iinnttrroodduucce e o ouur r rreeaaddeerrs s tto o tthhe e ttaalleenntteed d m muussiicciiaanns s w whho o w woorrkkeed d h haannddiinnhhaannd d w wiitth h y yoou u tto o d deelliivveer r tthhe e a ammaazziinng g a allbbuum m w whhiicch h iis s IIF F ? ?
Mark himself plays some lovely guitar on the title track Bryan Webre (guitar and bass), Sam Kuslan (guitar and keys), and Jim Kolacek (drums) are the backbone of the whole record Rex Gregory played a full band’s worth of woodwinds (flute, clarinet, saxophone, bari sax) John Culbreth played flugelhorn and trumpet
Louis Michot played fiddle and sang backup, most notably on the first sing “Mess ” Dragos Filip played cello As far as vocal talent, the record is overstuffed
Sarah Quintana sang two duets with me (“It’s Midnight” and “Run Away with You”) as well as backing vocals on several others Lilli Lewis added her flavor to some key tracks with an especially gorgeously understated and subtle performance on “Clean Living ” Then there’s Michael Cerveris and the Jelly Sisters and Emma Ramos, all unique talents who totally elevated every song they blessed with their singing I have to say Kirkland Middleton (drummer for Lost Bayou Ramblers) didn’t play drums on this one like he did on my previous record, but his presence was felt as engineer and he created some wonderful drum loops so we wouldn’t have to play to a click track
IIn
into solitude toward the end of their lives But there is no sense in retiring before undertaking the journey We meet love on the way, and whether it endures or dies, it makes life meaningful ”
H Hoow w iis s IIF F ssiimmiillaar r tto o y yoouur r ffiirrsst t a allbbuumm? ? H Hoow w iis s iit t d diiffffeerreenntt? ?
I think Life Our Own Way was unique in that every song was almost like a standalone single And I wouldn’t say there was much, if any, thematic unity But this record feels like one idea, which I’d call “impossible love,” explored and expressed from 10 different angles
IIF F iis s s stteeeeppeed d iin n tthhe e e etthhoos s o of f lloovvee, , b bootth h ffoouunnd d a annd d u ullttiimmaatteelly y lloosst t W Whhaat t m maakkees s tthhe e tthheeoorry y o of f lloovve e s suucch h a an n e evveerrggrreeeen n iin n tthhe e w woorrlld d o of f m muussiicc? ?
I guess I kind of answered this one above But I’ll add that I recently listened to Plato’s Symposium as an audiobook, which I highly recommend It’s very funny and wise Essentially, each philosopher goes around the table and holds forth on what they feel are the most important traits and qualities of the god Eros and how he affects people who follow him And while I don’t believe in “God” as that word is often used, I like the idea of choosing one of the gods to follow and living your life according to their principles and I’d say I’m a believer in following Eros Love is what animates any spark between two people It’s what makes you passionate about a particular artist’s work or what draws you to a particular field of study I think it’s essential to really be able to hear that voice calling you toward what you love and it’s essential to then take action and pursue it
W Whhaat t d do o yyoou u h hooppe e lliisstteenneerrs s w waallk k a awwaay y w wiitth h a afftteer r g giivviinng g IIF F ccooppiioouus s ssppiinns s o on n tthheeiir r ttuurrnnttaabblleess? ?
My greatest hope with any song I write is that it will land in someone’s life and mean something to them at the particular moment when they find it It’s amazing how songs can encode a specific feeling so that it’s contained and then infinitely replayable I hope some of these containers of emotion are experienced and reexperienced by people who are feeling similarly and feel seen by what I’ve written I know art makes me feel less alone, so it would be great if my work could do that for someone else
O On n tthhe e h heeeells s o of f tthhe e rreelleeaasse e o of f IIF F c caan n ffaanns s llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o sseeeeiinng g yyoou u o on n tthhe e ttoouurriinng g c ciirrccuuiitt? ?
I don’t really play live at the moment If there were a mob of people demanding I fly to their city and perform, I’d probably find a way to do it But for now, the great joy for me is writing the song, demoing the song, recording the song in the studio and then creating animated videos to go along with them
W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoou u m muussiiccaallllyy? ?
It changes all the time, but every one of the guest artists on my record has been a sustaining inspiration since I first heard their work As far as lifelong musical inspiration, I’d say David Byrne, Jonathan Richman and Black Francis are high on my list of heroes
W Whhaat t m maadde e tthhe e b beeaauuttiiffuul l ttuunne e M Meesss s tthhe e p peerrffeecct t c chhooiicce e o offf f o of f tthhe e IIF F a allbbuum m tto o rreelleeaasse e a as s a a ssiinnggllee? ?
?
I’d like to think I’ve got some wisdom to impart at this middle stage of my life, so I think my love songs go a bit deeper than what’s generally out there I’m pretty steeped in Carl Jung and really practice and believe in “owning your shadow” as he calls it When you fall for someone, you think possessing them will bring you the qualities you long to have yourself, but of course it never works out like that Still, giving yourself over to love and working consciously with all that it stirs up in you is the most potent way of engaging with your deepest layers and patterns There’s a great book by Aldo Carotenuto called Eros and Pathos Shades of Love and Suffering and he sums it up beautifully: “We enlarge our capacity for understanding so that the world becomes transparent Thus wise men retreat
I feel like that song grabs you by the throat and has an undeniable, inyourface quality that makes it hard to ignore It’s also the most direct ode to the kind of muse that I tend to fall in love with, girls who are decidedly not “put together ” I immediately thought of how a music video might look when I discovered the work of Dusty Deen, who codirected and animated the video for me
IIF F iis s b beeiinng g rreelleeaasseed d v viia a D Drreeaam m P Puuppppy y R Reeccoorrdds s W Whhaat t m maakkees s D Drreeaam m P Puuppppy y tthhe e b beesst t h hoomme e ffoor r yyoouur r m muussiicc? ?
