Interview with Brick City

Describe your band, telling a little about it.  

We are a cover band of popular favorites from the 80's, 90's and 2000's.   We play songs from artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Journey, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Pat Benatar, Pink, Katy Perry, Foreigner, and Aerosmith to name a few.  We love interacting with our audiences.

What are your member names? / Who plays what?  

Charlie Elias - drums

Kevin Smith - bass

Matt Elias - guitar & vocals

Sharon Murphy - vocals & keyboard

Have members played with any other bands?  

Yes.  Charlie & Kevin have been playing in bands for over 30 years.  Prior to BCB they were with Two Thumbs Up.   Matt also played with Two Thumbs up and is part of an acoustic band currently called Whiskey Business.

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  Both Sharon and Matt write their own music, but Brick City Band strictly does covers.

What year did the band form? The current members have been together for 2 years.  Prior to that Char, Matt and Kevin played together.

Where is bands home?  All of the band members are from the Pittsburgh area.  

What's your style or genre?  We aim to entertain, so we like high energy recognizable favorites that will get the crowd singing along and dancing.   

What inspires your music?  A range of artists.  We all have different taste in music.

How often do you rehearse?  Once a week when we're learning new songs.

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  No we do not.   We have discussed it, but not gone down that road yet.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  We've not discussed this.

Have you done any covers live?  We perform all covers.  

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? 20 - 200

What ages are most of your concert attendants?  Our crowd varies on the venue.  However, typically the range is from 30's  - 40's.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  We try to add new and different music every gig.  

Do you have a regular place you play live often?  Currently we have played at Bubba's in Southpointe and 31 in Bridgeville frequently.  

What was your first gig like?  Our first gig together was a private event, so it was pretty laid back.

What was your latest gig?  Our last few gigs have been really great.  We've had lively audiences and a lot of fun.

Have you had to cancel a gig? Yes, once due to illness.

Where have you played live this year?  Pittsburgh, Morgantown, Fredericktowne

Where do you plan to gig the coming year? Anywhere we can.  Lol

Do you have any role models or idols?  As we stated earlier, we range in style and taste in music, so our influences range across all types of music, age ranges, and artists.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  Artists are always inspired by other artists.  We learn different things from different eras.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?  Have fun and be respectful of your audience and venue.  But mostly have fun!

How do you get psyched for a gig?  Once we're all together and setting up, the energy just starts to flow.

How can people reach you?   We are on Facebook.  So people can reach out to us there or via email at brickcitypgh@gmail.com

What are your plans for the future?  To keep rockin' out the Burgh.

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?  I think anytime our name is out there it's helpful in spreading the word about our live music.  

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?  Mmmmm, there are probably a lot of things they don't know.  

Do you have anything to add?  Thanks for giving us this chance to reach more fans.  

Interview with Dying Breed

Describe your band, telling a little about it in a few sentences.  Hard rock band out of South Western PA with 80's influence

What are your member names? / Who plays what?

Chris Allen vocals

Collin Farren guitar

Jesse Farren guitar

Kurt Foltz bass

Dan Slide drums

Have members played with any other bands? Yeah lol too many to list

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  Both but started as a cover band

What year did the band form? 5 years ago but not exactly sure lol...we drink a lot.

Where is bands home?  Pittsburgh

What's your style or genre?  Rock/hard rock

What inspires your music?  Sex drugs and rock n roll

How often do you rehearse?  Try for once a week

What gear do you guys use?  Paiste, Pearl, Crate, Blackstar, Marshall, and Ampeg

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  No, not at this time

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  Not really with the way the music business is today.  We generally just record a song and release it on YouTube, Spotify, etc.  Currently we have 2 singles available..Poser and Beautiful Devil available on all the major music sites.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?  All band members but our current single, Beautiful Devil, was written by David Granati of the Granati Brothers

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?   Depends

Do you compose in a certain environment?  Certain life influences?  Usually in our practice space

Have you done any covers live?   Yes, as stated before, we started as a cover band

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?   We've played from 10 to 2,000

