Interview with High n' Dry

Describe your band, telling a little about it.
We are a Def Leppard Tribute band, specializing in music related to the band Def Leppard. We recreate the ‘Def Leppard Experience’ for all that love and enjoy this type of music.

What are your member names? / Who plays what?
Chris Elliot – Lead Vocals
Isaac Ott Collen – Lead and Rhythm guitars, background vocals
Andy Clark – Lead and Rhythm guitars, background vocals
Brian ‘Sav’ Savage – Bass, background vocals
Paul Allen – Drums, percussion

Have members played with any other bands?
Yes, Chris is the lead singer of Dying Breed, previously featured on OV Live.

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?
Mostly Def Leppard, with a few Def Leppard inspired covers

Where is bands home?
Pittsburgh, Pa.

What's your style or genre, what inspires your music?
80’s hard rock.   Def Leppard, obviously 

How often do you rehearse?
We try to rehearse as much as we can get together which is every other week or maybe more.

What gear do you guys use?
Brian Sav Savage uses Ampeg and Mesa Boogie bass gear and Ephiphone bass guitars

Have you done any covers live?
Yes, we have included a few covers that Def Leppard has done in the past

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?
We always seem to get a good crowd. Maybe one of our other members may be able to more accurately answer this question.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?
30-50 yr. old range

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?
We keep the same core group of songs for every show, esp. the hits. Other slightly lesser known songs are usually rotated in and out of the setlist.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?
We often play the Mousetrap about 2-4 times a year.

What was your first gig like?
My first gig with the band, if I recall was an interesting experience, I think it was called “Thunder on the Strip”, an all day party in Ohio, with live bands all day. We had the larger outdoor stage outside, but due to inclement weather, we ended up playing inside that day on one of the other stages in the bar. We met a lot of great bands and people.

What was your latest gig?
That would’ve been Jergels with Say Ahh and Yinz n Roses  -  Pittsburgh PA show.  A really nice venue, had a great crowd, great sound……..an overall great place to play. We’re looking forward to playing there again.

Have you had to cancel a gig?
We’ve turned down a few offers, due to other member commitments, but fortunately never canceled any booked shows

Where have you played live this year?
Mousetrap – Bavington, PA.
Hard Rock Café – Pittsburgh, PA.
R. Kelly Automotive Stadium – Butler, PA.
Washington Wild Things Stadium – Washington, PA.
Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA.

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?
We have a few places in the works, such as returning to the Hard Rock Café and the Mousetrap. Hopefully we are able to take advantage of traveling to places outside of the Pittsburgh area and perhaps some larger outdoor festivals this upcoming summer.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?
Started, not sure when. We are discussing resuming merchandise sales and perhaps getting additional items that not been sold in the past.

Where can people buy your merchandise?
Stay tuned to our High n Dry facebook page for more info to come soon! Also, give us a like to stay up to date on the latest news on merchandise as well as future shows!
https://www.facebook.com/highndrypit/

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?
I personally think this is a two edged sword. On one hand you have an online outlet to get your music out to bigger masses of people and to help spread the word a little better/faster. On the other hand, people do “download” music, especially music that was originally written but is not getting sold, so the artists have to have some creative ways of supporting their time and effort of their craft.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?
I do. It forces artists to rethink their strategies and has you refocusing on different ways to achieve your goals. Whereas in years past, artists have primarily generated more income from people purchasing physical media such as records, CDs, and cassettes then now a days. In today’s market, more and more of music is downloaded and thus negates some physical media sales. I think it’s a lot more important for artists to adapt and change to fill in the role of what it has become.

Do you have any role models or idols?
As the bassist for High n Dry, I have some non-traditional role models, idols such as Neal Peart the drummer from the band Rush to more traditional ones such as Les Claypool, Roger Waters, Getty Lee to guitarists such as David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson, and John Petrucci. I’ve personally always been more inspired in the syncopation of different rhythms, the groove and how music makes me feel as opposed to how fast someone can play something.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?
I think equally both. I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from older classic bands such as Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Uriah Heep, Rush, DLR era Van Halen, Scorpions,  Motley Crue, and of course Def Leppard. Also, there are a lot of newer bands now a days that I love listening to such as Vertical Horizon, Porcupine Tree and Ghost to name a few, there are excellent songs that I could listen to all day.

What have been your biggest obstacles?
I think, as a band one of the bigger obstacles has been getting the 5 of us, who all have other things we do whether or not with family or other bands together on a regular basis. We do make it work, which I think is important. Everyone supports one another in instances where we cannot make a rehearsal or a get together.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?
Never give up and stick to what you believe in. Follow your passions; if you’re not feeling it, then it makes it much harder to do what you want to do. Find others that support your passions and work hard.

How do you get psyched for a gig?
I don’t really have any routines to have to get me psyched for a show. I’m in that certain mindset when I show up for a gig. I setup, go over the gig routine in my head and mentally prep for the show before going on stage.