I have an animation production company called Dream Puppy So I’m releasing these records under the same umbrella as the rest of my creative work Thanks for listening and for these questions!
1 1.) ) W Wee’ ’rre e e exxcciitteed d tto o b be e s sppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h a accccllaaiimmeed d m muussiiccaal l m maaeessttrroos s E Erriic c S Soommmmeer r a annd d tthhe e F Faabbuulloouus s P Piieeddmmoonnttss, , g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d s saalluuttaattiioonnss, , g gaanngg! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e m meeaannddeer r d doowwn n tthhe e p prroovveerrbbiiaal l Q Q&&A A p paatthhwwaayy, , ccoouulld d yyoou u a alll l ssaay y ‘‘hhii’ ’ a annd d iinnttrroodduucce e y yoouurrsseellvvees s tto o o ouur r e evveerriinnqquuiissiittiivve e rreeaaddeerrss? ?
ERIC SOMMER: O Oi pessoal! Muito feliz em poder falar com nossos fãs e amigos nesse lindo Brasil! Continue agitando e, por favor, apareça e diga "Olá"!
i pessoal! Muito feliz em poder falar com nossos fãs e amigos nesse lindo Brasil! Continue agitando e, por favor, apareça e diga "Olá"!
My name is Eric Sommer, I am the lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for The Piedmonts...
2 2.) ) M Maajjoor r p pllaauuddiitts s a annd d c coonnggrraatts s o on n a alll l o of f tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g v veennuuees s y yoou u a alll l a arre e s seet t tto o p peerrffoorrm m a att! ! E Erriicc, , w wiitth h a alll l o of f tthheesse e n neew w e ennggaaggeemmeenntts s a annd d w wiitth h E Erriic c S Soommmmeer r a annd d tthhe e F Faabbuulloouus s P Piieeddmmoonntts s vveerry y m muucch h iin n tthhe e p puubblliicceeyyee, , ccaan n w we e b be e ffoorrggiivveen n ffoor r a asskkiinng g iif f ffaanns s ccaan n llooook k ffoorrwwaarrd d tto o a an n L LP P rreelleeaasse e ffrroom m tthhe e g grroouup p ssoommeettiimme e iin n 2 2002233? ?
Thank you for this wonderful question! The answer is YES! As a matter of fact, we are selecting studios today, and we’ll make a decision very shortly Looks like we will do a 6 song EP first, and then a 1014 song record almost immediately afterwards This trio has a wonderful depth of talent and ideas, and we have so much material
we are anxious to get out there to the fans!
3 3.) ) A Ammaannddaa, , d dooees s tthhe e b baannd d o offttttiimmees s ““ttrry y o ouutt” ” p pootteennttiiaal l n neew w m maatteerriiaal l ffoor r p poossssiibblle e ffuuttuurre e rreelleeaassees s w whhiille e o ouut t o on n tthhe e rrooaad d p peerrffoorrmmiinngg? ?
Absolutely! Playing in front of a live audience gives us the feedback we need to hone the song. Also, because so many of our songs contain a large improv section, it is important that we play with each other in a live setting to get used to each other's styles and better anticipate where the music will take us
4 4 )) E Erriicc, , w whhaat t d dooees s tthhe e p peerrffoorrmmiinng g d daanncce e c caarrd d llooook k lliikke e ffoor r yyoou u a annd d tthhe e F Faabbuulloouus s P Piieeddmmoonntts s a afftteer r tthhe e v veennuue e p peerrffoorrmmaanncce e iin n R Rooaannookkee? ? D Dooees s iit t llooook k lliikke e iitt’ ’ s s g gooiinng g tto o b be e a a v veerry y ffuulll l yyeeaarr, , p peerrffoorrmmaanncceewwiissee? ?
Another thoughtful and wonderful question! The answer is YES! We are making a lot of ripples on the pond and we will be very busy this summer. We will be in NJ, all over the Carolina’s and especially busy in our hometown: The Triangle in North Carolina! We are taking every opportunity that comes our way to make a difference and share the great songs we have been working on
5 5.) ) A Ammaannddaa, , h hoow w d diid d E Erriic c S Soommmmeer r a annd d tthhe e F Faabbuulloouus s
P Piieeddmmoonntts s c coomme e ttooggeetthheer r a as s a a g grroouupp? ? IIs s tthheerre e a a V VHH1 1
B Beehhiinnd d tthhe e M Muussiic c ssttoorry y yyoou u ccoouulld d sshhaarre e w wiitth h o ouur r rreeaaddeerrs s o on n tthhe e b baanndds s h huummbblle e o orriiggiinnss? ?
As I understand it, Eric was the guest artist at an open jam at The Fainting Goat in FuquayVarina, NC He heard Jimmy playing bass and was interested in getting together They both liked the way they melded right from the start They auditioned or played with other drummers before they asked me to audition I guess they liked what I brought to the dance and now I'm here
6 6 )) E Erriicc, , a as s a a rreennoowwnneed d ssiinnggeer r a annd d ssoonnggwwrriitteerr, , d do o y yoou u w wrriitte e m moosst t o of f tthhe e m maatteerriiaal l ffoor r tthhe e b baanndd, , o or r d dooees s e evveerry y o onne e ccoonnttrriibbuuttee? ?