What ages are most of your concert attendants?   Usually 30-40 but it varies

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?   Varies

Do you have a regular place you play live often?   Yes, Luannes Route 68 in Industry...we like to call that our home

What was your first gig like?   Awesome, felt like we had been playing together forever

What was your latest gig?   Opening for touring AC/DC Tribute band Thunderstruck at Crafthouse

Have you had to cancel a gig?  Unfortunately we have but only under extreme circumstances

Where have you played live this year?   Jergel's, Luanne's, Crafthouse, Mountainfest, just to name a few

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?   Many of the the previous places we've played but we do hope to branch out to some more out of state venues

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  About a year after we started playing...t-shirts, tank tops, and guitar pick necklaces

Where can people buy your merchandise?  Currently at shows

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?  Not a big fan of it, but, unfortunately that's the way it works now

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?  Well, it makes it a lot harder for musicians to make money and that's why concert ticket prices have went through the roof

Do you have any role models or idols?  Not really, we just all come from the 80's sleaze type of rock and we just don't play rock n roll, we live and breathe it

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  Definitely older bands

What have been your biggest obstacles?  Mainly playing smaller bars and not being able to bring a bigger production that we feel our music needs

What advice would you give other bands or artists?  There's not too much advice other than an audience knows if your faking...always be real

How do you get psyched for a gig?  Lol always nice to have a few good looking girls backstage

Do you have any new material?  As stated before, our current single "Beautiful Devil" is available on youtube, iheart, Amazon Music, and all major music sites

What are your web sites?  Mainly Facebook

How can people reach you?  Message us on Face Book at dyingbreedpittsburgh

Social media addresses? dyingbreedpittsburgh on Facebook or dyingbreedband on Instagram

What are your plans for the future?  To keep playing and see where it takes us

What do you think of my work?  We think it's awesome that your giving exposure and interested in local bands

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond? Hopefully it brings new fans to check us out

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?   How epic our after parties are..oh wait...maybe some already know

Do you have anything to add?  Yes, we are not very good at formal interviews, the best way to get to know us is to see us live!  We guarantee you'll leave with a smile on your face!!  Thank you!

Interview with Among Thorns

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

We are a 5 peice heavy/melodic/power/nu metal band  from Pittsburgh. formed in 2018, with a primiary focus of writing hard hitting, driving and melodic originals and playing a few crowd grabbing, yet semi obsucre covers.

What are your member names? / Who plays what?

Kate Aderman - Vocals

Damon Zappa  - Guitar

Jimmy Haley - Guitar

Hal Blum -   Drums

Terry Blair - Bass

Have members played with any other bands?

Kate -I've only sang with one other band. I did some back up vocals for Fighting Fate. Other than that my musical background is all classical. I went to college for voice and sang in multiple different choirs while I was growing up

Damon - Untamed, East End

Hal - Untamed, Mortal Fear, Fools Errand

Terry - Lestats Illusion, Master Your Demons, Dirtys White Boys, Unfiltered, Fighting Fate 

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  We started out with a handful of covers just to get the ball rolling. and while writing new material has been our primary focus we do keep covers in our set that have become staples and crowd favorites

What year did the band form?   2018

Where is the band's home?   We call Pittsburgh home.

What's your style or genre?

Damon - Hard rock/edge of nu metal

Hal - Powermetal

Terry - it seems to be a very 80's metal influenced nu/powermetal mix

What inspires your music?

Hal - The idea that I legally get to beat the shit out of something! 

Damon -Good hooks, catchy rhythms that leaves u humming the song.

Kate -The biggest thing that inspires me is the amazing amount of talent in our local music scene.

Terry - for me personally, its just the simple desire to play

How often do you rehearse?

Usually once a week, sometimes twice for upcoming shows

What gear do you guys use?

Damon -cheap guitars. Lol. Bugera head with marshall cab

Terry - Hamer, esp, squire basses, Gk mb800 fusion head, varies cabs, wampler low blow pedal

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?

