Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Burn The Ballroom

Here is all the fun from my Q&A with the guys from Burn the Ballroom... 

From left to right: Tuomas Easton, Me, Alan Gant, Jackson Harar

Meet the guys from Burn the Ballroom:

Alan Gant - Lead Singer & Guitar - Age: Unknown (He's like 29 maybe 30 per Ginger Jack)- Current Relationship Status: Irrelevant

Sterling Pearson - Lead Guitar - Age: 29 -  Current Relationship Status: Single

Tuomas Easton - Keyboard - Age: 26 - Current Relationship Status: In a relationship

Jackson Harar - Bass - Age: 29 - Current Relationship Status: In a relationship

Jack Ivins aka Ginger Jack - Drums - Age: 28 - Current Relationship Status: In a relationship

C:ockwise from bottom left.. Me, Ginger Jack, Alan, Jackson, and Tuomas


***Please note some answers are direct quotes and others are paraphrased answers from individuals and the group***
Q. How did you guys meet and form BTB?

A. Alan Gant - "Jackson and Alan knew each other in college and got together after Jackson came back from California." They knew Sterling for awhile. Then they met Ginger Jack while he was finishing school at George Mason University. Last year, they met Tuomas through Grinder and invited him to join last Summer in 2014.

Q. What makes you different from other bands?

A. Tuomas - Faces of savory keytar.

Alan - Songs are really diverse compared to other bands. They are fun and different for genre.

Tour with own light show. Mad man drummer.
Sterling - "Alan (is what makes us different). We have an amazing singer."

Q. When is the new stuff you've been working on dropping?

A. This summer - No release date yet. New stuff is conceptual though and won't be released to the public. 

Thoughts: Sorry MSG2L Readers... I think they should reconsider that because I'd love to hear it and I think ya'll might too. Maybe if we bug them they will change their minds.

Since your sound has evolved so much over the past couple years...
   
Q. How would you describe your current sound?

A. Eclectic, dramatic, and going more for traditional rock and roll. 

Tuomas and Alan - "Like a freight train full of rhinoceroses smashing into a pillow factory with feathers and horns everywhere."

Q. What direction is the new stuff going in and how is it different?

A. Sterling  "Remains to be seen. It's really up to Alan. He has to believe in what he's singing so he can be confident about it."
Crazy rock and roll, more stripped down. Just velvet underwear, tasty solos, and from Alan "colorful codpieces." 

For those who don't know what a codpiece is then I suggest you brush up on your Shakespeare. Here is the definition though according to Wikipedia:

1. A codpiece (from Middle English: cod, meaning "scrotum") is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods.

Q. Since some of you guys are also involved in other music projects/bands, tell me about them...

A. Alan does an acoustic solo project. "It's lots of fun and something different."

Ginger Jack is in 2 other bands as well, The Ivins with his brother Jim and also just joined another band called Nightsbridge.. Jack also guests in with some bands and does session work.
Sterling is also part of The Ivins and plays guitar for them at their live shows. He also guests on several other music projects.

Thoughts: I'm absolutely LOVING The Ivins just fyi btw and will be featuring them in a post at some point in the near future so stay tuned for that. Also, if you're looking for some dope musicians to guest in on your projects then I'd seriously highly suggest and recommend hitting these guys up because they are super talented.

Q. What happens to them when BTB gets big and takes more time and does things like go on extended tours? Will you still continue with them or kill them to focus solely on BTB?

A. Alan with the other bandmates in agreement - Burn the Ballroom is their primary focus so they will put their other projects aside.
Sterling - "Nothing. The other projects don't really play a lot of shows and The Ivins only practice once before a show. None of them will conflict."

Q. How do you plan to succeed in today's music industry?

A. We tour. Sterling - "Get quality material out and be in front of faces. It's all about numbers. If you can average whatever percentage of this faces into fans then how many hundreds do you have to put stuff in front of to have 1,000 people come to your show?"

