We caught up
with Coral Thief and got to know them at another level. Find out what this band
is all about!
GTG: How did you come up with the
name Coral Thief and what does it mean?
CT: Some
friends of mine and I (2 of which are now members of Coral Thief) took a trip
to New Zealand for a vacation. While there, our bassist Justin, who for some
reason likes to collect weird looking rocks, found a rock that looked like a
surfboard and thought it would look awesome in his fish tank back home. Well,
long story short, coming back through customs we find out that that little
surfboard was a piece of coral. Taking coral from New Zealand is a huge no, no!
I believe they could have charged us with a Class C Felony, but they were cool
and let us go. So there you have it, and that's how we came up with Coral Thief!
GTG:
What made you get started in music?
CT: For me personally, it was the ladies. Being
that I was 15 when I started, I'm pretty sure that was my number one
motivation. Other than that, music is what drives me and makes me whole. I
couldn't live without it. From the time I wake up til the time I go to sleep,
I'm working on my next move.
GTG:
Tell me about the song you entered into the contest and why you chose
that song.
CT: The song we entered was called "Two Tonsof Fun". The reasons I chose it, was because it was the newest song that
we had finished writing at the time of entering the contest, and the video was
the first time performing it live. Not so much the songs meaning was I trying
to get out, but the fun we have as a band and the connection we have with our
fans.
GTG:
What's the funniest thing you have experienced when performing?
CT: Well sadly enough I haven't personally had
anything funny happen on stage, but at one show in the beginning stages of
Coral Thief, our manager who did all the video recording of our shows did
something pretty memorable. Mid set I see him side stage trying to get great
video of us and the people dancing on the dance floor. As he's walking around
he managed to tie his foot up with a power cord and unplugged the guitar and
bass. We always told him we'd never let him on stage again unless he was in a
bikini...Ha ha, jokes on him!
GTG:
What would you say to Don Was if he were sitting next to you?
CT: This is
a business that I forever want to work in, so if I had the chance to speak with
Don Was, I would ask advice! He is where he is for a reason. And I would
definitely try to talk him into working with me. Here's a great idea I just
came up with. How about we arrange this meeting and I'll give you a follow up,
and I'll tell you what I said. :)
GTG:
What is your most memorable childhood experience?
CT: I use to live in Detroit, Michigan. Big ups to Ford, by the way! But as a child me
and my family would take road trips to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, which wasn't
very far away. It was the most amazing amusement park, I've ever been to. I
love that place and sadly I haven't got to go back since moving when I was 13.
GTG:
If you had any super powers, what would it be?
CT: I wish I could read people's minds, how
awesome would that be.....But it has to come with an on and off switch.
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us guys! Fans of Coral Thief, make sure you vote for them on Gimme The Gig!
We caught up
with Born Loser and the Hangers On and spoke to Chelsey Louise, the lead
vocalist. Find out what the funny and talented singer had to say about the band
and learn some things you never knew about them.
GTG: How did you come up with the
name Born Loser and the Hangers On?
BLATHO: One day, as I was strolling through
the thick shrubbery of North Scottsdale, a hipster ran me over with a fixie,
and I landed flat on my back staring into the vast Arizona sky. SUDDENLY AND
WITHOUT WARNING, the clouds parted and this tiny, spinster, old lady (who had
many cats) was all, "Sup." And I was like, "Sup."
And then I
went home and my dad suggested it because he didn't use it in the 60s.
GTG: How and why did you get started
in music?
BLATHO: Well, I got started in music at a
young age, when my mother would plop me down in front of the T.V. and made me
watch "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and danced with me to "Love
Shack." I also did musical theatre for 8 years, and that's why our stage
performance is a bit theatrical. We call our genre "theatrical rock"
because we all come from different backgrounds to create music that a lot of
people call "unique" and "interesting." Jenny is a
classically trained pianist, and has been playing for 15 years. Benny is a
metal guitarist, Robert plays bass now, but he started playing guitar because
of Dave Matthews, so his style is very jammy. And Adam, our drummer, is more
punk inspired.
