Interviews
We spoke with Ricky Dana (guitar and vocals) and Wyn Barnum (guitar and vocals) about their amazing band, Phoneboy. Unfortunately James Fusco (bassist) was unavaliable at the time of the interview. Based out of Hoboken, New Jersey, the band is comprised of three talented college students who have used music as a medium to express themselves in a manner that makes their songs relatable and interesting to listen to. The realm of indie-rock lets the band show their many sides through the ever changing definition of the genre. They have recently released their EP, Handheld, so be sure to check it out here! WCBG: Please introduce yourselves and tell us a fun fact about you! Wyn: Hi, I'm Wyn and I'm a vegetarian. Ricky: Hi, I'm Ricky and I have never been skiing or snowboarding WCBG: What's the local scene like in Hoboken? Phoneboy: Wyn and James are from San Francisco, and Ricky is from Toms River, New Jersey. We are based out of Hoboken [New Jersey]. Wyn and Ricky attend Stevens Institute of Technology and James goes to Fordham University. We never realized how big the Jersey scene was until we joined it. WCBG: How did you guys become a group? Ricky: Wyn and I met the first day of school. Wyn saw that I had a guitar and we found out that we listened to the same things. We went to a show together. We actually met again at a fraternity rush event, we are in that fraternity now, and after rush we started to jam together. We wrote a lot of chord progressions and melodies together. The band got together in February 2018, and we wrote some more stuff. Wyn: I knew James from home and since he goes to Fordham I invited him to jam together and it worked immediately. I write a lot of the choruses, Ricky writes the verses, and James writes a killer bassline. WCBG: What's your writing process like? Phoneboy: One of us will come up with an idea. Like one night at 3am we met in a park and started working off a voice memo that was previously recorded and start to write the guitar riffs and work with lyrics we wrote previously. WCBG: What is your favorite part of a song you've written? Wyn: The bridge of "1987." Oh, I just want your lips to taste Ricky: It has to be off our latest single, "FOMO." Everybody's winning super-bowls WCBG: What is your favorite venue that you've played in?
Phoneboy: 4333 at Rowan University. A lot of people came out and we love doing house shows. This was the first mosh pit we saw to our music from people we didn't know. WCBG: What are you currently listening to? Ricky: A lot of pop-punk, like Free Throw, "Two Beers In" has been on repeat, it's so angsty. Wyn: Wallows and Oliver Tree. WCBG: What is your opinion of streaming services like Spotify? Phoneboy: It is definitely a big debate. Yeah we are paid less but the algorithms are so good. It's great that independent bands can get exposure to thousands of people. Spotify is definitely positive for independent artists, it is great for growth through the Discover Weekly and the Release Radar. WCBG: Describe your sound in three words. Phoneboy: Can we each do three words? WCBG: Of course! Phoneboy: Energetic, Witty, and Catchy... Not that bad. WCBG: What artists inspire you to be a better musician? Wyn: Blink-182. Their hook writing is amazing. Ricky: We are both big Remo Drive fans so the mid-west emo sound is catchy especially with tempo switches. Rex Orange County is huge for me for verse writing since they come from specific influences. Also, Frank Ocean since his words have a lot of double meanings. Wyn: The District and Hippocampus as well. WCBG: How did you pick your respective instruments? Wyn: I was in elementary school and I wanted to figure out which instrument to pick. I picked out a Yamaha guitar and it's been mine ever since. In 6th grade I went through a metal phase, which is kinda random-- the best part about playing is playing with other musicians. Ricky: When I was younger my mom taught be how to play the twelve string so I took lessons until middle school. Then I played the viola. Guitar seemed like a natural progression. WCBG: How did you come up with the name Phoneboy? Ricky: So I was staring at my phone like a zombie and Wyn was trying to engage us in conversation and he said get off your phone you phoneboy. It became a vocal term we used and we started using that to release our music. WCBG: What are you plans for the new decade of 2020? Phoneboy: To release our new EP, Handheld. We also dropped our single "FOMO," the music video was filmed in Ikea. We are going to start working on an album and record it at Lakehouse in Asbury Park. We also have some shows coming up. If you really enjoyed today's interview follow Phoneboy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Check out their music here
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WCBG spoke with Brian Falduto, Wagner and WCBG alum, class of 2014. Brian releases heart-felt songs that delve into deeper stories with touching meanings. It was a pleasure to speak with him about his upcoming music video for his song, “God Loves Me Too.” You may recognize him from the movie School of Rock (which was filmed at Wagner) as Billy, a.k.a. (“Fancy Pants”). Brian is so much more than the one role, his career as a life-coach and his experience in the industry is truly an inspiration for our Wagner students. As a Wagner alum, we were wondering what your favorite class at Wag was? Definitely one of my theater performance classes. I would say one of the acting classes—musical theater history taught by Amy. What was your favorite role that you’ve performed at Wagner? I would have to say the Dance Project; I was part of that all four years at Wagner. It always challenged my dance skills and was so much fun. Why did you come to Wagner? Contrary to popular belief it was not because of School of Rock. I did a lot of college tours and I loved the campus. The theater program is well-known and reputable. Wagner had everything I wanted. The school is a safe environment to explore yourself and figure out who you are. I was a double major in theater performance and arts administration, which I believe was only done once. What music are you currently listening to? Primary genre probably country but I listen to a lot of different things. Like oldies like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and also smooth jazz. You’re going on a road trip, what are three songs on your playlist? “Without Love” from Hairspray “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flats “Starships” by Nicki Minaj What do you do when you’re not writing music or working as a life coach? When I’m not writing music, I’m life-coaching and