I’m so sad.

This is from one of The Bigger Lights hometown shows at Jammin’ Java. This was the first live interview I’ve ever done. Enjoy. (: 

The quotes in the following interview are from Jason No, vocalist and guitarist of the band. A special thanks to A Bird A Sparrow for allowing this interview to be conducted.

A Bird A Sparrow is a Dallas, Texas originated band formed by members Jason, Phillip, and Steven. “I was always into different things growing up.” “[Music] kind of fell into my lap,” Jason says “out of boredom I picked up a guitar and started playing.” It didn’t take long for Jason to discover that he could turn his talent into something much more. “After a week of playing I got to perform at my high school function.”  “That’s where I kind of fell in love with performing and decided to form a band.”

Even though high school was where he fell in love with performing it wasn’t a place where Jason liked spending his time. “It was definitely a love/hate experience.” “I made it as fun as possible for my sanity,” he laughs. “School is definitely not a place for me.” “I have a problem with authority, especially when I know their wrong.” In order to keep himself sane during high school Jason formed a band. The first band he formed just played around, but then Jason got serious and formed the band Fight Me Juliet in which he was the vocalist.

A Bird A Sparrow may be a Dallas, Texas original, but Jason was not. He lived in North Hollywood, California. Meanwhile, in Dallas guitarist Philip and bassist Steven were in need of a singer. It was December of 2007 when Jason reached out to the guys in Texas. The very next month was when Jason relocated to Texas and became the official vocalist and an additional guitarist of A Bird A Sparrow.

The band got to work and released the EP A Bird A Sparrow in 2008. Since then the band has been touring and discovered what they love most about it. Jason said, “meeting everyone face to face, nothing can beat that.” Although they also love “the joy of playing our music live, and hearing people from different states singing our songs.” But there is something that Jason finds difficult while being out on the road. “The hardest thing would have to be the fact that I’m away from my girlfriend.” “She’s my best friend and it sucks to leave her for months at a time.” Aside from having to leave loved ones, “money gets really hard as well.” “One bad show means no food and gas.” As challenging as touring can be the guys hope to one day tour with “The Starting Line, Paramore, My Favorite Highway, The Rocket Summer, and Coldplay. The best thing to give the band if you see them on tour is your full attention. “We’re just kids that love playing music, and for anyone to even give us a chance is truly a blessing.” 

The EP In Bloom has just been released by the band. In Bloom was actually a possible new band name for the guys, although it didn’t become the band name it was remembered and used for the EP. “It fit perfectly for what we were trying to express.” “Coming out of our shell for the first time, being different, and new.” “That’s what the whole concept of In Bloom is about.” The name A Bird A Sparrow comes from the movie Donnie Darko. A character named Roberta Sparrow to be exact.

Go to www.myspace.com/abirdasparrow for new music and updates on the band. Add the band on Myspace, Facebook, and follow them on Twitter to help promote them. A Bird A Sparrow is currently in the process of writing in the hopes to record and release a full length album. Don’t forget to check out the band and as always promote, promote, promote!

Get Down! Has graciously accepted to do an interview via Myspace. All of the following quotes are from member Alex Brown of the band. A special thanks to Get Down! For allowing this interview to be conducted.

THE INTERVIEW:

Tristan, Alex, Nick, Zach, and Drew make up Omaha, Nebraska’s band Get Down!

The five members will have been a band for two years as of April 2010. Alex explains, “We all pretty much decided this is what we wanted to do with our lives ever since about 7th or 8th grade, and the beginning of high school.” “We all started playing our instruments pretty early on and we progressively got better.” In school, “we were all the outcasts and didn’t really have a ton of friends, except for each other.” “We all just kind of hung out, listened to a ton of different music, and attended a ton of different shows.”

Although they were not always in the same band they didn’t waste any time getting bands together. “Nick and Alex were in a band early on in high school together, and Tristan was in a band as well.” They started off separately, “Our bands played some shows together every now and again, and that is pretty much how all of us met.” But eventually they were, “coming together to form [their] own.”

