KickActs interviews “Blacklite District”
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Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found online.
Well I was born and raised in a town called Spearfish of the state of South Dakota. I met Kyle Pfeiffer (Lead Vox/guitars) in 5th grade and ever since then I’ve been by his side in the process of making music which later became Blacklite District. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?
I’d have to go with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park is one of my biggest influences because they were the band that really inspired me to wanna get involved with music. Other heroes of mine would be James Hetfield, Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and the list goes on and on.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?
Always have a lawyer and always make friends which will lead to great connections to get you further along and always be writing music. You either go full on with it or don’t do it. Go big or go home.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?
Not having a lawyer at the time we absolutely should have had one but all you can do is live and learn and to move on.
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?
It’s always been an absolute blast playing at the famous venue “The Machine Shop” in Flint, Michigan. You can never go wrong playing there. They have an awesome staff, great sound and amazing hospitality. The party is just insane all around.
Worst gig we’ve had is where an amp or PA gets blown out and having to basically turn it into a stand up comedy show to keep the crowd from keeping silent until the situation is fixed. That’s never fun but we make the best of it. lol
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?
Always enjoying the art of drawing peckers and boobs growing up ahaha wtf. Some interesting questions we got here. Other that the drawings I enjoy running, disc golfing, skating and hiking quite a bit. I basically just love to be active and to be outdoors as much as possible.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
For the rock world I definitely see it dying out just because there hasn’t been any bands that top the big names like GNR, Kiss, Motley Crue, or Linkin Park. It’s all just starting to sound the same anymore. Where are those top new bands coming out at?
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?
Look up some famous quotes that Dave Grohl states. He says exactly how I feel about those lame shows.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?
It’s definitely a big reason of why the industry has been hurt and has changed the game dramatically. No one buys records anymore when your able to just go on YouTube and listen to an entire album for free. People need to realize that artists put their life into the music spend thousands of dollars to make their records. It has come down to making your money doing live shows, period.
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?
I know Vinyl records are out of date but I absolutely still rock them. I’ve got a couple old records players I use from time to time. I’ve got about a hundred old Vinyls including Black Sabbath, Kiss, The Doors, Led Zeppelin to even Linkin Park and more recent albums I’ll still occasionally purchase.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip syncing or real vocals?
Real. Live. Vocals.
Who, or what, is the next big thing?
BLD is back and we are ready to roll harder than ever. It’s round 2 engaged. \m/
One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is…
Linkin Park
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.
My real name isn’t Roman it’s Nick. Roman is my middle name. In high school I would always get annoyed by classmates coming up to me and saying “I’m Nick James B****!” But I’ve always went by my middle name Roman.
Favorite movie of all time and why.
The Breakfast Club. No need for why but because it’s such a fresh classic and if you haven’t seen it there must be something wrong with you.
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!”
Get off your phones and enjoy this precious thing called life that we all have! Nothing upsets me more than seeing 5 year old kids playing on their IPads/iPhones instead of being outside and coping with reality.
Categories: General Tags: alternative, Black Hills, Electronic, metal, rock, SD, Shauna O'Donnell
KickActs interveiws “Ghost Lit Kingdom”!
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Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found online.
We are an LA based Indie Alternative Pop band new to the scene this year. You can find our music and photos and shows and life-long secrets, etc. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reverbnation, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and ghostlitkingdom.com.
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?
Gotta go with bands/artists like Daughter, Ben Howard, Bon Iver, Matt Corby, etc. for the courage to do something outside of the box but still within the realm of soulful, humble, emotional artistic expression. Such talented players as well. If we can reach that threshold, the combination of respectable talent and music itself, we will be very grateful indeed.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?
Do not underestimate the amount of effort it will take just to get off the ground. Things like professionalism, passion, dedication, financial commitment, self awareness, patience, etc. are of the utmost importance. Do not be afraid of failure. There will be many of them along the way.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?
Be wary of the Hollywood scams. We lost almost $1,000 once to a bogus PR scheme back when we were just starting in the LA scene. Things like that make it hard not to label Hollywood as the cesspool of all human waste.
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?
We played an acoustic show in Santa Barbara a while back and as Taylor went to take a breath right before the huge vocal outro of one of the songs he breathed in, mouth against the microphone, and inhaled a small mouthful of some mysterious fluid through the screen of the mic that had, apparently, accumulated in the microphone body over the course of time. Needless to say, he nearly puked on stage and we learned then what it truly means to fear the house equipment.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?
We thoroughly enjoy playing a select group of sports. Not that we are terribly good at them but it’s just fun to throw the football or play 21 (Andrew and Jason love a good basketball run around) before a show or on an off day on tour. Ela is pretty impressive on skates too, as are Michael and Taylor who grew up playing hockey.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
It’s cool how little indie scenes are popping up here and there in LA and its surrounding areas now that the strip and it’s kitsch are starting to kind of fade out. On a grander scale, it seems like we are coming into a scene where the musicianship and songwriting is coming back into appreciation a little more than in recent years. Of course, with the technology age in full swing and the record companies trying to crank out pop hits left and right we are still bound to be fed the trash every once in awhile but things like Arcade Fire and Bon Iver winning Grammys certainly instill a sense of hope for the future of indie music itself.