when I’m not life-coaching… I’m socializing. I’m a bit of an introvert. I love exercising, watching TV and movies. I’m super passionate about writing music and life-coaching. What’s your writing process like? I like to set time aside to let the creative juices flow. I’ll actually be in Nashville at the end of February to write for six weeks. I go through creative bursts—it’s about making the song come to life. What is one thing you would change about the music industry as it is today? I would like to see more representation of the LGBTQ in the industry, especially in country music. Country can be a limiting genre, but it is the new pop. Pop doesn’t exist anymore; country is there to fill the void. It’s about simple melodies and lyrics with heart felt stories. It is all about storytelling. Describe your sound in three words. Lyric Driven Melodies. I like to write from my truth, I start with a lyric and have it guide the vibe of what I want to say, to find the story. What is your favorite lyric that you’ve written? “You know the moon never actually changes/we just take what we can see, and we call it phases.” Can you tell us a little bit about your new song “God Loves Me Too?” I’ll be releasing a new music video; it’s supported by GLAD and the Trevor Project. There will be some big names involved like Scott Rudin, Richard Linklater, and Lance Bass. It’s about my experience growing up in the church as a gay man. The song is about people who want to be loved and accepted and to be loved and accepted for who they are. It’s short film style and it follows younger me. At the end of the video younger me finds me at the end with my band. It’s a positive message. What are your plans for 2020? I’m going to write for a while and put out the music video. Continue life-coaching. I’m just following the next best thing. I’ll be releasing a lot more music as well as making a few PRIDE appearances. You can follow Brian on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Check out his music here Canon Hill is a band that hails from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The young musicians release high-energy music that is raw and passionate. The various influences and sound they produce set them apart from other young artists in regard to their versatility. It was a pleasure talking to the band about what is in store for them in 2020! The band is comprised of Ben Hayden, Logan Tichnor, Noah Pelty, and Gabe Duff. WCBG: How did you guys become a band? Canon Hill: Ben and Logan have been friends since the 1st grade, and when in 8th grade they decided to write and record music together. The rest of us got mixed into the fold later on. WCBG: How did you pick your respective instruments? Logan: I loved Aerosmith from a young age and I thought the guitar would be pretty cool, so I picked it up. Noah: I went to a boarding school in Montana and it was a fully functional ranch, there was nothing to listen to music wise unless you made your own. I begged my mom for a guitar and before I met Logan, I exclusively played acoustic. Ben: In middle school band I played the drums. I took lessons at the same place Logan did since it was easier for one of our parents to take the both of us. I started playing set around then. Gabe: I played piano when I was 8 and then in high school, I started playing guitar and bass. WCBG: What type of music do you listen to? Noah: We all listen to different styles of music. I listen to a lot of music in the folk realm as well as old-school country and bands like Mumford & Sons. Gabe: I listen to everything. Writing wise I like indie, folk, and jazz. Logan: Jack Johnson and Sublime. I’ve been listening to a lot of west coast punk bands like SWMRS and FIDLAR. Also, old rap like NWA, and some new pop like FUN. Ben: I listen to the same stuff I did in middle school. All Time Low, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, stuff like that. WCBG: You guys are from Cape Cod… Canon Hill: We all are except for Noah. The band is based on Cape Cod. Logan and Ben are from Harwich ad Gabe is from Brewster. WCBG: What’s the local scene like on the Cape? Canon Hill: The local scene is a bunch of high school kids under 21. The only places to gig at are bars. It’s not as good of a community as we would like but we do get to stand out. We’ve had to play three-hour sets which has pushed us to learn as much as possible and write our own music. The scene itself is not super alive, it’s more so a small underground scene. There are a lot of cover bands. WCBG: What’s your writing process like? Canon Hill: It normally starts with one of us and then we add layers to what we already have to form a complete song. WCBG: What’s one thing you would change about the music industry as it is today? Logan: I think the music industry has flipped lately. In the past you could only put out music if you had a record deal. I would say the rates of recording studios should decrease so they’re more accessible. We went from physical cd’s and vinyl’s to streaming. It’s low money so you need to tour a lot or do ad deals and sponsorship. WCBG: What is your opinion of streaming services like Spotify? Canon Hill: It is easily accessible, and you have the complete collection. You’re renting the music and not owning a physical copy of it. I miss having a physical copy I can retreat to. WCBG: You mentioned that you prefer having a physical copy, do you collect vinyl? Canon Hill: Yes, we do. WCBG: What is your favorite album in your personal collection? Gabe: It changes a lot. I really love Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It’s not just background music you can hear all the complex melodies. Logan: Musically it would have to be Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, it’s perfectly imperfect. Sentimentally, it would have to be FUN.’s live album. [Before Shane Went to Bangkok: Live in the USA] Noah: Robin Williams’ Live at the Met [ropolitan Opera]. It was my dad’s and it is so worn and listened to. I also have my grandma’s Beatles’ 45s which is exactly what Americans were listening to when The Beatles first came here. WCBG: Can you tell me about your full-length album dropping in April? Canon Hill: We don’t want one genre to define us. It’s what we want to do and who we want to be; we don’t want to be in a box of any kind. Gabe will be playing banjo on one of the tracks. It’s about our lives ad something different. We don’t want to do the same thing over and over again. WCBG: What are your plans for 2020? Canon Hill: To do new, different, and exciting things! Our tastes have grown, and our music is now more complex, interesting, and relevant. It can mean