David Lehr Trades In Ukulele For Guitar

By: Kimberly Gallagher

The first string instrument his mother bought him was not a guitar, but a ukulele. With an interest in music, a young David Lehr found it difficult to learn his first songs.

“I had really small hands, so sometimes, it was a really big stretch for me,” Lehr said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “One of the first songs I distinctly remember learning on the ‘uke’ was ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’ It was very difficult and I hated playing it, but nonetheless, I think I would play for a few hours each day.”

Eventually, Lehr obtained a guitar and extended his practice times, and remembers playing his six-string for eight straight hours in one day. After learning the basics of the guitar, Lehr’s parents thought it would be a good idea to learn from a guitar performance major.

“Being 12, I didn’t really know what it meant to be taking guitar lessons,” Lehr

(Courtesy of David Lehr)

said. “I hadn’t really done that before, but I was totally excited for it. Looking back though, I love the fact that I took from [the guitar performance major], because he taught me such a strong structure of music theory and chord analysis; something a lot of students never get from taking lessons that young.”

Lehr feels that the guitar teacher that he has now has a completely different vibe than his previous teacher.

“He has a whole different outlook on things,” Lehr said. “I think it worked out perfect though, because the teacher I had when I was 12 was great for me at the time, but as I’ve progressed, I know for sure that my current teacher is exactly right for me. The most important thing I’ve learned from my teacher is just a good way to approach building chords. It doesn’t always have to be super hard to play, but it doesn’t have to be the same old way everyone plays something. He’s helped me build a solid style.”

In 2009, Lehr used his newfound style to reach over 138,100 plays on his Myspace and PureVolume pages. Before focusing on his solo act, the Indiana resident was previously in hardcore bands as well as a two-person acoustic rock band. Lehr enjoys playing solo and often receives positive feedback from his websites.

“At first, I put my music on Myspace because I thought that’s what everyone did,” Lehr said. “I only used PureVolume to distribute my music for free. To my surprise, a week after releasing my EP, Daisy, I was the number four top downloaded [album] on PureVolume. That was pretty exciting to see. My favorite song on the EP is probably Daisy, just because it has a lot of personal significance. Almost all of the feedback I’ve heard from the EP has been good, and people are excited to hear what’s next!”

Lehr describes his music as “simple but unique.” He believes that he takes a different approach to writing his music than a lot of different artist.

“There are so many different ways to approach writing a song,” Lehr said. “Something I do most is try to look back at strong feelings that I’ve felt in the past. Good or bad. Those strong feelings really make people unique, and at the same time, give listeners a chance to relate. Another thing I enjoy writing about, is thinking ahead about a specific person I haven’t spoken to in a while, and thinking about what it would be like if they just called me out on something, or I called them out. “How would I feel? How would I respond?’ That kind of thing.”

The message Lehr gives his listeners through his music is to be calm and approach situations with a clear state of mind.

“Just be chill,” Lehr said. “I think sometimes problems get dragged way out of proportion, and if we were all just a little more chill, then the world would be a better place.”

The 17-year old records all of his music in his room and has experimented with home recording for the last seven years.

“I go through the same process every time I record,” Lehr said. “I got some free recording software and a webcam microphone and just went to town. I love it almost as much as I love music. I think that’s why I [record] at home as well. I find it really enjoyable.”

Since Lehr does not pay to record his music, he does not see a reason to charge his fans to download songs.

“I just love music and want to share what I can do with anyone and everyone that I can,” Lehr said. “I think I have something new to bring to the table. Something unique that I’d like to think a lot of other artists don’t have, and that is actual knowledge of music and how it works. I think there’s a huge different between playing or singing a song, and actually knowing why you’re playing and singing, and I can do both.”

Even though he has not toured with his music, he has played shows around his hometown of Indianapolis. For those fans who are not able to watch him live, Lehr’s music is readily available at Myspace, Twitter and PureVolume pages.

http://www.Myspace.com/thedavidlehr

http://twitter.com/#!/davidlehrmusic

http://www.Purevolume.com/thedavidlehr

Published: December 27, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/10266/David_Lehr_Trades_In_Ukulele_For_Guitar

FanBolt Members Meet Up And Review A Midnight Showing Of ‘Harry Potter’

By: Kimberly Gallagher

Attending a movie opening at midnight is an adventure in itself. The excitement level and the energy felt by fellow moviegoers are always at an all-time high. Fans often arrive at the theater hours before the movie starts to battle long lines and search for empty seats.

I have been to a few midnight showings, but none was more exhilarating than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

The faint smell of over-buttered popcorn filled the crowded theater as everyone eagerly awaited the film to begin. Potter Fans wore t-shirts, hats and sweaters representing their favorite Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Houses. I sported my scarlet and gold Gryffindor scarf. I was tempted to stare down and glare at anyone wearing silver and green, the colors of Slytherin, but I respectfully resisted. There were many people who seemed to be far more dedicated and came in full costume. I saw young woman dressed as Hermione Granger not only with wand in hand, but carrying her character’s plush cat, Crookshanks.

I arrived at the movie theater a mere hour before the film started. That seemed to be my first of two mistakes of the night. Walking up and down the stairs while looking through the aisles, seats were either taken or annoyingly “reserved” by a jacket or handbag. It was tough to locate two seats next to each other for my friend and myself. Thinking “we should have left earlier” in my head, we settled for the row second from the screen. Very discomforting, but I was ready to see the movie at any cost.