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X Factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?
It’s kind of a David Bowie thing in that it goes both ways. There are some seriously ridiculous things about them like the way it is all so governed by viewers so it’s often not even really about the art but there are some very real upsides as well. The music and artists that come out of it is the obvious point to make but there are subtleties as well. For instance, Andrew (our bass player) used to work on some of the reality shows when he was growing up in Melbourne and he always says one of the coolest things about it was that when he was working So You Think You Can Dance he was able to expose the viewers to some really good music that they may never have heard elsewhere by working the songs into the show and dances themselves. So these shows definitely have the capability to do wonderful things for music. It’s just a matter of whether they decide to do so.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?
In a perfect world it would not even be an issue but the parasitic nature of the human race is unavoidable. Overall, however, it’s pretty unfortunate that it happens. The internet gives people that little buffer of pseudo safety between themselves and the people that it affects. It is far less likely that thousands of people would steal from a mom and pop store that makes their living off the merchandise in the store but that’s basically the same idea with illegally downloading music, especially from up and coming bands.
Tell us something about you/each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear.
Jason was in the Air Force for six years! Ela grew up in Turkey and, thus, speaks fluent Turkish. Andrew grew up in Australia and, thus, speaks fluent Australian. Mike studied classical acoustic guitar in college and performed in a touring quartet. Taylor went to Arizona State University out of high school on scholarship to study Kinesiology… and hated it.
Hypothetical situation. You’re on Gilligan’s Island and you get to hook up with only one of the survivors… Which one and why?
Mary Ann and Ginger would be the obvious top candidates but they both seem like they’d be expecting and, thus, unappreciative. Gilligan would stumble through the whole experience so he is out. Mr. Howell… multi millionaire(former billionaire…what a tragedy) and Republican. Pass. There are probably few things that could produce more self worth dilemmas than a casual sexual experience with a PHD while marooned on an island so Hinkley is out as well. Captain would playfully refer to your genitals as “Little Buddy” so that leaves Mrs. Howell as the most suitable choice. Probably in need of a good kiss anyway. (Editor’s note: someone did their homework on this one! BRAVO! 🙂
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?
Ela and her family collect them! The last one she bought was Daughter Live at Air Studios. Such an incredible record.
You’re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what?
No. Would be such a waste. He gets to live if he promises us a home cooked dinner party with Usher.
What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus?
She’s growing on us as the years go on. She’s no longer the encapsulating body for the metaphoric death to all things music but there is still a good distance yet to go. Wrecking Ball is definitely a guilty pleasure for Taylor, though. If every GLK chorus hit as hard as that one he would be satisfied.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip-synching or real vocals?
Real vocals every day of the week. Unless it’s John Krasinski on Jimmy Fallon’s lip sync battle. Flawless performance.
Who, or what, is the next big thing?
Still holding out for Tupac to come back for real. That hologram was way too life-like for it to just be “made in his likeness.” It was foreshadowing for sure.
One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is… Why?
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters. They are a musical revelation that will live through the ages.
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.
None of us can read or write.
Favorite movie of all time and why?
Dünyayi Kurtaran Adam (1982). Turkish dollar store Star Wars illegally using unlicensed scores and scenes from other movies. An instant classic.
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
Since we are a young band, that most people are yet to be acquainted with, it seems prudent to talk about what music means to us. Without getting to soapy on the subject, we just want to express our appreciation for its existence as a whole. We are trying to write songs that can reach an emotional recognition with the people who listen to them and then perform them in such a way that reflects that sentiment. Music has done wonderful things for the preservation of our sanity through that type of connection that we have experienced with artists and songs that are dear to us and we would be eternally fulfilled if we were able to give that back so thank you for letting us share Ghost Lit Kingdom with you guys. You have no idea what it means to us.
Categories: General Tags: alternative, Bandcamp, facebook, indie, instagram, LA based, LaFamos PR, pop, reverbnation, soundcloud, twitter
KickActs interviews “Ostrich Run”!
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Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found online.
We are two friends who grew up together sharing the same life goals. Ostrich Run was formed so that we can use our musical obsession to promote and support nonprofit organizations through our own organization called, The Ostrich Farm. OstrichRun.com is a place where you can discover more about our music. Also, you can see how we connect The Ostrich Farm with the band at theostrichfarm.org.
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?
Mark and Tom from Blink 182 were our main influences growing up. Watching them have so much fun playing music was the reason we bought guitars in the first place. In elementary school we formed our first punk rock band so that we could be just like our heroes from Blink 182. Today, what influences us are bands who seem to make something simple seem intricate and meaningful. Mark Foster from Foster the People is a great example. The guys from Cage the Elephant are other musicians that get our creativity going. Phantogram is quickly becoming an influence of ours. The truth is it’s hard to narrow it down to only a few. We love so much music and try to take a little bit from everything.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?