Yes, a lot of the material is mine, but we’ve all contributed towards a specific sound and we have all left our individual imprints on the material Amanda has put her very unique and earworm rhythms to everything we do, and Jimmy puts the bottom in it that supports the entire ensemble – it’s a study in craftsmanship, musical integration and what can happen skilled musical forces meet and collaborate…
7 7 )) A A q quueessttiioon n ffoor r a alll l o of f yyoouu: : W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s y yoou u m muussiiccaallllyy? ? These guys inspire me every moment we’re together!
Historically I am inspired by the people and players whom I have met on my journey, all the players who showed me how to do things, how to manage my sound
and develop certain phrases and how to compose in the pop and rock idioms Pat Martino in particular was a major influence on me as was Dexter Gordon and Kenny Burell, and I am always added new grooves and tonal complexities to the works we perform.
8 8 )) E Erriicc, , a anny y ffiinnaal l tthhoouugghhtts s w whhiicch h y yoou u m miigghht t lliikke e tto o s shhaarre e w wiitth h rreeaaddeerrs s a abboouut t E Erriic c S Soommmmeer r a annd d tthhe e F Faabbuulloouus s P Piieeddmmoonnttss? ?
We covered a lot of ground here, and the only think left to do is come and see us play live – there is no substitute for live music, and we love the live format for all the excitement it delivers and the sonics it captures, if only for a second or two
Oh, and a big, huge THANK YOU for asking us to be part of this publication, and to take a few minutes and visit us at http://www ericsommer com/piedmonts
“Obrigado a todos, e por favor, visitenos online em www.ericsommer.com, e por favor nos apoie da melhor maneira possível: diga a amigos e familiares para ouvir o que estamos fazendo ”
1 1 )) W Wee’ ’rre e h haappppy y tto o b be e ssppeeaakkiinng g ttooddaay y w wiitth h c ceelleebbrraatteed d N Neew w O Orrlleeaanns s p piiaanniisst t JJoohhn n ““PPaappaa” ” G Grrooss; ; g grreeeettiinnggs s a annd d ssaalluuttaattiioonnss, , JJoohhnn! ! B Beeffoorre e w we e m meeaannddeer r d doowwn n tthhe e m muussiiccaal l Q Q&&A A p paatthhwwaayy, , h hoow w h haas s yyoouur r 2 200223 3 b beeeen n ttrreeaattiinng g yyoou u tthhuus s ffaarr? ? We just finished the Mardi Gras season which was a lot of fun. It felt great to be playing again after Christmas holiday break I’m ready to hit the road for wild adventures
2 2 )) M Maajjoor r c coonnggrraattuullaattiioonns s o on n tthhe e u uppccoommiinng g U U.SS. ttoouurr! ! F Foor r ffaanns s b bootth h o olld d a annd d n neew w tthhaat t a arre e rreeaaddiinng g tthhiiss, , w whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l tthheem m a abboouut t tthhe e n neew w ttoouurr? ?
The new tour is our first of 2023 It’s the first late winter tour I’ve done, so we are playing some venues that I usually do not play during the Sumer touring season It’s exciting
3 3.) ) F Foor r ffaanns s tthhaat t h haavve e yyeet t tto o c caattcch h a a lliivve e sshhoow w w wiitth h y yoou u b buut t a arre e p pllaannnniinng g tto o cchheecck k o ouut t o onne e o of f tthhe e ttoouur r vveennuuees s w whhiicch h yyoouu’’lll l b be e p pllaayyiinng g a att, , w whhaat t ccaan n tthheey y e exxppeecct t ffrroom m a a J Joohhn n ““PPaappaa” ” G Grroos s s shhooww? ?
They are gonna get a great dose of New Orleans music. Of course the party feel good music we will play, but also other types of songs which tell stories and give the listener something to think about
4 4.) ) H Hoow w d do o y yoou u p prreeppaarre e ffoor r a a ttoouur r o of f tthhiis s n naattuurree? ? IIs s p prreeppppiinng g a a b biit t lliikke e a a p prriizzeeffiigghhtteer r rreeaaddyyiinng g ffoor r a a cchhaammppiioonnsshhiip p b boouutt? ?
I haven’t thought of it in that way, but yes Mardi Gras was like a couple of warm up fights, now we are going for the Championship belt! My job is to win the audience each and every night and let them feel and learn something about me, my music and my hometown, New Orleans
5 5 )) W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e u ussiinng g tthhe e ttoouur r a as s a an n o oppppoorrttuunniitty y tto o ttrry y o ouut t ssoomme e n neew w m muussiicc, , o or r w wiilll l yyoou u b be e s sttaannddiinng g ffiirrm m w wiitth h yyoouur r a ammaazziinng g c caattaalloogguue e o of f ttuunnees s w whhiicch h ffaanns s kknnoow w sso o w weellll? ? O Or r p peerrhhaapps s a a lliittttlle e o of f b bootthh? ?
We are playing many new venues on this tour so I’m gonna do a great cross section of my catalog and try to rotate the tunes as much as we can so we are playing different songs every night.
6 6 )) Y Yoouu’ ’rre e ffiirrmmlly y e ennttrreenncchheed d iin n tthhe e ssoouunndds s o of f N Neew w O Orrlleeaanns s a annd d m muussiic c lloovveerrs s g geenneerraalllly y ccaann’’t t tthhiinnk k o of f o onne e w wiitthhoouut t a allsso o tthhiinnkkiinng g o of f tthhe e o otthheer r W Whhaat t d do o tthhoosse e N Neew w O Orrlleeaanns s rrooootts s m meeaan n tto o yyoou u s sppeecciiffiiccaallllyy? ?
Every time I play, I represent a long line of legendary New Orleans music creators, from Louis Armstrong to Fats Domino, from Professor Longhair to Allen Toussaint, from Dr. John to the Meters It’s important I represent the music culture they invented and developed as well as move the lineage forward I must make them proud.
