Back in September, I caught up with STACEY for one of the most stunning sessions I’ve done yet. With the sun setting in New York City, we were treated to a live version of “It’ll Be Alright,” which you can see below. The session also included performances of “Daydreaming” and “First Move.”
Category: Interview
Get To Know:: Mayberry
Members: Esteban Rodriguez, Hector Rodriguez, Brayden Dillard, Andrew Dillard
Genre: Pop/Alternative
Location: Edinburg,Texas
Recent Release: Beautiful Mess EP
Texas pop/rockers Mayberry released their newest EP Beautiful Mess just a few weeks ago. The EP showcases who the band is and how they’ve grown since forming back in 2012. You can stream the EP here and get to know more about Mayberry below!
How did Mayberry form and come to be what it is today?
Mayberry started back in 2012. I (Esteban), started it as a side/solo project just for fun my senior year of high school. I was always too shy to show off my own personal work but when I finally felt this is what I wanted to do and built up enough confidence to go for it, I took it serious and began to devolope and work on my craft. It’s all been DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) and 100% independent, which I feel is important since I got to learn
how to do things myself. I got a band together (Brayden, Andrew) and eventually let my younger brother hector join the band. We’ve been playing shows, creating music and growing as people and musicians ever since.
Who are some of your musical influences – both as a band and individually?
As a band, I feel like we try to stay as true as possible to who we are and what we would love to listen to. We don’t ever go into a writing session thinking “lets try to write a song like this”, its always organic and it just depends on what direction and feel we’re trying to go for with each particular song. We set no boundaries on ourselves with our
sound but we are literally influenced by everything. From hip hop/r&b to
rock alternative artists.
Esteban: I know queen has played huge impact on me since a very young age. Currently Ryan Tedder (One Republic) is a huge
musical influence. The guy can do it all, and that’s what I strive for.
Brayden: My musical influences range from The Beatles to Underoath.
Hector: The weeknd, Travis Scott, Drake
Andrew: I have a big rock background as well as classical music. That’s how it all started for me.
What do you enjoy most about playing shows?
The best feeling in the world is seeing a crowd sing back lyrics you wrote. Seeing fans sing their hearts out and be so passionate about music we created is surreal. I love playing shows. The energy from the crowd always the best.
What do you do when you’re not playing music?
Esteban: I go to school & work as well. Everyday still revolves around music anyway, so I’m usually still working on either editing videos, writing, doing emails, hanging with my brothers or just having a old fashion nap. I don’t do much outside of music.
Brayden: I’m a full time college student but When I’m not playing shows or writing music you can catch me putting together festivals on the road or fishing in my spare time.
Hector: I’m also a full time college student and work when I’m not playing music. I like to workout and hangout with my brothers.
Andrew: I’m usually doing some form of musical production or music planning aside from playing. Aside from that I’m focused a lot on my academic studies.
Get To Know:: LAYNE
Members: Layne Putnam ( Lower case Layne ) ; Alexander Rosca
Genre: Indie pop / rock
Location: Los Angeles
Recent Release: “Good”
We were intrigued by LAYNE upon first listen of their single “Good” and apparently we’re not the only ones. The track was featured on Spotify’s U.S. Spotify Viral 50 and Global Viral 50 charts and – oh yeah, it just passed one million streams. The duo will be releasing their EP The Black Hills later this summer, so if you’ve yet to check out these Los Angeles indie rockers, get your stuff together and do it. Get to know LAYNE below!
How did LAYNE form and come to be what it is today?
I’d been making music since before I can remember and when I moved to LA and the producer we’ve continuously worked with ( Devon Corey) we started to really hone in on “the LAYNE sound” I met (drummer) Alexander and the project started to really take shape.
Who are some of your musical influences – both as a band and individually?
Haha the worlds hardest question. As a project we try to stay away from being like any one thing or the next but we all grew up listening to a lot of emo and pop punk and as we got older more indie and pop music. There are bands that will be with me forever like Blink 182, Death Cab for cutie, etc. But I’m usually always looking for a new band to dig into and learn from. Currently I’ve been listening to a lot of From Indian Lakes, James Blake, and Kflay.
What do you enjoy most about playing shows?
Theres no better feeling then playing a show. Its a balance between utter isolation and venerability and Confidence and connection. Its the most connected Ive ever felt. Also theres no feeling quite like being nervous and excited and looking to your right and left and seeing your guys (or girls) up there with you experiencing the highs and the lows together.
What do you do when you’re not playing music?
As saturated as it may sound we usually go to shows when were not writing, tracking or playing ourselves. Occasionally we’ll play pool or go out and try new breweries. But generally everything revolves around soaking in and creating music.