GTG: Tell me about the song you
entered into the contest and why you chose that song.
BLATHO: We entered with "The MosquitoSong," which is the single off of our debut EP "BLATHO"
(available for free download at www.BLATHO.com). The album is recorded with our
old line-up (different drummer and bassist) by Michael Beck at Sound Vision
Recording (www.soundvisionrecording.com). The song is really pop-influenced,
and has been featured on KISS 103.9FM and KWSS 106.7FM. We also did a music
video with Ber Co Productions (www.bercoproductions.com), and it has gotten a
lot of good public response. Our sound is not entirely genre specific, so this
song doesn't really sound like what we usually play. We think this song has a
mass appeal, and it's so much fun to play a show and see our fans singing the
words in the audience!
GTG: Who is your biggest influence
when it comes to music and song writing?
BLATHO: We are all influenced by different
bands. I am very influenced by musical theatre, and Nirvana and Queen. The
stage presence of Kurt Cobain and Freddy Mercury are incredible and of course I
hope to inspire and be as out there as they were. Jenny, the pianist, is
inspired by Regina Spektor, who is very folksy and lyric-oriented. She writes a
lot of the songs. Benny, the guitarist, is inspired by metal, like Trivium and
Metallica. Robert, the bassist, is all about Dave Matthews Band, and their
chill, jam style. Adam, the drummer, likes Led Zeppelin and Blink 182. He just
set his drum set up like Travis Barker, even! We always try and find bands that
we "sound like," but it is really difficult. People have said: The
Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead.. But I think we sound just like Born
Loser and the Hangers On!
GTG: What would you say to Don Was if
he were sitting next to you?
BLATHO: Honestly, I'm a bit socially
awkward, so I'd probably start off with something like, "How do you feel
about grilled cheese and ranch dressing?" and then continue the
conversation from there. Of course, his life must be full of amazing stories,
but I can imagine he would get bored of people asking what Bob Dylan was like
in person. I'd ask about our music. What could we do to make us better? How
does he feel about our songs? How do we look and present ourselves on stage?
GTG: Can you tell us something
interesting about yourself that your fans would never know about?
BLATHO: 1) I can't play anything on the
piano except Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, and the beginning of the
Entertainer. But nothing else. No scales or anything. Weird, I know. 2) We all
live together, except our drummer. 3) We support the GLBT community through our
"I'm A Loser" Campaign (www.imaloser.org).
GTG: What other talents besides music
do you have?
BLATHO: I can speed cup-stack (www.speedstacks.com)
and I'm an actor/dancer.
Benny
(guitarist) can do parkour (free-running). Robert (bassist) is an amazing
oil-painter (http://ciucacreations.jimdo.com).
Jenny
(pianist) writes fiction and poetry (she was a Fiction major at SUNY Purchase
in New York).
Adam (drummer)
has an uncanny knack for remaining. After jumping out of 2 planes, plummeting
off a 100 foot cliff, and being in nearly a dozen car accidents, he still
remains.
Today we
spoke to Slant and learned some fun things about them. Since the word “slant”
basically means to view or interpret in a different way, they decided to call
themselves that because they slant their music. Read on to learn other
interesting things about Slant.
GTG:
What was your main inspiration to form a band and get into music?
Munir
(Guitar): Growing up, I was always around music at home. I was given a
walkman at the age of three for long trips because it was the only thing that
kept me from getting motion sickness when I was young. I loved the fact that
different types of music would make you feel different, such as sadness,
energy, anger etc. From that I wanted to create art that would make people feel
something.
Jimmy Lee(Drummer):
Listening to all sorts of music as I grew up, I somehow formed this
drive to play music. I wanted to be like my idols and be an amazing drummer. I
felt this desire to play & enjoy music for the rest of my life. Thanks to
the support of my mom and putting me through a music school, I was able to really
discover, dive in to, and appreciate the art of music. Now I cannot go a day
without some form of music being in my ears. I love it! Then eventually my life
crossed paths with Slant and that is how the universe was made.
