TEN Gossip

The Used & I: The Interview

Posted by taylor blue on September 22, 2009 | No Comments

The Used first formed their band back in 2001 and now in 2009 the members are Bert McCracken (lead vocals and keyboard), Quinn Allman (Guitar and back up vocals), Jeph Howard (Bass and back up vocals), and Dan Whitesides (Drums and Percussion).  They just released their seventh album called, Artwork, that has made them head in a new direction. In an interview with AP magazine Bert said, “In the past, we’ve always kind of brought pop sensibility into heavy rock, but this is going to be all that much more tantalizing and brutal. Our songs are 10 times messier and noisier than they’ve ever been.” This will also be the first album to feature Dan, on the drums, since he first joined the band in 2006.

I had a chance to interview the band before they left on their tour for the album. The nationwide tour kicked off on September 21st and it reaches Europe for August and September, and then the  U.S., with two Canadian dates for October and November.

Taylor Blue: Since you have been on tour a lot what has been your favorite venue to perform at?
Dan Whitesides: Well I like to play anywhere at anytime but I guess one of my favorite places is the Starland in New Jersey. The fans are crazy and the security guards are the baddest m—— f—— around.

Taylor: Being a fan of many people I always get a kick out of hearing about other people’s fan stories. What is your favorite fan story of how that fan made you feel extra special?
Dan: At almost every show there’s one or two people that can’t get in or they don’t have any money so I’ll get them in. I think just talking with fans and getting to know them a bit before or after a show is really special for me and them.

Taylor: Who are your main musical influences that come out in the music you play?
Dan: There are so many but a few are Refused, Nirvana, At The Drive In, Motley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, Kerosene 54, Burning Airlines, Ink and Dagger, Earth Crisis, Tony Williams and so on.

Taylor: Do you have a certain muse, and or inspirational ritual, for lack of a better word that helps the creative juice to flow so you can write your lyrics?
Dan: Anything and everything is inspirational the best thing for us is to not force anything.

Taylor: Of all the albums you have released which one is your favorite one?
Dan: ARTWORK it’s probably the most honest record since the self titled.

Taylor: Now onto your new album, Artwork. I love how raw the album cover is by the way. I listened to the first track you released from it, Blood On My Hands, and noticed it has a different sound from the other songs on your previously released albums. What brought on this change?
Dan: That song just came out of nowhere. Quinn had a loop and we just started jammin and about an hour later the song was finished. That was one of those days that the creative juices were flowing for everyone.

Taylor: In all things there is always the bumps in the road. What was your biggest obstacle in getting your new album released?
Dan: Well the label kept pushing the release date back but that was probably for the best. Other then that there were no obstacles, we had all the time in the world.

Taylor: What was the main concept you were going for in the sounds and lyrics in the album?
Dan: Dirty, raw, poppy, heavy and to be able to do whatever we wanted when ever we wanted so that’s what we did. This album is exactly what we wanted it to be.

Taylor: You are heading off for a tour soon and there has to be a favorite and least favorite part of the whole experience, people like us can only imagine what it’s like. What is your favorite and least favorite part of being on the road?
Dan: I love playing every night, meeting as many people as possible that come to the show and seeing the world doesn’t suck either. I probably drink too much on tour so being hungover everyday kinda sucks. We have the best job in the world and there’s not too much to complain about.

You can catch them on their website, Myspace or Twitter.

Honor Society & I: The Interview

Posted by taylor blue on September 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

Honor Society’s first album, Fashionably Late, is being released today. The group comprises of four guys, Michael Bruno, Alexander Noyes, Jason Rosen and Andrew Lee. Their new album is being described as “a funky, cool pop music album with a rock band vibe.” They have been featured in the movie  Bandslam and also will in and have a song on the upcoming movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. They started their tour on September 13 and it continues until December.

I had a chance to interview the band about their favorite ice cream flavor, their album and how much they appreciate their fans. (The interview was done with Michael.)

On their favorite ice cream flavor: All four of us are classic chocolate ice cream lovers!

On coming up with the name Honor Society: The name Honor Society really just fit our vibe and our brotherhood as friends and bandmates. Plus it’s our way of saying to our fans that they are in the ‘honor society’ with us. We’re one big crew!

