10 Things You Didn't Know About Halocene

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance to catch up with Halocene members Addie, Brad and Cash.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Halocene is a 100% independently run band. No labels, producers and managers here; just three fun, whole-hearted and slightly outrageous artists. They do absolutely everything you see by themselves. It’s no wonder their tagline, embraced by so many of their fans, is: “We Are | Halocene.” Halocene gives us a perfect blend of Pop and Rock; blurring genre boundaries but lifting musical horizons. So if you're looking for a different yet talented rock group, check out Halocene!

Halocene

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about Halocene!

GTG: Where was your live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Addie: It was at the Arrowhead Town Mall. We actually played inside the mall, and the security said “HEY! PLAY QUIETER!” And we said “ah, but we are a rock band!” (laughs)

GTG: While you guys were there, did you get the chance to sit and try out the New Ford Focus?

Addie: Yes we did, and I thought it was so comfortable and it looks like a race car but drives like a regular car. I wanted it so bad!

Cash: The trunk is awesome, it’s huge! We can put all of our band equipment in the trunk so it’s awesome.

GTG: What is one thing about your band we would never guess?

Addie: We are self-produced. Brad actually records all of our songs in our home studio at the house.

GTG: How did you come up with the name of your band?

Addie: So, Holocene is a geological time period. And when Brad was texting it to me, he texted it with an “a” instead of an “o”, but it was cool and it wasn’t a word so we could let it mean whatever we wanted it to mean. So yes, it was a typo that was meant to be. (laughs)

GTG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you guys on stage or on tour?

Addie: I fall off stages in almost every show. Last Monday, I almost broke my thumb falling off the stage.

Brad: Right before we went on stage for the Warped Tour, I accidentally poked myself in the eye, scratched my cornea and had to be escorted off the stage. I was blind for 3 days.

Cash: I tripped over the bass cabinet, and made a bunch of weird noises when they were building us up for a show.

GTG: What’s the hardest thing about being in an independent band?

Brad: FUNDING! We are 100% on our own. We all work our butts off just to have resources to travel and tour.

GTG: What “inconvenient truths” does the independent scene not want the general public to know?

Addie: Nobody wants you to know that they are not huge. We all have day jobs.

Cash: Fake it until you make it! We are cheesy and lame in a cool way.

GTG: Favorite Album of all time?

Cash: Ricky Martin – Shake Your Bon Bon. We just put it on a loop. (laughs)

GTG: What country would you most want to perform live in other than US?

Addie: We really want to play in Japan; we have a lot of international fans in Southeast Asia. But playing in Japan would be a huge change.

GTG: How was your experience opening for Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World?

Addie: The first person I met was actually Mark Hoppus, he was totally asking us questions and he is just the coolest dude ever. Everybody was super awesome and the day was just great.

Brad: It was mildly depressing for a couple months after that show for us. (laughs)

Check out a video message from Halocene to Gimme the Gig and their fans!

Make sure to check out their full length album “Can You Hear Us Now?” available now.

You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/Halocene and you can follow them at http://www.twitter.com/Halocene If you are a fan, give them a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!

10 Things You Didn't Know About HARGO

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance to catch up with HARGO members Hargo and Sanjay.

Originally from San Diego, California, HARGO brings haunting melodies anchored by a driving beat, undulating rhythms, and a wide vocal range, which evocatively accentuates the socially and politically charged lyrics. HARGO is a unique blend of personalities and international cultures drawn from a diverse range of eastern and western musical styles and influences, resulting in eclectic music that is much more than just melody and lyrics.

HARGO

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about HARGO!

GTG: Where was your live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Hargo: We played in San Diego; where we are from, in Del Mar at the fair ground at an event called Snow Jam.

GTG: Did you get the chance to sit and try out the new Ford Focus? What was your favorite feature of the Focus?

Sanjay: Ya, it was really cool! We saw a touch screen (MyFord Touch®) on there that caught our eyes right off the bat, it was the coolest thing.

GTG: What is one thing about HARGO that we and your fans would never guess?

Hargo: Sanjay is not the only Indian in the band! 
Sanjay: Also we drink more chai than whisky, which is uncommon for musicians (laughs).

GTG: How did you guys come up with the name of your band?

Hargo:  HARGO is my nickname from a much longer name. But it’s one word – it’s who I am. I think it was cool and made sense. Our bass player often jokes that I am just a little more HARGO than the rest of them (laughs).