Ilya
(Bassist): When I was a kid I used take a broom and act as though it was a
guitar or a microphone. I have always dreamed of being on stage, entertaining
people, and being a role model to some youngster and now I have a chance to
fulfill that dream.
Munir
(Guitar): "All I'm Good For" is the song we chose. The song's
meaning is very close to us and depicts an emotion of losing one's self and
climbing out of it. It is a song that grew during the recording the Self Titled
album "Slant".
GTG: Who is your biggest influence in
music and are there any current bands out there that you really admire?
Munir (Guitar): That list that can go on for pages.
So I'm going to name the first few that pop into my head; The Deftones,
Nirvana, The Doors, Adele, Alien Ant Farm, At the drive in, Tool, Avenged
Sevenfold, Cream, Nat king Cole, The Used, Saosin.
Jimmy
Lee (Drummer): Too many big influences to name. It's almost like it varies
day by day. I would say some current bands I've been listening to lately would
be Tool, Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, and the group LMFAO (yes, I know they
aren't a rock band but they still have a driving beat to their music).
Ilya (Bassist): GN'R was my biggest influence at
first, and when I actually started playing music I got into bands like Rush,
Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pantera and Alice in Chains - to list a
few. My current favorite bands would include Tool, Avenge Sevenfold, Alien Ant
Farm and very many others.
GTG:
What would you say to Don Was if he were sitting next to you?
Munir (Guitar): What is the craziest thing you have
seen in the studio?
Jimmy Lee (Drummer):
"What's up dude?"
GTG: Can you tell us something
interesting about yourself that your fans would never know about?
Munir (Guitar): I'm scared of spiders.
Jimmy Lee (Drummer): Sometimes I put my iPod on, go for a
hike in the hills, and envision that I'm playing our music in front of 100,000
people & they know all the lyrics to our songs.
GTG: What keeps you dedicated to
music and the industry, especially when facing tough obstacles and competition?
Munir (Guitar): It would have to be the fans and the
art of writing music. That can't ever be tainted.
Jimmy Lee (Drummer): I guess growing up the way I did
just makes me push hard and play harder. I can have no money and living pay
check to pay check and still love life as long as I have some form of
instrument with me. It's an unexplainable drive that I have I guess.
Today we talked to Dead Lotus Society and got a little feedback from different band mates.
GTG: How did you come up with the name Dead Lotus Society?
Hyatt(Vocals): The Dead Lotus Society is in reference to a group coming together to find enlightenment in embracing the trials and tribulations thrown at us. The lotus in itself is a symbol of enlightenment and you can chose to become lost in the mysteries of the universe or find a path. In The Odyssey, the Lotophagi consumed seeds of the blue lotus to enter a state of enlightened apathy. However, this is not what I mean when I ask people to become a "lotus eater". Rather, I like to encourage our listeners to walk a different path of enlightenment by finding a new level of thought and strength through embracing the trials and tribulations that define our lives. In a way, they are consuming the DEAD lotus, rather than the one mentioned in The Odyssey.
GTG: What was your main inspiration to form a band and get into music?
Hyatt (Vocals): As a little girl, I remember walking into my older sister's room after she got her first CD player and hearing Nirvana blaring. My mother hated her music for the longest time and they battled it out. As I got older, I would secretly listen to her CDs from Anthrax to Hole, imagining I could someday shed my proverbial skin and connect to the audience. Though I would often stare off into the countryside in the back seat of my mother's truck and dream of playing festivals in the open fields, I had horrible self-esteem and did little to pursue said dream due to the sheer implausibility of ever fully supporting myself with music (or so teachers told me). However, I kept singing and eventually discovered the cathartic effect of screaming and roaring through artists like Fear Factory, Kittie and Dir En Grey. In my car, I could find solace in blaring my CDs and pretending I was Shirley Manson or Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill. One day, I forgot Dmitri was in the car and he heard me belting out a mighty scream. He then asked me to form a band and I kept refusing him. On a random Thursday night, he called me with a friend at 3:00 a.m. and asked me to be in the band. Not thinking, I told him, "Yeah, sure, whatever." The next day, I was greeted to a recording of our agreement. I'm sure I could have gotten out of it, but part of me wanted to defy the odds and acknowledge my childhood dream. Anyways, here we are because of trickery and dreams.