I panned the theater, hoping for the possibility of two available seats. Nothing. I gave up and forced myself to believe that second row seats were not too bad. Even if I was forced to watch the movie looking up at a 180 degree angle.

Since I had an hour to waste, I checked my twitter to see if my fellow FanBolters were in the theater. After a little social networking, Maddy, Alexis, Natalie and Jerrica, were very gracious and made extra room for my friend and I. We moved next to them and noticed their seats were further away from the screen and much more comfortable. I found myself surrounded by discussions revolving around the details that fans presumed Director David Yates would leave out from J.K. Rowling’s beloved series.

Finally, the congested cinema roared with excitement as we were greeted by theater commercials, even if they were teen anti-drug advertisements. Contrary to the ads, most of the “Muggles” were in their mid-twenties, who I assumed, like me, grew up reading the series of novels.

The cinema was instantly silent as a steel-plated Warner-Brothers sign appeared on-screen and slowly turned to rust as “Hedwig’s Theme” faintly played in the background. A pair of concentrated eyes belonging to Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy) stared into the theater, foreshadowing the intensity of the movie.

My second mistake was re-reading the seventh novel before seeing the movie. I could not help but subconsciously compare Yates’ film to Rowling’s tour de force.

Photo by Warner Bros. – © 2010 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. HARRY POTTER PUBLISHING RIGHTS (C) J.K.R. HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS, NAMES AND RELATED

Because nothing can compare with Rowling’s masterpiece, I found myself becoming frustrated with the lack of perfect synchronization to the book. I quickly reminded myself that films and books are two different forms of art. After those thoughts, I became more and engrossed with each somber scene during the first half of the Harry Potter finale. Though the movie was dark, there was quite a bit of humor “trying to diffuse the tension” as Fred Weasley (James Phelps) said.

Familiar faces can be seen as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) venture on their quest for the search and destruction of Horcruxes in an attempt to destroy Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The new additions to the film were brilliantly cast and the characters were just as I imagined them through Rowling’s words on paper.

If you are ultra-sensitive about the book to movie similarities, I highly suggest not re-reading it before watching the film on the big screen. Regardless of the novels having made an impression on you or not, I advise seeing the movie. You will not be disappointed.

As the film ended on a cliffhanger, I was left with a bittersweet feeling. I definitely wanted to see more, while at the same time, I could not help but be ecstatic that I have eight months to look forward to the second half of the movie; until it is all over for good.

After its opening weekend, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 seemed to be the only contender on the Box Office charts. According to the New York Times, Yates’ third Harry Potter installment raked in over $125.1 million in North America, and $330 million globally (NY Times).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 makes its debut July 15, 2011 and I am certain it will be just as exceptional as Part 1.

Published: November 23, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/9978/FanBolt_Members_Meet_Up_And_Review_A_Midnight_Showing_Of_’Harry_Potter’

Lone Artist Starts A Riot

By: Kim Gallagher

As a child, he often found himself listening to his father playing various records from his vinyl collection. At the young age of 11, he started to play guitar. One year later, Alan Oakes realized that he wanted to make a career out of music.

“Some of my earliest memories are hearing stuff like The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Zepplin ringing throughout the house,” Oakes said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “I just fell in love with those sounds. It wasn’t until my first concert, when I was 12, that I realized I wanted to play music for the rest of my life. It was a Pantera and Skid Row show. A far cry from The Beatles and The Beach Boys, but watching those two bands absolutely own the crowd changed my life. And this is before I knew what “owning the crowd” even was. I had no idea that live music could be that loud and filled with so much energy.”

As the years have passed and now at the age of 30, Oakes is the man behind Let Em’ Riot. Through his experience as a musician, the lone member of the band seemed to find the sound he was searching for.

“I’ve always described [my music] as a foot-tapping, dancy, electro/pop/indie kind of thing,” Oakes said. “In the same vein as Hot Chip, Cut Copy, and Postal Service. Most people are like, “Huh?” Then I say, “Owl City?” And they reply with, “Oh, I love that song, ‘Fireflies’!”

Oakes says that he has been performing solo as Let Em’ Riot for over a year.

“It’s fun,” Oakes said, “but I think a lot of people who haven’t heart the music before have trouble getting it. I’ve spent years performing with bands took me a long time just to get used to performing without a guitar. I [feel] so naked on stage.”

Oakes imagines adding more musicians to his band and practices with other artists to enhance Let Em’ Riot’s on-stage performance.

“I’m currently in the process of jamming with a few guys and preparing a live set,” Oakes said. “There’s nothing that adds to the energy of the live show more than having live musicians on-stage, as opposed to standing up there by yourself, triggering samples off your laptop.”

The lone member Alan Oakes. (Image provided by Let Em Riot)

Let Em’ Riot is currently an unsigned band, but used to be signed with a record label. Unfortunately, as most artists know, the music business can be cutthroat and the band was dropped from the label. After being relinquished of their duties, Oakes says he took the experience as a learning opportunity and concentrated on the positives instead of focusing on the negative aspects. He uses relationships as a metaphor for his involvement with the record label.

