For more information on Crown Point: http://www.facebook.com/crownpointband

http://www.twitter.com/crownpointband

Interviewer: Kevin Allen – http://songrevelation.com

SR: If you could use a tagline of less than 20 words to describe your music and who you are what would it be?

CP:Harmonic, melodic alternative pop with a Portland twist.

SR: What is your musical background?

CP: I (Jon) grew up listening to all kinds of rock, and have been in hard rock and metal bands for most of my life. Russell, the other lead singer, was signed to Sony Australia in kind of a funk/grunge/pop band, and our drummer Kaycee has played in everything from prog-metal bands to country acts.

SR: How was 2010 for you?

CP: Great! We had the opportunity to tour in 40 states, including a 35-state US tour with Tyrone Wells and Andrew Belle. We released our debut EP, Wolves, and released a single that spun on 75 stations. We got to play festivals such as SxSW, MusicFest NW, Cornerstone, and the Alaska State Fair. Most importantly, we met a lot of great people along the way, and had the chance to be involved with events that raised almost $50,000 for the Haiti and Chile relief effort.

SR: Who inspires you musically?

CP: I can’t answer for the rest of the guys, but I’m inspired by artists who are able to blur the line between creativity and accessibility, artists who also have something to say lyrically.

SR: Which modern day artists do you look up to?

CP: Thrice, Anberlin, Brand New, Chiodos, Needtobreathe, Strata, Future Of Forestry, etc.

SR: Is there anyone you would like to collaborate or gig with?

CP: We’ve had the opportunity to play with some amazing artists, like Mat Kearney, Augustana, Tyrone Wells, A Change Of Pace, Matt White, Saliva, Puddle of Mudd, and more. I, personally, would love to tour with Thrice, although musically we’re not a great match for them, necessarily. I just love practically everything these guys have ever done, and all the tangible, charitable good they’ve been able to accomplish with the opportunities they’ve been given.

SR: What songs are on your ipod at the moment?

CP: Let’s just say that it’s completely full right now. Getting into some new stuff from Kids In Glass Houses, Biffy Clyro, and the newest Linkin Park album (don’t judge me; it’s actually really good).

SR: What is your creative process for creating a track?

CP: It varies! Occasionally, we’ll jam on a riff at band practice; usually, though, one of us will bring a semi-finished song (or at least a hook) to the table before we collaborate on polishing it.

SR: What’s more important, melody or lyrics?

CP: In my opinion, they’re both equal and go hand in hand. To the average consumer, though, I’d say melody.

SR: Where are you based?

CP: Portland, OR.

SR: What’s it like being where you’re from?

CP: Portland is a freaking world-class city. More music venues, festivals and events than we even know what to do with. It’s got a prevalent indie scene right now; we’re on the more mainstream side of indie, so we definitely don’t have the quintessential “Portland” sound. This is by design. We want to make music that we not only enjoy ourselves but that also showcases our talents and what we do best, rather than trying to be something that we’re not.

SR: What are you currently working on?

CP: We’re in the studio working on a full-length album (March 2012 tentative release date) and an acoustic album (due out later this fall).

SR: What’s been the highlight of your career to date?

CP: Honestly, the two-month tour with Tyrone Wells and Andrew Belle last fall was an unbelievable experience. They’re both such classy, genuine guys and it was truly a pleasure sharing the stage with them across the country.

SR: What are you hoping to achieve in 2011?

CP: Finish the aforementioned albums, get some more TV and movie placements, and play some more shows and meet some more amazing people at them.

SR: Do you have any gigs or shows that you’d like to tell us about?

CP: We’ll be playing some festivals in September and touring in 15 states in October. Stay up-to-date with all the latest and goofiest on our Facebook page.

SR: What do you do to relax?

CP: I used to mountain bike to relax. However, two weeks ago I got in an accident that left me with a reattached tongue and nose and 40 stitches in my mouth. Needless to say, I’ll be finding some different relaxation activities for a little while.

SR: Is there anything else you’d like to let our readers know about?

CP: As clichéd as this may sound, my accident and hospital stay has helped me to prioritize my life and put things in perspective a little more. Spend time with the people you love. Spend time doing the things you love. Spend time on what matters. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Many fans always ask us questions, fans submitted questions to us via email we chose best ones to be answered. Of course you can continue to ask us any thing and maybe we will post it here.