more to more people. We are also working on creating more merch! You can follow Canon Hill on Instagram and Facebook You can listen to their music here The Home Team is pop-punk/pop-rock that we have been rocking out to a lot lately (shout out to Guild 4 for not complaining about our music taste)! Hailing from Seattle, Washington the band has a unique sound that perfectly blends punk and rock aspects from the music we loved growing up to. We spoke with Brian Butcher (vocals) and Daniel Matson (drums) about their recent album release, Better Off and their plans for the future. WCBG: How did you guys become a band? Daniel: John and I were in a hardcore band before The Home Team was a thing. John wrote some pop-punk demos and we hashed out some of the ideas. The Home Team was a side project of ours for a while and then the metal bands we were part of disbanded. In 2013, we started The Home Team full time and Brian is actually our second full time singer. Then in 2018, we released our first full length album, Better Off. WCBG: What’s the local scene like in Seattle? Daniel: There’s a lot of metal and hardcore bands and indie is popular. There aren’t a lot of Warped Tour or pop-punk bands in Seattle, metalcore is thriving. WCBG: If you could be any utensil in the kitchen, what would you be and why? Brian: Daniel would be a lemon zester Daniel: I’d be a heat resistant spatula so I wouldn’t be affected by the burns from my band-mates Brian: I’d be a knife. WCBG: What would you be doing if you weren’t making music? Daniel: I’m part of a startup company, and I used to manage bands—people on Twitch, but I recently had to give that up. On the side, I print t-shirts. I’d basically be doing the same thing I’m doing now except I might have more time and energy to put into Twitch streaming and to participate in more marketing tours. Brian: I’d work for this brewing company in Seattle; It’s a trendy brewery. I really enjoy craft beer and trying different types of craft beer when I travel for work or for The Home Team. WCBG: What are you currently listening to? Brian: As a band we collectively listen to Don Bronco. I actually don’t listen to pop-punk, I like a lot of lo-fi, like the chill out beats to study with playlists on Spotify. The chord progressions and instrumentation are so good. I really like this artist, Birochratic. This type of music actually inspired the vocal parts I’ve written for Better Off. Daniel: From Indian Lakes is one of my favorite bands. I remember seeing their shows early on in about 2012. I listen to a lot of podcasts. When I’m driving, I don’t like to listen to music since I’m around music so much. WCBG: Tell us about your album Better Off? The Home Team: There were a lot of minds that worked on the process. Ryan, our guitarist, and Rob, our bassist, worked on a lot of the music for the album. Rob added more of the pop-punk sounding songs, he wrote the instrumentals for “She’s Quiet” and “Ageless.” Ryan wrote a lot of the rock riffs. John probably wrote the most for the album- he wrote “Jack of All Trades” and “Since We All Fell Apart.” The record is drastically different, it’s dynamic. The next record will be a little more cohesive sounding. Brian: I wrote a lot of the vocals. It was about two years of writing. “Fashion Forward” is probably one of the oldest. I wrote this one instrumentally. Daniel: “Jack of All Trades” is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest song. We released the acoustic version of that one on our first EP with Brian in about 2016 or 2017. Brian: The album is a collection of stories. Basically, the album describes my college life. There is an actual chronological order and track list to show the meaning of the songs, it’s not the track list on the album. WCBG: What is your opinion of releasing an artists unreleased music after they’ve passed away, should it be released or should it not? Daniel: It should be released; I think the question should be more so if the label should make a profit off of it? Where do the royalties go, will the go to the family, charity in the persons name, or their heirs? Brian: You don’t get to make fine tuning on the tracks, but they have probably worked with people they trusted who could carry on the process for them. WCBG: Describe your sound in three words. Brian: Can we agree that the first word is rock? Daniel: I was going to say Fall Out Boy not musically or based on sound, just inspirationally. Inspiration wise we never got over that phase. Brian: I would say Paramore for writing style Daniel: It’s the era of music we grew up listening to. John is seven years older than Brian, so they grew up in a different musical time period. Fall out Boy was established when Brian began listening to them. So, the musical and lyrical influences we have are different. WCBG: What is your favorite part of a song you’ve written? It could be a lyric, a riff, a drum cadence… Brian: One of the new ones. Off Better Off I would say the lyrical build up in “Something To Hold Onto,” that climax. The lyrics are “'Cause I never showed her the only way out/Was for her to learn to love herself.” I never meant any lyric more than that one. If I had gone back and told myself that I could have saved myself and the “her” in that song a lot of grief. I also really like the bridge of “Fashion Forward.” Daniel: The drum fill near the end of “Fashion Forward.” WCBG: Top three songs for a road trip? Brian: Coheed and Cambria, “The Light and The Glass” Daniel: “Duel of Fates” the Star Wars song Brian: Can we do albums; I tend to listen to albums on long drives? WCBG: Of course! Brian: Okay! I’m a bit of a prog head—The Deerhunter, Color Spectrum. When you listen to the album, you’re like this song feels red or this song feels green. Daniel: I’ve been listening to the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire audiobook. obZen by Meshuggah. WCBG: Since you mentioned audiobooks, what is your favorite book? Daniel: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I read it in a management class, and it changed my perspective on things. Brian: David Seadaris, which is clique because I’m from Seattle WCBG: You’ve recently toured for your album, Better Off tell me about tour! Brian: We actually toured before the album came out and then once it was released. Touring pushed us to our limits, we learned a lot about ourselves. I’m grateful that our band isn’t big on drama, we like to have fun during tour—go somewhere, let’s go have fun! Daniel: We like to go sightseeing. We do a lot of driving in the van and normally you have to entertain yourself so you’re on your phone, maybe watching anime like Brian. Those 