“Getting dropped from any label gives you a nice little dose of reality,” Oakes said. “The best way to relate it is to imagine a girl who is totally into you. She’s always calling wanting to hangout. She cute, not really your type but her persistence causes you to say, ‘What the hell, let’s give it a shot.’ You date for a few months and everything is going great until one day you hear from her friend that she’s completely over it and to stop calling her. It’s kind of like that. A little rejection every once in a while is good for the soul, though. Keeps you grounded and helps better appreciate the good times.”

Breaking into the music industry can be very difficult, especially when a band does not have a strategy. Oakes believes that the music business is a game, only to be played and not won. In order to survive, he has developed a tactic of his own to ensure that Let Em’ Riot stays afloat.

“No matter how many times I fall flat on my face, the end result is not what gets be out of bed in the morning,” Oakes said. “It’s the continuous struggle to find that note or that lyric that perfectly captures my emotion. If you took a game and stripped it of its point system and there was no winner or loser at the end, some would say, ‘What’s the point of playing then?’ I’ve watched countless musicians give up music over the years because if there’s no reward, then what’s the point? An artist doesn’t need a label or Grammy to validate his/her art.”

Oakes is not single-mindedly focused on finding a label to sign Let Em’ Riot, he says he is enjoying himself while making music.

“Finding a record label] is a lot like love,” Oakes said. “Once you stop looking, the right person comes along, sweeps you off your feet and shows you all he things you never knew you were missing out on. Finding a label isn’t the end of the road for me. It’s only part of the journey.”

Along his musical expedition, Oakes has produced several tracks on his own and has been known to release his songs for free. He has been recording music since he was 15 and used the “advanced technology” over a decade ago, to copy his work.

“I couldn’t tell you how many songs over the years [I have recorded],” Oakes said. “It’s funny, my first record was tracked in my bedroom on a Tascam 4-track recorder onto tape. The artwork was drawn and photocopied at Kinko’s and I made copies on my dad’s tape player one-by-one. A 20-minute recording took 20 minutes to duplicate. And if you had a Side-A and Side-B, then guess what? You had to flip the tape over and record onto that side too. Here I am, 15 years later and not much has changed. I’m still making records out of my bedroom. Thank God for CD burners though!”

The writing and recording process he goes through starts with developing a bass line on his computer or looping a drum pattern.

“[I] come up with a rough idea and build from there. I mix as I go, so by the time I lay the vocal tracks down, the song is pretty much finished. I’m a guitar player. I have a guitar player’s ear. I’m not good at hearing bass lines, drum fills or even key parts. There are a lot of opportunities I feel I miss out on with the music because I’m none of those things. I don’t suggesting recording an album by yourself, unless you’re David Grohl.”

After the tracks are completed, Oakes distributes some of the songs for free. His fans might assume that Let Em’ Riot releases their songs for free because they are passionate about their music, but Oakes states otherwise.

“I’m just not good at convincing someone that my song is worth his or her dollar,” Oakes says. “I make a lousy salesman. Labels are good at that, which is why I believe labels will always be around despite other’s opinions. One thing I will add to any artist thinking of giving their music away for free is, try and get something in return for that free download. Whether it’s an email address, a tweet, or a share on Facebook. Something that will help you stay connected or build your relationship with the listener. These things are the ‘new currency’ in today’s world of free music. I truly believe that.”

Let Em’ Riot has their “The App EP” available for sale, but a portion of the proceeds benefits The Fender Music Foundation.

“I wanted to add a little value to purchasing the recording for those who wanted to support the music,” Oakes said. “The Foundation helps support and preserves music education in the classroom. I have always enjoyed music classes as a kid. I chose this particular foundation mainly because Fender is a well-known name and is based out of Orange County. There are lots of great organizations like it and I wish I could support them all.”

Oakes says that his biggest inspiration for his music is music itself.

“When I watch a great live show or listen to an amazing new record, the first thing I want to do it run back home to my computer and start writing,” Oakes said. “It’s the best motivator. Living in Southern California, you never run out of inspiration. There’s such an abundance of new music and new bands. I feel quite fortunate to be in the middle of it all.”

The man behind Let Em’ Riot is very honest with himself – if not, brutally honest. Oakes says the message he is trying to express through his music is that there is not a particular message.”

“I’d like to say that my music is groundbreaking, life-changing and awe-inspiring, but it’s not,” Oakes said. “I’m not trying to lead a generation or anything. I make a terrible leader. I admire those artists who can though. Hell, I’d follow Dave Grohl into battle any day. To me, music is an expression of emotion. A certain feeling or thought. Every note, every lyric is an attempt to convey that.”

Let Em’ Riot’s music is available through online retailers such as iTunes and Rhapsody. Hard copies can be ordered through the websites as well.

“And of course,” Oakes adds, “everyone can download the music for free through http://letemriot.com/.”

Published: November 1, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/9707/Lone_Artist_Starts_A_Riot

Band ‘Sets It Off’ While Touring the U.S.

By: Kimberly Gallagher

A little over two years after their first show in July 2008, Set It Off have been touring the all over the country and promoting their CD, “Calm Before the Storm.”

Completing their twelve tour last month, the four-piece pop rock band composed of vocalist Cody Carson, guitarists Zach Something and Clermont and Austin Kerr on Bass, has no intentions of stopping.

“We tour the country so much and it is always amazing to see how different places can be,” Something said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “[My] favorite part is definitely meeting new people and playing shows to our amazing fan base. Least favorite part is missing family and friends back home.”