7 7 )) Y Yoouu’ ’rre e a allsso o a an n a accccllaaiimmeed d s siinnggeer r a annd d s soonnggwwrriitteerr. F Foor r y yoou u a as s a an n a arrttiisstt, , w whhiicch h ccoommees s ffiirrsst t –– T Thhe e m muussiic c o or r tthhe e llyyrriiccss? ?
I am definitely a music man first when performing live. But when it comes tp songwriting it varies The first idea could be a lyric or or a vocal sound or it could be a musical riff or chord progression
8 8.) ) Y Yoouu’’lll l b be e p peerrffoorrmmiinng g a a llooccaal l sshhoow w a at t tthhe e B Beeaacchhllaannd d B Baallllrroooom m a annd d T Taavveerrn n iin n C Clleevveellaanndd, , O Ohhiio o ((115577111 1 W Waatteerrllooo o R Rooaadd) ) o on n T Thhuurrssddaayy, , M Maarrcch h 2 2. W Wiilll l tthhiis s b be e yyoouur r ffiirrsst t ttiimme e p peerrffoorrmmiinng g a at t tthhe e B Beeaacchhllaanndd? ? A Annd d iif f ssoo, , d do o yyoou u e evveer r d do o h hoommeewwoorrk k o on n tthhe e vveennuuees s yyoouu’ ’rre e b booookkeed d iinntto o jjuusst t sso o y yoou u ccaan n g geet t a a sseennsse e o of f tthhe e ffllaavvoor r o of f tthhe e llooccaal l a arreeaa? ?
The Beachland Ballroom is a legendary Cleveland music hall, much like Tipitina’s is to New Orleans. It will be my first time playing in Cleveland and my first time playing at the Beachland I’m excited to play in Cleveland because I am often asked if my song “River’s on Fire” was written about the Cuyahoga River Fire, which it wasn’t “River’s on Fire” was written about the rebirth of New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina River meaning the Mississippi River and Fire meaning the city being reborn from the ashes like the phoenix. But because I have been asked frequently about it, I have a learned a little about the significance of the Cuyahoga Fires
9
9.) ) Y Yoouur r ssoollo o d deebbuut t iin n tthhe e ffoorrm m o of f tthhe e w wiillddlly y p pooppuullaar r a annd d w weellllrreeggaarrddeed d D Daayy’ ’ss E Ennd d w wiilll l m maarrk k iitts s 2 200tth h a annnniivveerrssaarry y iin n 2 200224 4 A Arre e tthheerre e a anny y ssppeecciiaal l p pllaanns s a affoooot t tto o rreeccooggnniizze e tthhaat t iimmppoorrttaannt t rreelleeaassee? ?
I’m consider releasing it on vinyl. Don’t you think that would be a good idea?
1 100.) ) W Whho o iinnssppiirrees s yyoou u m muussiiccaallllyy? ? Any musician who plays to their strengths, be it George Porter Jr., Jeff Beck, Yo Yo Ma, Derek ?Trucks, Dr John, Brian Blade, Sara Barellies, or any number of local New Orleans musicians
1 111.) ) Y Yoouur r ssttyylle e o of f m muussiic c m meelldds s ffuunnkk, , rroocckk, , jjaazzzz, , a annd d b blluuees s tto o ccrreeaatte e a a ssoouunnd d u unnlliikke e a annyytthhiinng g e ellsse e o on n tthhe e m muussiic c s scceenne e T To o w whhaat t d do o yyoou u ccrreeddiit t tthhiis s w wiillddlly y b brriilllliiaannt t ccoonnccooccttiioon n o of f d diiffffeerreennt t m muussiic c g geennrreess? ?
For over two hundred years, New Orleans has been accepting of many different cultures and peoples We still accept all the different genres and styles in our music New Orleans is alive with a vibrant culture and our music represents all of it.
1 12 2 )) A Anny y ffiinnaal l tthhoouugghhtts s w whhiicch h y yoou u m miigghht t lliikke e tto o sshhaarre e w wiitth h o ouur r rreeaaddeerrs s rreeggaarrddiinng g yyoouur r n neew w U U S S ttoouurr? ?
I’m ready to make people smile and dance and dance and smile!
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
Reed here, we’re pretty good. Staying busy for sure!
W Whhaat t c caan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Precursor is an EP that includes subject matter and musical material that sets us up to move into the next release: The Cthulhu Dreamt TTRPG.
It’s the thing that comes before, and goes over not only material for the futuristic military but also themes for
the cosmic creatures that fill the game.
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
The process was pretty great. It was actually only going to be a single, but we’re always so inspired and end up with so much more material than we intend, so it turned into an EP. Add to that; we invited friends of ours to reenvision some of our songs, and so the streaming release includes half a dozen more tracks that are in different genres to fill out more of the sound world of Cthulhu Dreamt.
W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
The inspiration always comes from the story, and and the world of Cthulhu Dreamt, which is now expanding greatly into even more spaces, and allowing fans and followers to get more granular in the world by playing the game.
W Wiilll l y yoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s y yeeaarr? ? After the production of thee game and everything associated with it, we’ll begin work on the third album which we’ll then begin taking to the stage.
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
The biggest thing happening in our world is the impending Kickstarter for The Cthulhu Dreamt TTRPG. This project of the chapter includes the game, massive original soundtrack, novel, comic, and a playable ARG!