Damon - No and a good idea. Just watch any percentages they may want to take

Terry - NOt at this time, and while not opposed to it, i dont think we are there yet,  we are still in the part of the process where the leg work needs to be done by ourselves

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?

Hal -  yes and no, If something works out that’s great otherwise will just work as an independent

Damon -Maybe. But we just want to play. If it happens it happens.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?

Kate -Terry has written lyrics to most of our originals, but it is definitely a team process. Everyone has input on all of our new songs. We work through writing them together

Damon -Lately it's been Terry and Kate working on the lyrics and Damon with riff ideas. But we have a few more ideas we are working on that Jimmy has come up with.

Hal - Kate and Terry but anyone can get involved

Terry - I think its a true team effort,  every one is real receptive to ideas and willing to work through them. 

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

Damon -We have done both. But likes to see what riff there is and maybe build around that. Sometimes the riff sets the tone and mood of the song.

Do you compose in a certain enviroment?  Certain life influences?

Kate-Most of the lyrics I have written have been based around my life experiences up to this point. Things that I have gone through and people I have dealt with.

Have you done any covers live?

Yes , right now we have a fairly steady mix of originals and covers. and a few covers have become crowd favorites and will remain in our list for the forseable future.

What are the least/most people to attend one of your gigs?

Damon -  As a band...tough to say. But we will play to one or a hundred. 

Terry - Personally?  anywhere from 20 to 350 i think, but as a band, i would say prob 40 on the light end and over 150 on the high end

What ages are most of your concert attendants?

Varies but mostly +21

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?

Damon - As in now yes. But we will be shaking things up a bit for 2019

Terry - for the most part, yes, but as we continue to write more material we are altering and changing our set list

Do you have a regular place you play live often?  Anywhere.

What was your first gig like?

Kate -I had never fronted a band before so I was absolutely terrified. The band had total confidence in me and my friends who were there gave great advice and encouragement so it went a lot better than I thought it would.

Damon -A blast. It went over well. Great feedback.

Hal -Good we had A good turnout

Terry - It was a lot of fun, and the recpetion and feedback were better than i think we could have imagined

What was your latest gig?

Kate - Our last gig was a benefit called Mayhem for the Minis. I think it was our best show yet. I have grown a lot since our first show and as a band I think we have really come together well.

Have you had to cancel a gig?  no

Where have you played live this year?

We have stretched our legs quite a bit,  Fawn tavern in West Deer, Empire CLub in Akron, Peter B's in Sarver, Sub Alpine in Turtle Creek, Rock for life series in Saltzburg Sidebar in Kittaning, Town Tavern in Leechburg, Mousetrap in Bulger etc etc

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?

Anywhere we can ,but i am sure we will be back at a few familiar palces as well

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?

Oktoberfest with shirts. Went over very well. Sold almost 25 out of our 50 in the first day.

Where can people buy your merchandise?

At our shows, or contact any band member personally

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?

Damon -It's the current technology and you cant fight it.

Hal -I’m good with it.  Less clutter

Terry - I miss the old record store days, there was something about the process that was spiritual.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?

Hal - things evolve every day kind of have to learn to adapt to it

Damon -Good and bad. With downloading out there you just cant go by CD sales anymore. 

Terry - There is def more worldwide accesabitlity, but the money has become harder to make

Do you have any role models or idols?

Kate - Most of my role models come from the local scene. I actually have way too many to mention because I will probably leave some out. There are so many talented singers in our area!

Damon -George Lynch and  Disturbed

Hal -just about every drummer out there as my role model

Terry - for me, personally guys like Cliff Willaims, Ian Hill and Fancis Bucholz have always been influential on how i play. But i find myself looking towards the local area as well Guys like Steve Craven, Dan Climo, MIke Ekis Heath Cleek. watching and learning

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?

Both, i dont think you can seek out inspiration in any particular area, it is either there or it is not

What have been your biggest obstacles?

Damon -Being an adult, work schedules.

Hal -Being broke and having to work

Kate - I have really struggled with switching musical styles. It is a completely different type of singing than I'm used to. I also don't know most of the music that the rest of the band has been listening to for 30+ years. The guys will just start playing a song that they all know and I usually have no idea what it is. 