On how they all got together as a band: Michael, Jason and Alexander all grew up in the same hometown and we met Andrew though a friend. Michael and Jason started the band and it’s been about two years since all four of us have been Honor Society.

On presenting at the Teen Choice Awards: It was an amazing experience. That was a major moment for us, since we all grew up watching the Teen Choice Awards so to present on it was an honor and it was so much fun, awesome awards show!

On finding out their song would be in Bandslam: The whole Bandslam experience was terrific, having the song in the movie and on the soundtrack was awesome. The movie studio was really cool and set up for us acoustic performances in movie theaters across the country this past summer for people who had an advanced screening of the movie!

On if they got a chance to work with the Jonas Brothers one on one: Absolutely, Nick, Kevin and Joe all came by the studio frequently and we did some co-writing for the album as well.

On the experience of working with the Jonas Brothers: It was awesome. We learned so much from having them there. They taught us a lot about making an album and they’re such good friends so we had a blast when they would come by the studio.

On being excited about their album coming out: It’s a dream come true literally. We’ve dreamed of giving our fans the best possible Honor Society record and they are gonna get it on September 15th. We’re so grateful to be able to release an album and we hope the fans love it.

On opening for the Jonas Brothers and touring simultaneously: Being on one tour is a lot of work, being on two at the same time is slightly crazy, but we love what we do so none of it feels like work. We’re so grateful to get to do both!

On the favorite part of touring: It’s seems so simple but our favorite part is playing music. That’s why we tour and it’s the reason touring is so awesome.

On the least favorite part of touring: Doing laundry is so hard to do on tour! It’s always a struggle to figure out.

I also asked a couple of questions that I received from asking on Twitter. Here they are!

On if they get annoyed if people always comment to them on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook: Not at all, we love it, we love how passionate our fans are and we’d never ask them to change.

On the craziest fan encounter they have ever had: We had a fan tattoo our autographs on her foot this summer. That was pretty crazy!

On their first performance at the Staples Center: I’m (Michael) a huge Lakers fan so it was a big moment for me to play Staples. I’ve watched Kobe win 4 Championships on TV there so to play there was incredible, plus our California fans are AWESOME! no duh.

Catch them on their YouTube page and their Facebook page here.

Aaron Barnhart’s New Album & Exclusive Interview

Posted by taylor blue on June 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Aaron Barnhart is new to the scene and with the debut of his first album, Missing Pieces, I think that he has a great chance to top the charts. His first single, Day In Day Out, is a pop songs that is instantly memorable. I have been singing the chorus in my head for weeks now.

Aaron’s album was recorded in Los Angeles over a 12-month period with renowned producer Stuart Brawley [who has over 32 million records sold worldwide, with such artists’ as Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Brandy, Avion, Lenka, and nominated for "Producer of the Year" at the Juno Awards]. The 10 tracks on the album showcase Aaron’s incredible musical range. Most of the songs on Missing Pieces came to life with Aaron writing melodies and lyrics while performing for local Los Angeles crowds.

I got a chance to interview Aaron I have to admit from the answers he gave he made me quite smitten with his music. I listened to the album this weekend and I have to say that it is one of my favorite albums now..

How would you describe your music? Think Elton John meets U2. Contemporary rock with thoughtful lyrics and memorable melodies.

What inspires you the most? Art that transcends the commonplace. I love seeing something original and thought provoking. There’s nothing like coming home from a show and being so inspired I just have to sit down at the piano and write.

What are your favorite artists that you look up to? I admire artists with longevity who have been able to constantly reinvent themselves. Sting, U2, Led Zeppelin and Herbie Hancock come to mind.

What do you listen to in your iPod? I have thousands of songs that cover a lot of different styles. I love jazz so I have the greats:  Coltrane, Miles, Keith Jarrett, etc. I also love lounge and downtempo, so I have a ton of podcasts and mixes from DJ friends of mine.

What would be your perfect show if you could set it up that way? I would love to play Redrocks. I recently got to play with an 11 piece band including horns and background singers. It was an amazing experience getting to hear my music fully realized in such a big way. Id love to have that experience at a venue with as much vibe as redrocks.