What are your web sites/ social media?
https://www.facebook.com/highndrypit/

How can people reach you?
By clicking on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/highndrypit/
then clicking on the ‘send message’ button near the top right hand side of the page.

What are your plans for the future?
Hopefully getting more shows and bigger places to play. We look forward to some traveling as well.

What do you think of my work?
I think this is a great way to spread and let others know about their local music scene as well letting the people that may be interested in your line of music know who you are, a little behind the scenes knowledge about the artist or band. Definitely great job to you Bill for putting the time and effort in to doing something like this.

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?
I think this helps to spread the word about the bands and artists that others may not know about. To get them a little or lot more interested. Every little bit helps. From the merch, to social media, to live shows to this interview, the more the merrier.

Interview with Restless

Describe your band, telling a little about it in a few sentences.
We are a group of 4 guys that got together and things just clicked. The cool thing is, our musical influences are the same in some way and very different in another. I think that has led to a really cool mix in our setlist.

What are your member names? / Who plays what?
Rich Gualtiere - drums / backing vocals
Mike Minor - Bass / Abuse
Mike Cottis - vocals / rhythm guitar
Q - guitar

Have members played with any other bands?
Q - Our bass player, Mike Minor, has been in several bands dating back to his college days. He is by far our most experienced member.
Minor- I have actually been playing since 8th grade. Experience is a very fluid concept to me; Q passed me long ago, in solo practice time.
Cottis – Little known fact… way back in high school I dabbled with a band. Sadly, we never made it out of the basement.

Do you write your own music or perform covers? Has it always been this way?
Cottis - We perform all covers right now, but we are also messing around with some original stuff. At some point we hope to start incorporating a few originals in the set.
Q – Restless is only a cover band. Personally I do have some originals that I hope to finish someday. But it’s tough to find the time!
Minor- We have a unique way of selecting songs. While we are at work, we look up music videos on Youtube.com and send them to each other. Also, at every show we have a secret song, that only Cottis knows. All in all, I would say it's a pretty eclectic selection.

What year did the band form?   2016

Where does your band call home?   The Ohio Valley

What's your style or genre?
Cottis - Do we have to pick just one? We are mostly rock / classic rock, but we have inserted and made our own some country tunes, southern rock, and even a little funk. For example, we took Merle Haggard’s Mama Tried and made it a cool little rock tune. But mostly you’re gonna hear late 80’s early 90’s rock.

What inspires your music?
Cottis - The stuff we listened to growing up and stuff that catches our attention now.
Minor - The need to vibrate my friends with speakers.

How often do you rehearse?   Usually once a week. I would add though, we talk about what we are playing, literally, constantly. I think 1 time a week works for us.

What gear do you guys use?
Rich – Ludwig drums and Zildjian Custom A cymbals.
Q – I’m a fan of Ibanez guitars, though I also use other brands. I use a Blackstar 5 watt amp for the live shows.
M- Ibanez bass, and 2 other Basses I use for parts. Hartke/Ampeg
Cottis – I love the Les Paul bodystle, but can’t afford a real LP, so I use a Mitchell and an Epiphone both in the LP bodystyle. My current amp is a Crate 50 watt tube.

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?
No, we just try to make calls and get our name out there.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?
That would be awesome, but we better start putting some solid originals out for that! Maybe someday? But we ain’t getting any younger.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?
Q sometimes have ideas for riffs or melodies for songs, but nothing ever becomes a real “song” until we have lyrics. The lyrics make the song and arrangement take shape for me.
Minor has done some originals with Q, and is the exact opposite. Although, that's probably why it works. That and he says Q is awesome.

Do you compose in a certain environment? Certain life influences?
Cottis – I wish I could write a song.
Q – I try to write whenever the inspiration strikes. Most of my songs are about the emotions that come about from life experiences. I don’t necessarily try to tell the story of what happened; I try to tell how it felt. Then, hopefully, someone else can listen and identify with the emotions, but relate it to their own experiences.

Have you done any covers live?
Yes, we are a cover band.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?
Rich – I would say between 30 and 100 people at a normal show.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?
Cottis - I’d say late 20’s to late 50’s. If you like stuff played on Eagle and WDVE you’ll like what we do.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?
Cottis - We really try to add new stuff for every show. It’s a cool challenge. And I tell you what, the stuff we do is not the usual easy stuff. We play complicated tunes. The average Joe may not get that, but a true musician would.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?
Cottis - Mostly Rutts in Mingo
Rich – I love playing at Rutts Cross Creek Tavern in Mingo.