20-30 minutes when we are on stage and performing is the best part. WCBG: What’s your favorite state that you’ve been to? Brian: California has a lot of stuff, there’s so much stuff to do there. New Orleans was great, I loved walking around it so I guess Louisiana. Daniel: The more I tour the more I love Seattle. The gray rainy weather I’d take any day and those four months of the perfect Seattle summer. We were in Vegas and it was about 118 degrees, I missed the gray skies. WCBG: What’s your favorite type of food? Daniel: My favorite regional cuisine would have to be Indian. My favorite type of food is anything tapas style. I want 50 small plates to try a little bit of everything. Brian: My favorite regional cuisine would have to be Japanese then Indian. We have specific spots in certain cities. Daniel: Proud Mary Coffee in Portland best breakfast and coffee. Brian: WE also stop at Cheba Hut in Phoenix, Arizona. We like to try the different food in the area. California has some awesome ramen and sushi. WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the music industry? Brian: The cliquiness of the touring industry. It matters if you’re friends with someone, or if your agent or manager knows someone. It’s definitely a bummer. There are some awesome bands out there that would perfect for certain tours but because they don’t have the connections they’re not featured on the tour. Sometimes it’s the same bands touring with other bands. Daniel: Sometimes you have to get up and take things for yourself. In 2018, we were told something was going to happen, and it didn’t so we were waiting around. I realized it’s best to stand up and take things the way you want to. WCBG: What are your plans for 2020? Daniel: To take over! Brian: I want to play tours and not have to worry and think about it. WCBG is grateful to have spoken to Brian and Daniel from The Home Team. Thank you for such an amazing interview and we can’t wait to keep rocking out to Better Off and what’s to come. Stay connected with the band at Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Listen to their music here Hailing from Florida, pop sing/songwriter Christine produces heartfelt songs related to her own experiences. As a bicultural and bilingual artist her music express many different aspects of growing up and connecting with people across the globe. Her experiences make her a young artist to watch and someone who will impact the industry in a positive direction. WCBG: How did you know you wanted to go into the music industry? Christine: I would always sing songs when I was young, about three or four years old, and they were mostly Shirley Temple songs. I consciously decided to pursue music the first time I performed on stage. I was 11 and I performed a Mandy Moore song with my friends for a school show—I didn’t tell anyone I was going to be performing. I didn’t even think I was a good singer; I was singing because I liked it. I love connecting with the crowd and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. This is something I love. WCBG: What is your writing process like? Christine: I love collaborating with different artists or producers. I feel out their vibe and energy of the song and run by stories and ideas that would match their energy. I write 100% based on my feelings. I need to let it all out, every song is written on guitar first and it proceeds from there. I need to be honest with myself and let the feelings take over my body and my mind and let it all out. WCBG: What is your favorite lyric that you’ve ever written? Christine: “Leave your maybes or your perhaps for someone else.” This is directly related to a situation that happened to me. A guy kept telling me maybe we could do this or that, there was never a definitive let’s hang out. This is what CASTAWAY is based on. I’m working on an EP and the main theme, the thread, is longing—for someone or something. It’s about yearning to be with someone who is not emotionally there and question the reasons why. It’s about realizing to move on. WCBG: What artists inspire you to become a better musician? Christine: Kasey Musgraves and her album, Golden Hour. I also love Brittney [Spears], Christina [Aguilera], the Cure, and U2. Also Snow Patrol and a lot of 80’s bands. I love to see their trajectory and legacy and analyze what I like about them. That is what pushes me through. WCBG: What is your favorite concert that you’ve been to? Christine: The Cure. They performed exactly like they did in the 80’s; they sound the same and I want to achieve that. They’re timeless. WCBG: What advice would you give someone who wanted to break into the music industry? Christine: Find the reason why, you have to be absolutely passionate about it. Hone in on your talents—it is great to have a raw sound but working on instruments and songwriting will definitely help. Writing a little bit every single day will help you find your voice. WCBG: Describe your sound in three words. Christine: Honest, Multicultural and Flowy. I love upbeat music like techno, house music, and balls but I prefer to write mid-tempo songs. The type of song you would sing in your car and relax to at a beach day. A song you can bop your head to. WCBG: What do you do when you’re not writing music? Christine: I am an artist through and through. When I’m not writing music I am painting, like acrylic, canvas, or oil paints. Or I’m doing arts and crafts. You can catch me at the beach or watching a movie. WCBG: What are your top three songs for a road trip? Christine: “Golden Hour” by Kasey Musgraves, “Just like Heaven” by the Cure, and “Sometimes” by Brittney Spears WCBG: What is your favorite album in your personal collection? Christine: Charli XCX’s first album, True Romance. I believe she wasn’t signed at this time. The soundscape is so cohesive and the album is just phenomenal. WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the music industry as it is today? Christine: Currently the industry doesn’t take a chance on new artists. In the past they were very brave to find an artist for their raw talent and invest in them. They used to take a risk on artists and now it is mostly based on views and listens. WCBG: What can we expect from you in 2020? Christine: Definitely more music! I’ll be putting an EP out there and performing a lot more. I’m always moving and honing in on my talents. Of course, I’ll be connecting with friends and family—they help you stay ground. In life they’re my support system. Be sure to check out Christine’s music, she is definitely one to watch in the upcoming years! Follow her on Instagram and Facebook Roseburg is a band that has stood out to the