GTG: Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on stage?

Sanjay: We were on tour in Bakersfield. While playing our single “Crashing Down”, we had a band miscommunication and our old drummer played the whole song at half speed. He just kept nodding his head like “YA! I am killing it!” It was like watching a train derail in slow motion; it was hilarious (laughs).

GTG: What’s HARGO’s favorite thing to eat for dinner on the road?

Sanjay: Eating Indian food in different cities is our favorite thing to do on the road besides playing music.

GTG: Would you rather be rich or famous because of your music?

Hargo: Honestly, we’d just rather have people love and adore our music, and whatever the byproduct of that is what it is.

GTG: What country would you most want to perform live in other than US?

Hargo: It would be awesome to play in the Czech Republic. We’ve actually written a song “Tekni-Colouring” about it in our new record.

Sanjay: Eastern Europe would be our first region of choice.

GTG: Any words of wisdom to other inspiring musicians?

Sanjay: Be super true to yourself; having too much ambition can work against you. At the end of day don’t be afraid to step outside of the conventional line that society sets up for us.

GTG: How has traditional Indian music influenced your music overall?

Sanjay: We draw a lot of inspirations from eastern music. When the band came together, Indian music kind of just organically infused into this band’s backbone. We also both have a continued pursing of education of classical Indian music as well.

Check out a video message from HARGO to Gimme the Gig and their fans!

Make sure to check out their album “Out of Mankind” available now.

You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/Hargomusic and you can follow them at http://www.twitter.com/Hargomusic If you are a fan, give them a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Pullman Standard

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance to catch up with Pullman Standard members Kevin, Austin, and Timmy.

Originally from San Diego, California, Pullman Standard exemplifies the resilient and persistent qualities of independent rock bands. Refusing to give up his music dreams, vocalist Timmy Daniels recorded the first Pullman Standard song “The First Dance” on his computer with an acoustic guitar inside his old Jeep Cherokee where he was also living. Pulling from both rock and pop of all eras, Pullman Standard is able to bring us a truly vintage indie/alternative rock style while maintaining a high quality standard of music.

Pullman Standard

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about Pullman Standard!

GTG: Where was your band’s live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Timmy: We played at the Ontario Mills Mall out in Ontario, CA.

GTG: While you guys were there, did you get a chance to sit and try out the new Ford Focus and what was your favorite feature of the Focus?

Kevin: Ya, we got to ride in them, it was really cool. They are really nimble and quick and have a very sharp turning radius! And we rode with the stunt driver, so we had a really good time riding in it. I also love the USB ports in there, very convenient.

GTG: What is one thing about your band that your fans would never guess?

Kevin: I would say it’s our demeanor as a rock band, everybody always thinks you are very serious or you have an attitude about you. But we are just 4 really dorky guys.

GTG: How did you guys come up with the name for your band?

Timmy: Pullman Standard is actually a vintage rail car company and they set the standard for style and class at the turn of the century that other rail companies followed. It’s a cool choice that fits us because we move forward with who we are and we don’t worry about what else is going on. Maybe in turn, others will follow our footsteps.

GTG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to one of your members on stage?

Kevin: (Laughs) Well Timmy fell off a table that he was dancing on, luckily he landed on his feet! He just kind of slid down and the expression on his face was priceless.

GTG: Where does the inspiration for your music come from?

Timmy: Mine came a lot from early 2000 and late 90s rock, like Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, as well as late 80s pop and early 90s pop.

Kevin: I am really drawn to Timmy’s writing style. I am a big fan of melodic rock, very pop sounding stuff.

Austin: The Clash, The Rolling Stones, 50s rock and roll. Just all the greats of every era that have perfected their craft.

GTG: Do you guys have any guilty pleasures?

Austin: Gas station Sandwiches! We love gas station food in general.

GTG: Favorite Album of all time?

Timmy: I would say that the Weezer Blue Album changed the way I wrote music and thought about Rock and Pop melody.

GTG: Three words to describe your fans?

Austin: Loyal, Savvy, and Caring. We had a lot of equipment stolen from us not too long ago, and we actually received checks in the mail from people to help, it was really cool.

GTG: Does your band have any celebrity fans?

Austin: Katy Perry’s dad really likes us (laughs)!

Check out a video message from Pullman Standard to Gimme the Gig and their fans!

Make sure to check out their single “Ordinary Just Like Me (La La La La)” available now.