Christina: What is your best part of the day?
Hawk: Night.
Li: Evening

Mikka: Hawk, how long do you sleep? You seem you don’t sleep at all.
Hawk: I most get about 3 hour I been doing that for about 18 years.

Staci: What music did you grow up listening to?
Hawk: Various artists from my parents and Girl U Need, Loudness, Ded Chaplin, FAST DRAW, Aerosmith, Malice Mizer, Sam and Dave, Queen…
Li: Various artists from my parents and Prince, Johnny Gil, Maxie Priest, Loudness, Malice Mizer, Rajas, Ex-Danger, Mubas…

Jonathan: How old were you when you begin to have interest in music and playing instruments?
Hawk: 2 years old
Li: 5 years old

Aoi: How many members of the MG staff is it?
Hawk: There are 2 main members but several contributing members.

Sho: What is your favorite novel?
Hawk: Any thing by Terry Brooks, Mystery and Roget’s Thesaurus
Li: Any thing of Sci – Fi, Drama/Mystery

Melanie: What do you consider a perfect day?
Hawk: Getting enough sleep, some thing to eat, feeling energy in my body and being with friends partying.
Li: Getting sleep.

Candice: What is your meaning of living, finding a purpose in life?
Hawk: There is no wax on, wax off in life; you learn it by living it. We all have many purpose, finding it is hard but if you look at each thing in your life some times we find the purpose is staring us in the face.

Mai: Best songs that would describe you?
Hawk: Riot by xTRiPx and The Next Decade by GACKT (it changes depend on mood)
Li: I Gotta Kick Start Now by VAMPS

Sarah: How do you have time for tours etc. with everything else you are doing?
Hawk: I make time by cutting my sleep.

Luc: What music styles do you prefer?
Hawk – Li: We like all styles but we do tend to lean ear to JRock, KPop, Alternative Rock more.

Toshi: What is your favorite Animes?
Hawk: Blood +, Kimi ni Todoke, DearS, Rurouni Kenshin, Death Note
Li: Trinity Blood, DearS, Kekkaishi, Lelouch of the Rebellion

Satoshi (左迅) – lyricist/vocals
Nii (弐) – guitar
Shuu (愁) – bass guitar
Яyo (亮) – drums, primary songwriter

For more information on girugamesh:
http://www.girugamesh.jp/
http://www.jrockrevolution.com/

In Japan earlier this month, JrockRevolution.com had the opportunity to catch up with girugamesh!

Interviewer: JRock Revolution – Erin C. and Maura D.
Edited: Debra H.

JRR: In your upcoming tour, you will be returning to America for shows in Boston, New York and Philadelphia — which of these cities are you most excited to visit. Which have you wanted to play in the longest?

ShuU: New York — we always hear about it here and it’s been made really famous, we hear lots of stories and have this vision of Times Square, so I’m really looking forward to going there.

Яyo: I’m for New York, too. They show it on TV all the time here and I really want to go and see it! And now I’m finally able to, so I’m really looking forward to it!

Nii: New York — I want to go and see Times Square. It seems like the center of the world. I heard so much about it as a kid, I really want to go and experience it for myself.

Satoshi: Wherever our fans are waiting for us is where I want to go.

JRR: Tell me about your latest album, “GO.”

Яyo: “Go” is an album comprised of lots of songs with bright musical composition and– [trails off]

ShuU: We combined things like electro, metal and pop elements and melodies in order to create what, I think, is a wonderful and incredibly positive album.

Nii: Composing the songs for this album in 2010 was really hard work for me. So being able to finally listen to all of the songs on it is really wonderful.

Satoshi: Because the lyrics and melody in “GO” are really positive, I feel that the people who listen to GO are made happy by it.

JRR: What’s your favorite song off of GO?

Яyo: All of them, but especially “MISSION CODE.” When we do it live it’s intense and there’s lots of dancing.

ShuU: “13 days” — it’s really funky. Our style is a really funky rock and we want people to be able to dance to it.

Satoshi: I like the song “Saikai” because the song contains a strong message, so I hope that the listener can also try to read the lyrics while listening to the song.