Terry -Time

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Damon -Do what you like!!!!

Hal -  stay the course, believe in yourself, And hone your craft 

Terry - if your not having fun, your doing it wrong

How do you get psyched for a gig?

Kate -I love when we go out to eat as a band before hand but that only happens occasionally. Usually I listen to my favorite music really loud while I get ready for the gig. 

Damon -listening to my own music on the way to a show 

Do you have any new material?

Yes , we have quite a few ideas we are working on.

Do you have a band web sites?

Amongthornspgh.weebly.com

How can people reach you?

Social Media is the easiest way

Social media addresses?

www.facebook.com/amongthornspgh

What are your plans for the future?

Damon -Play gigs, write new music. Would luv to get out to the west coast

Hal -Rock till I drop

Terry- just enjoy the ride

What do you think of my work?

Damon - very cool. Keep doing what you do. Local music is on the rise again

Hal _it’s awesome always appreciate the help in the music scene 

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond? 

Spread the word, bet local bands out in front of people.

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?

Damon -Jimmy is actually 6'5".

Hal- We have fans??? Seriously they don’t know how much we appreciate them!  Without them we don’t exist!

Terry - We are pretty transparent

Do you have anything to add?

Just a simple thank you for all you do and hope to see everyone at a show soon

Interview with The Derek Woods Band

Describe your band, telling a little about the band.
We tend to define our current sound of the band as a Singer-songwriter fronted Rock n' Roll & Jam Band.  Reminiscent of an energetic 60's-70's lyric driven rock n roll vibe while incorporating a new age jam style atmosphere.

What are your names? / Who plays what?            
Derek Woods (Vocalist, Acoustic guitarist, Harmonica)
Joshua Carns (Lead guitarist)
George Hilf (Keyboardist, Mandolin)
Chris Schaney (Bassist)
Justin Landers (Drummer) 

 
Have members played with any other bands?  Some of us perform live with other projects when not on the road performing with DWB.  It keeps it fresh and keeps the wheels continuously turning, as well as adds extra excitement to coming back to jamming together after a break. 
I (Derek), do a lot of acoustic performances when not with the full band, I also perform sometimes with my family band with my father and brother, The Woods Family Band.   Joshua Carns has a jazz-fusion instrumental group, The Rainbow Ends.   Everyone in the band stays pretty active and commonly sits in with other groups live. 

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?
Our show mainly revolves around our Original music, but depending on the performance we usually throw in some special cover songs from artists we enjoy and put our own twist on the songs. 

What year did the band form?  Starting as the release of Derek Woods solo recordings then morphing into the full band for live show, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. 

Where is bands home?  The band relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in 2012, where we now call our home base. 

 
What inspires your music?  Lyrics; Music that hold a positive message to contribute to the world, and feel good that gets your feet moving.

 
How often do you rehearse?  Between shows we play, We hold weekly rehearsals. We do double time work to prepare for certain large events though.  

What type of gear do you use?  Taylor Guitar, Hohner Harmonicas, Sennheiser microphone  

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?     
I handle all of the management, promotions; bookings for the band.  I do my work currently under the name Into The Woods Management.  We have built a strong team around DWB though through the years, including a Public Relations agent, a professional photographer, a professional recording studio, etc. 

 
What are your songs about?  Phases of Life, Love, Happiness, Sadness, Irony and Realization.  

 
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?  I write the lyrics and the foundation idea of the songs, then  for the songs we decide to do with Derek Woods Band, I bring the songs to band and we all work together to make the best arrangement for it.  Everyone writes their individual parts to contribute their expressions into the song.  

Do you compose in a certain environment?  There has been certain environments that have worked well for writing, and the songs just pour out of me onto paper like a waterfall.  Some environments have been uninspiring.  I guess stimulating environments are the best, I say "I guess" because the absolute perfect spot to right is still unpredictable.   