Regardless of everything they may miss about their hometown of Tampa, Florida, being on stage seems to make up for a little portion of their homesickness.

“The best part about live shows is when your crowd is into the show as much as you are,” Something said. “Like, singing along and dancing, that just fuels us to play even more.”

Image courtesy of Set It Off

After working hard on a long grueling tour, the four boys enjoy returning to the home that they love. Something says Tampa is where they do something as a band. Write, practice and play shows. He says that it is a great place to be around with a great night life too.

While the city of Tampa might inspire Set It Off’s music, the guitarist says that they can draw inspiration from any activity throughout the day.

“[We are inspired] from girls to parties to friends, to anything and everything you can think of,” Something said.

According to Something, music is more than just playing shows for the fans; he believes that it is the best way of communicating to express emotion. The guitarist says that it is an amazing feeling to be able to chance someone’s out look on a situation with “just a song.” This is the overall goal of the band.

“Reach out to as many kids as possible,” Something said. “Hopefully help them in some way with our music.”

In between tours, not only is Set It Off preparing for their next tour, they often fill their days with writing and recording new songs, which the guitarist says the new set of tracks they have recently recorded are his favorite.

“I feel as if we stumbled upon a new sound that will really grab people’s attention,” Something said. “The songs are dark and happy at the same time. We are really excited for people to hear them!”

Something says that Set It Off enjoys releasing their music as an unsigned band because they do not owe money to anyone and they do not have to worry about pleasing a label with their actions. But similar to most unsigned bands, money can be tight. The band says they would like to sign with a label, but they are not currently seeking one.

“We want a record label that will come to us with a very good deal,” Something said. “[A label] that will take care of us like a family would.”

Until they land the right record deal for them, Set It Off plans to keep making music and planning tours to gain more exposure on the music scene.

“Touring is definitely one of the main things you will be seeing,” Something said. “We are so very excited for everyone to hear and see the music. Also, you can expect to hear new songs very soon!”

Set It Off’s music can be heard on MySpace and purchased through iTunes.

Published: August 10, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8853/Band_’Sets_It_Off’_While_Touring_the_U.S.

Interview: Australian Singer Rico Garilli

By: Kimberly Gallagher

It took one young Australian boy many trial and error sessions, but now that he has discovered his niche, he is not letting go. At a young age, Rico Garilli’s father first introduced him to music by placing him in voice lessons while his brother took bass guitar lessons.

“We had a band with some family friends, which I didn’t enjoy too much,” Garilli said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “I didn’t enjoy singing back then, so I decided to try piano instead. That lasted a couple of years and it was great until I decided to drop piano for guitar. I did about three terms of guitar lessons before I changed schools. I decided not to do music at my new school, so I have pretty much just been teaching myself since. I also re-kindled my love for singing and just brought the two together.”

Garilli best describes his music as “just him and his guitar.” He does not use any effects when he plays, only raw acoustic music.

Image provided by Rico Garilli

The unsigned artist says he is content writing music that means something to him and is not too worried about pleasing the masses.

“I really am not fussed whether that sells records or not,” Garilli said. “I have no intentions of making money or getting famous from this.”

Garilli’s passion for music was personal, but he finally decided that it was time to share it with the world.

“December 2009, I sat down, took out a song I had written and just recorded it raw onto my iPhone,” Garilli said. “I decided to make the MySpace purely to get my music heard. I want people to listen to what I have to write and tell me how they can relate to my music. I want to inspire people and, hopefully, make them happy. I like to see smiles on people’s faces.”

The guitarist’s inspiration for encouraging others comes from his emotions.

“I don’t write music with the intention of writing a song,” Garilli said. “I’ll only start to write when I truly believe I have something to say in my music. Unfortunately, like many others, I have a lot of inspiration from the opposite sex due to the wide range of emotions they can send you through. But I try my best to move away from the sappy love songs and focus on intentions on other, less obvious emotions.”

His fans have responded positively on his MySpace page and Garili says that he is glad to receive so many comments. He says that his fans often write that they enjoy his music because it makes them happy.

“I think, away from the music, they [the fans] also love the fact that I’m not just another artist out to have as many MySpace fans as possible,” Garilli said. “I don’t add that many people on MySpace, purely due to the fact that I’d rather spend the time getting to know as many of my fans as possible and have proper conversations with them. If I add thousands of people up front, I’ll just be another artist. I don’t want that. I want my own individual personality so that each of my fans knows they can turn to me for help, cheering up, or just a general conversation.”

When he’s not interacting with his fans on the web, Garilli can be found playing local shows in Adelaide, Australia. After playing his first gig, at an open mic night, Garillli says that he instantly fell in love with performing live on stage. His preparations for his show often start before he even gets to the venue he is playing at.

“Usually I’ll go through some warm up techniques,” Garilli said, “go through my set-list one time through, talk to a few of my fans on the MySpace to get me into a nice, happy mood. Then as soon as I get to the venue, I’ll have a look at the crowd and psyche myself up to get ready to perform, get rid of my nerves, and then, it’s go time.”

Garilli’s favorite part of playing a show is the feeling he gets afterward, when people come up to him, shake his hand while complementing him on his performance.

“It is such a great confidence booster and puts me in a great frame of mind,” Garlilli said.

Garilli believes that he is currently unsure of where the future will take him and his music career.

