Meet LINKS. They are a group of four talented musicians ready to rock your world. Besides having the best hair in the business, they also have great music. Their sound is described as “soul with a twist of blues and a shout of rock.” With two albums already under their belt, debut EP “Tip Your Jester” and recently released “Echo Dogs,” there’s no stopping them.The band members are Robbie Arnett (lead vocals/guitar), Robby Barnett (bass guitar), Curtis Marrero (drums), and  Eric Frank (lead guitar). They took some time out to answer a few questions. Get on board, here comes LINKS!

Andrea Domoslai: How did LINKS form?

LINKS came about when two longtime friends from Northern California, Robbie Arnett and Eric Frank, met up in Los Angeles with two longtime Southern California boys, Robby Barnett (yes, that’s not a typo) and Curtis Marrero. The four musicians instantly found common ground and decided to get dirty in the studio and on the stage.

AD: Where did your band name come from?

One of our first shows was at a German themed pub. We were unnamed at the time, and after having a few beers, the owner came out and started yelling “LINKS” at us. We were supposed to load in our equipment on stage left, and instead, it was on the right. “Links” is German for left. For some reason, it stuck.

AD: Is there an OC connection? Are any of you from Orange County?

Robby (bass) and Curtis (drums) are both OC natives; Los Alamitos and Seal Beach, respectively.

AD: How would you describe your music?

Everything we do is rooted in soul music, but we like to drag it through the mud a little bit until it’s nice and filthy. We then bake at 450 degrees until moist in the center, and finish with an icing of the blues and some fancy sprinkles.

AD: What’s your song writing process?

It’s different every time. Every song has its own story. It’s entirely a collaborative effort, and every song comes out sounding like the four of us. Honestly, we really have no idea how this works.

AD: What’s the best part about being in a band?

The money. The gobs and gobs of money.

AD: Any funny show stories you’d like to share?

We once played a backyard party in Santa Barbara. It was a gigantic collegey rager, and when we had finished, the intoxicated party-goers simply did not let us leave the stage. We did our best to churn out a couple covers, but after a half an hour, it was clear we couldn’t last much longer. We ended up having to sleep on the lawn that night because we couldn’t even get our instruments back into the car, and didn’t trust drunk people to not destroy everything. It was quite the evening.

AD: Is your band a democracy or dictatorship?

Hmmm, tough question… oh wait a minute it’s not a tough question because this is AMERICA. Democracy.

AD: What sets you apart from other indie bands?

We have the best haircuts. And we don’t have a singer who plays an auxiliary tom at the front of the stage.

AD: What’s up next for LINKS?

We’re doing a big west coast tour in April with a bunch of our closest band pals. We’re also recording some bonus material for our latest EP “Echo Dogs” (released in January). Remixes, acoustic stuff, b-sides, you name it. Other than that… I don’t know, stickers? Anybody want stickers?

As you can see, these guys are lots of fun! Stay tuned for more exciting news and show announcements on LINKS at: www.linksband.com or www.myspace.com/linksband

Photos taken by Cooper Gross

Take five guys from the OC who share a passion for making great music and what do you have? The Relative Strangers. Band members David Alcala (keys/vocals), Daniel Alcala (lead guitar/vocals), Aaron Stapish (bass guitar/backup vocals), Chris Brown (rhythm guitar), and Chris Garcia (drums) make up this exciting alternative group! Combining both a love of classic rock and a need for musical experimentation, the sound of The Relative Strangers’ melodic tunes will have you tapping your feet and humming to yourself in no time. David Alcala took some time to answer a few questions about the band.

Andrea Domoslai: What made you decide to start a band?

David Alcala: We enjoy playing music and writing songs. We want to entertain and show our creativity to as many people as we can.

AD: How long have you been together?

DA: We met Aaron and Browny way back in Jr. High and have been friends ever since. We played music together growing up. In this last year though, Dano, Garcy and I finished college and with it out of the way, we decided to make a set line up and kind of “go for it” and see what we could do.

AD: What do you think of OC’s music scene?

DA: There are a lot of really good local bands. It’s fun to be a part of; just last night there was the first OCMA showcase at the Detroit Bar. We are friends with all of the bands that played and were able to get most of them to commit to play with us for our residency there in March. Sometimes I notice that when there is a show, the band’s fans will show up for just their set and not stick around for the whole show, or not be there for the opening act which is, often times, just as good as the headliners. It would be great if there was there was more cross-pollination of fans.

AD: How has being from Orange County shaped your music?

DA: I don’t really know. I would say how we grew up was shaped partly by our location. Dano and I were born in Mission Viejo and spent our childhood there, I love that city. We later moved to Tustin and then Santa Ana, the time we spent in each of the cities had an impact on us whether we see it or not. In high school we were all really into skateboarding, so the pursuit of good skate spots took us all over the place. We would also do a lot of surfing down at Newport Beach. I’d say the different things that we are able to do base on where we live helped shape who we are, what we play and how we play together.