staff in the way their music comes across to us as listeners. The attention to detail and the focus on rhythms that are easy to listen to with lyrics that are hard-hitting and relatable, make them ones to watch. The band formed in Roseburg, Oregon, a fitting name to honor where they had all met. The band is comprised of Zach Knell (vocals/guitar), Samuel Sheppard (piano/guitar), Keith Lambson (drums), and Soren Buchert (bass). We spoke to Zach and Keith about their journey so far and what is to come in the new decade of 2020. The band will be dropping their debut album tomorrow February 18th, so be sure to take a listen! WCBG: Please introduce yourselves, tell us what instrument you play, and if you could be any utensil in the kitchen what would you be and why? Zach: I’m Zach, the lead singer of Roseburg, I play guitar. I would be a saltshaker since it would probably get the most use. Keith: I’m Keith, I play drums and I would be a knife for obvious reasons. WCBG: How did you pick you respective instruments? Zach: We all started with the piano; I recommend it for someone just getting into music. It’s a great tool to visually see music and guitar was a good next step. Guitar is an instrument played in an actual band; growing up the bands I liked established this sort of sound. American Idiot by Green Day, Blink-182, and My Chemical Romance are these pop-punk emo bands that I loved listening to. Guitar seemed like the most logical choice. Keith: I also started on piano, in 6th grade we had the option of band or choir and I realized I couldn’t sing so I joined band. I played the xylophone since it was the most similar to the piano and progressed more to drums. I haven’t looked back since. WCBG: What music are you currently listening to? Zach: 21 Pilots—personally, they’re a big influence for me. They’re the perfect blend of pop radio with a grungy suburban America sound. Keith: JID and Coldplay. Zach: I do listen to what’s on the charts to stay young. It’s a good balance of what I’m passionate about. We recently made a playlist on our Spotify of artists that inspired our album Righteous Punk. [You can listen to that playlist here] WCBG: Describe your sound in three words. Roseburg: Grungy, polished, and radio friendly. Zach: It’s the summery happy jams overcast with grunge. We talk about heavier topics in an accessible way. We want to write to that random kid in the Midwest that maybe doesn’t have a lot of friends. Our music is to make people feel safe and understood. The overall message is hope, things will get better. WCBG: What is your opinion of releasing an artist’s unreleased music after they’ve passed away? Should it be released or should it not? Keith: I spoke to someone about this recently. I think it depends on the situation. Like, Mac [Miller]’s album, Circles. The producer knew Mac wanted it to be heard and completed. Zach: Sometimes it is charming. I think the people who know them and know what they wanted, like if they want it released it’s a different story. Let music run its course in history. WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the industry as it is today? Zach: I might be in the minority in this, but I don’t like how many artists are out there. I think the easy access has cheapened music. It is so easy to release and promote music and anyone should be able to do so but they should stand behind it. Less people to compete with leads to more thought put into the process. A lot of musicians out there make music just to make it. Music should be recorded to be listened to. WCBG: What is your opinion of streaming services like Spotify Keith: Music curation is great. I am a true believer in the algorithms where a listener theoretically wants to listen to something. Recorded music is a young industry and paid music is even younger. The standard should be the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago. Zach: There’s also an increased interest in vinyl and owning physical copies. I own vinyl records of my favorite bands. I think we should let the industry and music run its course. WCBG: What is your favorite album in your personal collection? Keith: I have four copies of Steely Dan’s Aja Zach: Trench by 21 Pilots WCBG: What do you do when you’re not writing music? Zach: Music consumes my life right now. I was very active with sports when I was younger like soccer, basketball, and tennis. I’ve been watching Bates Motel on Netflix too. All I wanna do is be good WCBG: What was the writing process for Righteous Punk like? Roseburg: We started this about a year and a half ago. The idea of what’s on the album came beforehand, once we knew the concept it was easy to be consistent with the themes and symbols of what we wanted to tell. It’s about looking at the world and understanding the different situations the archetype, the righteous punk, is experiencing. It was a nice experience since we made it independently. WCBG: What’s your favorite part of a song you’ve written? It can be a lyric, a guitar riff, a drum cadence, etc. Keith: The drum fills in “Indie Baby.” My favorite lyric would have to be off “Be Good.” It kinda sparked the theme for the album. Zach: The guitar riff on “RIP.” All of the songs remind me of specific times in my life. The fears, problems, and happiness of being a young adult is expressed on this album. It isn’t a linear album; the same character encounters different themes and the listener can take shape and relate to these moments. WCBG: What’s your favorite venue that you’ve played in? Roseburg: This art museum in Utah. We plated an art after dark event, and it was super cool. WCBG: You’re going on a road trip, what three songs are on your playlist? “Amerika” by Young the Giant “Bored to Death” by Blink-182 “Ride” by 21 Pilots WCBG: What are your plans for 2020? Roseburg: Go on a full tour, we have a Kickstarter going, if you donate, you’ll receive some merch from us and dropping the album. Check out the album here If you’d like to donate click here Follow Roseburg on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter There is so much to say about Florida band Set It Off. Their music helped to bring the WCBG staff together and has deeply impacted our lives. The band is comprised of Cody Carson (vocals), Maxx Danziger (drums), and Zach DeWall (guitar). Their musical evolution has helped to root them as a staple at WCBG events and in their genre. You can always catch us playing “Why Worry” at Freshman Move In Day. Set It Off is currently signed to Fearless Records and they had dropped their album, Midnight, in early 2019. We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to talk to Cody