 
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?   Every band through the years building up plays their fair share of different rooms and to different audiences, we've been fortunate enough to sell out or at least fill out the venues we play more often than not.  

What ages are most of your concert attendants?  We've always aimed to appeal to and interest all age groups with our music.  

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  We have some of the Derek Woods Band live show staple songs that we let stick around for most shows, but we try to make each show a unique performance and rotate our set lists. 

 
Do you have a regular place you play live often?  We have regular venues & promoters that we work with when we are in a specific area but we perform both on the East Coast & West Coast.  

What was your first gig like?  My very first gig was 15 years ago.  I wrote a song for my fathers wedding and performed it solo. Also performing was a list of great musicians including Commander Cody known for the song "Hot Rod Lincoln".  

 
What was your latest gig?  Next week Derek Woods Band performs with The Werks, Fletcher's Grove in Pittsburgh, PA at The Rex Theater.  

Have you had to cancel a gig?  We try not to cancel any shows if it's in our power.  I think we've only had maybe 1 cancellation in the last 3 years. 

 
Where have you played live this year?   We performed at venues, music festivals on the east coast. We also did a West Coast run which included a featured 4 set performance at the famous Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California for the Gladiator Rock n Run event.  

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?  Derek Woods Band plans to have a great year of traveling in 2017 to support our upcoming album titled, "TASTE".  

 
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  Albums, Shirts, Stickers, Photography, and more.  

Where can people buy your merchandise?  Merchandise can be purchased at any of our concerts or through our social media sites.  

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?  I don't think it's as common for people to listen to full albums back to back anymore.  It's a shorter attention span now a days when it comes to music.  Each song should be seen as more of a single in my opinion, seems to have more success overall.  That's just my observation though, I still buy albums and sit down to listen to it front to back when they come out.  

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?  Album sales have went down, hurting the major record labels.  All this means is we need to continue to grow and invent new ways to succeed.  Either we keep up or be left behind.  

Do you have any role models or idols?  There are many artists and role models who influence me in many ways.  Some major artists that influence my writing style are probably Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Grateful Dead  

Why do you think they exist?  Their timeless music.  Iconic appearance.  Continue to stay relevant. 

 
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  There are so many new great acts coming out right now, the list is huge and I'm constantly scouting out new music.  I know the rest of the guys do the same thing. 

 
What have been your biggest obstacles?  Being seen; being heard.  Bringing our visions to reality on stage. 

What advice would you give other bands or artists?  Work hard and it will all come back to reward you in mysterious ways.  You will eventually get back what you put in.  Make investments into your career and keep dreaming.  

How do you get psyched for a gig?  Drink Hype Energy Drink from our sponsor, hang with the band before we go on stage and rev each other up.  I commonly say the band before each show "Best Show Yet".

 
Do you have any new material?  I am always writing and bringing new music to the table.  We are working right now on a big batch of new songs to be released in 2017 as well.  

Social media addresses?
Facebook: /DerekWoodsBand
Instagram: @DerekWoodsBand
Twitter: @DerekWoodsBand  

What do you think of my work?  We love what you do and we encourage others to follow and support your work!  It's a pleasure to do this interview with you. 

Interview with Timeless

                       

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

Timeless is a 4 piece semi-acoustic themed group, playing “music through the  ages”,  

songs we all know and love but may have forgotten. 

What are your names? / Who plays what?

Alexandra Zayakosky (Alley-gator): Vocals

John Constable (John Boy): Bass\Backing vocals

Ron McBurney: Guitar/Backing Vocals

Paul Lancaster: Lead Guitar/Mandolin/Backing Vocals 

Have members played with any other bands?

All members of timeless are experiences musicians and have played with various bands.  

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?

Some members of Timeless have been writing music together for almost 10 years.  Without much 

success in finding members for the original project, we decided to  go the acoustic route.  

We still incorporate our originals into our sets.

 

What year did the band form?

The idea of Timeless was formed in 2015. 

Where is bands home?

Timeless is from Uniontown Pa. Fayette County, south of Pittsburgh. 

What's your style or genre?