We’d love for people to check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/actionfiction/cthulhudreamtrpgandaccompanyingsoundtrack?
ref=discovery
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
Dyvan: Welcome very warmly :)
We are OK! I hope you too :)
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d yyoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Dyvan: Initially, the meaning behind this title was quite drastic, because there was a high probability that it would be the last release in the band's history. However, fate turned a bit. There have been changes in the lineup of the team. At the same time, in connection with these events, we also changed the meaning of the title
And so it remained that "ROTend" is the end of a quite long period in the band's activity, and at the same time the beginning of a new one :)
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
Dyvan: 90% of the recording process took place at home. Only the vocal parts were recorded in a studio, my parts in Rzeszów, and the parts of Kiszka, our bass player, were recorded in a studio in Potrsmouth, England.
W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
Dyvan: The inspiration is realityAbout which we often write in a direct way, but also in an abstract way, sometimes quite brutal ;) The music of the 90s, of course, also affects us, it cannot be omitted ;)
W Wiilll l y yoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ?
Dyvan: Yes, at the moment we have two weekends booked in June, one of the concerts will be in Slovakia, the other 3 in our area. Of course, we are working on the next concerts, we are open to suggestions!
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n yyoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
Dyvan: Concerts, work on the next album concerts and so on :)
Thank you for the opportunity to write a few words in Vents!
If you are interested in our music, please follow the links:
https://www.facebook.com/ SupeROTic
https://www.instagram.com/ epitomegrindcore/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 4tHVH1q8zd3PkuolrF7KEi?
si=Isi0xIwoSUSFkXvxms5jxg
https://www.youtube.com/ @epitomegrindcore
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
Hello everybody, thank you very much, we have been great!
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ? Our latest release is entitled “Proud to Love You.” The fourteen songs on this album were inspired by the different emotions around romantic love from ecstasy to agony, from serenity to heartache, but with a clear bias on the pleasant aspects. Isn't love what makes our existence worthwhile? Isn't it worth all the suffering, waiting, fear and despair that often accompany the experience? Isn't it true that we can do anything, endure anything and be anything if we do it in the name of / or with the power of love? And, most importantly: Isn't it heaven on earth when it (finally!) works out?
Especially the last question is embedded most of the songs which can carry us deep into the realm of our hearts.
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceesss s The whole production of this album wa very exciting. The album contains track from different periods of my life – thus som I wrote years ago, some very recently, bu they are all about emotions related to love
We recorded the songs over the past tw years (with one exception, the voice of m late friend Jörg Horner in “Sugar Refinery was recorded more than ten years ago) the Netherlands and in Austria, and it wen smoothly as always.
W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffo o tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
The inspiration comes mostly from m personal experiences, in this cas
concerning (romantic) love Writing a song typically started with me picking up the guitar and playing something. Every now and then, all of a sudden, I would play something that “felt right, that expressed my emotions at that time – and the I quickly took pen and paper and wrote down lyrics (which normally accompany the music naturally) to what I played and sang them. Then I rehearsed it until neither lyrics, the melody nor the chords / riffs / licks changed anymore. This “unplugged” versions I then presented to the band and discussed with them how to develop them into fullband versions, thus which kind of drums/ percussion would fit, additional voices, bass line, eguitar parts, saxophone, etc.. Then we put it all together until everybody liked it as a whole – and the songs were finished.
No, not together – but Orion Roos (electr guitars) will have gigs with his ban MAESTRO (together with bass player Pete Douwenga) and with the Metal Bats; Li Herderberg (vocals) will play live with he band LiLa Y Geckos, and drummer Joha van der Meer plays live regularly at music events.
We are currently busy recording our ne album, which will be a hard rock / heav metal album (in contrast to our curren release, which is a soft rock / ballad album), which we aim to release in 2024. A the moment we are discussing possible gig after that album is finished.
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ? Alec Cavazos: What up VENTS!
Destin Cavazos: Hello VENTS! Good to be back!
AC: We’ve been doing great and we’re excited to roll into 2023 well, I guess it’s almost spring so we’re already rolling
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d yyoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
AC: Our current single is called “Lusitania” off of our debut album (NoBreaksNoBreaksNoBreaks). The song was originally called Another Night, and I think it was the second song I wrote and liked during lockdown in 2020 (Lassie being the first) When COVID hit Destin and I were staying at our parent's house and we just wrote a ton of new stuff. Since we were kids we would get together in our room and just play songs so it was pretty much like it was then the two of us jamming and writing stuff.
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
DC: Well like Alec said, when COVID first hit we were both staying at home and it was kind of like when we
were kids just jamming and writing and doing whatever we could to keep busy. We wrote a ton of new stuff but couldn’t really record anything outside of our bedroom But once things let up a bit we took a couple songs into Hidden City Studios back home and recorded those. It was the fastest recordings I think we ever did cause no one knew if we would go back into lockdown or a different pandemic crazy shit during that time
AC: The first two songs were called “Lassie” and “Elizabeth” and they were just supposed to be like a double single or something Just something to put out there and say hey look, we’re still a band.
So we put the songs out and then they started getting some airplay and then they were getting more airplay and we thought people seem to like those so we should just do a whole album
DC: Recording was still a bit crazy cause we still had to follow social distancing and stuff. Towards the end of recording we were allowed to be in the same room but for the most part it would be one of us in one room, someone in another A lot of back and forth
g f f a d k k t
online but it got done!
W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
AC: For Lusitania, it really all started with me wanting to write a song with the word “inconceivable”, I must’ve just watched Princess Bride Anyways, the song is basically about a relationship falling apart but also being saved by just being together or at least wanting to save it. Now this wasn’t exactly something that was occurring in my life at that moment, but it’s something I had kinda felt before The lyrics really just came to me once I started writing them and the story evolved from that. The song definitely changed and evolved over time since the first demos, from the lyrics to the way the chorus was sung, but that’s how almost all songs work, sit with it and you’ll change or mind or get recommendations for how to improve until you get the final product
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s y yeeaarr? ?