Dmitri (GUITARS): Hyatt. I had tried to put bands together in the past to no avail but when I heard her scream for the first time I decided to manifest a project with her as the leader.
Charlie (DRUMS): I've always admired other musicians and watching them perform since I was a kid. Once I realized I could do it myself, the rest was history.
Hyatt(Vocals): "Greenwood" is a layer cake of duality, both in style and lyrical content. There is a lot of singing and clean vocals, but the song still retains our inherent underlying chaotic and beautiful brutality. On the first level, you have a song about aggression boiling to the surface of a victim that results in lashing out against the abuser. The next level or angle you can look at it from is paranoia and survival. More levels follow, with one of course being my own personal story. As you pull away each layer, it is the band's belief that the listener finds themselves in their own introspective journey. Perhaps you'll find mine, or perhaps you’ll find your own? Regardless, the journey remains.
Dmitri(GUITARS): "Greenwood" is about perceptions of strife and perpetual alienation on a very personal level, while also touching on issues of spiritual retribution.
Charlie (DRUMS): "Greenwood" really allows our diversity of influences to come through, so we figured it was a good choice.
GTG: Which bands do you have the most respect for in the industry and which do you think have influenced your style of music?
Hyatt(Vocals): While many are quick to assume that I've been most influenced by OTEP and Kittie, my musical styling has been most influenced by Japanese band, Dir en Grey, and the great female acts of Jack Off Jill, Shirley Manson, Janis Joplin and Bikini Kill. I have spent hours listening to the deranged vocals of Kyo from Dir en Grey to comprehend his vocal manipulations. Regarding the bands and musicians that I have the most respect for in the industry, it is women like Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy and Joan Jett that remind me to keep treading the territory of male dominated genres. Women of the Riot Grrrl movement remind me to keep my music intelligent and with a purpose of reform in areas like domestic violence, rape, and gender. These women have continued to push the gender boundaries and roles of the industry and I will forever respect them.
Dmitri(GUITARS): I have respect for bands like Animals as Leaders that continually break boundaries and redefine the very concept of style, let alone, music itself. As for influences, they go all over the place from Death, Abigor, Morbid Angel, Fear Factory, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Wagner, Bach, Devin Townsend, The Faceless to crack-pop, disco, and death-step.
Charlie (DRUMS): I've always admired Buddy Rich. I've also been greatly inspired by Chris Penny and Brann Dailor. I try and draw a little bit from the each of them, and then mash it up to create something of my own.
GTG: What would you say to Don Was if he were sitting next to you?
Dmitri(GUITARS): I would probably ask about his considerations on gothic architecture and whether or not it it's necessarily appropriate in the modern societies reflections of past music.
Hyatt(Vocals): Mr. Was, you've worked with groundbreaking female artists over the years like Carly Simon, Jill Sobule and Bonnie Raitt... The Dead Lotus Society may not be the usual genre you work with (nor one where women are prominent), but how about adding one more female fronted act to your discography this year?
Charlie(DRUMS): How 'bout them Broncos?
GTG: Can you tell us something interesting about yourself that your fans would never know about?
Hyatt(Vocals): It's been mentioned in one other interview, but I am a legal scholar. I'm working on several legal papers to potentially be published this years on topics ranging from transgender rights to cyber terrorism on the internet. When I grow up, I want to be a Rockstar-Power Ranger-Lawyer.
Dmitri (GUITARS): Many know that I was a sushi chef, however few know that I perceive taste as shape.
Charlie(DRUMS): I'm a pretty damn good musician, as well as a drummer. I've been known to rock a shreddin' guitar, groove a funky bass, and belch out a tune here and there.
GTG: What keeps you dedicated to this industry when facing tough competition/rejection/major obstacles? (Basically, what keeps you going and dedicated?)
Dmitri(GUITARS): Censored.
Charlie (DRUMS): The feeling.