“I would really love to meet and play for some of my fans around Australia and in the States,” Garilli said. “At the moment, I am just taking it a day at a time. I just want my music to make people happy.”

Garilli’s music can be heard at myspace.com/ricogarilli

Published: July 1, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8576/Interview:_Australian_Singer_Rico_Garilli

Ryan Narciso Uses YouTube to Create a Fanbase

By: Kim Gallagher

As if juggling university studies and an extra curricular activity isn’t hard enough, try entertaining over 5,800 subscribers on your YouTube Channel each week. Ryan Narciso of British Columbia, Canada does just that. His voice has been heard by thousands by having over 457,000 video plays. He has numerous videos posted ranging from covers to original songs.

“I’ve been singing all my life,” Narciso said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “My parents say that I learned to sing before I could even talk.”

According to Narciso, his father directed a rhythm and blues choir and his mother was a member of the choir as well. Instead of being stuck at home with a babysitter, Narciso’s parents brought him to the practices.

“One night, I surprised my mom by humming one of the songs the choir had been rehearsing, from my stroller,” Narsico said. “From then on, I never stopped [singing]. I never took any formal voice lessons, but my dad is a musician as well, so I was lucky enough to have him teach me a few things.”

Not only does he use his voice in the YouTube videos that he produces, he can usually be seen playing an instrument as well.

(Image provided by Ryan Narciso)

“I first picked up the guitar about six/seven years ago,” Narciso said. “My dad taught me a couple chords to get me started, but after that, I learned everything on my own. I started taking formal classical piano lessons when I was five, and was not a fan of it. I quit when I was 12 and only started to pick it up again two years ago. I love it now! I always enjoy learning other instruments. I taught myself how to play drums as well, but I wouldn’t say I’m good at it.”

When Narciso decided to start taking his music seriously, he said he struggled to get his music heard. In search of ways to make his way onto the music scene, he decided to turn to YouTube.

“One day, I was looking up some of my favorite songs on YouTube and stumbled across a video of David Choi covering “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith,” Narciso said. “I noticed that he was receiving thousands of views from people around the world. I thought to myself that I could be doing that. The next day, I created my first account and uploaded my first video. About fifty videos later, I was able to gain almost 20,000 subscribers. However, on January of this year, my account got suspended. I covered a couple songs owned by Warner Music Group and apparently they didn’t like that I was doing that. I was just doing what everyone else was doing and to this day, I don’t know why they singled me out. So, for the past three months, I’ve been trying my best to regain what I had lost. Thankfully, a lot of my old subscribers and even some new ones found me again.”

At first, Narciso was nervous to receive responses from his listeners and “expected that there would be some negative comments.” He said when he first read the criticism, he was a little discouraged, but after a couple months of growing as an artist, the critiques did not seem to bother him as he was used to them.

“It helps a lot when I see my viewers defending me for me,” Narciso said. “You have to have thick skin when you put yourself out there because not everyone will like what you do and that’s fine, but some of those people won’t be so nice. I feel that I please the majority.”

Regardless of some of the negative criticism he may receive, Narciso said that it feels amazing to have had so many positive responses from over 457,000 video views and 5,800 subscribers.

“On my old account, it took almost a year to get that many subscribers,” Narciso said. “On my new one, I got that many in less than three months. I’m so blessed to have my viewers and I try to thank each and everyone one of them everyday!”

Having so many viewers is not an easy task to take on. Narciso sets a lot of time aside to plan, practice, perform, record and edit his videos.

“The first thing I do is record audio and video of me singing the melody with a primary instrument (usually guitar or piano),” Narciso said. “This is the most important part of the process because everything is surrounded by this one take. On a good day, I’m able to have a good performance in two or three takes, but sometimes I spend hours doing this. It can get frustrating sometimes. After I finish that, I record other instruments and harmonies around that first recording. Amount of time varies depending on how many instruments I want in the mix. Then comes about an hour of mixing to make sure the instruments and voice blend together nicely. Once I finish the song, I convert it to mp3 and move on to video editing. I sync the final mp3 with the videos I filmed while recording. That takes about an hour to two hours. All together, it roughly four to six hours of work.”

On Narciso’s YouTube Channel, fans can also see acapella videos where he records himself singing different parts of a song and records it separately. When that process is finished, he pieces the different parts together into one video with an incredible outcome.

“Recording an acapella video takes more preparation,” Narciso said. “All the parts I sang in ‘A Whole New World’ were arranged by my dad before I even started recording. Plus, you have to practice before filming because the singing parts are much more difficult. When I record with instruments, I just start playing whatever comes on the top of my head.”

Narciso tries to post at least one video a week, otherwise, he feels as if he is letting his subscribers down if he does not.

“I try my best to prove that they subscribed for a good reason,” Narciso said.

Musically, his goal is to get as many people as he can to listen to his music. Narsico said that he would love to break into the music scene and is working very hard to do just that.

“Music is much more than a hobby to me,” Narciso said. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing my whole life. If I can play my music and just get enough to get by, I’ll do it.”

Most of the videos on his YouTube Channel are covers, but there are some original songs as well. Narciso said that he can get inspiration for his music and lyrics from virtually anything.

“Something as simple as walking down the street or watching the sunset can trigger an idea for a song,” Narciso said. “But I find my best songs are the ones I write from life experiences. They seem more personal and more from the heart. I always pick experiences that other people can relate to as well.”