Q. What did it take to get where you are?

A.Blunt force trauma. Sterling - "Hours, years, gas money... A LOT of gas money."

Thoughts: Truth... Real quick though, I will make this note to all musicians who make money from their gigs because while some people may know this, other may not.. speaking from an Accounting standpoint (it's what I do for my day job) since this counts as a business even if it's a side thing, make sure you keep and track EVERYTHING for tax purposes. Keep a notebook in your car with a mileage log and keep ALL of your receipts. I would advise keeping both hard copies and electronic copies of everything saved to your computer and a backup drive. I actually maintain an Excel spreadsheet with quarterly expenses as well which is super helpful. If you make over a certain amount then you have to report that income on your tax return. But all your mileage, cost of your gear and maintenance including stuff like guitar strings and drum sticks, costs incurred for promo supplies down to the printer ink, depreciation on your printer, business cards, CD's for demos, etc., even those meals you get during your gigs (except adult beverages unless it is part of an expense of a business dinner within reason).. all of it counts as write-offs to reduce your taxable income. If you're like me and playing gigs is your side job that supplements your income then definitely sit down and do the math before you do your taxes. Deduct all those expenses from your gross income received for the year and if the net income is less than whatever the amount cut-off is then you may not have to report it at all.. especially if you got paid in cash under the table.. But if you get paid in checks then you don't have a choice on reporting because there is a financial trail and the IRS can and will nail your ass at some point because the venues report the checks they gave you in their tax stuff. Just thought I'd share that hopefully helpful tip.

Anyway.. Bygones... Back to the interview... 

I'm looking for your take on how you guys see the present and future of your band and your scene...

Q. How do you see the present and future of your scene?

A. Sterling - "The scene is repairing itself and getting better."

Q. Care to elaborate?

A. Sterling "8-10 years ago a lot of venues got shut down. Fairfax County put pressure on a lot of places to close. A lot of bands were being mismanaged and extorted. Mark Bradley was one person putting on good shows and it wasn't about just harassing your friends to get them to come out."

Q. How do you see the present and future of your band?

A. Sterling - "The band is becoming a solid unit. We're more of a crew and becoming more efficient."
Only a matter of time until we dominate.

Q. What do you want new people who've never heard of BTB to know about you?

A. Sterling 'You can find our music on YouTube and Spotify."
Alan and Tuomas - "We're all incredible spooners... 4 big spoons, 1 little spoon.. We all sleep naked except..."

Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Louder Than Quiet

I also got the chance to sit down with the guys from Louder Than Quiet. They were hard to get together because I made them miss Stolas on stage. But as Rico put it, this is work. It comes first. You've got to work before you play.

Pretend I'm the center of the clock.. From bottom left Dominic, Ali, Anthony, Rico, and then Danny making his "twerk face"

Meet the guys from LTQ...

Urico Schuler - Lead Singer/Resident Screamer - Age: 24 - Current Relationship Status: Engaged

Daniel Seay - Lead Guitar - Age: 19 - Current Relationship Status: Single

Ali Rezghi - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: Has a girlfriend

Dominic Buie - Bass - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: "Single as fuck"

Anthony Alexander  - Drummer - Age: 23 - Current Relationship Status: Single 

***Please note some answers are direct quotes and others are paraphrased answers from individuals and the group***

Q. How did you guys meet and form LTQ?

A. Ali and Dom met at a birthday party in 2010. They met Danny in 2013 then Mr. Airospace aka Anthony in 2014. Then meeting Rico changed everything.

Q. What makes you different from other bands?

A. We are all black and we're mixing 2 different genres.

Q. How would you describe your current sound?

A. It's (pronounced with French accent) super garbage.

Q. Are you working on new stuff you'll be releasing soon?

A. Yes. We are working on some Go-Go and will be releasing the single for Red Gemini.

Q. If so, tell me more about it. What direction is the new stuff going in and how is it different?

A. Dark Metal. Ali - "Go-Go is so technical. The way they play the bounce beat for 30 minutes." It's like "Behemoth meets Oceana."