AC: For sure! We love playing live and can’t wait to get back on stage We did some over Christmas break last year and it was awesome We have shows coming up during Spring Break so if you’re out in
SoCal come out and see us. First 10 people to mention VENTS magazine will get some exPorter schwag
DC: We’re also planning our biggest tour this Summer heading out all across the western US. We’ve got some dates locked in and we’re pretty excited to get out to where people don’t know who we are We’re still just starting out and have been really lucky to play some great venues up and down California but we’re anxious to drive a little further
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n yyoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
AC: Right now it’s pushing and pushing for Lusitania to get out there The song hit #15 on the chart and we’re just trying to get more people to give it a listen Last week it was on the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer’s in The Underground Garage show on SirusXM so that was pretty cool We all grew up in Southern California and Rodney is a fricken icon! Pretty humbling to be anywhere in the mix of bands that guy has put out there so we’re just hoping more good things happen
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e y yoou u b beeeenn? ?
We are bloody Awesome mate thanks for asking!
W Whhaat t ccaan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d yyoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Take Me Away relates to all the bullshit we have seen around the world in the last few years & what a joke it has become. We are basically saying take me away, get me out of here. There has to be somewhere better than this where we can escape the rapid deterioration of this world. Music has always been a great avenue for me to escape. It takes me away to a happier place normally & we are hoping that our music can do the
same for others out there.
?
It was great. We just let things flow naturally in our writing process to let the songs take form Recording is always fun too We recorded all guitars & vocals for this album in our own little studio It was a nice, relaxed feel, no rushing through i on the clock & we had fun while doing it But we always have fun no matter wha were doing. That is our mantra.
Most all our songs are born through life experience. You get an idea or certain topic come to mind & just build from
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?there. It always happens very organically. We find that the best songs are the ones that you don’t force, they just click. If we are going over & over a song to make it work its usually not right & we just move on to the next one.
to rest in the Fake News camp because after that our focus will be set on anothe full length album for 2024. Its easy to stay up to date just check out our socials i has everything you need to know & plenty of random funny footage
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ? Hopefully. Nothing booked as yet but we would love to get an east coast tour in down to Sydney & Melbourne. Its been a few years now so we are overdue & definitely ready
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
We need to get back into the studio to record our next single with the aim to release mid year. There is not much time
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si=ecYPi0nVTyOVDhUww1dt4Q
1 1 H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! !
H Hoow w h haavve e y yoou u b beeeenn? ?
1 Hi, thanks. We've been doing well, working on new songs that we'll start recording very soon. We're also spending time building our own studio
2 2 W Whhaat t c caan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d yyoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
2 " A thousand Shadows" Well, I wrote this song some time last year trying to evoke some dark gothic imagery because I love those elements in literature, the ghosts, the haunted places.kept writing it I
realized that what I had just written was the way a past love made me feel. Haunted by those memories like shadows, wanting to be that one special person in the crowd. ‘’A thousand shadows’’ sort of tells this story, but, to be honest, as an artist I am quite moved by the idea of leaving people to have their own interpretation to whatever song they like.
3 3HHoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
3 For this particular song Rafa had the chords and the rhythm guitar for this song was builtup. I listened to
it and then came up with some lyrics, cause I usually write on a day to day basis. The melody came right after that and soon we had the song more or less finished
4 4 W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
4 Well, basically they are personal experiences. things and events that we keep in our mind as a memory.
5 5WWiilll l y yoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ?
5 We are preparing a tour for next Spring that will include a national part and another outside our
borders, we are very excited. We hope that everything goes well.
6 6WWhhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
6 Well, as we said at the beginning, we are working on some songs that we want to record, also the tour for next spring and promotional aspects such as a video and the design of the album covers. We basically try to do everything ourselves.
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
We have been pretty busy this past year with member changes as well as writing and recording. We added Mikey Woolard on drums and Drew Salzano on Bass. The rest of the lineup is still filled out by myself on vocals and keyboards, Noreen Javersak on vocals, and Joe Matijasic on guitars.
W Whhaat t c caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Our new single Unraveling Sanity just dropped February 2nd on all streaming sites accompanied with a lyric video. This song is a bit different from our previous releases, to me it sounds like
symphonic, industrial, numetal, deathcore….we recently have dubbed it as Industrialcore.
Writing the song was relatively quick and easy, we had a lot of pent up creativity due to losing members during the shutdown. Unraveling Sanity is the first song we wrote with Mikey. We thought the song was finished and ended up adding that little break in the middle last moment before recording. Pretty epic sounding stuff. Art of Corruption will be the name of the full length, everything is recorded and produced by myself and the rest of Inherently Lost via my home studio
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
Entwined Recordings.
W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
Noreen wrote the lyrics, I only trimmed them down and rearranged to fit the song sonically. To me it is about the struggle within your own mind and multiple voices in my head represented by the dual vocals throughout the song. Musically I started writing the song with that opening synthesizer riff, and we just jammed out a couple more parts that felt good.
W Wiilll l y yoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s y yeeaarr? ?
Currently we are weekend warriors. Upcoming shows we have the Metal & Mead show March 25th in Beach City,
Ohio. April 15th in Cleveland at the Maple Grove with Detest the Throne, and July 22nd in Youngstown with the Breezeway.
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
We will be releasing a Motley Crue cover next month followed up with a couple more singles, then looking to finish tracking the rest of Art of Corruption by the beginning of June for a late summer release.