Get To Know:: Blackout Balter
Members: Phil Cohen (vocals, guitar), Amelia Gormley (bass, vocals), Misha Kostandov (guitar, keys), Chris Dorsey (drums)
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
Location: Cambridge, MA
Recent Release: Twist and Bend
Massachusetts alt indie rockers Blackout Balter just released their debut EP Twist and Bend. If the EP isn’t one you’ve listened to yet, you should change that…well, now. Twist and Bend includes six killer tracks and – oh yeah – also features Dave Keuning of The Killers. Get to know how the band came to be and what they enjoy most about being both on and off the stage below!
Get To Know:: Bleeker
Members: Taylor Perkins (vocals), Cole Perkins (guitars), Mike Van Dyk (bass), Dan Steinke (guitars)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Location: Orillia, Ontario, Canada
Recent Release: Bleeker EP
The acts coming out of Canada are basically blowing us away and we are a-ok with it. Our newest obsession? Canadian alt-rockers Bleeker. Though they aren’t new to the scene (they’ve been a band for about 13 years), they’re new to our ears. Their latest release, Bleeker, is a killer EP that grabs influences from alternative, rock and pop, and has you jamming out within the first few notes. Get to know the band below!
Get To Know:: Dash|Ten
Members: Steve Ebert (guitars), Pete Greenberg (drums), Corrin Campbell (vocals/bass)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Location: Louisville, KY
Recent Release: “Our Time Now”
For Louisville rockers Dash|Ten, 2016 is shaping up to be an incredible year. Just last month the band released their debut self-titled album, which features lead singles “What You Wanted” and “The Scene,” and next week the band will be hitting the road to perform on the Vans Warped Tour all summer long! We caught up with the band to discuss how Dash|Ten formed, what inspires them, and what they do outside of music. Check it out below and be sure to catch them on Warped at the Full Sail Stage (dates here)!
Get To Know:: The New Electric
Members: Kyle McKearney (lead vocals), Shade ‘Indy’ McKearney (bass, vocals), Chris Doi (guitar, keys, vocals),James Janetty (keys, vocals), and Adam Casey (drums, vocals)
Genre: Alternative Rock-Pop
Location: Toronto, Canada
Recent Release: “Inside Out”
Toronto alt pop-rockers The New Electric have made a name for themselves in Canada and it’s about time that we in the states start to give them some attention as well! The band has won numerous songwriting and band competitions (including the International Songwriting Competition 2016 and Canada’s Bell Media) and have worked with producer Brian Howes who is known for his work with artists including Keith Urban, Boys Like Girls, and Simple Plan. Basically, they’re amazing. Get to know more about The New Electric below!
Get To Know:: iLLPHONiCS
Members: Larry “Fallout” Morris (Emcee/Lead Vocals), Keith Moore (Keys/Vocals), Kevin Koehler (Guitar/Vocals), Simon Chervitz (Bass), Chaz Brew (Drums/Vocals)
Genre: Fusion (Hip-Hop, Alternative, Funk, Rock, Soul)
Location: Saint Louis, MO
Recent Release: “What D’Ya Like”
When we see 10-year anniversaries in music, it’s usually the anniversary of an album. Well, this time we’re changing it up. iLLPHONiCS, a St. Louis based hip-hop fusion band, just hit their 10th anniversary as a collective and THAT deserves to be celebrated! In addition to the anniversary, the band signed with Kansas City-based indie label The Record Machine to release their latest album, Gone With The Trends just a few months ago. Get to know more about iLLPHONiCS below!
Get To Know:: Quinell
Members: I usually hit the road on my own. However, I play some local shows with some really talented musicians/friends – Dallas Reedy (Drums), Ty Teixeira (Guitar), and Sam Derting (Bass/Guitar/Vocals)
Genre: Folk/Rock/Indie
Location: Pasco Washington
Recent Release: From The Woods: Inside Llewyn Davis
Musicians can fund their musical career in a multitude of ways including playing small shows and raising money through Kickstarter. Then you have Quinell, a folk singer/songwriter who has funded his musical career through something a little different – commercial fishing trips in Alaska, where he spends four months on a boat with only a handful of people. Named after the Bob Dylan song “The Mighty Quinn,” Quinell focuses on combining heartfelt lyrics with catchy melodies to send messages of hope and love through his music. Get to know more about Quinell and how he first began playing music below!
Get To Know:: Whosah
Members: Mack Grimes, Dave Grimes, Spencer Grimes, Nate Flynn, Dallas Erdahl
Genre: Indie Pop
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Recent Release: Work
Minnesota indie-pop band Whosah released their sophomore EP Work just last month, accompanied by “moving picture” streams for each song (which can be seen here). The best part? The videos were made by themselves in order to stay real and honest to reflect their music. Simply put, the EP is a true work of art and everyone should go check it out. Get to know more about Whosah and how the band came to be below!
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