Nii: I like “destiny” — composing “destiny” opened the way for us to be able to compose the rest of our songs on “GO.”

JRR: How do you feel you’ve changed as an artist since you started Girugämesh?

Яyo: When we started, we played kind of frightening lives — they were like, “RAAAR!” But now we want to have fun with everyone and let them all enjoy [the live]. We want our lives to have lots of feeling and I think we’ve collected that good feeling into “GO.”

ShuU: To put it simply — we’ve changed from negative to positive, I think.

Nii: I agree with what ShuU and Яyo had to say.

Satoshi: At lives, we used to not smile, but now we do and I think that’s how we’ve changed the most.

JRR: How did you decide on calling yourselves Girugämesh?

Яyo: I like Playstation games. You know Final Fantasy, right? I was playing that one day and there was a character whose name was Girugämesh. At that time, Nii and ShuU, like many other bands, used a German dictionary in order to create a cool band name, so we thought that a name like Girugämesh would have a really strong impact and we decided on it. Only for impact [laughs].

JRR: Why did you come together as a band?

Яyo: Everyone likes the same music. ShuU and Nii have known each other since they were kids and I was their kouhai [junior] at school. So, we decided to start a band. But at that time we didn’t have Satoshi, so we had a different vocalist. After a while, our vocalist quit and we brought in Satoshi to the band. And from 2004 we’ve been performing together.

JRR: How do you feel you are different from other modern V-kei bands?

ShuU: We’re all really good friends since we’ve lived close together for such a long time.

Яyo: Yeah, we’re all really good friends and we have a real affection for each other.

ShuU: I think that bands and people are a lot alike — as we get older, we change in good ways. I think that’s how we’re different. We also have a lot of self-confidence.

JRR: What is your favorite venue that you’ve played in Japan (and why)?

Яyo: Shibuya AX — It’s easy to play lives there, it’s big and it’s in a good place!

ShuU: We haven’t played there yet, but ZEPP Tokyo — It’s the biggest [live house] in Japan [It holds 3000 people]. We’re playing our grand final there and I’m really looking forward to it.

Nii: I like ZEPP Tokyo, too. I’ve seen other artists play there and I thought to myself, “Man, I really want to play a live here!”

Satoshi: I like the place where we played our first live, Motoyawata ROUTE14. Because it was the only live house in our hometown … Even though the live was difficult, it was a good venue.

JRR: What is your favorite venue you’ve played at overseas and why?

Яyo: The Wiltern [Los Angeles — where] we played JRock Revolution.

Nii: La Loco in Paris — The fans in Paris were energetic and excited and the structure of the venue was really interesting and it was really easy to play a live there.

ShuU: It’s not a live house, but when we went to Germany I felt like everyone there was kind of Japanese-ish. I’m really looking forward to playing lives in Germany [on this upcoming tour].

Satoshi: I really liked Zeche in Bochum [Germany]. I feel like this live house in Germany was a very traditional type of live house. It’s been said that there’s a lot of bands that sell out [their shows] there, so I was really happy to play there.

For more information on Dust Covered Carpet:
http://www.beatismurder.com (CD is available for ordering)
http://www.myspace.com/beatismurderdotcom
dustcoveredcarpet@gmx.net

Interviewer: Hawk Chavez
mousagenrepromotions@gmail.com

Recently, I got the honour of interviewing this highly talented band from Austria, about their dreams and passion; hope you enjoy the read.

(Note- two questions were combined)

MG: How did the name Dust Covered Carpet come about?

DCC: Most of the songs were written and recorded by Volker on the carpet in his flat in Vienna. It is very dusty.

MG: When was your band formed?

DCC: The band as it is now, was founded in April 2007, but the whole project was started in 2003 with solo recordings and gigs and also with an ever changing army of background musicians, friends and family.

MG: What is everyone’s band position?

DCC: As of now Volker does the songwriting, composition and live he plays the guitar, mouth harp and sings. Julia is our violinist, and also does the glockenspiel, melodica and flutes. Katharina joins in with accordion, clarinet and transverse flute. Armin is our drummer and second guitar player. And last but very not least Magdalena plays the cello or flutes, though we are all very flexible with the order of using the instruments. Everyone sings background vocals, does percussions, whistles, stomps their feet, etc.

MG: How did you all the band members meet?

