I've always loved music and started playing band instruments (Cello, Baritone, Trumpet) in grade school. Freshman year of High School I switched to Classical guitar. By Sophomore year, I was completely hooked. I formally studied Classical guitar for seven years and Jazz for three. After all that, I decided I wanted to be in a rock band. I've been professionally performing steadily since '91 and show no signs of relenting. The bands I've formed over the years are as follows: Flux, Arms of the Sun, Daughters of Fission & EL. I'm also a recording member of Supajoint.
Music is like oxygen to me, definitely a necessity! Everything.
To comfortably sustain myself while making music full time.
Raising the awareness of the connection of and to everything.
Wings - 'Band on the Run'
Rush, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Black Sabbath, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jeff Buckley, Soundgarden, Failure, Tool, Deftones, Primus, Clutch, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Porcupine Tree, ISIS, Pelican, Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, Neurosis, Mastodon, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Eleven, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Mike Patton, Monster Magnet, Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Mars Volta, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, The Police, Alice In Chains, Medeski Martin & Wood, Leo Kottke, Mother Love Bone
I'm not sure if I can effectively quantify and sum that up, but I'd have to say that life is the greatest inspiration. Quite often I find that my inspirations come from the darker sides of life, at least from a lyrical standpoint. Musically, I feel like the best things I've ever come up with seem to be pulled magically from the ether. I've often said that I feel more like a cosmic conduit than an actual songwriter.
While life has many challenges to surmount, it can be done. Gracefully...
Perfectly at home. I love the trade off of energy.
Hmmm, I've been in this game for quite some time now and I have to say that the changes that have occurred have both pros and cons, just like everything else in life that experiences change. Which, by the way, is everything. There are many more opportunities available with the advent of technology/social media. However, as it is easier to obtain by the masses, there is much more competition for bandwidth/attention. This is also compounded by the fact that the prospective audience also has far more entertainment options to occupy their time without ever having to leave their houses. This puts the impetus directly on the band to have an amazing live show/presence. Which, come to think of it, is pretty much how it's always been. If you don't wow the crowd, they won't come back. Ultimately, this is the real deal and always has been.
So far, so good...
Soulless, manufactured music designed for mass consumption.
I'm pretty active in my local scene, I attend a fair amount of shows and interact with fellow musicians on a regular basis.
Well, it definitely helps to be proficient on your instrument. Practice your craft & it improves. This goes for every aspect, from your chops to songwriting to promotion, etc.
EL, Fred Green, Gladhammer, Daughters of Fission, Pretty Years, Sorxe, Andy Warpigs, Supajoint, Dadadoh, The Bittersweet Way, Zig Zag Black, Hogjaw, Casey James Brooks, DL Harrison, Indogen