Mark Moats Inherently Lost/Vocals
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ? L Liioonneel l W WEERRNNEERRTT: : W Weellll, , h heellllo o tto o e evveerryybbooddy y !! W Wee’ ’rre e s so o h haappppy y tto o b be e p paarrt t o of f yyoouur r ccoolluummn n w wiitth h m my y b baannd d L Leee e O O’’NNeelll l B Blluuees s G Gaanng g !! Gipsy BACUET: Hi guys ! Yes, that is fantastic to be there with you all to talk a little about us and our latest album «This is us»!
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Lionel: OK, I’ll try to make the story short !! Well, I decided to form my own group in 2019 whereas I’ve been playing with many artists and bands since I started to play guitar when I was 11 years old, so nearly 42 years ago now! In reality , I was waiting for the right voice which could sing my songs.
Gipsy: And that was me, we met each others 20 years ago, played music together and formed a duet in 2012. Then in 2019, Lionel decided to add musicians to form Lee O’Nell Blues Gang And less than 6 months latter, he took us to the studio to record the first album « Different Shades Of Love », released in Sept 2020
Lionel: Then the pandemic have done the rest, lockdown at home with 1000 CDs which were waiting to meet public while concerts So I decided to compose another one, and « This is us » was released on Sept 2022.
Gipsy: The first one was around an only one theme: Love
And «This is us» is a part more intimate of us, maybe thanks to the pandemic that forced us to make a kind of autoanalysis, and think about human relations
Lionel: Yes, in this album there are tears and joy, happiness and disappointment, anger and hopes And of course, some lyrics written by Gipsy with her pleasure to play with extremes and opposites that allows me to compose around Blues, Rock, Swing, Soul and some Jazzy touch
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
Lionel: It’s always the same diagram if I can say, I’m the only composer and Gipsy is the author
Gipsy: The thing that can change is that sometimes the lyrics came first to give the main theme and Lionel compose the music around that. And sometimes, Lionel brings me a music asking for lyrics with a special meaning
Lionel: And most of all, I don’t want to stay closed in a unique style, for example not a traditional blues roots, but the atmosphere of it mixed to a modern way to compose I enjoy vintage sound, with a very low saturation in a contemporary Blues Rock I play with atmospheres, for example in the song « The man in the corner » which is about the death and the lack of my father, Gipsy wrote « welcome to the dance… ». Original it was supposed to be a sentimental and almost sad song, but thanks to her words, I put some kind of rumba in
the rhythm and the harmony which gives the track a less solemn side, and the result is absolutely not over played and too much lyrical.
W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
Lionel: In every day moments, my entire experience, my life and all the music I’ve been listening to since my teenage From Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin or Rainbow for the rock side to Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Albert King, Eric Gales, Christone Kingfish Ingram or Joe Bonamassa among others for the Blues Side.
Gipsy: I am passionated by human relations, their ambiguity, their paradox and the feelings that 2 persons can experiment for a same event So I can as well write about addictions like in « Kiss me again », than about violences made to women as we did in «Never again» But I can also write a sentimental and melancholic song for my daughter, and another one about how the word is going on
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ?
Gipsy: Yes, we’re gonna play in France (where we are living!) with some great concerts, opening for Ana Popovic or The Cinelly Brothers for example
Lionel: And we will start to play in Belgium, and are waiting for a little tour in Germany We would really like to play in
England, Netherlands in those countries where the Blues Rock culture is really present and active, and where public comes to concerts !
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n yyoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
Gipsy: Looking for some booking agencies in several countries, because as a self produced band, we had to put all the caps in our head, and it’s quite difficult ! Our place is in the van and on stage, and all this booking job is so timeconsuming !
Lionel: The 3rd album of course, already in my mind !!
Thank you all, and looking forwards to meet you somewhere someday on the road !
Gipsy: And you can follow us here if you like!
Site web : https://www leeonellbluesgang com
Youtube : https://www youtube com/channel/UCU9bcdZUVh2 EM83NxyjFg
Spotify : https://open spotify com/artist/ 4uU0QwUeHcEk1e7tsANRjH
Deezer : https://www deezer com/fr/artist/107074722
Facebook : https://www facebook com/leeonellbluesgang/
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
We have been great, just got back from tour last month and writing a bunch of new music.
W Whhaat t c caan n y yoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d yyoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Our most recent release is Victims and the meaning behind the song is about addiction and the excuses people make for not getting help or trying to be a better person. The song is about when someone acts like a victim
when the true victims are the ones who have to deal with them and their poor life choices.
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
The song made itself over the day when we were in the studio, we went full blown tough guy in this song. The writing process seems to always work no matter what, we get snags here and there whether its timing or something that doesn't fit right for the riff but we find a healthy balance between everyone in the band
that is writing
W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
Usually Greg, our vocalist, has some sort of vision that he has come off the top of his head and then as the song develops he starts getting to vocals as fast as he can. He writes a lot of poems so he can write so much lyrically that he does it with ease.
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ?
We have headlined every show in our hometown and sold them all out, we are planning on hitting the road a good bit this year. We are just waiting on a bunch of logistical planning.
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n yyoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
We are putting out a bunch of music, we have some music videos in the talking phase about it all. We will have to see what the future holds for us.
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e yyoou u b beeeenn? ?
Hey, thanks for having us! We’re doing great!