You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/PullmanStandard and you can follow them at http://www.twitter.com/Pullmanstandard If you are a fan, give them a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Aside Oceans

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance tocatch up with Aside Oceans' members Bradley, Steve, Billy and Tyler.

Originally from Pulaski, Virginia, Aside Oceans is nestled in the heart of Southwest Virginia. The Virginia fresh mountain air and simple southern hospitality has definitely made an impact on their musical presence. Drawing inspirations from a wide range of musical influences, Aside Oceans refuses to be categorized into one single genre. Instead, the passionate band strives to create a perfect balance of established sound while keeping its listeners in the very present of society’s constant musical progression.

Aside Oceans

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about Aside Oceans!

GTG: Where was your live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Bradley: We were performing at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Arizona.

GTG: While you guys were there did you get a chance to sit and try out the new Ford Focus?

Steve: Ya we did, we thought it was pretty slick! I thought the push start feature was pretty cool, it was really convenient.

GTG: What is one thing about your band we would never guess?

Billy: Well we all live together and we work all at the same place at a pizzeria, we are really focused on the family-oriented style.

GTG: How did you guys come up with the name of your band?

Billy: So we came up with the band name Aside Oceans, which is pulled out of a sentence; “set aside oceans of differences and just let music be the cool thing that brings everybody together no matter what you like.”

GTG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you guys on stage or on tour?

Tyler: A few years ago, we were on tour and our van’s alternator would go out at red lights all of a sudden and we would have to jump out of the van and push it to the next parking lot and get somebody to jump us off.

GTG: What’s the hardest thing about being in an independent band?

Steve: Honestly, the hardest thing is just getting people to take that chance to listen to you from the get-go. I feel like if people would just take that chance and hear our band, that’ll be all it will take, they’d be sold. It’s hard to get the exposure and get your name out there.

GTG: Who are your biggest inspirations as a band?

Billy – We were all actually in metal bands when we were younger so we kind of grew up on some more intense music. But then as we got older we matured musically and wanted to go different directions like the Stones, the Beatles, Zeppelin and any music that doesn’t genre themselves.

GTG: What’s your guys’ favorite thing to eat for dinner on the road?

Billy – We are really stoked on some peanut butter sandwiches and Chef Boyardee. But when we can afford it, we really like some Steak ’n Shake.

GTG: Any words of wisdom to other inspiring musicians that’s just starting?

Bradley: The Gimme the Gig II contest is the biggest opportunity we have ever had and we had to drive from Virginia to do it. It’s basically saying hard work pays off, people notice it. It takes time to mature and you got to go through some stuff to write songs that have meaning.

GTG: How has being from Southwest Virginia and the South in general influenced your music?

Billy - The blues, that’s a huge thing in our area and I feel like when all of us as a band really got into the blues it really changed our music completely. It altered everything, and we really got into the emotional side of the music; we tackle the true emotions that people tackle everyday like the blues does.

Check out a video message from Aside Oceans to their fans and Gimme the Gig!

Make sure to check out their self-titled album Aside Oceans available now.

You can “Like” them at https://www.facebook.com/asideoceans and you can follow them at https://twitter.com/asideoceans. If you are a fan, give them a shout out onthe Gimmethe Gig II Facebook page!

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rachel Wong

Each week, we will be profiling one of our top artists who will be performing in front of the legendary Don Was!

This week we had the chance to catch up with Seattle artist Rachel Wong.

Originally from Vancouver, Washington, Rachel Wong is reminiscent of Sara Bareilles but on the guitar. Her unique acoustic pop sounds can bring energy into anyone’s uneventful day. One of Rachel’s special talent as a song writer is her innate ability to draw from everyday love and loss and use it to connect with her fans. Combine that with her soothing vocals and catchy style, and we’ve got a recipe for a top 12 Gimme the Gig artist!

Rachel Wong on the Guitar

Read our exclusive interview below, and discover 10 things you didn't know about Rachel Wong!

GTG: Where was your live performance on the Gimme the Gig II Focus Tour?

Rachel: I was performing in Seattle, Washington.

GTG: Did you get the chance to sit and try out the new Ford Focus?

Rachel: Yeah I did, I was one of the earlier performances so I got to drive it. And my favorite feature was definitely the self-park, it was pretty incredible how accurate and easy it was to use.

GTG: What is one thing about you we would never guess?