What was your first gig like?
Cottis - Nervous! It was tough to get in the groove. But, it was a chili cook off picnic and it was a relaxed environment since it was mostly family and friends. Or maybe that made it worse?
Q – the first dozen or so gigs were nerve wracking. I don’t like being in front of people so trying to perform was difficult for me for a long time. I’m now on my third year of playing live shows and it is finally starting to get a little easier.
Rich – I was very nervous the day of the event. The nerves went away after the first song.
Minor - Our first gig was not my first gig; so I was calm. I just remember having a lot of fun.

What was your latest gig?
Rich – Rutts Cross Creek Tavern. We played their annual Christmas Party.

Have you had to cancel a gig?
Rich – We make every effort to not cancel a gig. We have brought in a replacement player (Cliff Bernard, he’s a Good friend and one hell of a musician, to fill in as needed). He’s has had to fill in on lead guitar and bass for us in the past.
Minor - Restless has reliability similar to the USPS.

Where have you played live this year?
Rich – We have played at the House of Brews in Follansbee and Rutts Cross Creek Tavern in Goulds.

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?
Rich – I would love to continue to play at our current locations but we are always looking and open to playing new venues.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?
Rich – Currently, we don’t sell any merchandise. However, we are open to the possibility in the future.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?
Q –I think that any way for artists to have their music heard is a good thing. But personally I still prefer records or CDs. I love the artwork and I love having the full album there the way the artist intended it to be heard. You just don’t get that with the digital format.

Do you have any role models or idols?
Cottis - Myself, my first true musical influences were Guns N’ Roses and Tesla. It kind of spider webbed from there. Got into any and all rock and country. Lately I’ve been on a southern rock kick and Blackberry Smoke is in rotation a lot. They are great song writers.
Q – my biggest idols are writers. Axl Rose, Jerry Cantrell, Christopher Hall from Stabbing Westward and Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October all had big influences on my tastes.
Rich – Guns N Roses, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, ACDC would have to be my biggest influences. Not sure if I would call them role models, but they have had the biggest influence on me.
Minor- Honestly, Pantera is my number 1 influence. Their groove metal style comes through in my playing, and volume, more often than not. But I love so many artists. Phil Collins, RHCP, Green Day, Vivaldi, to name a few.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?
Cottis - For me it’s older bands. You know, the Led Zep to G N’ R era is where it’s at! Or bands that have that classic rock sound. Blackberry Smoke has that Skynyrd sound. Greta Van Fleet, Shinedown, and some others have that classic rock sound. I also get into quite a few country artists like Waylon Jennings, Shooter Jennings, Eric Church, Whitey Morgan, and Cody Jinks. I could go on and on…
Q – both. I love old school stuff, but really I just like songs that come from the heart. When it was released doesn’t matter.
Rich – Definitely older bands. Some of my friends tell me I’m stuck in the 70’s and 80’s.
M- I don’t listen to much new music. It's been replaced by a constant loop of “Baby Shark”.
Cottis – I gotta add one thing, the diverse tastes in our band has helped me discover music that is new to me. Rich and I are a lot alike in our rock taste, but Q and Minor have turned me onto stuff that I probably would’ve missed in the shuffle. I hope I’ve done that for them as well.

What have been your biggest obstacles?
Cottis - As a band? Probably figuring out what to put in the sets. We get into some little spats about what to play, but most of it is good natured ribbing.
Rich – I would have to say finding the correct people for this band. Q and I started this prior to 2016 and was a revolving door of musicians for a while. It was very difficult to find the right people with the right personalities and musical abilities and musical goals to make this happen.
Minor - When you are in a band with people you really like, it helps you not see the obstacles.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?
Rich – I’m 44 years old. I played a little in high school. I hadn’t touched a drum set since I was 18 years old. Now I’m having a blast doing something that I truly love doing. I guess what I’m saying, it’s never too late to do something new and do something you’ve always wanted to do.
Minor - This is more of a message to everyone else - Get out there and pick up an instrument.

How do you get psyched for a gig?
Cottis - If you don’t get psyched on your own, why are you doing it?
Q – I don’t get psyched at all. I just put my head down and try to survive being on stage.
Rich – I don’t really get psyched. I enjoy kicking back, watching some old school tv shows before a gig.
Minor - Setting up, and holding Q's barf bag.

What are your web sites?
https://www.facebook.com/restlessrocks/

How can people reach you?
Rich - You can message us on facebook or contact me at 740-317-5584.

What are your plans for the future?
Rich – I just want to keep playing.
Minor - Q and I really want to play Heinz Field, I guess if we do that I’d be happy.

What do you think of my work?
Rich – I think it’s great that you’re doing this. Helps bands and the general public who is interested in quality local music.
Minor - It's excellent.

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?
Rich – In the words of Axl Rose, “Any publicity is good publicity”.

What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band?
Rich – I would have to say that Q and Minor are closet country music fans. Lol.
Minor- We record every single practice, and I have listened to every single one.
Cottis – We all hate our band name, but we will never agree on another one.

Do you have anything to add?
Rich – Please get out and support local music.

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.