No style of music is off limits for Timeless.  From old Blues, Jazz, Doo Wop, Classic Rock, 

Country, Metal, Grunge, and R&B.  But just like Frankie said, “We  do it our way”.  

What inspires your music?

Timeless selects cover songs as a group by songs we know are “timeless”,  

inspiring, and fun to play.  Timeless originals are inspired by life experiences that  

we know others can relate to. 

How often do you rehearse?

Timeless usually practices once a week, or more if schedules will permit.

What gear do you guys use?

Timeless uses Shure, EV, Dean, Fender, Martin, Alverez, D. O. D., Bose, and  Allen Heath.

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?

Timeless does their own booking.  Booking agents could be useful but are not  necessary at this time. 

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?

No. We do this for the fun and love of music, but if the situation arose, we would  consider it.  

The music industry has changed so much in the last 15 years, which  has made it harder for 

aspiring musicians to be successful. 

What are your songs about?

Timeless originals are about life experiences.  Covers are of songs that we never really forget. 

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?

Alley writes the majority of the lyrics, and has melodies for a lot of what she  writes.  

Paul writes melodies and structures.  Once the basic idea and structure are  laid out, 

the song is brought to the rest of the group for finalization.

 

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

It depends of the inspiration at the time. 

Do you compose in a certain environment?

No.  When an idea comes, you almost have to stop what your doing and get the  idea down.

 

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?

We would love to play in front of only one person,

 because that person is just as important as one thousand.

What age are most of your concert attendants?

The material Timeless covers is meant to appeal to music lovers and concert goers  of all ages. 

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?

Timeless is a theme based group. Our motto is “Music through the Ages”.   

Our set  lists are made for us based on when the song was released.  

There is so much  material, we love to change it up based on the venue.

What was your first gig like?

Our first gig was only a couple of months ago.  It was a great experience. 

What was your latest gig?

The last event Timeless played was a private party.  

Have you had to cancel a gig?

No.  We never have and will attempt never to do so.  The show must go on. 

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?

Casinos, Weddings, Corporate events,  and we are planning Christmas events in December. 

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?

It has killed the music industry.  Unfortunately, it looks like something that  

musicians have accepted and will have to adapt to. 

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?

There is no lasting power, there will be no more “classic” albums.  Somebody will  listen to something that a musician has spent months making, hear it once, and  want something immediately after.  

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?

Timeless is inspired by any individual or group that has talent.  We feel that we  

can learn from other styles of music besides our favorite genre.

 

What have been your biggest obstacles?  Finding a drummer. 

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Don’t give up.  Follow your passions. 

How do you get psyched for a gig?  Promotion can be a fun thing to do.  

Creating fliers and getting the word out  makes all the difference. 

Do you have any new material?

Yes.  Timeless is always coming up with new songs.  

We are also working on new  songs for a Christmas special.  

What are your web sites?

We are currently using a Facebook site

facebook/timelessband10 

How can people reach you?

For booking call Alley at (412)737-5685 or contact us via our facebook site 

What are your plans for the future?

Timeless hopes to reach a bigger audience and play bigger venues.  

We are also  working on a Christmas special. 

What do you think of my work?

We love the idea of you promoting local musicians, Keep it up! 

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?

We hope it can help to spread the word about Timeless and raise interest in local  music. 

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?

We are an open book! 

Anything to add?

Thank you for the opportunity for the interview.  

We look forward to reading up on your interviews with other musicians.