at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey during the Medicine Tour. The whole experience was surreal, and we are pleased to share it with you! Before the interview started, we mentioned how one of our first encounters with Set It Off was the Talk Dirty video from 2014, where Cody Carson covered the Jason Derulo song. He stated that one of the reasons he wanted to cover that song specifically was because of the saxophone part. Carson originally played the clarinet and later learned the saxophone since he wanted to perform in jazz band in school. He said that he wanted to include at least one track off each album that featured the clarinet—the song “Unopened Windows” off Midnight is the latest example. Carson mentioned that you can hear the clarinet part in the layering for the “Ode to Danny Boy.” What is your writing process like? Carson’s writing mostly focuses on his life experiences. He says, “I truly believe you don’t actually know what you feel about something until you start a dialogue about it.” Venting is a form of expression the band uses to stay mentally healthy. Carson continued by saying that he has a notepad on his phone of potential song topics. One example he gave us is that he and a friend ended up taking a personality test and how others tend to label you. While working with Mike Green, one of the producers on Midnight, Carson explained that he would match the vibe of what was being worked on. Collaboration is an important aspect of the writing process and progresses to create what we heard on the album. Carson then showed us a voice memo on his phone of him voice riffing. He likes to call this part of the process thought vomit since it is important to get the melody out. If you could collaborate with any artist who would it be? Definitely Bruno Mars. I’m such a fan and it would be amazing to work with him. He can play anything plus I’d love to feel out his energy and vibe out with him. What is your favorite lyric that you’ve ever written? I would have to say, “Different Songs,” it’s about a previous relationship where we fell out of love. I thought it would be great to compare it to a song you’ve heard too many times and it loses its impact. The whole chorus of “Happy All the Time,” I’m also proud of. They’re all my babies it’s so hard to pick a favorite. Describe your sound in three words. Edgy, Catchy, and Fun. On the car ride over here we actually guessed that fun would be one of the words you used. We love seeing how artists would define themselves. I love doing group activities on our off dates and having fun! I’m going to have fun singing it. When I’m not touring, I enjoy going to barricades and playing darts or pool. What do you do when you’re not writing music? If I can stay home and play video games and watch football, it’s great. I love being extroverted, but I also like being isolated and keeping my private life, private. Since the album is called Midnight what’s your favorite thing to do at midnight? Nothing. *cue laughter* Well I really enjoy video games. What’s your favorite video game? Of this decade, God of War. Not of this decade? Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on an N64, the game is timeless. You mentioned football earlier I’m a huge Eagles fan. Serena is actually also a huge fan. What did you do when they won the Superbowl? We were actually in Edmonton, Canada and on tour with [Sleeping with] Sirens when they were playing. We asked to push the set back so we could watch the game. I was so excited when they won! Do you have any pre-show rituals/superstitions? One of the things we do is the Kamehameha from Dragon Ball Z, we are huge fans. And we also say “Ain’t no party like a Set It Off party, because a Set It Off party is the best!” We always do those two things beforehand. I also say a little prayer for a great show, to have a great connection with the audience, and that I don’t hurt myself. I also have a $2 from my fiance's mom that I keep for good luck. A fan actually gave me a $2 and it’s just sentimental. What was your favorite gift from a fan? A fan once gave me a portrait of my dad with angel wings. On the bottom of it, it said “there are no shortcuts to success.” It was something my dad would always say—one day he left that note for me on the fridge and it drove me to work harder. It was such a thoughtful gift. I also have an Eagles coffee mug that I use every day that’s still going strong. Maxx warned us that we were going to get a bunch of weird gifts. We’ve gotten worms on a string and long Furbies. We have tons of them, and we taped them above the cabinets so it’s like a retro beaded string but with worms on a string. We also received three paintings of each of us as a long Furby with our darkest lyrics. Mine said “feel the fear.” We love our fans; we actually received the Fan Power Award from Rocksound. Our fans don’t let people sleep on us and I’m so grateful for them. Tell us a little bit about your album, Midnight For Midnight we attempted to merge the pop and punk sound. In the beginning it was a lot of aggressive lyrics and power chords. Now I’m able to create a sound I’ve always wanted to. As a writer it’s about trying to find your sound. Upside Down had a brighter sound to it, it was written in major key and happy. The record was received well but I realized that people like me when I’m angry. I now use songs to vent and happy is something I feel. No one likes hearing about other people’s happiness and people may need angry songs. Midnight was a way to merge everything. I already have 14 songs done for a new record though it will be cut down. It’s about quality over quantity. Someone once told me that the happiest of songs actually have the saddest lyrics. I noticed this on Upside Down. Actually, the song, “Life Afraid” was written about the Paris attacks. We actually played that venue, The Bataclan, and to think a mass shooting happened there…it was the last show we played overseas, and we made so many memories there. I originally didn’t want to write that day, so we took a break and got something to eat. I realizes I can’t let their actions stop me from doing what I love and that’s where “I can’t live my life afraid,” came from. The song definitely has a different meaning and people tend to look for face value. What are your plans for the new decade of 2020? Takeover let’s go. I’m writing my ass off. We are here! I feel stronger than ever and the songs I’m writing are stronger than ever, I’m pumped! We are super hyped for you guys and we can’t wait to see what you do next! We were able to watch their performance and it was spectacular! They will be going on the Midnight Tour