AD: What’s your song writing process?

DA: Daniel or I will write songs and then present them to the band. We all arrange the songs together.

AD: What is your dream venue?

DA: The Hollywood Bowl!

AD: How did the band name come about?

DA: I was writing down a long list of names that were possibilities. I was writing down anything that came to mind, and I had written down “The Relatives” and then wrote down “The Strangers.” I went down the list and read it aloud.  I read “The Relatives” and the “The Strangers” and Aaron’s brother Adam said that would be a good name: The Relative Strangers. At the time I didn’t think much of it, but he showed it to the rest of the guys and they liked it so we went with it.

AD: Where’s your favorite OC hangout?

DA: We don’t have a favorite place. We find that we’re often going to a lot of free shows. The Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa is cool because it’s free on Mondays, and The Gypsy Lounge is free on Thursdays. We actually are the resident band at The Gypsy Lounge for Thursdays this month (January).

AD: When can we expect your first album?

DA: Our first EP is in the final mixing and mastering phase. So it should be out pretty soon, early 2010.

Photos taken by Tommy Tuong and Sarah Buss

To stay in the know on this talented band and for their upcoming shows, go to: “http://www.myspace.com/therelativestrangers“

Stacy Clark is a local Orange County musician who you’ve probably heard, but didn’t realize you were hearing. She had a standout performance on Jack’s Mannequin’s latest release, “The Glass Passenger.” Also, her album “Apples & Oranges” is full of pop gems that once it starts playing, can’t be turned off and places a permanent smile on the listeners’ face. And she hasn’t slowed down a bit; in fact, she’s putting the finishing touches on a new album she plans to release sometime early next year. Despite the inevitable comparisons to other talented female songwriters such as Zooey Deschanel and Imogen Heap, Stacy Clark has a style all her own and an ambition that pretty much guarantees the next time you listen to her, you’ll know who Stacy Clark is.

Billy Davis: Please tell us about yourself and what your music means to you.  When did you become interested in doing music as a career and what steps did you take to see that this dream came to fruition?

Stacy Clark: I grew up in Buffalo, NY playing in the folk scene in 1995. I have always enjoyed writing poems and singing, but also wasn’t sure that I wanted to be a singer until I saw Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos perform. After seeing them, I knew that was what I wanted to do. It has been a long road and a lot of work since. I worked at a local record store, saved up money then made my first big purchase – a $150.00 Ibanez acoustic guitar. I got song books and taught myself, then started gigging playing 4 shows a week while in high school. I even started a folk choir band at church. I couldn’t get enough music. I was in every choir group, went to every concert (the selection of bands touring in Buffalo is a lot smaller then Orange County!). I signed up for an internship with a recording studio and learned the basics. After I wrote songs, I looked in a paper where there open mics and went to two in my first night. I randomly picked the best two to go on a Monday night at Stimulance Coffeehouse (which is no longer around) and Nietschiz. It was there I met Mike Meldrum (Righteous Babe artist, and mentor to Ani DiFranco & Susane Vega). He taught me a lot about booking gigs and introduced me to many amazing folk artists. I was very fortunate to have so much encouragement and the foundation that I received. Buffalo is filled with many talented artists, I was lucky to be around them. I did a few national tours, got my degree in Art and decided to move out to California to pursue my dream of doing music. I worked many different jobs to pay the bills and fund my record “Apples & Oranges”. With a lot of hard work and little luck, I got a record deal in September. I have been touring, recording demos and writing since. Music means everything to me. Music is my life. It has helped me through some of the toughest and greatest moments of my life. Its only natural that I want to give that back to someone else.

BD: How long have you been singing? What instruments do you play?

SC: I started singing before I was born. Just kidding, however I did sing in the elementary school choir. I play guitar, piano, clarinet, african drums and kazoo. I put the last one in because I am trying to impress you.

BD: You’ve toured with some amazing artists and even did a few collaborations with Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin on his latest album, “The Glass Passenger.” First off, what’s it like to be given such amazing opportunities to do what you love, and with such great artists.  Also, how did the Jack’s Mannequin collaboration come together and what was that like?

SC: Its amazing to perform and collaborate with artists I admire. Those are opportunities I do not take for granted. I met Andrew a few years ago, opened for him a few times and he asked me to sing on his record. I asked him if he was sure, I didn’t want to mess it up. Lucky for us both, it worked out. He was going for a Fleetwood Mac vibe and that is my favorite band. It was an amazing experience tracking in the same studio Fleetwood Mac recorded ‘Rumors’ at. I am very thankful for his friendship. He is so incredibly talented and without a doubt one of the smartest, nicest people I have met.

BD: Your music tends to cover a lot of ground stylistically, ranging from electronic to pop to rock. What are your influences to create such a varied and interesting sound?