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ? Our last release was Sunglasses After Sex, which came out on December 17. The title was definitely a play on cigarettes after sex
I [James Moore, vocalist/guitarist] have a thing for sunglasses and I just liked how it sounded. Like most of our music, I usually figure out the meaning behind the title and lyrics after I write it, if that makes sense In this case, I think it might kind of refer to the idea of seeing something more clearly. If you want to take the metaphor literally I guess you could say it means postnut clarity so to speak
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ? We wrote it over maybe six months – it started with a guitar riff I had and then over time that evolved into a full song. Lyrics were the last part as always The recording process was surprisingly quick – we actually recorded all the drums, synths, guitars, and vocals in one day at a studio near Medford, Oregon where we live. Landon [Strine, bassist] actually got bit by a dog the day before we were set to record, so he laid down his tracks a few weeks later. We all mixed it together over a few weeks, which was a fun experience – I guess it would be more accurate to say Landon mixed it and the rest of us stood over his shoulder and made various unhelpful suggestions.
W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
I touched on this a little earlier. It’s definitely
a sexy song. But it’s also about climate change – I think whenever you’re getting a little preachy in a song you have to dress it up in something less in your face In this case, the lyrics are touching on the idea of climate change, wilful ignorance about its existence and severity, and useless online activism – like Facebook profile frames –rather than taking real lasting action Of course, all that is partially obscured by lyrics about a shallow relationship based on sex and drugs. The Winifred in the chorus is just a name I liked – I enjoy using unusual names in my lyrics as placeholders, rather than using common names or names of people I know personally.
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s y yeeaarr? ? Yeah hopefully, we plan on it. We’re working on writing and recording LP3 so if that is finished this year we’ll definitely be touring
the west coast in support of it. All our upcoming tour dates are at nightbirdcasino.com/live.
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n yyoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
We’re currently recording another single right now – it’ll hopefully be dropping at the end of March. Recording for this one has been moving much slower than Sunglasses. We’ve also got a lot of local shows planned over the spring/summer – and of course we’ve been working on our third LP for a while and working on the new material at shows. We’re excited to share that with the world, hopefully by the end of 2023!
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e y yoou u b beeeenn? ?
TGC: Hi!! Thanks for having us back!
W Whhaat t c caan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
TGC: This upcoming album is called the "Collaboration Project" ( to be released April 28,2023). The recurrent theme is the music industry I would say. Our latest release "The Showdown" is about taking chances, being out there and reaching out to ... just about everyone in the industry without getting any response and letting them know that with or without them I am going for it. Our upcoming single "Freshmeat Rockstars" is a mix of how people can
see us, when they don't know that we have been around for years, and the new generation of bands that are coming out. This single comes out soon, March 31, 2023. I am pretty excited. :)
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
TGC: A lot of it was in my studio, I usually make all the demos by myself and then when I feel ready, I get in touch with Jason Orme and this time I brought in Norm Block who produces many many artists including L7. I wanted to get a new approach and try different things. Some of the songs were recorded by Jason in his Noho studio and then I wrote a few more songs that I wanted to add to the EP (now album).
Those were recorded at Norm's. The songs recorded at Norm's were a little bit of a challenge for me because my drummer had just left the band and to be honest, I just could not afford to get a session musician, so I played the drums. It was a lot of pressure but we did and I am really happy with the results.
W Whheerre e d diid d y yoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e ssoonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ?
TGC: It always comes naturally, whatever goes through my mind and what I feel at the time If it is strong enough, it is going to come out like a burst of emotions that I need to release. I must have been thinking a lot about the industry lately. ;)
?
TGC: Yeah Actually it is kind of amazing. We started the year opening for Life of Agony, Prong and Madball. We toured Europe and the UK. From that tour, we got offered to open for Wednesday 13, Sick'n Beautiful and South of Salem, so we are going back on the road in April. And... there is more coming but I can't announce yet ;) .
Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
TGC: When I am home I write and prepare demos so..I am looking forward to recording some new songs I have been working on. :)
W Wiilll l yyoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s y yeeaarr?
W
H Hi i g guuyyss, , w weellccoomme e tto o V VEENNTTSS! ! H Hoow w h haavve e y yoou u b beeeenn? ?
Thanks for having us again, we’ve been fine and dandy making some more hits in the bedroom studio!
W Whhaat t ccaan n yyoou u tteelll l u us s a abboouut t tthhe e ttiittlle e a annd d m meeaanniinng g b beehhiinnd d y yoouur r m moosst t rreecceennt t rreelleeaassee? ?
Our new single “The Altar” out 7th April is told through the lens of an atheist considering jilting their partner in marriage to be, this is really a song about facing huge life changes. In an act of desperation, the atheist turns to ask for
guidance at the altar of a church, from a deity they don’t really believe in.
H Hoow w w waas s tthhe e rreeccoorrddiinng g a annd d w wrriittiinng g p prroocceessss? ?
Jonny orchestrated the track and Jack put lyrics to the chorus melodies and the rest fell into place, the majority was recorded in Jonny’s bedroom studio and then the drums were recorded at the legendary Blueprint Studios in Salford.
W Whheerre e d diid d yyoou u g guuyys s ffiinnd d tthhe e
iinnssppiirraattiioon n ffoor r tthhe e s soonng g a annd d llyyrriiccss? ? We wanted to capture where our minds can go when faced with something totally new – and how irrational our thought processes can be, and he song has an overall gospelesque tone to it that contributed to some of the more churchie elements lyrically.
W Wiilll l y yoou u b be e h hiittttiinng g tthhe e rrooaad d tthhiis s yyeeaarr? ?
We’ve been focusing a lot this year as a duo on the writing and recording process which has been amazing which we’ll continue into
the summer so no dates as of yet. However Jack will be hitting the road, and he won’t be coming back no more no more no more.
W Whhaat t e ellsse e iis s h haappppeenniinng g n neexxt t iin n y yoouur r w woorrlldd? ?
After our upcoming single we’re brining out our second EP which has much more of a soulful influence that combines with our usual indie pop. Out this summer so stay tuned for plenty more content/Videos!