DCC: Volker and Armin are brothers, everyone else was found on the way.

MG: Have you guys played any shows?

DCC: Sure! Tons. But only close to home so far…

MG: What do you want your fans to get from your music?

DCC: We would like them to learn to listen closely and recognize the worth of little things (in life and music), and to realize the importance of feelings.

MG: How would you describe your music?

DCC: It is rather hard to describe but it could be called, melodic- dramatic- harmonic folk pop.

MG: In today’s music, who inspires you the most?

DCC: No one in particular, but the band tends to listen to all sorts of music from Indie Rock to old folk songs, musicals, experimental music in general, local bands and bands from our label (Beat Is Murder Records).

MG: What is the driving force and main storyline behind your music?

DCC: Everyday experiences, dreams, fears, love, boredom and friendship.

MG: On the band’s site, it is stated that the band’s line-up constantly changes; can you explain the purpose of the spontaneous changing?

DCC: As we stated before, the band has been going through some construction work with all the people that have been involved in the whole process of Volker’s songwriting, composing and live performances. We are always open towards new ideas and people with a hand for any other instrument that has not yet been included in the band.

MG: What is your ultimate direction for your band?

DCC: Phew. Lots of things, but nothing to far in the future. Right now we are concentrating on playing more live shows but there are several plans for new releases in the nearer future. Soon we will bomb the record stores with a split 7” vinyl with Liger and the next album is planned to come out in mid 2009. Also we have just purchased a band bus and need to spread our music by selling our recent album “Rerededust The Doubts I Trust” everywhere, and play more and more and bigger and bigger and bigger shows.

DCC: We had fun doing this interview.

MG: Thank you for the opportunity of letting me interview you all, it was fun indeed and the best of luck to you on your musical journey.

For more information on Kevin M. Kirker:
http://www.kevinmkirker.com
http://www.myspace.com/kmk808

Interviewer: Hawk Chavez
mousagenrepromotions@gmail.com

Via myspace request I discovered another upcoming musical talent, Kevin M. Kirker, an instrumentalist and songwriter. I got the opportunity to interview Kevin about the ins and outs of music and then some.

MG: Do you write your own music?

Kevin: Yep! I’ve tried working other musicians in the past but it usually doesn’t work out. I need to do things my own way. At least, for now.

MG: I assume ‘Our Story Now Begins’ is base on true life experiences?

Kevin: Yeah, a good portion of the lyrics are verbatim from my personal collection of unsent letters. Or letters sent to me. I didn’t do much in the way of abstract imagery or metaphors, most everything is simple and meant to tell a story clearly.

MG: What made you choose the harp? What type of harp do you play?

Kevin: Hmm, when I was a kid it was the best sounding instrument to me. I grew older and got into the machismo of the guitar. It’s still a badass instrument, but there are millions of guitar players out there now. I spent a long time trying to figure out how to play guitar like a harp. Eventually I just decided that it would be better if I played harp.

I’ve got a giant 46 string Venus pedal harp, I use that for recording since it’s too hard to transport. My second one is a small lever harp that’s light and easy to move around.

MG: Do you play any other instruments than the harp?

Kevin: Oooh yeah, I got a nice little collection of instruments now! I’m learning some new ones too. I think overall… hold on let me go look. I got a big assortment of different kinds of guitars. I got a mandolin, banjo, glockenspiel, various keyboards. I’m starting to get decent at drumming, but I don’t think it’ll show up on any future records.

I’ve got some ukuleles now, a bunch of different kinds of flutes and wind instruments. I have a shakuhachi that I haven’t figured out how to play yet. I hope I can do that one day. I just got a snake charmer, it sounds awesome. I have a mini toy accordion that’s becoming one of my favorite instruments. I have too many to list and keep track of I guess.

MG: What are your thoughts on the state of the Music industry predominantly with major labels?

Kevin: It’s at a big turning point now. The big four record companies are slowly losing their grip. The internet has changed everything. Before, if you weren’t with a big record company you had no way of promoting your music. With the internet, even somebody relatively unknown can get recognition. In two or three generations, I think music will be back in the hands of the people again. For better or worse.

I think what we’ll see is the fall of the superstar; the fall of the universally acclaimed musician that’s adored the world over. In it’s place we’ll have a horde of moderately successful musicians earning only a decent living but having loyal fans. That’s just my guess, though.