SC: I love a lot of different styles of music. Everything from folk, indie rock, punk, hip hop, pop, hardcore, ska, reggae, country, to the classics. Although I listen to a lot different music, when I create my music I try to have the songs just develop for themselves. “Apples & Oranges” was greatly affected by my producer Ian Kirkpatrick. I wrote all the songs/lyrics and had ideals on the production, but he really took it to another level.

BD: What is your songwriting process like? Where do you look for inspiration? Any themes within the music or lyrics to speak of?

SC: I have many songwriting processes – sometimes it comes out like verbal vomit. Blah, and its done. Other times, its a process. I will write lyrics first, or melody first or the guitar. It depends what mood I am in, and what instrument I am next to. I don’t really need to look for inspiration because there is so much around me (including the lives of my friends and current politics) that influence me. There are many different things, but rather then tell you about them I just want listeners to get whatever they can from the songs. I don’t want to ruin it if I wrote it about one thing, and a listener gets something completey different. Some of my songs are like a choose your own adventure book. You can decide what they mean to you.

BD: How has your music progressed since you first began playing it?

SC: Well I must say that it has progressed a lot. I started as folk artist. I had a lot of phases musically- indie rock, punk, rock and pop. Due to the many phases of what I was listening to, I learned a lot of different styles. At the end of the day my music is really about the song. Everything else is determined around that.

BD: What advice do you have for young singers and musicians?

SC: If you’re passionate and love doing music, then go for it. Take the time to practice and learn your craft. Life is short and you should be following your dreams. With that said, always have a back up plan. Chances are you are not going to make a lot of money (if any) at first, so its smart to have a job to fund your passions in life. If music is a career you would like to pursue, be ready for a lot of rejection. There are a lot of ups and downs. A LOT of them. Stay positive and work hard. If its meant to be, it will happen.

BD: Are you currently signed to a label? What type? If so, what has your experience been like working with them?

SC: I got signed to a boutique label Shangrila Music in September. Being on a label is like being in a relationship. At first your really excited. Then your not sure how its going to go. Then you try to make it work by doing your best and hoping for the best. I am working hard on a new record and hoping for the best.

BD: Any big plans for the future? Any show dates?

SC: You’ll just have to wait and see! I have some fall show dates listed and will be doing a lot of touring nationally. You can get more information at www.stacyclark.net or www.myspace.com/stacyclark

Stacy is playing a few shows coming up in and around Orange County, so be sure to give her a listen and make your presence known at the shows.  She will be playing at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA on September 3, 2009 with Mike Herrera of MxPx as well as a free show in Tustin on September 11, 2009. Let her know you heard about her from OCAC and I’m sure she’ll be happy as pie and might even sing—okay so she’s a musician, she’ll be singing nonetheless—a few songs for you.

Welcome to your new favorite band.  It’s a good thing to know about these guys now, since very soon they are going to be everyone’s new favorite band.  The Steelwells are in the midst of recording a new album which is going to be a giant leap from their last EP titled “The Open Letter”.  I had a chance to chat with Andrew Eapen (Lead Guitar) for the Steelwells about their lyrics, sound and how the new album is starting to shape up.  Enjoy.

Evan Vincent: How long have you been together? How did you form? Give us some background on the band:

Andrew Eapen: We formed in early 2008 after my previous band didn’t do as well as I had hoped. I was looking for a new band with the right musicians. I had recruited Brian Manchester, Robbie Gullage, and Joey Winter to form what would now be known as The Steelwells. We wrote and recorded an EP titled “The Open Letter” but were unhappy with the outcome. That is what led us to the addition of Billy Kim, a multi-instrumentalist that would help add more color and dimension to the music.

EV: Please tell me more about each member of your band:

AE: Brian Manchester: Drums/percussion, Joey Winter: vocals/acoustic guitar, Andrew Eapen: lead guitar, Robbie Gullage: Bass, Billy Kim: Multi-instrumentalist.

EV: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

AE: That’s always been a very tough question for us. We feel like the Indie/Alternative scene has fit us best so far and the adult/college community has embraced us the most. If I had to compare us to anyone I would say Wilco/U2/Radiohead.

EV: Who writes your songs? What are most of your songs about? Do the songs seem to have recurring themes?

AE: When it comes to lyrics, Joey usually handles that department and when it comes to the music, the rest of us usually take over. However, The great thing about our band is that everyone has an equal part in writing each of our songs. Usually one person starts off with the main idea and the rest of us start shaping it. As for reoccurring themes, we like to try to vary things up. We sing about life, love, happiness, sadness, and anything that bring up emotion in our lives.

EV: How has your band/music evolved since you started?

AE: When The Steelwells first started we sounded much different than we do now. I feel as though we have grown together to become a well working, self-sufficient unit. Our sound has changed dramatically over time and the addition of Billy added another element to our sound.

EV: I know you are in the studio, how is that going? Have you approached recording this new album differently than recording your previous efforts? Were in the actual recording process are you currently? Have you done any experimenting in your sound? Any fun stories that have happened during the recording process?