What do you think you have to offer that is different from the other artists out there? I take the time to craft songs that have something new to offer every time you listen to them. I try to write lyrics that are thought provoking as well. I also feel its essential to have an engaging and dynamic live show. If you cant give 150% on stage, you shouldn’t be up there.

What’s it like to record your first album in a studio? Working with producer Stu Brawley was a great experience. He demanded the best from me, so it was a lot of work, but very rewarding. When you surround yourself with creative and professional people, you cant help but be elevated by the process. I really had to focus on the task of recording and tune everything else out. I didn’t answer my phone the entire month I was in the studio. I didn’t want to be distracted from making the best artistic statement possible.

More on Aaron…

Damij & I: The Interview

Posted by WillowRaine on May 9, 2009 | No Comments

Damij:It is somewhat difficult, being in such a small town. fortunately,I’ve been weird my entire conscious life so I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to all that it entails. I do have to admit, there are very few people in this town which seem to admire this kind of music but i can say with a smile that I have contributed in at least some small way to opening a few minds.

Willow:I have to ask, where did you come up with your stage name?

Damij:Basically I just took the word “Damage” and changed the spelling. *lol* I wanted a name that i felt comfortable with and that I thought sounded kinda cool.

Willow:I’ve been listening to your music for quite some time now, and I have to admit, I find myself dancing, probably poorly, to it. It just courses through me, but I am very intrigued about what brought you to this form of music. What prompted you to choose this genre?

Damij:Well I love many, many varied styles of music. I enjoy everything from blues to funk and disco, to all the classical and modern variations of rock/metal and dance music. There are good songs in ALL genres. Growing up, I listened to everything I could get my hands on and I think it helped to shape some of what I create. I began playing guitar when i was younger and as I grew, I began to be drawn more and more to synthesized sounds. It appeals to me in that I can be the entire band, as it were. I get to hone my skills on all parts of the song instead of just a single part. My love for sound encourages me to absorb as much about the art of production as possible.

Willow:I know that musicians/artists of the mainstream variety cite broken hearts, relationships in general, birth, and death among some of the things that cause them to write and/or compose some of their best work. What is your muse?

Damij:I guess I could say the same thing. I create what I feel. Sometimes I go for quite a while without any kind of “inspiration” or whatever you want to call it and that’s when I just let the music flow around inside my head. I’ll build an entire track in my mind and then do my best to translate that into music.

Willow:Something that some people that don’t listen to this type of music aren’t aware of, is that there are in fact lyrics, whether placed in the song, or just kept privately by the artist because of the meaning behind the creation. Does every piece you compose actually have lyrics, that will be released with the songs?

Damij:Not every song that I make has lyrics to them, though I do tend to write them for many. In fact, I’m slowly working on a project that’s almost entirely vocal. Of course I only have one completed song from that project but there will be more to come eventually.

Ultimately, I feel that some songs shouldn’t have lyrics and those will never have any vocal track added but one day I would very much enjoy having the freedom and the proper resources to truly bring all my creations to life. Say, for example, I wrote a track and the lyrics called for a female singer or something that i’m physically unable to do solo, I’d love to have the ability to bring in what the situation called for to complete my vision.

Willow:Would you say, that music in general is your passion, or is it the creation of YOUR music that ignites the fire inside of you?

Damij:It’s a little bit of both, really. There are many songs that I’ve heard over the years that really touch me. Have you ever heard a song that brought back some distant memory and the feeling you had at that particular moment in time? That’s what I try to accomplish with my music. I dream of the day that I can create something truly touching that can bring those strong emotions forward in others.

Willow:Breaking onto the music scene can’t be easy, I know you’re still struggling your way up the ladder (no worries, you’ll be famous before you know it), but are there any life lessons you have learned since you chose to embrace this art?

Damij:NO! I HAVE LEARNED NOTHING! *lol* just kidding.

Honestly, I have learned that it requires a lot of time and a LOT of dedication. At the moment, I’m still one of the little guys so I have the old 9 to 5′er and I have to balance work with my girlfriend and my music. She’ll probably never read this so I think it’s pretty safe to admit that sometimes I wish i could lock myself away in complete solitude and just make music. I think that would really help the creativity flow. Like maybe have a slot in a large, heavy door and from time to time, a CD would drop out of the slot and everyone would know that I was alive. *LOL*

Willow:I won’t keep you much longer, you’ve been such a pleasure to interview. I’ll just ask you one final question in closing.
If someone came to you for advice, asking you, as hard as the struggle seems, is it worth it at the end of the day, what would you say?