Narciso will be taking those life experiences and turn them into his first album, which he is currently recording. He hopes for it to be completed and released in the fall and is “very excited to share it with everyone.”

Videos of his cover and original songs can be viewed on Narciso’s YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/ryannarcisomusic.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has listened to or watched one of my videos,” Narciso said. “Especially to the subscribers who keep wanting more! As long as you keep wanting more, I’ll keep making more!”
Published: 9 June 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8445/Ryan_Narciso_Uses_YouTube_to_Create_a_Fanbase

Interview: Dear Diary

By: Kim Gallagher

I had the wonderful opportunity of being able to spend a day in the studio with the new pop rock sensation, Dear Diary.

I was invited to the studio by singer Josh Mondro to watch the boys in action. I have to admit, I was nervous at first to meet the band members, but those nerves melted away as they introduced themselves to me. I quickly realized that they were not the “stereotypical band,” where I half-expected everyone to be sitting in a chair and nod their head my way as I introduced myself. Instead, I was welcomed with wide smiles and warm handshakes. Within minutes, I felt as if I was a part of the band, even though I can barely play a chord on the guitar.

In relation to my inexperience musically, Dear Diary is on the opposite end of the spectrum. After talking with them, I learned that the Detroit-based band has over 30 years of experience between the five members. Pretty impressive considering the youngest member is 17 and the oldest 21.

During our conversation, I discovered that Dear Diary is the product of the members forming from their previous bands that fell apart. Guitarist Chris Siers and singer Mondro met by coincidence after their voice instructor suggested that they meet after hearing stories of bands previous. Siers and Mondro picked up guitarist, Marco Principe from another local band and the three set out to find their own sound.

Seeking more members, the boys went on a search for a bassist and drummer. Siers and Mondro met bassist Jake Houck who coincidentally lived with Jon Dameron, a drummer sponsored by Shine Drums. For the boys, all the missing pieces kept falling perfectly into place for them.

After practicing, the boys realized how much chemistry they had while playing as a group, thus Dear Diary was born. “It’s so cool that it happened. Us five guys together,” Siers said.

Now, that I had the back story of the band, I wanted to get an inside scoop to see what the band was currently working on. I found out that the five boys are constantly in their studio working on perfecting their sound. They have lots of support from their manager, Shorty Ounce (All Time Low, Fall Out Boy, Kings of Leon) to oversee their climb up the music ladder. “Shorty is the man, enough said,” Houck says. Thoroughly enjoying working with Shorty, Mondro said that “it’s great to be able to work with someone so professional and fun.”

Right now, Dear Diary’s main focus is their upcoming single, “Hey! What? Guess What?” and their debut EP that they will be traveling to New Jersey to record with Rob Freeman (Cobra Starship) in May. “We’re excited to get into the studio with someone who as such a natural feel for bands in our genre,” Dameron said.

After hearing crumbling stories of bands past and their solid plans for the future, the boys asked me if I wanted to hear them play. I was ecstatic to be able to get a “sneak preview” of Dear Diary. I thought they were only going to play me one or two songs, but they ended up playing their six-song set list. While I would have been perfectly happy listening to one song, but now I realized that one song would have been a tease. I am grateful that they played six songs instead.

As I listened and watched, I couldn’t help but be overpowered by the music. Each song was better than the last and the energy in which they performed with, probably could have powered a small city. I thought to myself, “If this enthusiasm is the way they practice, they must be a great band to see live.”

After hanging out with the boys of Dear Diary for a day and observing them in action, being together as a band seems so natural to them. They carry themselves very professionally and I saw that their passion for music was more than skin deep. The guitarists were even teaching the drummer how to play their single, “Hey! What? Guess What?” on the guitar. After having five days of instruction, Dameron kept up pretty well with Houck.

I have no doubt that Dear Diary will soon be taking over the music scene. I know their fans are looking forward to seeing more Dear Diary in the near future. The five members are very confident that their fans will continue to enjoy their upbeat and energetic music.

Siers hopes their fans will make them “Ghostbuster famous.” He says, “Seriously, who doesn’t know the Ghostbusters?”

Houck says that for Dear Diary, the sky is the limit. But Mondro politely corrects him by saying, “No. The stars are the limit.”

Soon they’ll be releasing their much anticipated single, “Hey! What? Guess What?” So be sure to check out www.myspace.com/deardiarydd for music and more information about the boys.

Published: 26 April 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8226/Interview:_Dear_Diary

Interview: Nathan Clarke

By: Kim Gallagher

Nathan Clarke photo courtesy of myspace.com

As an English musician for 10 years, Nathan Clarke has been a part of several bands, performed solo and even home-recorded, produced and distributed his own albums.

After being with bands that have broken up, Clarke made the decision to make his way through the music world as a solo artist.

“I needed to be out of the band to do my own thing,” Clarke said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “It’s only a few months [after the break-up] that you start getting nostalgic and blanking out all of the bad parts. If I were to believe my memory, my first band was like being on a five year holiday of laughs. We’ve since got back together and tried again, but that’s when the real memories come back and two rehearsals later, it’s all over again.”

From those negative experiences, Clarke learned more about him and grew as an artist. One major aspect he recognized is that he cannot be in a band full time.

“I now know what I want to do,” Clarke said. “I went straight off and formed a band when I could only play two guitar chords. So for the first five years, I didn’t know anything else. After the bands breaking up, I realized that there was another way and it was so much easier and enjoyable to just do it myself.”