AE: Yes, we are currently recording over at ArtiSans Label in Fullerton, California and it has been an absolute amazing experience thus far. Everyone over there is a friend of ours and we couldn’t ask for a better place to record our first real album. This recording experience is much different than the way we did our last CD. The Open Letter EP was recorded in a friend’s living room with a more carefree attitude. With this upcoming album we are spending a lot more time dialing in the perfect tones and right parts for each of our songs. It has been a very tedious process so far but we are sure that the outcome will be well worth it.

EV: Do you have a date/title for the new album?

AE: We don’t have an exact date at the moment but our expected release date is August 1st. as for the album title; that’s a secret for now.

EV: After the new album comes out are you going on tour to support it?

AE: We are planning on doing a short tour up the west cost mid august to support the album. And are planning on doing weekend tours after that.

EV: Do you have shows coming up?

AE: Here are a few of the shows we have coming up:

July 2nd @ The Beauty bar in San Diego
July 10th @ The Hotel Café in Los Angeles
July 20th @ The Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles
July 31st @ The Hotel Café in Los Angeles
August 4th @ The Detroit bar in Costa Mesa

EV: What advice to you have for people who want to form their own bands?

AE: Find the right people and know what you want. It’s a lot of hard work and it takes a huge commitment but I wouldn’t have things any other way.

EV: Any last words for your fans?

AE: Thank you to everyone that comes out to all of our shows and supports us, you guys really make it all worthwhile. And for those that have not heard us yet, you will soon!

Thanks Andrew, we can’t wait to hear the new record! Check these guys out.

http://www.myspace.com/thesteelwells

http://thesteelwells.blogspot.com/

A special treat has been going on this entire month of June.  Every Monday in Costa Mesa at Detroit Bar, The New Limb has been playing a free show along with Stacy Clark and special guests.  They have played three fantastic shows already and are playing their 4th show of the month June 22nd.  This would have been the last show but there is a 5th Monday in this month and Detroit has asked them to stay on and play the 29th as well!  Special events and guests have marked all of the shows every Monday.  The first week I got to play bass for them on a cover of “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix; The second week the band Honeypie accompanied them onstage as guest vocalists on an amazing cover of The Band’s “The Weight.” Birthdays last weeks show special.  Drummer Adam Chavez was one of three birthday boys that night, along with Albert Ching of OC Weekly and Luke Allen of the Orange County Music Awards.  A few shakers, a couple sings-a-longs, a bunch of balloons, and one delicious cake later, the night ended and I personally chalked it up as one of the best shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing.  Nights like that are one of the things that set The New Limb apart from other local indie bands that frequent the same venues and bars.

I got to sit down with the band which is made up of Dan Perez, Lauren Salamone, and brothers Joey, and Adam Chavez to talk to them about their first ever residency, and other fun crap!

Kyle Deven: “You four are doing a Monday residency at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa for the month of June. The first three shows you played great sets with covers that included guest musicians from We Are The Pilots and Honeypie, and a birthday celebration! Are there more special things planned for the rest of the month?”

Lauren Salamone: “…We’re gonna try and go all out in any way we can.  The only thing we have set in stone is we have this song called ‘Phil and Marie’ that we’ve never performed.  We’ve only recorded because it needs a cello in it, and it’s just not the easiest song to perform, but we have a cellist and a violinist that are going to play with us hopefully on that night.  We’ve also been talking about doing a pretty long set that night.”

Dan Perez: “It’s going by fast!”

Joey Chavez: “We’ve put a lot of effort into it so I think that’s why it’s feeling like it’s going by fast.  We do stuff for it all week long and then Monday comes and then we’re done, and then it’s like ‘well lets get ready for the next one!’”

KD: “You guys have done a lot of stuff not just for one show individually but for all the shows!  You bake cookies all the time and you decorated your merch table with a theme…”

Adam Chavez: “With the bananas because we have the ‘Banana EP’ that we just came out with and…”

DP: “The videos!  I think the videos might be the best thing.  We’re doing a different one every week.”

KD: “You recorded the ‘Banana EP’ for this residency, how did that all come about?  Why bananas?”

DP: “We had the idea just to do like an EP, just something new to get out there… we wanted something special at Detroit Bar.  Lets just record a couple of acoustic songs and sell it for a buck.  We’re sick of cutting paper out for our first EP ‘Allude To The Sounds’ cause we cut and glue those by hand so I was trying to think of something that would be like different and cool to wrap it.”

LS: “And more green!”

DP: It’s easier to wrap and easier to cut…”

JC: “It smells worse though!”

AC: “And stickier in the CD player.”

DP: “But I was thinking ‘banana leaves, my mom buys those to make food all the time…’ and then we just kinda called it the ‘Banana EP’ just cause we were gonna wrap it in banana leaves.”