Always have a vision for where you want your career to go. Stick with that vision until the end, and be sure to know exactly who you are before anything else. That way the people you meet along the way – whether it be managers, agents, publicists, or even labels – will be able to back you up 100% and not have to steer you in a direction you do not want to go. Believe in yourself and “NO” only means try harder.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?
There’s not necessarily a distinct piece of advice that we’ve ignored, but just more of a state of mind people all ways tend to tell us. “Patience is a virtue.” These days with all the new innovation, instant gratification is a huge part of our culture. But when it comes to music you need patience. And from time to time we forget this, so striving to have this virtue is definitely a big thing for us in Ostrich Run.
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?
One of our worst gig stories was when our buddy asked us to play an event with about 5 or so bands. We said yes and at the time we only could play acoustic because of drummer issues. We got the show and were first to go on. After playing we thought everything went ok. Then the next 5 bands came on. They were all hardcore screamo bands wearing make up and jester outfits. We both kind of looked at each other and just thought “What are we doing here?” but we had some beers, and ended up having a good time and eventually didn’t feel out of place.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?
Well three of our favorite hobbies our counting things, screaming at things, and collecting brown rocks…? But in all seriousness we both play basketball outside of our music and act a lot. We’re also making a short pilot called, Frenly Kids. It’s about some kids who win the lottery only to spend all their winnings too fast, and have to adapt back to the reality of a normal life.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
We think there’s a big lack of real rock. I mean everything is so 80’s right now. Everything that’s getting played is all electronic, and full of pop, not to say that’s bad, but when you flip on a rock station like KROQ and hear Lorde… c’mon!!! We love Lorde, but hate that music like that is taking up AirPlay on stations that claim to be about rock. We hope things start to climb back to the 90’s and early 2000’s feel. That would be awesome!
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X Factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?
As a whole, there are good and bad things that come with these shows. On one hand, the industry is making money and getting more listeners etc. But on the other hand, the artists are hurting. It’s making more artists come and go too quickly. These shows make the industry quick money, but hinder the artists from on going success. So if we have to say one thing about these shows, it’s the fact that they help the industry but are a disadvantage to artists as a whole.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?
We definitely think it sucks, but people inevitably want things for free, and they’ll do what they have to do to get things for free. So on the bright side at least they like the music. In the end, if you like a band enough to want their music, we feel you should download their music legally and support them. Mainly because the money you spend allows them to keep on doing what they do and put out music you love.
Tell us something about you/each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear.
Ummm this one is a tough one. I mean something that people probably don’t know or expect to hear is that although we connect our music with helping people and charities, we tended to be little troublemakers as kids. You go down the list… we ended up getting in trouble for it. But it’s not without trouble that gets you where you are today.
Hypothetical situation. You’re on Gilligan’s Island and you get to hook up with only one of the survivors… Which one and why?
Oh this ones easy. Gilligan of course. I mean c’mon have you seen the man? But for real, Mary Ann no question. Any body whose says otherwise is crazy.
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?
Definitely! If you don’t know what a vinyl album is and are in the music business or industry, then there’s something wrong. Still, we tend to buy our stuff digitally, but when we go to the stores we buy the coolest looking thing we see. Mark’s first vinyl he bought was Lionel Ritchie and Joel’s was an Angel’s and Airwaves’ first album after Blink 182 broke up.
You’re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what?
No we keep him alive, become his friend… only to be saved and use his friendship to get to Selena Gomez. Then we never talk to the little shit again.
What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus?
“What the hell happened?” sums it up. She was this Disney girl and little pop star. Now she’s the new Lindsey Lohan haha but ya she’s awesome for doing what she wants and going for it! Love the hair too.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip-synching or real vocals?
Real vocals without a question. Nobody wants to pay money to go see a band or an artist and see them run around while their cd is playing. We want to see you actually preform the music you wrote and show your emotions. Hopefully everyone feels the same as well!
Who, or what, is the next big thing?
Were hoping 90’s, and 2000’s style music is the next big thing. They say music repeats itself, and right now, we’re in the 80’s per say, which means 90’s are up again baby. And we hope Ostrich Run and Ostrich Farm are going to be a big part of it.
One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is… Why?
Blink 182, and I honestly don’t know why. I think we’ve listened to all of their songs like 50 times, and we’ll still put them on first when driving in the car. Their simplicity and up beat songs really get to us, and help us write. Not to mention that they are all about having fun, and that’s kind of our band motto as well.
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.
If it’s a secret it stays a secret, no if’s and’s or but’s!!
Favorite movie of all time and why?
Our favorite movie by far is “Dumb and Dumber”… by far. That movie is so funny. We swear we quote it like every day. Our favorite scene is when the cop tells Harry to pull over and Jeff Daniels says, “No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for noticing!” Soooo good.
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
The last thing we want to say is do not give up on what you think you can succeed at. Usually, that’s the thing you love most. Always try to find something positive in your day, even when it is the worst day ever! Life is too short not to. As far as we know, we all have one shot at this thing called life. Make it count and help everyone you know do the same!!!
Categories: General Tags: alternative, LaFamos PR, Los Angeles, ostrich, rock