MG: Does your family have any musical talents?

Kevin: Ha! Me having any musical talent is debatable, let alone my family. No, I think there’s lots of good musicians in my family. Too many to list.

MG: Do you perform in public or for private events?

Kevin: I’m a bit of a hermit, so it’s been quite a long time since I played a show. I play over the phone to people sometimes; I think that’s about it. I’m obsessed with writing songs so that’s been my focus for a long time. I’m not very good at it though, so it takes awhile.

MG: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time in which you practice?

Kevin: There was a point in time where I practiced 10+ hours a day, but those days are long gone for me now. I usually just write songs away from instruments, then learn how to play them later. That’s the extent of my practice these days.

MG: What is your ultimate direction for your music?

Kevin: Hard to say. My only real goal was to just make something that moved people, I guess. In that respect, the response from people has been overwhelmingly positive. I’m grateful for all the people who seem to have been touched by what I’ve done. I get alot of heartfelt emails, and it’s crazy to me that I could effect anyone so deeply. Just a few years ago, I was totally alone. And now to somehow be apart of so many’s people lives is just a strange, wonderful feeling.

I suppose my goal hasn’t changed. I’d like to make more music that resonates with people, even if it’s flawed or not that great.

MG: Music-wise, what are your ongoing plans? Any upcoming albums, projects?

Kevin: I was working on a triple album, but now I’m considering throwing it away and starting over. I usually keep my website, http://www.kevinmkirker.com, pretty updated with what’s going on musically. It’s always changing since I usually tackle more than I can handle.

MG: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?

Kevin: The fact that I can share whatever I make with nearly anyone in the world via the internet. What an amazing, wonderful tool. It’s a great time to be a songwriter I think.

MG: What do you hope for other musicians of your genre to achieve?

Kevin: I don’t listen to much music anymore so I haven’t been able to keep track of what’s going on with the kind of music I make.. but I’d hope that more people are taking chances now. I feel like people are starting to get bored of hearing guitar/bass/drums every song. I think they’re starting to get bored of being told what to feel, and just want something real. I’m not sure though.

I guess I just hope fellow musicians are able to work hard and get rewarded accordingly. It’s difficult to see people work so hard on something musical and have it not pay off for them in the end.

TRIBAL MACHINE
Industrial Metal Rock

Sever Bronny – Vocals, keyboards, sequencing, programming, additional guitars
Brian ‘Meta’ Hartlen – Lead guitar
Brad Wutke – Bass, additional graphic design
Ken Pretty – Live drums

For more information on Tribal Machine:
http://www.tribalmachine.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/tribalmachine
http://www.myspace.com/tribalmachine

Interviewer: Hawk Chavez
mousagenrepromotions@gmail.com

Since late September of 2005, big and bigger things have happened for Tribal Machine, they are quickly on the rise. I got the opportunity to interview vocalist/keyboardist/additional guitarist Sever Bronny about what makes the band tick; among with other remarkable events.

MG: The newly released album title, ‘Soldiers in a War of The Mind’ is intriguing. What is the concept behind the title?

Sever: The war itself is about control of thought through propaganda methods and advertising. It is the common person versus those who own the Medias and the large corporations. Those of us who are losing this war on the mind are painted with brands, or hold unquestioned views identical to those emphasized by the people in power.

MG: When a band is created, the first matter at hand is establishing the band’s genre. Your band is categorized as industrial, electronica, and folk rock. Indeed you’re industrial and electronica; however how do you figure the folk rock in your style?

Sever: You’ll hear some of the folk rock influence on the album with songs like “One More Time”, “Oversold the World”, and “Pheromone”. I wanted to put a genre in there that reflected the ‘folkish’ story-telling side of Tribal Machine. It’s an interesting part, and although it doesn’t sound like folk music on the first pass, part of my musical roots come from old Polish folk songs which I sang as a kid. It really is there to describe the story-telling side of Tribal Machine more than the sound.

MG: When was Tribal Machine born, are the band members the original line-up?