LS: “The EP is a fun EP!  Only one song, “Tiger Head” will be on our full length, and all the other songs we were kinda like ‘well what do we wanna do?’ It was really open, and I don’t think any of us had any idea what the final product was going to be.  We just kinda kept playing around in the studio with different stuff.  I love how it just came about!  It just kinda happened!”

JC: “I was expecting it to be way crappier than it turned out.”

DP: “ME TOO!  I thought it was going to be a stupid little acoustic cover EP.”

LS: “Yeah me too!  But we just started going all out.  The cycle wasn’t supposed to be just a piano song it was suppose to be all of us, but we wanted to base it around the piano.  So I tried to record just to start off, but I’m not really good at playing to a click so I was going off the click and messing around and they said ‘oh that’s way better, lets do that!  Why don’t you just play it the whole song!?’  So we did that!”

DP: “She seriously did it in 2 takes!”

KD: “Your live shows can be as visually stimulating as your music.  When it comes to the live shows what is it the four of you are trying to convey?”

AC: “I dunno, none of it makes sense!  None of our stuff makes any sense!”

The entire group bursts into laughter!

AC: “Our music video and our background videos everybody’s like ‘what does it mean?’ Well nothing!  Just enjoy it!  Just look at it!”

JC: “I feel like we are a unit and our personalities gel well, and so I feel like there are common themes and kind of overarching over all of us and how we are together and what we think and the kind of music that we write stylistically and in the videos we try to portray that.  The first video we did for the Detroit Bar shows was the Bike video.  We are people that convey, or live lifestyles that are kinda carefree and so that video conveyed that part of us.  We can be crazy sometimes and…”

AC: “Or weird like the space video, it’s a really random cut and really eerie.  I feel like that definitely comes out in our music sometimes.”

JC: “It’s in us somewhere, so it shows who we are.  Some how in some way.”

KD: “So you mentioned that you wanted to do an EP for the Detroit Bar shows because the album wasn’t going to be ready.  This means there is an album coming, what is going on with that!?”

AC: “We’re budgeting!”

DP: “It’s our first full length… EVER.

JC: “We’re trying to make it the best quality for a good price.”

DP: “I’m the devil’s advocate for keeping it affordable.  That’s my role in the album process.”

AC: “I know all the technical crap, and Joey just floats around.  Joey just dances!”

LS: “Our goal is the end of the year.  I think October would be an awesome time to release it!  The album, maybe title is ‘Sounds The People Hear.’”

DP: “’SOUNDS PEOPLE CAN HEAR!’ That’s why our EP is called ‘Allude To The Sounds.’”

JC: “We planned in advance!”

DP: “We want to have a track called ‘Sounds People Can Hear’ and it will kinda be like a noise transition track.  Then we’re going to have a track towards the end called ‘Sounds People Can Make!’ and it’s just going to be us in the studio just making weird noises.”

Dan and Lauren rub their hands together in demonstration making a sound that would be hard to identify without the visual.

DP: “We talked about this!”

AC: “Joey’s not sold on that idea.”

JC: “We’ll see.”

DP: “NO we’re doing it!”

KD: “So for the album, are most of the songs already written?”

JC: “For sure most of them are written!  I wanna sneak one in there at least, maybe two.”

DP: “’Sounds People Can Hear.’ It’s gonna put us in debt.”

AC: “It’ll be cool.”

So with their Detroit Bar residency coming to an end we’ll all need to find something else to do on Monday night next month!  I’m looking forward to seeing the last couple shows!   If you haven’t seen The New Limb you should stop reading this and go to their myspace right now to look up shows!  Or just come to the Detroit Bar on Mondays for the rest of the month!  Everyone will be there.  This band can’t be stopped, they’ve been planning too far in advance for anything to get in their way.

Photos courtesy of A.J. Abajian.

Lamia Larkin: How long have you been together? How did you form?  Give us some background.

Elephant Day: Originally three of us were members of another band called Oto. Separate from that, Rie and Boon started Elephant day and the rest of us joined in. Oto has been around for a while. Elephant day was formed about a year ago.

LL: Please tell us more about each member of your band.

ED: Taka plays toy instruments and is from somewhere around Yokohama in Japan. He is one of the members of Oto.  He always wears Japanese sandals and a hat.  He drives a car known as the stocking colored car. People usually have good first impression of him but it worsens over time.  He is a master of swords and has a loud voice.  He is very short tempered and is always complaining.  He favors RPG games and Sudoku.

Rie (Girl of R) is from a hot spring in Japan. Elephant Day is her first band. She thinks she can play bass, keyboard, trumpet and sing. She rides a Dahon folding bike.  She looks funny when she talks to other people.  She is very introverted. When she was little she was in a knitting club, manga club and a drawing club. She only plays Dragon Quest game.

Tokiko (temporary name) plays accordion and cello. Her real name is unknown. She is a violinist that doesn’t play violin. She is a very serious person and doesn’t like to play video games. But she mainly plays tennis.