Damij:If you truly love what you’re doing then it doesn’t seem like a struggle. I will make music my entire life, that’s how I was made and I am very thankful for that.

Willow:Thank you so much, again, for your time.

Damij:Thank you for this opportunity, Willow.

So you see, Damij really is humble, down to Earth and amazing. If you have a myspace page, you should add him, if you don’t you should at least check out his music. DAMIJ It’ll have you bouncing, and moving as the music flows through your body.

Lauren’s Bite & I: The Interview

Posted by taylor blue on May 8, 2009 | 7 Comments

I love Twilight. I really do. And I love when women writers do something different and make a name for themselves.  I met Lauren’s Bite through Twitter. Someone I knew told me that Lauren’s site was so funny that I knew I had to check it out. So, I started reading about Lauren and her PE (Pocket Edward) and their many adventures. Plus, there was many movie observations sprinkled in.

I got a chance to talk to her about all the things that make her blog awesome…

Taylor: How did you come up with the idea of your blog?
Lauren: I read the Twilight Series way before all of the hype, and there were few people that I could chat with about Edward Cullen. At the time, I had my own personal blog (and still do) and there I discovered that many of my readers had read and enjoyed the series as well. I thought, “Hmm…I should start my own blog exclusively about Twilight…” so I did. And it was a success. However, in the fall of 2008 I had a lot of haters, which drove me to the difficult decision of shutting down the blog. After a few months of people begging me to bring “Lauren’s Bite” back, I did…with renewed vigor and thicker skin . So in short, I started Lauren’s Bite as an outlet for myself…and surprisingly other people like it too. Who knew?!

Taylor: You use Lamespice alot in your blog to describe almost everything. Where did Lamespice come from?
Lauren: Lamespice actually is a word my sister-in-law came up with. She said it so often, I caught the lamespice bug and then took it a step further and started adding “spice” to practically everything. One of my readers even asked whether “spice” can only be added to make words negative. The answer is NO WAY! For example: Rob Pattinson is looking “hottspice”. This site is “awesomespice”. So Sierra made up the word, but I brought it to the internets.

Taylor: Why did you start calling your doll Pocket Edward? And then shorten the name to PE?
Lauren: Honestly, I thought it was quite ridiculous that there was an Edward Cullen “Action Figure” in the first place. So ridiculous that I refused to call it by that title. I didn’t even give it any thought, I just thought…”Hmm…Pocket Edward…that’s a good name.” And the rest was history. Actually, I think the first time I ever mentioned “Pocket Edward” was in a comment on Letters To Rob, and everyone was all, “What the effspice? What’s a Pocket Edward?”…psh. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.  Anyway, I didn’t shorten Pocket Edward to PE…that’s what my readers shortened it to. I guess their fingers got tired? I’m not a fan of the “PE”, it reminds me of elementary school P.E.

Taylor: Do you really take PE everywhere you go?
Lauren: No, I don’t purposely take Pocket Edward everywhere with me…but he is ALWAYS in my Juicy Couture bag. If I am carrying a different bag that day, and he isn’t inside, sometimes I get sad because I miss out on awesome photo ops. sigh…the life of a blogger.

Taylor: What is your favorite post?
Lauren: I have two favorite posts. They are so different, I couldn’t decide between the two. I love my very first Pocket Edward post where I showed him helping me cook in the kitchen. I love it because at the time I had no idea how popular he would become. It became an internet phenomenon! One of my readers recently bought some Twilight merchandise from Border’s and the cashier asked her if she wanted “to purchase one of their Pocket Edwards”…what the?! Ha ha. My other favorite post would have to be one of my more recent posts entitled “Realistic vs. Unrealistic Expectations” in regards to the male characters in Twilight. It balances the perfect amount of humor and serious advice. Plus, it is flooded with hot pictures of Rob. What could be better than that?