Rachel: I actually can’t snap my fingers (laughs). And I used to play the drums when I was younger too so it’s funny as a musician I can’t snap my fingers.

GTG: How did you decide to use your real name as the artist name?

Rachel: I thought about different stage names but decided to just keep it simple and make it me. But if I had to use a stage name it would be something close to my nick name; Rae Rae.

GTG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage or on tour?

Rachel: Last fall, about 15 minutes before my shows at a new venue, I broke my guitar string. Luckily, the booking guy ran down a couple blocks to get me some new strings and literally 3 minutes before I started, I had to unscrew and change the guitar string! Luckily I still started on time and the show went well.

GTG: Who were your biggest inspirations as a singer in the beginning of your career?

Rachel: John Mayer definitely influenced my lyrics in being able to take a story and turn it into a song. Vocally, I try to pull from my heart and my soul and I’ve had a lot of influence from Lauren Hill. Then of course there’s Michael Jackson, the king of pop.

GTG: Do you have any conspiracy theories?

Rachel: I do think there’s something or someone that steals your socks in your house, and they always only want 1 out of the pair.

GTG: Any guilty pleasures you want to share with your fans?

Rachel: (Laughs) This is terrible but I Love watching Jersey Shore. There’s something incredibly daring about people who can just have fun without any reservations. I enjoy the personalities, mostly the ridiculousness of it.

GTG: Favorite album of all time?

Rachel: This one is so hard! But I am going to have to go with Michael Jackson’s Bad, because it’s incredible on so many levels. I think it’s one of Michael’s best.

GTG: Some of your songs have that coffee house style. Does being from Seattle; the coffee capital of America, have any influence over your style?

RACHEL: Maybe a little bit just because I did open mics in the beginning of my career in coffee houses, but I would consider pop having more influence over my style.

Check out Rachel’s video message to Gimme the Gig and her fans below!

Make sure to check out her debut CD Curtain Fall available now.
You can “Like” her at https://www.facebook.com/RachelKMWong and you can follow her at https://twitter.com/raecho. If you are a fan, give her a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!

A Warm Thank You from a Gimme the Gig II Semi-Finalist

Unique. This would be the perfect word to describe Gimme the Gig II Semi-Finalist; the dynamic duo Cowboy and a T.H.U.G. from Sacramento, California. Their unique style of “Country Hip-Hop” is original and it’s like nothing we’ve heard before.

Brett “Ezmoney” Miller had such an amazing experience during the Gimme the Gig II contest that he decided to give a shout out to Gimme the Gig and talk about his experience. You can check out Ezmoney’s thank you video here:

Ezmoney's Thank You Video

Behind the Band

Brett Miller aka Ezmoney, a Cowboy, and Andre Butler aka Skitzo, (you guessed it) a T.H.U.G. are the artists behind the original creation. Here are some interesting facts a lot of you probably don’t know about the duo: Ezmoney was originally a realtor, and he met Skitzo through the local Penny Saver. They started working together, and the rest is history! Not only do they try to promote a positive vibe in their music, they also try to be positive role models in real life. They were featured as “Hip-Hop Heroes” in a CBS Sacramento story (Click to view) when they saved their neighbor from a burning apartment.

Cowboy and a T.H.U.G.

We got a chance to catch up with Ezmoney for an interview about how things are going and what’s in the future for the duo.

GTG: Hi Ezmoney, it’s good to talk to you again. Can you tell us about your experience with Gimme the Gig II?

Ezmoney: We had a great experience - it was a really good thing for us just because it helped us gain a lot of exposure, and helped us gain a lot of fans. We also entered last year late in the game, but this year we made it all the way to semi-finals and we were really proud of that. We actually entered because Don was looking for something really unique. And even though we didn’t make it to the finals, we felt we had something really unique to offer – something clean, fun, and safe and very different for Hip-Hop and the Sacramento music scene.

GTG: That’s great! So what kind of feedback have you received from your fans?

Ezmoney: We already have a lot of fans who support us and we kind of just expanded on that. When you get into something like this and you start to make a little head way, and they see you progressing, it just gives us a little more legitimacy that we’ve actually been selected to go this far. A lot of people didn’t think we had a shot at going anywhere, so it’s kinda cool that we got that far. Then of course we also connected with a couple of other groups, and it was fun meeting some of the other really talented contestants.

GTG: So what’s on the horizon for Cowboy and a Thug?