Interview with The Brighton Boys

Describe your band, telling a little about it.
What are your names? / Who plays what?
Alex Bobin: Lead vocals, keyboard, guitar 
Nate Catanzrite: Bass guitar, vocals 
Carl Leitem: Guitar, vocals
Tyler Marinkovic: Drums 


Have members played with any other bands?
Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  Starting out, we were just strictly a cover band playing lounge tunes at local clubs and restaurants, but over the past four years we've grown into a Rock&Roll machine, releasing our first EP "MMXV" in 2015, and our first LP will be released May 31st, 2016 entitled "Love Sentence"       
What year did the band form?   mid 2012
Where is bands home?  45 minutes out of Pittsburgh in the town New Brighton, which is where the name Brighton Boys comes from. 
What's your style or genre?  It's hard to place a certain style of genre on us since we all bring something different to the table, but in our most basic form, Pop Rock/Soul. 
What inspires your music?  The thing that inspires us the most would have to be the fans and the actual love for music itself. Nothing feels greater than writing a new song and getting to make people smile when they hear it. 
How often do you rehearse?  At the moment, we are spending so much time writing and recording in the studio that we haven't been rehearsing, but rehearsals for the new album are coming up!
Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  We're more of a DIY band, but a booking agency could definitely help a lot, especially when it comes to getting gigs further from home. 
What are your songs about?  Mostly girls, life, common struggles, etc. 
Do you start with the music or the lyrics?  It usually starts with the music, but occasionally we build the song around the lyrics. 
Have you done any covers live?  Covers are our specialty. We've been playing covers since we started the band and I definitely think we take a lot of inspiration from the songs we play when we're writing original material. 
What ages are most of your concert attendants?   We attract a very broad audience, ranging anywhere from early teens to 70's and 80's.
Where do you plan to gig the coming year?
Do you have any role models or idols?  Shakira 
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?   A good mix of both. Music has changed so much over the years and certain artists/bands have different sounds and techniques to the sounds they make. 
What advice would you give other bands or artists?  Set goals, have a plan and execute it. 
Do you have any new material?   We do, and you will be able to hear some of it when our record debuts on May 31.
How can people reach you?  We can always be reached by any of our social media accounts, but usually all business goes through our email: thebrightonboys.booking@gmail.com
Social media addresses?

Everyones pretty much had their different projects before the forming of The Brighton Boys, but since then we've all been dedicated to this one band. 












As many places as we can. 






Facebook: Facebook.com/thebrightonboys
Twitter: Twitter.com/thebrightonboys
Youtube: Youtube.com/thebrightonboystv
Instagram: Instagram.com/the_brighton_boys
Website: Brightonboysmusic.com

Interview with East End

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

Based out of Canonsburg, PA bringing METAL to a whole new level.  A classic feel with a new metal sound.

What are your names? / Who plays what?

John Bashaw – Vocals

Damon Zappa – Guitars, Vocals

Robbie Perrone – Bass, Vocals

Ash Kleer - Drums

Have members played with any other bands?

Untamed, Hidden, Frequency Unknown, Impugn, Creature of Habit, Zilch, Lucky Me, Christian Beck Band, Double Live

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?

Both.  It’s fun to do your own spin on the covers, but nothing is more gratifying than releasing your own thoughts and emotions into your own tunes.  We are currently working up to a full set of originals.  Unfortunately, Pittsburgh still loves to hear their covers.

What year did the band form?  2015

Where is bands home?  We each are from around the Pittsburgh/South Western PA area but our headquarters…or as we call it…”The Pit” is in Canonsburg, PA.

What's your style or genre?

I guess we would be considered Heavy Metal as far as genre but there are so many styles and sub-genres out there nowadays.

What inspires your music?

Life changing events and things you go through or what’s going on around you.  Things people can relate to.  The feel of both old and new metal.

How often do you rehearse?  2-3x a week

What gear do you guys use?

Damon – Endorsed by Evolution guitars, ESP, LTD, Charvelle 6 strings; Washburn 7 string, Crate head, Digitech rack unit and modified Crate & Hughes with Kettner cabs

Robbie – Dean basses, Hartke amplification, Sennheiser wireless

Ash – Pearl Masters Kit, Vator Sticks, Zildjan, DW Pedals, Evans Heads

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  We do not currently, but if they are willing to put as much behind the band as we put into it, then sure. Currently John is handling all booking.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  Possibly if the situation was right. That kind of goes hand in hand with the thoughts on the booking agency. Labels have quite a bit of a different role nowadays then they did 10-15 years ago. A lot of them are looking for a quick turnaround and there is really no such thing as a “developmental deal” anymore where bands were given 2 or 3 albums to really solidify themselves and make their name.