Q. I saw that Anthony is involved in another music project/band, Airospace.. Are any of your other members involved in other projects as well? Tell me more about that.

A. Ali and Dom rap as well.

Thoughts: I actually got to hear them flow outside after the show and they are dope MC's. I got in on this cypher and definitely held it down though... Probably not as well as them.. But it's all good.

Q. How do you plan to succeed in today's music industry?

A. Rico - "Hustle like you ain't got nothin."

Q. I'm looking for your take on how you guys see the present and future of your band and your scene. What are your thoughts on that?

A. Our scene is dying but it will survive if we stick together.

Q. What do you think your band contributes to the scene that you see is lacking?

A. We're black. We have originality, personality, sexuality, and all those other alities. Anthony - "Killswitch. We felt excluded before they came along. But, even then, there has always been only 1 or 2 black guys in metal bands. This meant a lot though because we felt comfortable to come out to a show."
We also all contribute to the sound. Rico - "It also goes back to our ancestors in Africa. Drums are a way to communicate."

Q. What did it take to get where you are?

A. Danny and Rico - "Practice, dedication, support." Luck, commitment. Smarts. Ali - "Can't make it in a band without being smart."

Additionally, as I mentioned in my message the other day, finding an all African American hardcore band is like finding a unicorn. The only other all African American metal band I could even find is a band called Bad Brains that actually formed in DC in the late 70's and they top lists of African Americans killing it in metal. So LTQ may not be the first.. But it's definitely one of the few, maybe even the only one, currently on the scene...

Q. Since LTQ is such a rarity, what is your take on the lack of diversity in this genre of music?

Kids are afraid. They told their black friends they play guitar and got laughed at and asked why they play "that white boy shit".

Q. But what about bands like The Roots Crew?

Black musicians aren't supposed to play double kick.
Anthony - "We've been conditioned to believe we're not supposed to play white boy shit"
Rico  - "People abide by rules that stem from culture... Stem from religion." They think we're playing the Devil's music.
If people gave it a chance and weren't afraid there would be more diversity in households music-wise and the kids can find different platforms.

Q. Do you guys see yourselves as pioneers?

A. Ali "We had to come out of nowhere. We don't want to be known for being black. We want to known for being good like the people we look up to."
Rico - "People got nicer after we played."
Dom - "They put me down very gently from crowd surfing." (They really did. It's in video of them performing Red Gemini.)

Q. Do you want to or hope you'll inspire other kids of all different races and ethnicities that are underrepresented in this scene to play metal and get out there?

A. BIG FUCK YEAH!!! Don't be afraid to be who you are!

Q. What do you want new people who've never heard of LTQ to know about you?

A. That we're black and can lay it down like a motherfucker!

Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Inquiry

I got a chance to sit down with Inquiry and ask them some questions. Here is their full interview...

Unfortunately Cindy missed this interview and she was the one who remembered to take all the interview pictures.. Sorry guys. My bad.

Meet the Members of Inquiry:

Justin Piaoan - Lead Singer/Wild Man - Age: 23 - Current Relationship Status: Single

Patrick Van Story aka Patty V. - Guitar - Age: 24 - Current Relationship Status: Dating a very cute girl from Florida

Kyle Richards - Guitar - Age: 19 - Current Relationship Status: Has a girlfriend and her name is music

Patrick Allen - Bass - Age: 24 - Current Relationship Status: Single

Bri Jackson - Drums - Age: 22 - Current Relationship Status: Single


Q. How did you meet and form Inquiry?

A. Bri and Justin met when Bri put an ad out on Craigslist looking for someone to jam with. Justin ended up being 2 hours late for this jam session but they made it happen. Pat Allen and Justin worked at Hot Topic together. Patty V. and Kyle were mutual friends and Patty came on in 2013 as the final addition.