Ezmoney: Right now we are trying to do something a little current. We are actually doing more club bangers for dancing in the clubs. Actually, one is inspired from us saving someone from a fire and we are calling it “We Are On Fire” (laughs). We actually have 6 new songs that we are putting together!

You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sactownrecordz-Cowboy-and-a-Thug/114846941913340?sk=wall and you can follow them at https://twitter.com/sactownrecordz. If you're a fan, give them a shout out on the Gimme the Gig II Facebook page!

Congrats to the Top 12 Gimme the Gig II artists!!

Music lovers everywhere, we are approaching the pinnacle of the Gimme the Gig II contest: The opportunity to record with Don Was! We would like to thank all the bands that entered, you are all truly amazing and we thank you for your efforts. Special thanks to Grammy-Award winning producer and music legend Mr. Don Was, Ford Motor Company and Galpin Auto Sports for giving aspiring artists everywhere a chance at their “big break”.

It has been an emotional and exciting ride for us here at Gimme the Gig II. We asked bands from around the country to submit a song for votes into the contest back in June of 2011 and we’ve received an overwhelming response from the independent music scene. After reviewing all the bands based on 4 criteria: Live performance, musical ability, originality, and overall appeal (which included fan votes!), a panel of judges were able to select 80 bands. Then in January, to kick start the New Year, the judges selected 30 truly amazing bands to move on to the next round. In February, the judges narrowed it down to 12 extraordinary bands to become the top 12 artists of Gimme the Gig II.

Without further ado, here is the list of the top 12 artists!!

Aside Oceans comes to us from Pulaski, VA. Click here to watch their performance at the Arizona Mills in Phoenix, AZ. You can “Like” them at https://www.facebook.com/asideoceans and follow them at http://twitter.com/asideoceans

Bop Skizzum comes to us from Denver, CO. Click here to watch their performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Denver, CO. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/bopskizzum and follow them at http://www.twitter.com/bopskizzum

Carson Henley comes to us from Kent, WA. Click here to watch their performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Seattle, WA. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/carsonhenleymusic and follow them at http://twitter.com/carsonhenley

Churchill comes to us from Denver, CO. Click here to watch their performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Denver, CO. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/churchilltheband and follow them at   http://www.twitter.com/churchillband

Eyeshine comes to us from Los Angeles, CA. Click here to watch their performance at the Lobster Fest in San Pedro, CA. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/eyeshinemusic and follow them at   http://twitter.com/TheEyeshineBand

Halocene comes to us from Phoenix, AZ. Click here to watch their performance at the Arrowhead in Glendale, AZ. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/halocene and follow them at   http://www.twitter.com/halocene

HARGO comes to us from San Diego, CA. Click here to watch their performance at the Snow Jam in San Diego, CA. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/hargomusic and follow them at http://twitter.com/hargomusic

Josh Blackburn comes to us from Jackson, MS. Click here to watch his performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Denver, CO. You can “Like” him at http://www.facebook.com/fearlesstone and follow him at   http://www.twitter.com/fearlesstone

Lost in Atlantis comes to us from Phoenix, AZ. Click here to watch their performance at the Cerritos Mall in Cerritos, CA. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/LostinAtlantis and follow them at   http://www.twitter.com/LIAisRad

Pullman Standard comes to us from San Diego, CA. Click here to watch their performance at the Ontario Mills in Ontario, CA. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/Pullmanstandard and follow them at   http://www.twitter.com/Pullmanstandard

Rachel James comes to us from Denver, CO. Click here to watch their performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Denver, CO. You can “Like” them at http://www.facebook.com/iamracheljames and follow them at   http://www.twitter.com/iamracheljames

Rachel Wong comes to us from Seattle, WA. Click here to watch her performance at the Gimme the Gig II tour – Seattle, WA. You can “Like” her at https://www.facebook.com/RachelKMWong and follow her at   http://twitter.com/raecho

Now that all of the top 12 artists have been introduced, who’s EXCITED to see who gets to record with Don Was? I know we are! The top 12 artists will each get a chance to perform LIVE at one of three events in front of Mr. Don Was himself and he will hand pick not one, but three bands to work with! Each selected bands will get the opportunity to produce a track with the legendary producer in a pimped out Ford Focus mobile recording studio.

The three events will be aired as a special on KTLA so make sure to tune in to this once in a lifetime opportunity for our contestants.

We wish the best of luck to all of our talented contestants and see you at the final three events!