What are your songs about?

Trials & tribulations of the day to day society, some fantasy, pain, sorrow; life events. If you’re going through a tough time, or even a great time, write it down. Riff it out.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?  All of us. Most of the originals come from jamming and see what we come up with.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

Whatever inspires us.  Sometimes we start jamming a riff and John throws down lyrics.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

No. When creativity hits, it hits.  Once in “The Pitt”….IT”S ON!!!!

Have you done any covers live?

Yes.  Playing around the Pittsburgh area, there are very few venues that you can get away with performing all original material so you have to have the “crowd pleasers” in there.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?  Least had been the wives and family members of the bands and most would be a packed house, with no room for parking. Just paying our dues.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?  20’s – 50’s. Have done a few all ages show as well.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  As your set grows, you have to change it up. It also depends on where you play and how far the bars are from each other.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?

As of now no. But we are working on it. 

What was your first gig like?  Disaster. Previous singer had a bit too much to drink.

What was your latest gig?  3/26/16 Little Jim’s in Carnegie. It was a blast!! Bar was packed and singing along and everyone was getting into it. Completely awesome show.

Have you had to cancel a gig?  No

Where have you played live this year?

Whispering Woods (Bulger, PA), Mousetrap (Bulger, PA), Hollywood Lanes (Dormont, PA), The Royal (Castle Shannon,PA), Loose Moose (Pittsburgh, PA), Baltimore House (Baldwin, PA), Little Jim’s (Carnegie, PA)

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?

Locally around the Pittsburgh / Western PA area, Ohio, & 10 day trip to the west coast (California and Vegas)

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  T-shirts and shot glasses will be arriving in the next week.

Where can people buy your merchandise?

At the shows.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays?

It’s more convenient due to the lack of music stores around anymore. Although downloading music can be cheaper the purchasing these insanely priced CD’s. The web does make it more accessible to download illegally. In this case, the band is the one that loses.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?  Yes it has.  The industry itself has had to really do an overhaul due to the way that anyone can get these illegally downloaded songs and it can truly hurt the artist. Are there ways around it? Sure. Make some kick ass merchandise. A LOT of it and get your asses out on the road. Hang out with people. Be honest with them and let them know how much you appreciate their support by buying your products. Stay fan friendly. Keep in contact with them as much as you can. The respect you give with pay off on both sides.

Do you have any role models or idols?  Tons. New & old artists/bands as well as the kids that are battling cancer and other diseases.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  Kind of both, any music that can get you fired up. Depends what kind of mood you’re in.

What have been your biggest obstacles?

Those that want you to be the best but yet not better than then. That’s when you put up the blinders and just keep moving forward.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?  Be humble and don’t forget your roots. Make sure you love what you do because the business is tough. If all you’re in it for is fame and money, just stop. Do it for the right reason. Whether you just want to jam in your garage or on stage. You love it…you music and actions are affecting others in a positive way. THAT is what will make you survive in the music industry.

How do you get psyched for a gig?  Stay focused and feed off of each other’s pre-show energy and a shot of some Coldcock Whiskey! 

Do you have any new material?  Yes. We are writing all the time. An older feel with a newer sound. Look for some new East End material in the very near future.

What are your web sites?  

http://eastend.webs.com

How can people reach you?  Through any of our social media or email eastendbandpgh@gmail.com

Social media addresses?

facebook.com/eastend/band/

What are your plans for the future?  Taking it day by day and handling everything as they are presented to us. We plan to continue to gig to bring our music to the masses.

What do you think of my work?  Very cool. Hope it continues to grow. Awesome job!

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?  Get the word out and people gain some insight. It’s because of outlets like you guys that really help bands get some spotlight.  We are very grateful that you took the time to check us out.  Thank you very much!

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?  We are like brothers. One big family.  Ash has only been playing drums for a year.

Do you have anything to add?  Sponsored by Coldcock Whisky, Evolution Guitars & Sullen Clothing.