Hiro plays mandolin, guitar, sk1 sampler and sometimes sings. He also does the mixing of the recordings. He is from Canada and makes cash registers.  He is the leader of Oto and doesn’t talk much.  He is more vulgar than he appears.  He has a XBox 360.

Boon plays guitar, percussion, clarinet, ukulele and sings. He is from Okinawa via New York. He has been in a band with Hiro for a while.  He is more timid than he appears and is easily frightened. He likes FPS games and recently ordered a XBox 360, the black one.

LL: Lets talk about the title of your band Elephant Day. What does it mean?

ED: There isn’t really a meaning to our band name.  We wanted a band name  that doesn’t have a meaning to it. Some people take the meaning of elephant as resting or chilling which is fine with us.

LL: Resting or chilling? Hmm…Elephant Day, like a lazy day? Okay, well how about your music, how would you describe it?

ED: Right now, our music is light hearted and simple. Some people say it is party music and some people say it is like circus music. We want to make different kinds of songs, so an explanation of our music is difficult.

LL: What separates your band from all the others?

ED: Everything. Everyone is different, so everything is different. Lots of the other bands already have a style and genre set. Rock bands plays rock music, hip hop people play hip hop music. We don’t really have a set genre that we would like to play, so I guess that is the difference.

LL: Who are your biggest influences?

ED: Non musically- sashimi, sleep, raw eggs, go-ya,  Totoro, Doraemon, Chappie (One Piece), Haruki Murakami, cold udon noodle, Denzel Washington, Steven Segal, Ryoko Hirosue,  Gundam (Z Gundam), Piccolo(Dragon Ball),  Hikaru Nishida,  Eraser (cat), beach, slamdunk(comic), Adidas, Lakers, video games, Dr. Mizelle (professor of history), Kinpachi teacher.
Musically- Pantera, Tetsuya Komuro, Mongol 800, OOIOO, Miles Davis,  Schadaraparr, Drifters, pata, madlib, BEGIN, Takashi Sorimachi,  MC Hammer, Beach Boys, Folk Crusaders

LL: Who writes the songs and what are they about?

ED: When we realize, the songs already exist. The theme for each song is different so it is difficult to summarize. The theme of these songs also changes when we play live; It depends on how we feel at the time.

LL: You use a lot of unique instruments, what was the decision for this?

ED: We like funny looking instruments. Taka (japanese sandals) likes to collect these funny instruments.

LL: What inspires you to do what you do?

ED: We haven’t really thought about that, so we don’t know what really inspires us to do what we do. Its not really that important for us. We just do what we feel like at the time.

LL: Are you signed? How many albums do you have?

ED: We will soon be releasing an LP from Music Related, a label in New York owned by Pandatone. This will be our first release for Elephant day. Three of us have previously released an EP from a web label as Oto.

LL: Do you have any goals for the future of the band?

ED: What we are doing right now is only a fraction of what we want to do. Since we are easily bored, we would like to try various new things, like creating a basketball team. We currently have 5 potential basketball team members and are looking for more members.  We are also planning to go camping and play tennis in the near future.

LL: So it sounds like you guys are more than a band, you are a group with a never ending list of tasks to try out! I don’t think I have seen a band/basketball team, definitely something I will be on the lookout for. Okay well what’s your most recent band news? Where can we see you next?

ED: Our most recent band news is we recently bought new electric guitars.  Another big news is that Hiro recently moved to Long Beach from Orange County. We will be playing on June 11th at the Avalon Bar in Costa Mesa,  June 25 at Viento y Agua in Long Beach, July 1st in Que Sera, Long Beach, and July 2nd at the Avalon Bar.

LL: Well we still consider Long Beach part of Orange County; Long Beach is kind of tossed back and forth from the OC and LA. Anyway final question, do you have a site where people can hear your music right now?

ED: Yes we have a myspace page www.myspace.com/elephantday.

Thanks guys for taking the time to answer a few questions, good luck with the music and the basketball team!

By Alisha Domoslai and Lamia Larkin

Lamia Larkin and Alisha Domoslai (also known as Lamisha) had the opportunity last weekend to meet with the indie band We Are Scientists at Costa Mesa’s The Detroit Bar. What resulted was tons of random information on suggested band names, supposed Paul McCartney antics, an AMAZING performance, classic on stage banter, and all the Star Wars you could ever want. Basically it was Lamisha’s indie nerd dream come true!

Describing the guys that make up We Are Scientists to someone who has never seen them isn’t easy to do. Are they humble…perhaps? Funny….definitely! Amazing…of course! But all adjectives aside, these geek-chic rockers; Keith Murray (vocals and lead guitar) and Chris Cain (bass and backing vocals), really are just a two normal guys who transform into rockstars once they hit the stage.

After meeting at Pomona College in Claremont, CA, these unassuming Brooklynites formed the band We Are Scientists back in 2000 and have since released two albums. Striking it big in the U.K. the W.A.S. boys look forward to matching that success in the States as well. We sat down with bassist Chris Cain for a little chat.