Part 4 & 5 super soon so go buy tickets! Follow the band on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook Check out their music here The Second After is a pop-punk band that releases impactful and energetic songs. Hailing from Durham, North Carolina the band utilizes chord progression and key changes to create beautifully constructed songs. Comprised of Michael Greason (vocals), Ryan McDonald (drums), Nolan Shambley (bass) and Alfred Williamson (guitar/vocals) and signed to Revival Records, The Second After uses their music to talk about topics important to the members. We were lucky enough to speak with Greason & Alfred about the band’s plans for 2020 and experience in the industry! WCBG: How did The Second After come to be? Greason: I met Ryan, our drummer, in 2014 and we were in a metal band together. I’ve known our bassist, Nolan, for my whole life. After a few line-up changes Alfred joined the band on guitar in 2015. We released our 2nd EP and toured a ton. While we were on the road we wrote some more music WCBG: What do you do when you’re not making music? Greason: We do have jobs. I went to school for audio engineering, so I do that whenever I have clients. I also work as a server and a bartender. Alfred: I am a lab manager for a medical device company. I also work as a promoter for shows, and I run shows all over North Carolina. If you have a hard work ethic to be successful in your job it carries over to the band. WCBG: What’s the local scene like in North Carolina? The Second After: There are a whole lot of bands here. There aren’t a lot of pop-punk bands, that definitely flourished more in the early 2000’s. We tend to play shows with bands of different genres, so a scene does exist here, but it is not necessarily pop-punk. WCBG: What is your favorite venue that you’ve played in? Alfred: Local 506—it is super nice and super packed. The people who work there are super accommodating. Greason: I prefer house shows and basement shows. One of the shows we did was in a Sunday School classroom in a church. It was wild. The desks were like for elementary schoolers and we are there with all of our equipment. Plus, it was packed, there were about 40-50 kids. WCBG: What is your favorite state that you’ve been to? Greason: We have probably been to every state at least once or twice. I definitely have to be biased and say North Carolina. There’s nothing like playing a hometown show. Texas is also a great state, San Antonio and the South have the best house shows. WCBG: What is your favorite and least favorite part about touring? Alfred: My favorite part is hanging out and playing music Greason: So, we have bunks built into our van and when the weather is hot or cold it’s like we are about to die. Sleeping in the van in bad weather is definitely not the best part. WCBG: What is your opinion of streaming services like Spotify? The Second After: It is an instant tool for touring to check out bands and see if they the bill. It is great for exposure, not so great for being paid. WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the music industry as it is today? The Second After: We wish there was a better way for hard-working bands to be recognized and get tours. It would be nice to network and open for bigger bands. We want to give the opportunity for hard-working bands to be recognized. Maybe we haven’t been recognized yet? Another thing is the monopoly of agents since they determine who tours with who. This over influx of bands and the elite mind-set of those in the industry makes it hard to break through. WCBG: What are your thoughts on Equal Vision Records suing Waterparks for “Double Dare 2019” and “Entertainment 2019?” The Second After: This is one of the negatives of the music industry. What you sign in your contract the label is waving your dream in front of your face and you want to make your dream come true to be a successful artist. WCBG: What we want to try to do is make people think about the industry and of course read the contract. The Second After: Yeah like the contact could state that those demos you wrote in your bedroom ten years ago now belong to the label. WCBG: It definitely is crazy. WCBG: What is your writing process like? The Second After: We actually all write songs on our own. Sometimes we get together and jam or collectively write a song. Most of the time we set a studio date, get together and see what we have. Then we hammer the best ones down. WCBG: What is your favorite lyric that you’ve ever written? Alfred: It is definitely on the next single, “Daily Ritual.” Greason: The song is about battling your inner demons and this song is for anyone—those who have anxiety, experienced trauma, any demons in your head. The lyric is, “I guess I’ll let my demons linger, listen closely as they whisper, slip and fall beneath the pressure that holds me down.” I wrote it based off what I was feeling, but I wanted everyone to be able to relate to it. WCBG: Describe your sound in three words. The Second After: In your face. Fun, Impactful, and Energetic. Glass Half-Full. That’s more than three words… WCBG: It’s a broad range and I think it definitely reflects different aspects of your sound. WCBG: Tell me a little bit about your new song, “Thinking Clear!” Greason: It’s a nice little bop. Alfred and I worked together on this one. Alfred: It was super fun to write the lyrics. Greason: It is a tragedy love story. It was hard to write from the perspective of something I wasn’t currently going through and instead based on experiences I have been through in the past. It is like a fictional love story. WCBG: I really enjoyed the back and forth vocals on the track as well as the key change. Alfred: The key change was actually a last-minute decision in the studio. We wrote the original song in the higher key and brought it down for the recording. It builds up and resolves perfectly through the natural progression of the song. Greason: I was actually sick when we recorded the track and when we played back the original demo at the point where the key change happens, we just decided to go for it. Right before the key change, I actually land on the note of the new key. WCBG: How did you pick your respective instrument(s)? Alfred: I wanted to interact with the crowd and get involved and have fun on stage. Greason: My brother and dad played guitar so I picked it up from them. I still play it just not on stage live. WCBG: What message do you hope to get across through your music? Greason: Positive based and uplifting Alfred: Things will happen, and you can come out on top WCBG: What are your plans for 2020? The Second After: To drop a new EP, sometime