Thoughts: Seems front man Justin is the catalystic glue that brought everyone together.

Q. What makes you different from other bands?

A. Justin - "We're not trying to write about generic, cliché BS. We write honest music that means the most to us." They refine the sound until they're happy with it all around.

Q. What did it take to get where you are?

A. Trial and error. They are trying to find their own sound and themselves.

Q. How would you describe your current sound?

A. Maintaining a poppy edge, but getting a little bit angrier.

Q. Are you working on new stuff you'll be releasing soon?

A. This is big YES!

Q. If so, tell me more about it. What direction is the new stuff going in and how is it different?

A. Our old stuff was sporadic. The new stuff has complex licks and has more jazz and funk influence. We are also trying to look at our songs as a whole instead of parts to see how they all fit together. Justin said they are looking at these collective songs like "Here is what we have, but now how do we take that extra step?"

Q. Are any of your members involved in other projects as well? If so, tell me more about that.

A. Guitarist Kyle is involved in a solo project. Bassist Pat Allen also plays in another band with some friends called Jerry White & the Blue Hearts.

Q. How do you plan to succeed in today's music industry?

A. Patty V. "With the new songs, we are trying to maintain accessibility with the music and write about the stuff that matters."

Q. We have sort of gotten into this a little bit... I'm looking for your take on how you guys see the present and future of your band and your scene.

What are your thoughts on that?

A. Pat Allen - "The scene is going through a period of adjustment and growth. It's not sustainable. But it's finding itself." Kyle also added that the scene is "lacking originality".

Q. What do you think your band contributes to the scene that you see is lacking?

A. Patty V. - "We're a breath of fresh air." Pat Allen - "We're new and relevant." Justin - "We're part of a new tide."

Since you guys have taken it back to the early 2000's because that's when you think the music you love was at its best..

Q. Where do you want to go from there?

A. Patty V. "We really just need to see where it goes." Pat Allen clarified that it has to happen organically.

Q. What do you believe would've been a more ideal evolution of rock music over the last 15 years?

A. Patty V. "If there had been a more progressive mindset the scene as a whole would be further." Someone chimed in "We blame Nickelback!"

You guys also did do very well with how you present your band's image to "The Enemy" which was impressive because a lot of people can tend to forget to be careful around journalists.. The reason why I mention this is because if there is any dissension in the group it tends to show and I've seen it a lot. It's refreshing to see a group that is so together.

Q. How has your band crafted its image? How do you maintain the unified front? Is this something you've worked out in advance to present a consistent message? Did you pow wow before responding?

A. Justin handles the band's PR. We also have weekly band meetings. Patty V. - "We put everything on the table and don't hide anything. Every band having problems needs to stop hiding. Believe in what you're doing."

Q. What do you want new people who've never heard of Inquiry to know about you?

"We're just normal people who are trying to pursue a dream we're passionate about.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also got the chance to speak one-on-one with drummer Bri Jackson and ask her a few questions...

Q. So how did you get into drumming?

A. I started in 6th grade. I had just moved to a new city and needed after school activities. Then in 10th grade I got more into rock music and started playing to my favorite bands like Paramore. I had a dream of being onstage and people going crazy.

Bri told me "My main motivation has been looking up to other bands.

Q. You remind me of Lenny Kravitz's drummer Cindy Blackman. I could really see you building a name for yourself and making it on these Top Female Drummer Lists. What are you doing to further yourself?

A. "I've been doing videos of my drum covers to get my name out there."

Q. My advice would be to maybe diversify and sit in with some other bands to get a feel for different styles and different genres because I think that would improve your skills to benefit yourself and Inquiry. (not really a question)

A, Probably one of my biggest weaknesses is playing other genres. But I think it's a good idea.

***Get at her if you're looking for a drummer to sit in for session work. You won't be sorry.