We started the conversation with some commonalities that we (Lamisha) and W.A.S. both have. Realizing that just like Chris and Keith, Lamia and Alisha also met in college. With this information, we thought it would be a good idea to start off by getting some post-collegiate advice. We told Chris that we were recent graduates as well as starving OC artists. The first thing Chris points out is that, “it would be a good idea to learn a skill… you know in order to get a job and get money,” basic, honest, and something we told him we would definitely look into. We also mentioned that we were considering following in their footsteps, by forming a band. When asked if he had any suggestions on names for our band, he said “The Golddiggers.” Apparently our idea of “We Are Artists” wasn’t a good one.

The conversation then led to the band’s recent performance at this year’s very hot Coachella Music and Art Festival. When pressed for some juicy backstage gossip, Chris spilled the beans about Paul McCartney’s alleged wild night. He said that “Paul played poker with Morrissey’s men” and then supposedly proceeded to “ride a golf cart into a little pond/lake thing.” He also said that Sir Paul was slightly intoxicated, but that the reason for the golf cart crash was unrelated to that; thanks for clearing that up, Chris.  Lamisha made it a point to mention to Chris that Morrissey did an outfit change during his performance at Coachella, and then proceeded to ask If him or Keith would be doing the same. Sadly do not expect the W.A.S. boys to ever do an outfit change, as Chris pointed out (after he chuckled at our question) “We just don’t care much about those things.” Chris and Keith if you are reading this please do an outfit change during your next performance, it would make us very happy.

Apparently the band W.A.S. have more important things to focus on before they hit the stage. To get into the mood, Chris stated that they like to work out in order to maintain and keep a “healthy heart.” He then proceeded to say that what they really like to do before a show is read by candlelight. Yeah you heard us, candlelight. It should be noted that The Detroit Bar was pretty much only lit by candles. So what do two indie rockers like to read before a show? Well pretty much anything but gossip magazines “because that gets the heart going, and we like to keep it low key.” Do whatever you guys have to in order to put on a good show.

Putting on good shows is nothing new to the band, and because of this, its surprising to see how much more popular W.A.S. are in the UK than they are in the US. We suggested its probably something in the water over there? Chris isn’t too sure what the reason is but chalks it up to the simple fact that it could possibly be that they “just like indie rock better.” Hopefully this article will fuel the States to come to their senses and start listening to what we (Lamisha) already know is an instant classic in indie pop/rock music.

We wrapped up the chat with comments about Orange County. Since they live in Brooklyn and are mainly known in the UK, had they ever performed in Orange County before? Chris said, “I don’t think so, but we might have years ago (before we were signed). But we also went to Pomona College so maybe I’m getting it mixed up with seeing shows in Orange County.” He then adds “We did watch the show (The O.C.).” Lets hope that the overcast and slightly rainy atmosphere didn’t hamper their stay in Orange County.

Whilst waiting for the band’s set, Chris & Keith mixed & mingled with fans at the merch booth as we got our Star Wars fix from the movie projections on the walls of the bar (both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi was played). But after LA’s The Blood Arm performed (who are also really good, check out the song Suspicious Character) it was time to get ready for the main event. Our night was certainly made even better when we finally got to see W.A.S. perform on stage. Now their music is fantastic, but what really makes their concerts so perfect is their on stage banter. Anyone who has seen them perform will mention that their chats with each other and the audience is one of the main reasons they are so likable. Just to give you a taste of what we heard in between their 18 glorious songs.

Keith: ”Hey Zane, can you talk to me about Santa Claus and the reality of the situation?”  (Zane is their manager)

Keith:  ”Do you want me to take off this vest because you want to see what’s underneath, or because you hate it? This vest never comes off. I bathe in this vest!” (Keith was sporting a denim vest that matched his jeans perfectly, way to promote the denim on denim look Keith.)

Chris: ”Our rule of thumb with encores, is that we wait until half the room has gone home. Now we have you all to ourselves.”

All of this plus Keith Murray jumped out into the audience (as well as climbed all over the bar) and had people sing parts of the song “Textbook” with him. Lamia was lucky enough to push herself towards Keith and partake in this memorable moment. All in all, we really hope that Chris Cain and Keith Murray of We Are Scientists found Orange County as memorable as we found them to be.

A musician like Cory Case has the ability to give you a sense of calm and tranquility in an otherwise crazy world. Playing folk-tinged acoustic music, making use mostly of acoustic guitar and harmonica, Cory Case is just what the doctor ordered in this chaotic world. If you ever need to just chill out and escape all the talk of stock market crashes and swine flu, head on over to www.myspace.com/coreycasemusic and just listen for a good while to the tunes. Calming like a summer breeze, the music conjures up images of a simpler world where we don’t have to be constantly worrying about this disease or that, the declining economy, or other such worldly uncertainties. Give it a listen, and don’t say I didn’t tell you so when you find yourself drifting off to a simpler time, lost in the chords and imagery of the top-notch lyrics. Cory Case is a musician you’ll likely be hearing a lot of over the course of his career, so get on it quick before you’re left in the dust.