Sever: Tribal Machine was born in around 1997, where I was trying to think of a name that best reflected me and the work I was doing. It was a one-man band then, and remained so for many years. Various musicians came and went through-out the years, each filling a role in the band for a short period of time. In 2003 I started working with the guitarist, Brian Hartlen, who really brought a unique understanding to the band. Then in 2004 I brought Brad Wutke in on bass and Kristy Farkas on keyboards. Kristy ended up moving to Japan but that didn’t stop us from doing shows. At this point we’re just getting ready to integrate a drummer into the line-up.

MG: You have often been compared to Nine Inch Nails, was that the initial intention for the band’s sound?

Sever: Actually it was NIN that really sucked me into music, over ten years ago now. Because I was religiously listening to Nails the influence was unavoidable. At the time I was pretty much imitating them, without realizing it. It took many years of toil before I was able to find myself in the sound as an independent and unique musician. I think one of the things that helped me do that was that I stopped listening to music altogether, aside from what I would create. I think this allowed me to branch off in my own direction. I’m like a sponge and sometimes if I really like something it will subconsciously creep back into my latest creations. I am getting better at twisting things though now and turning them into new ideas. I am not sure if it is possible to be truly original, but I think you can use ideas and put a new twist on them. Doesn’t it feel like everything has been thought of? I do feel however that something like the album has not happened before. It’s like a puzzle with the pieces coming from so many different places.

MG: Most artists say they knew early in their lives they wanted to follow the musical pathway. When did you know music was the path you wanted to follow?

Sever: I knew music was the path for me when I picked up a computer and started making music on it in 1996. I was so hooked that I decided I had to go to a music program after high school. I was just dead-set on it. Oddly enough I hated institutionalized music. I used to play the trumpet in school, and after grade nine, when I no longer had to take music classes; I quit and swore I would never read another musical note again. By the time I had to go to college I was around 18 years old and I was addicted to Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, and various others from the genre. I was making music quite a bit, experimenting with distorting drum machines and keyboards, as well as screwing around with basic melodies and vocal techniques. I just kept at it and loved it. It was more powerful than any drug I had taken, although I never write under the influence. Everything is written sober.

MG: Studies say most mainstream bands don’t put a lot of emphasis, hardcore meaning, and emotions into their music. What is your opinion on this matter, have some bands gone astray whereas once they go mainstream, they cannot retrieve the heart and soul of the music?

Sever: You got to ask yourself if some of those bands that have gone so mainstream had any soul or heart in the first place. But hey, I think you have to love what you do, and at that level of the game it becomes a business to bands, they have so many people to support, so many responsibilities, and sometimes the art gets lost in all the pressures involved. People – like myself when I was younger – romanticize music and think on idealistic terms, but it doesn’t always work out that way. There’s a lot of hard work involved. I do however believe that there is a serious lack of creativity in the mainstream, and it’s sickening. I think it’s a symptom though. A big factor is the record label. Labels choose bands that are ‘safe’, bands they think will make them money. Labels don’t gamble nearly as much as they used to, nor do they stick with artists to develop their careers like they used to back in the day. Now this does leave a lot of room for independent musicians however. I think great music is there it’s just hidden, whether it’s on myspace or on internet radio, or wherever. As far as I am concerned at this stage of the game the life of a musician is quite lonely. You are on your own, fighting it out, and there’s not much support out there other than your fans. It’s very grass roots, which isn’t a bad thing I think. It’s simpler. ‘Power to the people and the bands’ I suppose.

MG: Would you consider your band even becoming mainstream material, and if so; how would you produce it differently?

Sever: I am not sure if we’re mainstream material, if I had a shot at a larger audience I think I would use it to say things not everyone would like, musically or not, so we’d probably be shunned to some degree. I’ve always thought there is so much left to be said, and if I knew there were more people listening I would like to think I’d take the opportunity to speak up. The new record touches on that. There’s a huge vacuum in music right now, there’s so much superficial garbage out there and nothing is being said that needs to be said. It’s sickening and I feel I have to have a backbone and say something musically. It’s just this intrinsic thing that has been haunting me for years. It’s freeing. I feel alive when I write something I think matters. After all, why am I doing this? It certainly isn’t for the money or for fame. It’s because I get my kicks writing a great song and seeing it spread like a virus. But it’s especially rewarding to me when the song has something to say.