Clarke finds the best part about being a solo artist is the fact that he normally wins the arguments with himself over song parts and recordings.

“The worst part is that it’s really easy to get lazy,” Clarke said. “I find that I play a lot less live as a solo musician because I’ve got no one else to say ‘Let’s gig.’”

Even though he prefers to write and record solo, Clarke loves playing shows with full bands whenever he has the opportunity.

“Playing for 10 years, I’ve met loads of people that I consider close friends,” Clarke said. “They are musicians so if I have a gig coming up and I want a band I can see who’s available and we do a few rehearsals and then play the gig. It’s a good way to do it because it’s always different. It’s great playing live with different people, no matter what variation of band it is, there is always a good vibe. We only do one or two rehearsals and then a gig, so there is no time to get sick of the songs or each other. I really love it; it’s probably been the best move I ever made.”

Clarke says that he feels relaxed and comfortable playing live shows; he does not do anything special to prepare for them other than practicing with the band, if he uses one.

“If it’s with the band, we’ll have a setlist ready,” Clarke said. “But if I’m on my own, I just have two or three definite [songs] and then play whatever I can remember at the time. Before I gig, I’m normally just with mates having a drink in the bar. Live shows have always been a good night out for me, it’s an opportunity to see friends and have a drink. There’s nothing better than playing to new people and then chatting to them after and hearing that they enjoyed it.”

The musician has not had the opportunity to go on tour, but he has played several shows in England and even performed in Scotland as well. Clarke says that he noticed a difference while on stage in the two countries.

“In Glasgow it seemed like people went looking for live music,” Clarke said. “When we played there, it was always busy with passing trade. That doesn’t happen in London.”

Clarke’s passion for performing live and playing music runs so deep, that he decided to make his music available to his fans for free.

“All I want to do is play live and record music,” Clarke said. “I can try and sell it to people who have no idea who I am, or just give it away. If it’s free, the chances of someone downloading it are much better and all I really want to do is increase my fan base. It just seems like an obvious way to do it.”

Having several albums available to his fans, Clarke says his favorite is the Silver EP. He would best describe the album as getting closer to the sound he is after. Silver was the first time that he used more instruments than just the basic setup.

“There are loads of keys on there, strings and etc.,” Clarke said. “It’s probably the best album to listen to for someone listening to me for the first time, as it’s quite a varied album, in terms of song styles. I wroteSilver after the break up of my second band Tolivar. Silver was recorded at home. The versions on the EP are about the third or fourth recordings because I kept wiping them by accident. I did all the music at home and the vocals I recorded sitting in my car, it was the quietest place I could find.”

This year, Clarke plans on releasing a new album as well as writing and recording a lot more music.

“I am now recording the Dead Models album,” Clarke said. “I’m also going to start trying to get some videos made to help promote the releases.”

All Nathan Clarke’s music is available for free at www.last.fm/music/nathan+clarke but can also be heard atwww.myspace.com/nathanclarke82

Published: April 14, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8164/Interview:_Nathan_Clarke

The Honesty Interview: Creating Honestly Good Music

Wanting to make honest music that people can relate to, The Honesty was formed after two passionate musicians found each other on cyberspace.

After leaving his former band, The Bigger Lights, Mikey Davis decided to start a new musical project.

“Tasha Gilbreath found me through Myspace, and we started working together and have been ever since,” the drummer said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “I decided to form this band for a lot of reasons. I have had such a great passion for music for a long time now and wanted to be a part of what inspires my life so much. I’ve had a lot of failures in other bands, and just wanted to start something honest and real. I also noticed the lack of memorability in most music today and set out to hopefully put out songs that were on a more memorable level.”

Davis best describes their music as “unique, energetic, and catchy. It’s a power punch of rock and pop that you have to move to.”

Since their establishment in September 2009, the Baltimore, Maryland based duo discovered that they have great chemistry and have not had any major problems thus far.

“We haven’t really had any issues working together yet,” Davis said. “We work very well together, and it’s been an amazing experience thus far. We can’t wait to see what’s to come.”

When searching for new songs to write, vocalist Gilbreath draws inspiration from experiences she had growing up. She and Davis both agree that the music that they have listened to has been their biggest influence for their passion.

“We don’t really have a process of writing music” Gilbreath said. “If either of us comes up with an idea, we bring it to the table and try and hash it out until it’s a song. We also write songs together at certain times, so anything is possible really.”

The unsigned band is enjoying the freedom and not being pressured by a record label.

“The worst thing [of not being signed with a label] would probably have to be how much better promotion could be for us if we were a signed band,” Gilbreath said, “and all they could do for us in that aspect.”

Having finished work on their debut EP, The Honesty could do with some more press with its anticipated release this spring, but they are hard at work promoting the album they are so proud of.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Gilbreath said. “We put in so much time, dedication, and hard work into it. It is quite an amazing feeling.”

“Writing the album was so much hard work,” Davis said. “We’re so excited with how it turned out. We work very well together and knew exactly what we were going for, so it wasn’t too difficult completing the album.”

“It’s pretty hard to pick one [favorite song from the album],” Gilbreath said, “but if I had to it would be our ballad called ‘In the Shadows.’ I felt that song impacted me lyrically more than any song I’ve ever written. I felt I didn’t hold back anything when I wrote that song.”