Hyatt(Vocals): Really? You guys are giving one-liners? Blah, well, anyways! What keeps me going, and I'd like to assume keeps the rest of the band going, is lots of caffeine. Okay, seriously? Knowing that I've reached at least one fan and that the number keeps growing. I've had several shows where some young person in the audience has come up to me and lifted up their sleeves to show ancient scars. They've told me that they have never seen or felt someone so accurately embody their past strife and current confrontation with their past. In turn, they aren't afraid to show the scars because they know there is someone else that has had them and is learning to find strength in those tribulations. Channeling the muse, sharing the human experience and helping at least one person move forward through sound is what keeps me from becoming another suit in a cubicle.
We had the chance to talk to Josh and learn a little about what he does and his love for music. Read on to learn more about Josh and a couple things you would never guess about him.
GTG: How would you describe your style of music and what message are you trying to convey through your music?
JB: My music is adult contemporary with an edge. The message I want to portray is mainly: I want to bring Rock back with a more complex and lyric driven sound with nice instrumentation and hook that we have lost because a lot of music has lost its complexity and has become more about the catch. The catch is needed but it’s not about 3 chords and a hook. It seems that cool guitar and keyboard solos have been lost due to limitations on the length of songs. My goal is to bring music back to cool. My music is more of an old school sound and I feel like that is a huge compliment because that's what I am trying to do.
GTG: What was your main inspiration to form a band and get into music?
JB: I had a passion for music from a young age. I was playing with keyboards when I was 8 but I got my first guitar when I was 13.
GTG: Tell me about the song you entered into the contest and why you chose that song.
JB: The song is called “Round the Bend” and I chose it because it really shows different stages of musical level such as storytelling ability through lyrics, guitar skill, and performance level. I am a solo performer and wanted to show my looping ability and the skill of playing by yourself and making it sound like a huge sound.
GTG: What's the most outrageous experience you've seen at one of your gigs?
JB: My shows are really tame except for the occasional drunk person that tries to take the mic. from me and sing with me.
GTG: What would you say to Don Was if he were sitting next to you?
JB: If I were sitting next to him and we were listening to one of my original songs I would ask “Does this suck? Or do you have any ideas I could use to make my song better?” hahaha… No I actually would ask how did he start and what was the pinnacle moment where he new his career took a turn. I play 8 shows a week and I’ve always wondered when that moment is where you realize that things are happening.
GTG: Can you tell us something interesting about yourself that your fans would never know or guess about you?
JB: My fans would never know that I have a really bad problem with showing my arms and legs, I only wear long sleeves and don’t own a pair shorts or short sleeve polo’s. I don’t know where this comes from, it has just always been that way and I used live in Florida!
GTG: What keeps you dedicated to this industry when facing tough competition/rejection/major obstacles? (Basically, what keeps you going?)
JB: I think what keeps me going is my passion for writing and showing my music to people. If I can gain 2 new fans a night, I know that I am doing something right. Watching my fans grow is a driving force for me and makes me want to keep going. I do different things every night and want to keep my fans happy. They never see the same show every night.
Thanks for speaking to us Josh! Good luck on Gimme The Gig. For all of the Josh's fans, make sure you vote for him. Remember, every vote counts!!
Today we had the chance to catch up with Patryk de Rosa the lead guitarist from PDR.After being in a dozen of fallout bands he was inspired by his girlfriend to continue playing his music. Today we will take you behind the man with the make up and expose some things he has never shared with his fans before.
GTG: How did you come up with, or decide on your name?
PDR: PDR means Patryk de Rosa. I have been in a dozen bands who all had a fallout. Then I decided to start my own band with a drum machine and my cat.Could not let my music go, plus I had a bunch of songs I had wrote with other bands. My girlfriend inspired me to record my songs, which I then put up my CD on CD Baby.Since it was just me recording I decided to just go with my name since it was just me.After I put my CD up I decided it was time to start recruiting.
GTG: If Don Was were sitting next to you, what would you say to him to convince him to produce you?