 “We came up with ‘Get Down’ because it is used in a ton of our favorite songs.” “We were riding around one night in a car, and it kept coming up in songs.” “We just thought it would be a memorable name, so we kept it.” In the beginning, the band’s sound was influenced by bands such as The Starting Line, Saves the Day, Brand New, and Bayside.” “We kind of wanted to be more of a pop punk band.” The band has currently been re-inventing their sound and their writing style has turned more indie-rock. “We are just starting to write more songs with meaning and substance, and songs that are more interesting.” Weatherbox, Cursive, and Manchester Orchestra are more along the lines of what they listen to now. Although they would like to give a “shout out to our boy R. Kelly, he is always one of our major influences, for real.”

 The members of Get Down are no strangers to touring. Alex shares that, “The hardest thing about tour is money, and having a van, for us at least.” “We bought a van about two summers ago; it broke down, and hasn’t run since.” He also explains, “we are all always pretty broke because we self fund our band, and it requires saving a lot of money, and then spending it in bulk.” But the guys won’t let that get them down. “Touring is one of [our] favorite things ever.” “Once we get a van we hope to tour full time as a band.”

Along with the hardships come the good times. “The best part about touring is simply playing shows every night.” “Playing for people who actually care about, and understand what you are doing, or trying to do is the best thing in the world.” “Especially when we go to towns we have never played and people tell us they have been waiting to see us, know the words, and sing along.” “We also enjoy making friends everywhere we go, and keeping in contact with those people.” “Touring with bands you enjoy, not only musically, but as people, and are really fun to hang out with is an awesome thing as well.”

 When asked who has been the best band to tour with Alex was indecisive. “I don’t know if we could only pick one.”  “We really enjoy our friends in Skies Alive, The King and the Thief, The JV* All-Stars and Strike True.”  “Those are definitely our favorites because we love the music they make and we end up with the craziest tour stories together.” The Starting Line, Manchester Orchestra, and Weatherbox would have to be Get Down’s dream bands to tour with, but there is another musical artist who would be a dream to tour with for them. “Seriously we would love to tour with R. Kelly more than anyone.”

 For any of you who are trying to get your music out there here are some words of wisdom. “Keep trying, no matter how hard it seems, or if it seems like nobody cares, or no one is listening.”  “We have pretty much been through it all.”  “You just need to keep trying, and working harder than you think you need to work. “Who knows, maybe one day you will get that break.”

Go to www.myspace.com/getdownrock to check out Get Down’s music and for updates on the band. You can also get updates from www.twitter.com/getdownband You can help promote them by telling your friends about them, buying their records, buying their merchandise, or coming out to a show if there is one near you. If you come out to a show the best thing you can give the guys is your support. “The best thing to get at a show is the support of a crowd and having them sing along.” “We feel this is better than any material thing someone can give you.” “People at your shows who support you, understand what you are doing, and are behind you 100% is the best thing any fan can give.” Get Down would like to say, “thanks to everyone who has supported us over the past couple years.” “Look for our upcoming EP “Say Hello to Missing Home” due out in the next couple months, and keep being real.” Remember to promote, promote, promote!  

The band Skies Alive has graciously accepted to let me conduct an interview with them via Myspace. All of the quotes in the following interview are from the bassist of the band Nick Westgor. A special thanks to Skies Alive for allowing this interview to be conducted.

THE INTERVIEW:

Skies Alive, a Minnesota originated band are making themselves known in 2010. Vocalist Andrew, guitarist Matt, bassist Nick, and drummer Ben released “Say It Back,” the band’s first EP on November 21, 2009. An EP that will feature acoustic versions of every song with the addition of two new songs is to be released followed by a massive tour this upcoming Spring.

Influenced by “Taking Back Sunday, The Early November, Motion City Soundtrack, Less Than Jake, and of course Blink 182” the band got to work. Nick Westgor informed me that the band had got started years ago. “Skies Alive actually started when me and Matt were in 10th or 11th grade. We graduated [in] ‘09 and are now continuing with Skies Alive.” A guitarist was replaced and a vocalist named Andrew was added to the band and the Say It Back EP was in the making.

Music has always been a major priority for the band. When asked, growing up, did you always know you wanted to be in a band, “Actually yes, it was the plan from day one” was Nick’s response. Growing older his focus remained the same as well as the other members. “In high school, I would wake up ten minutes before class started. I was a very bad student, almost to the point where I didn’t graduate. After school I would go to band practice at whatever house would let us be noisy in. Me, Matt, and Ben were always skipping school for tours or random shows. High school times were a lot of fun, but high school itself was just an excuse for me to take naps” The fixation of being in a band had already set in for him and the others throughout school. Now graduated, Nick and the rest of Skies Alive are fulfilling what they are meant to do.