Taylor: How do you notice all these neat things about Twilight?
Lauren: I have always been a deep thinker and have enjoyed really pulling apart literature that I love. At first I enjoyed reading Twilight for the wonderful love story but after a while, I began to love it for it’s beautiful themes. I love to get in a good Twilight discussion with another passionate Twi-fan. It always makes me want to re-read the series…and each time I do, I pick something else up

Taylor: How do you write with such a sense of humor?
Lauren: Honestly, I write EXACTLY how I speak. I like to write posts as if I am right there having a conversation with someone. I really don’t think I am that funny…sometimes I am ashamed at how boring I am in comparison to other bloggers. It is always delightful when people enjoy what I write.  I love making people laugh…it’s my favorite thing ever.

Taylor: Do you have any tips on girls who want to write just like you?
Lauren: Ha ha! Well, I don’t know if anyone really wants to be me, but if they did…this is what they should do: Love yourself. Love who YOU are. Love that you are unique. Love that no one else in the history of the world is just like you…you are amazing because you are your own person. When other people see that you are proud of the person that you are becoming, they will undoubtedly be magnetized to you. It’s amazing what high self-esteem can do.

I love how positive Lauren is. It was a joy to interview her. You need to check out her blog, full of Edward and humor.

James Holzier & I: The Interview

Posted by taylor blue on February 24, 2009 | 6 Comments

James Holzier is one of those movie stars that I have always wanted to meet. He is humble in every sense of the word. I published one article on him and the girls flocked to see it. So now I finally got a chance to interview James last week and I have to say I can see why they find him so lovable. He is so open and very funny. The interview went on for a long time, and honestly he was so easy to talk to I could have been interviewing him all night. Here are the questions I asked…and his answers.

On what inspired him to be an actor: I can just tell you ever since I was real little it is just something I have always gravitated towards. I just love it. I mean, my earliest memories I recall doing performances in front of my parents. Of course, they seemed to laugh at a lot of those. A lot of them involved lip syncing to Boyz II Men or things like that. In school, I used to day dream about acting and so I would do commercials and all things like that. I have just always felt it. It is what I love and it has been like that since they day I was born…

On if James sings as well as acting: I act…it is what I love but the lip syncing was just something that I did for fun when I was growing up. I have two older sisters and so I never had the chance to listen to what I wanted to listen to on the radio. So I would always just dance and sing to what they were listening to. But that is just me being me..Really I have been doing nothing but acting, that is what I love. That is what I get. I can’t explain it any better than like someone really loving baseball or basketball or reporting or singing or teaching or anything no matter what it is. But acting is it….

On the struggles James has been through: I could be here forever talking about them. Honestly. It is hard, cause I would list them to you and I will just name a couple. But what I believe honestly Taylor…is that we all have struggles. Whoever we are. We all have struggles in life. And if we don’t we aren’t human. Especially us having struggles to be what we want to be or be where we want to do. That is what unifies us….

But for me…I mean I was never even supposed to be born. My parents were told they would never have anymore kids after my sisters. The doctors told them it was IMPOSSIBLE. Then doctors told them when I was born I wouldn’t even survive. AT ALL. And I just think from the beginning it shows you nothing is impossible. Nothing. Growing up it seemed I always faced obstacles of people doubting me or not believing in me and that is okay because it makes you stronger.

On what kind of scripts pull him in: I really don’t have a kind of script that pulls me in. Honestly I have had lots of opportunities to be in films and do roles that came to me, but I just can’t do anything that I don’t believe in. I can’t sell myself for something I don’t believe in. All the things you mention, I can and will do but all that matters is that I believe in it. Those are the ones that draw me in and the ones that pull me in.

On the actors/actresses he looks up to: I look up to a lot of people but for different reasons. Mostly because of how they inhabit a role. I admire actors and actresses for different reasons too. One could be because how they convey emotion or in their body language or how each role is so different from the last. Or how they are so likable it all depends. But one person that I will point out that I look up to and somewhat can relate too is James Dean. I can relate to a lot of his background and his struggles and his emotion. I look up to him, but there are others like Johnny Depp because I respect his choices. (Daniel Day Lewis and Meryl Streep were also on the list.)

More of his interview and more pictures after the jump…