“It’s really hard to choose a favorite song because I really love every single one,” Davis said. “But if I HAD to choose which song is my favorite it would be our opener ‘Warning!’ because I love how great a statement it makes as an opener.”

Before planning and embarking on a tour, Davis and Gilbreath plan to add more members to The Honesty’s line-up.

“The biggest things we look for are experience, talent, writing capabilities, and most importantly, that they like and want to play our music,” said Davis.

Until they set out on a tour, they plan to play some shows over the next few months. Both members of The Honesty agree that their favorite part of playing live shows is when the people in the crowd are having a great time singing, moving and dancing along to their music.

A two song sampler is currently available on iTunes to hold fans over until their debut EP The Things We’ll Never Know is released in the spring.

“We plan on touring for the rest of 2010 once we have our line-up and who knows what our future holds after that, but we hope for nothing but the best!”

Published: March 26, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/8018/The_Honesty_Interview:_Creating_Honestly_Good_Music

Heroes on Parade: Creating Music Fans of All Ages Can Enjoy

By: Kim Gallagher

Having come a long way since their high school days, six friends have been seriously buckling down and taking their music to a higher level.

Bass player, Mike Zanger says that band has changed a lot since their first assembly and those changes have added to their success.

“We’ve lost one member and added three others,” Zanger said. “[We] went from a guy singer to a girl singer and have gained a lot of experience. Overall, the band has been entirely revamped.”

Keyboardist Joe McClure best describes Heroes on Parade as “a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

The unsigned band is using the experience they have acquired to overcome the struggles they face by not being signed to a record company.

“We don’t always have enough money to do what we want to do,” Zanger said. “That’s the worst part. The best part is that we don’t have a label telling us what to do.”

“Sometimes it can be difficult to get your name out there without [the help of] a label,” guitarist Max Branson said. “But we’ve been working extra hard to get it out there even without one.”

The “Heroes” have been working hard to organize press kits which they will be sending out soon in hopes of getting more exposure.

“We’re definitely looking for a label to support and promote us,” McClure said. “But which label that will be? We’re not sure just yet. We’re going to wait until we find the perfect deal for us.”

Until they find the right record deal, the members of Heroes on Parade have several accomplishments to add to their resume. They have earned vast amounts of radio play, performed for the Gap’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and are well-known in their home state of Michigan. In 2009, they also had the opportunity to play at the Vans Warped Tour.

“It was very surreal to get to eat lunch with all the musicians I listened to and went to see when I was growing up,” said drummer Ben Ondreyka.

Hereoes on Parade - Photo credit: Jesse Speelman

Branson said he had a blast playing the Warped Tour. If he could play shows like for their fans everyday, it would make him ecstatic.

The summer of 2009 was busy for Heroes on Parade. Not only did they perform on the Warped Tour, they also worked overtime to self-release their album.

“Recording was a ton of fun,” said Branson. “We went to Mat Halliday of Minx Studios who had previously recorded Fireworks, and we had an excellent experience. It took us a week to track everything. From there we had to get artwork made up while everything was being mixed and mastered.”

“When all of that was done, we got the album pressed,” Zanger added. “Where we had problems was with the digital distribution. Due to lack of communication, it took forever to finally get the CD on iTunes.”

Now that their album is widely available, the Heroes are looking forward to their fans pumping their distinctive music through their speakers.

“We just want to make music that you can rock out to whether you’re 15 or 65,” Ben said.

“I feel that our music doesn’t really sound like any other band,” Branson said. “I think it’s pretty special.”

McClure said that no one in the band sits back and waits for things to happen. “We are all active participants when we create our music.”

“We have a unique sound,” guitarist Bryan Gill said. “Everybody is on the exact same page musically, and we all vibe off each other really well.”

Another reason why their band differs is because their “hair doesn’t sweep to the right and flip to the left,” Zanger said jokingly.

The other member performing alongside the boys of the band is Jenny Ondreyka, the lone female. Jenny said that she does not feel any pressure from being the only girl.

“There aren’t a lot of girls in our scene,” Jenny said. “I don’t feel like I need to keep up with anybody. Although, the boys are really gross, so it is hard to keep up with the farts. It’s really hard to smell as bad as they do.”

“It’s true,” Ben defenselessly agreed.

Jenny received a flattering remark from fellow female rocker, Hailey Williams from Paramore.

“One of our fans posted one of my videos to Hailey’s Live Journal,” Jenny said. “She saw it and complimented the song and my voice. It was pretty cool.”

The “Heroes” love being on the road and are currently working on setting up tour dates across the country.

Gill looks forward to being on the road with his best friends and playing music every single night. He said while the “Heroes” tour, it is the most enjoyable thing in his life.

Ben has a solution to prevent the band from eating unhealthy while on tour.

“We’re bringing a grill in the trailer so we can avoid fast food,” Ben said. “We don’t want to get so fat that we can’t fit in the van.”

During their tour, Branson is excited to meet new fans in places that they’ve never been before.

Until their fans can see the “Heroes” spring into action onstage this summer, their music can be heard by visiting www.HeroesOnParade.com and can also be purchased on iTunes and other online retailers.

Published: March 19, 2010
http://www.fanbolt.com/headline/7972/Heroes_on_Parade:_Creating_Music_Fans_of_All_Ages_Can_Enjoy/