9 Sundays

Describe your band, telling a little about it.

9sundays is 4 piece rock band from the Pittsburgh area.  We play original tunes and some covers done with our own style. 

What are your names? / Who plays what?

Russ – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars

John – Guitars, Backing Vocals

Redd – Bass, Backing Vocals

Dave – Drums, Backing Vocals

Have members played with any other bands?

We all come from various music backgrounds and have played in other bands.  These experiences help create the sound we have now.

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  We write our own music, but are not too proud to toss a great cover or two into a set.  We like taking other music we enjoy and putting our own spin on it.

What year did the band form?  2008

Where is bands home?  Pittsburgh, PA

What's your style or genre?  Rock

What inspires your music?  Our inspiration comes from just about anything….oh look at that pretty flower or damn I really hate that dude!  Can never tell what will bring it out.

How often do you rehearse?  Weekly...if we all can find a time that agrees with our busy schedules

What gear do you guys use?

Russ uses – Jackson Guitar, Carvin Amps, Sennheiser microphones

John uses - ESP, Epiphone, Jackson, and Fender Guitars; Marshall and Carvin Amps/Cabs; Boss, Dunlop, Ibanez, and MXR Effects; Ernie Ball Strings; Dunlop Tortex Picks

Redd uses  - A Warwick Thumb Neck-Thru 5 String Electric Bass, An Ampeg SVT-4 Pro Series Bass Head with SVT-410 HE and SVT-15 E Speakers

Dave uses Tama drums, Evans heads,  Zildjian Cymbals, DW pedals and Promark 747 sticks.

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  We like to pick and choose where and when we play….booking agents aren’t necessarily a bad resource but for us having the freedom to select our own schedules is a big plus.  

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  Not looking, but sure  - we would love to have a label that can get us recognized and pay for our studio time…

What are your songs about?

Usually something that pisses us off or a past experience that we can’t let go, but probably should…

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?

It is a collaborative effort …One of us will bring in an idea and then we all take it from there.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

It has been done both ways with us but usually the music comes first.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

Nah – whenever the mood hits us.  We have many voice notes on our phone with all kinds of ideas.

Have you done any covers live?  Of course.  We like to throw in a cover that no one expects to hear.  We rock it out in our style.  The fans seem to dig it.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?  Of course, all bands have played in front of the other bands on the bill, but we have also played shows in front of up to 300-400.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?

30 – 45 You know….the age where rock is appreciated the most.

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?  We mix it up the best we can.  We like to play a set based on the venue and the type of crowd we expect.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?

Seems the Loose Moose has become a go to venue.

What was your first gig like?  We opened for another band at Howlers café.  Quick set, a bit nervous, just happy to get through it.

What was your latest gig?  Did a fundraiser for a local school districts rock night.  Charity event to raise money for the kids. It was a great event that we really enjoy.

Have you had to cancel a gig?

 Nope.  That is never a good thing

Where have you played live this year?

The loose moose, Benefit show, Level 20.

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?

See above plus The Hard Rock, WDVE coffee house – if our cd is ready

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  I believe we started selling merchandise when we released our first CD.  We have T’s, stickers and of course CD’s

Where can people buy your merchandise?

At any of our shows or via our contact email address.

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

At this point we are not in this to make tons of money.  Of course we wouldn’t turn it down, but we are happy to share our music with anyone and in any way possible.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?  No one listens to an entire album anymore.  They grab the track they like and go from there  Attention spans are short these days…. What was the question again? .  

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?  I think it’s a combination of both.  It’s hard not to find inspiration from an older band if you are still listening to them today.  They must have done something right.  But, some of the newer bands add a new spark to give you new ideas or directions.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Practice a lot and listen to tons of music.  Try to listen to music out of your normal playlist. 

Do you have any new material?

Yes – we are currently getting ready to record our 3rd CD.

What are your web sites?  www.9sundays.com

What are your plans for the future?  Get in the studio and get the 3rd CD released.  We have some great tunes that we are really excited about and we can’t wait to share them with our fans.

 What do you think of my work?  I think this is a great idea.  Any way we can bring more attention to local music scene the better.  Thanks!

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

Absolutely – if one person listens to our music due to this then it’s a complete success.

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

We like to drink beer at practice…ha..ha..