PDR: I would tell him that I got a lot of ideas and music that people have liked. Plus we have a lot of potential. We would let him know were are a group that is willing to work.We would not try to question him and we know he knows what he is doing so we would let him do his job with no questions asked. It would not be hard to mold us into a great band since we have different styles and are pretty resilient.
GTG: If you had a limited edition 2012 Ford Focus designed for your band what would it look like? And what’s one thing that it would have to have?
PDR: I have driven a Ford Mustang for the last 18 years. So the first thing I would add would be racing suspension and rims. I also like to have performance so I would definitely need a turbo. I love to rev my engine and watch the other car speed away. You only race if you really need to, is the advice I would give to every racer out there.
PDR: It was online and decided that I had to join after I knew the winner would get produced by Don Was.
GTG: What isthe most outrageous thing you have seen at one of you gigs?
PDR: A woman dressed in cheetah outfit who was quite drunk and grabbed me and pulled me on the floor. I was abducted and forced to dance with while I was playing my guitar. It was very hard to play when all I could see was cheetah in my face.
I hope the fans of PDR were able to get to know the man behind the make up and find out things you have never known before.From everyone here at Gimme the Gig we would like to thank Patryk de Rosa from PDR for taking the time to allow us to interview him.
Today we got a chance to speak with Jason Riemath from Mealfrog. We learned many things about the band during this interview. Such as, a lucky musical scarf that was found in a forest far away brings MealFrog good luck. After learning this bit of juicy information about the band we dug up some more facts!
GTG: Do you have a good luck charm such as a piece of clothing item or a piece of equipment?
MF: A scarf that carries the Rainbow Kings enchanted musical magic. It was found in a forest far, far way where it was said to be the battle ground of the infamous war between the Rainbow King, the Ice Queen and the Little Minions.
GTG: If you could meet any musician or band, who would it be and why?
MF: It would be different for each of us, we all have similar, but very distinct tastes in music, especially when it comes to our favorites. From Pearl Jam to The Dave Matthews Band, from The Grateful Dead to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, we love all sorts of music in different ways individually. But if we have to hear one more Adele song I swear to God…
GTG: How did you come up with, or decide on your band name?
MF: In 2007, after I had graduated from WSU, my buddy Curt and I went on a road trip to Chicago for Lollapalooza. We decided to take the scenic route which took us across the country in a pinball type pattern of epicenes. After a few days of jamming on a random stranger’s ranch in Montana, getting stuck in West Yellowstone for what seemed like an eternity, swimming through waterfalls and partying with Hells Angels in Jackson Hole Wyoming we landed under Mt. Rushmore. To say the least we were a bit delirious from the day before and a 16 hour drive through both beautiful country and a perfectly straight freeway that was leading us into a lightning filled night sky ahead. We finally set up camp and started to slam beers without saying a word to each other. Curt finally breaks the silence and asks me what my original name was before I was adopted from Colombia, South America. I respond with my birth name Miguel Fehardo and we both go quiet for another 10 minutes and Curt bursts out with; “MealFrog…Your original name was MealFrog?!” To which I respond, “No Curt, not even close, it’s Miguel Fehardo, but that’s a killer name for a band!” It took some time before I could use it, but it was about a year later that I found myself on a stage with a bunch of guys under the name MealFrog, getting ready to play our first show.
GTG: Tell me about the song you entered into the contest and why you choose that song?
MF: I think the song we submitted was Trucker, but only because it was the only one we had a video of, ha. The song though is a back and forth argument of a couple, who has a distant relationship due to a career on the road, whether it be a trucker, a musician or anyone on the road really. It’s a pretty simple, heard it before song, compared to our other ones. But that’s just to draw you in to our weirdness. That and we just really like Trucker hats. Thank you Ashton Kutcher, thank you very much…
GTG: If you had a limited edition 2012 Ford Focus designed for your band what would it look like?
MF: It would have to look like a poisonous dart frog and have a licorice dispenser
GTG: If Don Was were sitting next to you, what would you say to him to convince him to produce you?
MF: We’re going to the Moon Don, you wanna come with us?
A big thank you to Jason Riemath for taking the time to speak with us here at Gimme the Gig!