in the future. Maybe more songs will drop at the tail end. To tour as much as we can and play where people want to see us. If you enjoyed today’s interview check out their music on Spotify Follow The Second After on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Divided Minds is a band that hails from Phoenix, Arizona. The three young artists’ sound has evolved over the years culminating in a distinct vibe that sets them apart from others in their genre. The band, currently signed to We Are Triumphant, has recently released a new music video for their song “Bad Bitch,” which you can watch here! We hopped on the phone with Sean Collins (lead vocals/guitar), and Devon Palay (drums); unfortunately, Josh Peters (lead guitar/backing vocals) was unavailable at the time of the call. WCBG: How did you become a band? Sean: We all went to this local music store and they had a sort of rock camp where they would randomly put people in a band together. We were about 14 years old at the tome and we stayed together. WCBG: What’s the local scene like? Devon: There are definitely passionate people, people are always into it. All the fans really dig it and there’s this nice community aspect. WCBG: How did you pick your respective instruments? Devon: Rockband for PlayStation 2—I originally played the guitar and then I found the drums and I was like this is what’s up. Sean: I would have to say it started with Guitar Hero. I was about 8 years old and I was pretty good at the game. My mom bought me a Fender [guitar] when I was 10; it’s the same one I use today. WCBG: Describe your sound in 3 words. Devon: Alternative Trash Pop Sean: Hardcore Pop Alt WCBG: What music are you currently listening to? Devon: I’ve been into discovering new music recently. I do have some staples like Post Malone, but I’ve been listening to a lot of little pop punk bands. Anti-rock is also pretty cool. Sean: Tyler the Creator, and Poppy’s new album was really good too. Devon (to Sean): You’ve been listening to Poppy? Sean (to Devon): Yeah, because it’s good. Devon: The boys in Telltale every time they drop a single. Sean: Billie Eilish, can’t forget her. WCBG: What artists inspire you to be a better musician? Sean: 5 Seconds of Summer. We were stuck in a creative rut and we were driving to California bumping Youngblood. The album is a banger. It flipped a switch in my mind, so I started to listen to more of their music. Previously, I listened to a lot of metal and their [5SOS] album helped me to write more stuff. WCBG: IF you could perform with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be? Devon: 5SOS, Chase Atlantic…or Stand Atlantic, both are great. Oh, and Harry Styles. WCBG: What is your opinion of releasing an artist’s unreleased music after they’ve passed away, should it be released or should it not? Sean: I thoroughly dislike it. It’s like you’re dragging their corpse out and using them for money. We have demos that we’ve made that I would never want released. They’re rough and just not good. I don’t like it enough for me to release it. It makes me angry that this happens. Maybe if it was a backlogged release that’s okay. Devon: If it wasn’t there in the first place and they found someone who sounds like the artist that’s not okay. Take Mac Miller for example, they released Circles, and it sounded rush. They should have left what he done as it was. WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the music industry as it is today? Devon: The amount bands are paid from streaming services. We make about a quarter of a cent per stream on Spotify. Sean: The accessibility of music comes with music being worth less. I do love the fact that our music can be spread indefinitely. Devon: I’m not a big fan of local versus national band distinctions. The [name] national band makes it feel more like they’re worth more. The perception of size to music quality. WCBG: What’s your writing process like? Divided Minds: Josh normally writes a hook and then we slam on some drums and guitars. Now we create chord progressions on piano or guitar and loop it. Then we hum some melodies and start with the chorus. The melody comes next and then the lyrics. Then the verses and the bridge is last. We now focus more on the lyrics than we did in the past. When we first started it was more so I’m angry, but now it’s I’m angry because… WCBG: What’s your favorite lyric that you’ve ever written? Devon: Josh isn’t here but his favorite lyric is “I feel it in my head to my bones.” Mine would have to be “I left my heart where my home is.” Sean: We were travelling to California to record for about one to two weeks. Devon wrote the line because we were leaving home to do what we need to do to follow our dreams and we left our hearts there [home]. WCBG: What’s your favorite venue that you’ve played in? Divided Minds: We tend to travel towards the West Coast. We played at this venue in Boise, Idaho—it was a coffee shop with a venue space about the size of a marquee. It’s called Death Proof Coffee. WCBG: What’s your favorite song to play live? Sean: “Let You Down” it’s always the first song we play and the lead up with the bass drop. It’s a big song. Devon: Big and full. Even though my part is easy to plan I can vibe with the song, and the drums are in your face. WCBG: What are your top three songs for a road trip? Divided Minds: “Circles” by Post Malone Podcasts/ John Mulaney specials “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala WCBG: What are your plans for 2020? Sean: New music is on the backlog. We have some shows lines up, hopefully lots of touring. We miss the connection with our fans. Devon and I will be moving in together. And we just released a music video for our song “Bad Bitch” Follow the band on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook Check out their music on Spotify Telltale is an up and coming band from Virginia whose music is reinventing the normal pop-punk sound we grew up. Their music speaks to our generation and focuses on what it is like to grow up and experience so many emotions and thoughts. Telltale is a band that makes the listener reminisce their path to adulthood through their clever lyrics and catchy riffs. The music they have released paints an amazing picture through the deliberate placement of specific chords and lyrics. The band is comprised of John Carter (vocals), Bryce Marshall (guitar), Tim Fogg (bass), and Travis Slack (drums). We were lucky enough to talk to Tim and Bryce over the phone about the band! The band is currently signed to SharpTone Records. "Some days are grayscale and others are in pantone |
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