Skies Alive has already had experience playing shows across the mid-west with bands such as guitarist Matt Brown’s older brother Pat Brown’s band Sing It Loud, The Morning Light, You Me and Everyone We Know, and Farewell. Now & Forever and Get Down who are also both Minnesota natives as well are also bands they’ve toured with.. But this year “You can expect a lot more touring than we have ever done (east coast included), a lot of stuff done for our fans, and a few other surprises.”

With some touring already under their belts the guys in Skies Alive already have background knowledge on the hardships of touring. ”The hardest part about touring is when it’s cold. It’s slippery, everything seems to break easier, and the inside of the van is always wet. Also it’s harder to park, harder to get gas, and we always get stuck.” He then adds jokingly “So the hardest part about touring is January.” Although the band is fully aware that touring is not all fun and games Nick says, “Meeting new people is easily the best part of touring” in their band’s opinion. The fact “Every single night you meet new set of people. Bands, promoters, or even random people at gas stations,” are what make the hardships of touring all worth while.

The band has recently been playing shows around the areas of Wisconsin, and Minnesota. You will be able to find out where you can catch Skies Alive this Spring as soon as dates

are released. Check www.myspace.com/skiesalive for all updates and give the band a listen. If you like what you hear make sure you support them by adding them as a friend, following them on twitter, buying their Say It Back EP on iTunes, and coming out to a show this Spring. Remember “Stay in school, look both ways before crossing the street. Oh yeah and anybody who listens to us is rad.”

Endless City View has graciously accepted to let me conduct an interview with him via Myspace. All of the following quotes in this interview are from Christian Durden(Endless City View). A special thanks to him for allowing this interview to be conducted.

THE INTERVIEW:

Christian Durden is a 19 year old musician who resides in El Paso, Texas. “…when I started playing music, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do with my life.” He calls himself Endless City View. “I just wanted a name, and a lot of times after I record a song, I’ll go smoke and sit behind my house.” “We live close to the mountains, so we can see over all of El Paso, and at night it just looks endless.” He laughs.

 “A lot of old stuff like, Guns N Roses, Jimi Hendrix, and Alice In Chains,” influenced Christian while he was growing up but now, “just whatever sounds good I’ll listen to and it always influences me in someway.” Christian informed me that he has been performing with instruments since he was 11. When high school rolled around he continued to do so. “Yeah I was in a couple [bands], one of them we did a lot of shows, the other never left the garage.”

 But he did not remain in one location ““I moved around through out my high school years, so I was always making new friends etc.” But nothing was able to hold him back from the music that he loves to play. Even though Christian has not officially toured yet, he has played many shows over the years. But he does know that his dream band to tour with would be Sublime. “It’d be pretty sweet to tour with them,” he says.

 For those of you who are trying to get your music out there, here are some words from the wise. “Start a Myspace, and get the best quality recordings you can up.” “Then it’s all about networking.” “It used to be about radio play, but nowadays it’s all about Myspace.” You can go to www.myspace.com/endlesscityview to check out Christian’s music and updates. Endless City View will be on iTunes in the near future, but as of now you can download his music off of his PureVolume. Make sure you check out Endless City View and promote, promote, promote. “Thanks [to] anyone who listens to my music.” “I love you.”

Hey guys, I will be posting every interview that I have ever done on here as well as every interview to come. So make sure that you check them out and tell me what you think!

One of my most looked foward to events of the summer. I just completed the application in order to volunteer with Music Saves Lives at Warped Tour on this year’s Merriweather Post Pavillion stop. Hopefully if this goes through I’ll be able to be behind the scenes instead of just another face in the crowd. After the day is over I’ll be headed to Virginia Beach along with two of my best friends Roopa and Nikki in order to volunteer for another non-profit organization called Feed Our Children Now. It’s going to be a long two days, but well worth it. It feels good to be a part of something and help those who are in need. I can’t wait until Warped rolls around so we can get this party started. And for those of you who haven’t already make sure to check out Music Saves Lives and Feed Our Children Now. They’re great people doing great things.