In my dreams, the ideal use for one of my songs is a protest rally, where people are marching down a street trying to accomplish something and kicking ass. I would like to be their soundtrack, that’s all. Ideally of course. That was the motive behind the last record in a sense, and it will be clearer and more focused with the next record. As I get better at it and my skills improve and I learn more, I’ll expect more from myself too, and I don’t intend to back off. Becoming more popular would only energize me further and I’d use that to really try and say things that need to be said. Oddly enough, because labels are so safe nowadays, I don’t see us being heard on your local FM dial anytime soon. I believe, however, that you can be successful nowadays without having to go mainstream. It’s just a smaller scale. I’d like to see the world with the band. That’d be nice, but on my own terms. I’d like to be able to put food on my table using the music one day. I have come to believe that people knowing your music and recognizing you is an essential side-effect to becoming a professional musician. If you really want to be successful you have to get your music out there, and by getting it out there people will know who you are. Sort of a catch-22 situation.

MG: How do you arrange the times to practice?

Sever: Right now we rehearse once or twice a week, which is subject to change once the drummer steps in. It’s tough working around people’s schedules though. After all, people have to put food on their table and so they have jobs. I understand though, it’s not like this band can supply a roof over their heads right now.

MG: How do you prevent getting burned out with projects that you work on?

Sever: I have a strange writing style. I’d work on a song and then leave it for weeks or months at a time, then I’d go back to it almost by chance and edit or re-work material as I see fit, then repeat the process until I happen to finish the song. The time in between allows me to regenerate. Writing music can be quite draining so you need to pace yourself. Writing more doesn’t necessarily mean better quality either. Inspiration is the key, without it you might be better off sticking pins under your fingernails or something. Hey at least then the pain will give you an endorphin rush which in turn might inspire you to try something that works instead. I don’t recommend that route though. The hardest process for me is writing lyrics. I sit there and I’d listen to a verse or chorus for hours, sometimes literally banging my head against the wall until something comes out. When it comes to lyrics I have to force it out and really push hard for something that makes sense. It’s always such a terrible temptation to say nothing meaningful and leave it just because it’s catchy, and it does happen. I get lazy, what can I say…

MG: What advice do you have for people trying to become musicians?

Sever: That’s funny that you ask that question because I get a lot of artists approaching me through the myspace site asking for advice. If you really want to be successful in music nowadays you have to forget about record companies and demos. Work on the songs and make them the best that you can make them, let there be no doubt in your mind that your songs kick ass, and if you feel insecure about them you’re not ready yet. When you are ready with great music, start promoting it, do everything yourself, learn it all from the bottom-up. Create your own opportunities and be the master of your own destiny. Nobody is going to lift a finger to help you. If you sit there and expect people to come to you and make you some kind of rock star, stick to your day job. Remember that you choose what you do not change.

Release a record when people are actually starting to demand one. There’s nothing more disheartening than watching your life’s work sit there and gather dust, I went through that with the first album “The Awakening of the Animal” in 2002. Didn’t have a clue what I was doing, wanted to blow my head off rather than face the truth. I made 100 copies and ended up giving most of them away.

Invest in a home studio. That will save you loads of money later. Do all the production, recording, promotion yourself and only spend some money on mastering. Make sure you read plenty of books about the industry too. I am constantly reading and learning about what’s going on so as to stay informed, even so I feel like I still have so far to go. Make sure you know why you’re doing it. Make sure it’s for the right reasons; be wary of your ego, vanity and especially your self-esteem. In the end remember it is supposed to be fun and you’re only human, so you will make mistakes. Be honest and keep your integrity intact. It helps to listen to lots of motivational tapes too.

MG: What do you want to achieve on this musical journey?

Sever: I want to tell a story that is interesting, provocative and interactive. I want to be able to share my life’s work with people and have some understanding there. I want to develop a bond that we can converse over. I want to leave this world knowing I made a dent, a difference. And yes, I want to provide the soundtrack for at least one protest rally.

MG: How did you come up with your band’s name?

Sever: Through a grueling process of trial and error. In the end I decided on Tribal Machine because it most represented my point of view. I wanted it to say something. I can see it describing some sort of social construct now. It can mean many things and I am a big fan of multiple levels of thought, especially with words / lyrics.

Thank you kindly for the opportunity Hawk!