Photo by Dirk Mai

Interview with Kennedy Brock

The Maine is a rock band from Tempe, Arizona that was created by bassist Garrett Nickelsen and drummer Pat Kirch in November 2006.

With no prior vocal experience, singer John O'Callaghan joined the band soon after auditions, along with musicians Ryan Osterman and Alex Ross.

After the collective released of their EP “Stay Up, Get Down” Ryan and Alex departed the band for unknown reasons; they were replaced with Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco. The Maine was then signed to Fearless Records and on December 11, 2007 they released their EP “The Way We Talk” (produced by Matt Grabe).

Interview done with Chris Davis

Childhood friends Deric Williams (Lead Vocals, Guitar), and Daniel Clark (Percussion, Drums) formed as Motive for Movement in 2005. The past seven years have brought them lineup changes, countless shows/tours/ festival dates, multiple albums (Including their 2010 self-recorded/produced full length "Our Concrete Neighbors,” mixed by Mike Majors), and a considerable progression of sound.  They changed their name, this year, to Foreign Home to better represent where they are going instead of where they’ve been. Foreign Home’s newest release is their “How Strange the Night EP.” It was produced/mixed by Costa Stasinopoulos at Blackwatch Studios (Norman, OK) and The Church Studio (Tulsa, OK) and Mastered by Mike Marsh (Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, Klaxons) at The Exchange Studio London. With a belief that there are only two kinds of music, good & bad, Foreign Home isn’t afraid to draw from and incorporate any style of music into their genre-bending tunes. Finding influence in everything from surf music to progressive rock, post-punk to pop, the guys of Foreign Home (Deric Williams, Daniel Clark, Tobie Munroe, and Chris Davis) have set out to redefine what American Indie can be, and succeeded.

Photo by Sara Kiesling

I think it's important as a musician to remember why we all got into music. I see a lot of my friends losing sight of what music really means to them because of the rapidly changing music industry (I'm sure some probably think the same about me). Yes, I believe in adapting to change. Yes, I believe in doing what it takes to succeed in the mainstream world. I dream of hearing my songs on the radio and playing arenas. I don't believe there should be any limit to my success as a musician. But for me, it all goes back to my inspiration. It doesn't matter that most of my favorite artists will never make it on the radio. It doesn't matter that some of them aren't even around anymore. What matters is that they inspired me to pick up a guitar. They inspired me to follow my dreams. It's important to appreciate music for what it is, not what it could/should be. I appreciate ALL types of music for different reasons. Pop, indie, country, electronic etc... It all relates to me in different ways. For me, music is about how it makes me feel. Whether it's a powerful lyric, a bass drop, or a catchy hook, whatever... if it makes me feel something, I'm in. My music taste is constantly changing, but the one thing that will never change is my passion. I live to inspire and to be inspired. Don't lose sight of what's important just because it's not right in front of you. –Dylan Stevens

Photo by Steven taylor

Ryan Cabrera first picked up the guitar at the age of 16 when he was drawn to a beat-up guitar he found at a friend's house. Out of sheer boredom he started to experiment, soon he was picking out chords to tunes by the Beatles.

Interview with Sam Martin

Before Youngblood Hawke was ever formed, Simon Katz and Sam Martin were in another band called Iglu and Hartly for 5 years. While in that band they; got signed to a major label, toured all over the UK, Europe and Japan, and had a #5 single in the UK. After the peak in the bands success the band itself stopped evolving and lost the enthusiasm they once had; they were soon dropped by their label. In 2008 they had a top ten single and the next year their band was on an indefinite hiatus. Everything they had worked for the last 5 years of their lives had vanished.

Sucré is a three piece musical act composed of vocalist Stacy Dupree-King (Eisley), her husband and drummer Darren King (Mutemath) and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Larson (Fort Christmas). Their debut album, A Minor Bird, was released on April 10, 2012.

The album was made over the course of two years, with no motive other than creating music that they would love to listen to. When Stacy asked Jeremy if he would like to collaborate with her they, unknowingly, had the same thing in mind. Also sharing another common interest in their favorite drummer, Darren, they asked him to also collaborate with them. The magical trio was then formed.

Besides being a Social Media Manager for AEG Live / Goldenvoice, Ira Brian Miller is also a Promoter of Coachella, Stagecoach, as well as national tours (including Justin Bieber, The Who, JLO, etc.).

Since 1999, idobi Radio has connected listeners with artists through interviews and up-to-date music industry news. Started by Tom Cheney (then a producer for MTV Networks), running the station off his home computer in Washington, DC.

Jamison Murphy is a 23 year old singer/ songwriter who wants to change the world for the better. He writes from personal life choices that have made him grow to be what he is today. He participated in the 5th season of America's Got Talent with his guitarist, Brian Johnson. Even though they were ‘cut’ before the live shows, because they wanted him to come back as a solo-artist, Jamison showed the world what a true loyal friend he is and walked away from it. Besides writing his own songs, he is also a pro at covering popular songs such as The Fray’s “You Found Me”, Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House”, and Gavin Degraw’s “Not Over You”. All of which you can view on his Youtube channel.

A modern record label is built on social media and digital music sales. Last year digital downloads surpassed CD sales for the first time. This past decade has shown us the ever evolving Internet, and all the social media sites that come with it. Used as an expressway for showing and selling music, social media has become a direct way to reach fans and market not just music, but all other artist merchandise. Katie Guastini from Epitaph Records is going to give us a little insight on her job and what it entails.