Billy Davis: Please tell us more about yourself and your background in the Orange County music scene. I know you play each guitar and harmonica on your tracks. When did you pick up each of these instruments and how did you learn them? (Self taught, lessons?)

Cory Case: I learned the guitar from my father. He’s been playing blues guitar since he was a kid. I was very young and living in Anaheim with my mom and dad. We lived in an apartment and my crib was in my dad’s room along with his Marshall amp and electric guitar. My parents said that I would just lie there all day listening to him play. The harmonica came much later. When I was about seventeen I was sitting around jamming at one of my buddy’s houses. He had one of the neck holders lying around that I use today. I picked it up and took a look at what key the harmonica was. It ended up being in the key of “G” so right off the bat I blew into it and out came Neil Young’s Heart Of Gold. After that I was hooked.

BD: How would you describe your music?

CC: I wouldn’t say I’m breaking any type of new formula. I’m just a guy with his guitar and a story to tell, and my story is non fictional. Every song I have written has been something I was going through or experiencing at the time it was written. In a word I would say my music is real. What you see and what you hear is what you get.

BD: What are your major influences, musically and non-musically? Why were these artists/bands influential to you?

CC: My family influences me a lot. They’re a pretty wild bunch. We party a lot and play music a lot. We also do a lot of traveling. We went to Italy last summer and I played some gigs out there. My girlfriend is also a very big influence when it comes to writing music. We were living down in Laguna when I wrote and recorded a lot of the tracks from my album. We loved Laguna. We could walk everywhere, and it was hard not to be inspired when a beautiful beach and such a charming little town surround you.

My main influences for my music are Jim Croce, Neil Young, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, John Denver, and John Lennon; mostly just old legends. This was my dad’s favorite music so I pretty much grew up with these guys. They’re influential to me because they’re artists with undeniable raw talent. From the moment I heard them I knew that they were the type of musician I would aspire to be.

BD: What is your songwriting process like? Describe each step for us, if you can.

CC: My songwriting doesn’t really have a process. It is always changing. I could draw inspiration from something hideous or beautiful, but I’m not on the look out for inspiration, I let it come to me. I don’t force anything. I never sit down and tell myself that I’m going to write a song today. I get out and take a look around and if something gives me feelings of content, fear or confusion I put it down on paper. The music follows the words, and is usually done in my head by the time I write my closing line.

BD: You won an award at the OC Music Awards for “Best Live Acoustic.” It must feel good to be acknowledged for your hard work and dedication to your craft. Tell us how it feels to be given an opportunity to not only accept, but perform at such an event.

CC: Winning “Best Live Acoustic” for the OC Music Awards was a very exciting moment in my career. Sometimes this profession can get you kind of down when things get slow and you find yourself trapped. I was waiting for something like this to come along, and wasn’t sure if it would come or not. When I got the news that I would be performing at The Grove in Anaheim, and accepting an award for my music the feeling was indescribable. As you said, it felt good to be acknowledged for the work that I put into my music. Performing at the event was incredible. The moment the curtains opened I looked out into a blinding white light just as I had always imagined it. The only thing I hadn’t counted on was a bum chord. I started strumming my guitar, and nothing came out. That was a little scary, but in a way I was glad that it happened. It gave me a chance to joke, and connect with my audience. After everything was fixed I played a song called Time Worth Saving. I wrote it when I was about seventeen. It was the first I had ever written. After the song was finished I got a wonderful reaction from the crowd, and accepted my award. I was proud to be accepting my award in front of my family who accompanied me that night.

BD: Are you signed? How many albums have you released and where would one be able to pick it up?

CC: I just came out with my first record on Dead Beat Records. The name of the album is “Waiting On A Remedy.” I’m not signed to any future deals; they just helped to make the record.

BD: Growing up and living in Orange County where such a magnanimous music scene exists, can it be a bit intimidating to be trying to make a name for yourself around so many other talented musicians? What inspires you to keep on doing what you’re doing? Do you have any advice for others who may be aspiring to be a musician in today’s declining record industry?

CC: I find that Orange County is a great place to start my music career. There are plenty of places to play that love to hear good music. I love the fact that there are many different types of musicians out there trying to make names for themselves. It makes it so that people keep an eye on what’s going on in the Orange County Music scene. I don’t look at other musicians as competition; rather I choose to view them as teammates. Were all going through the same struggle. To all the aspiring musicians out there I would say never give up, and give em hell.

BD: Finally, what is your most recent news?

CC: My new record just dropped and is available for sale at any of my shows, or via the internet. If you go to myspace.com/corycasemusic you will find a link that will allow you to purchase the Vinyl and the CD. I have all my upcoming shows posted on MySpace. One I wouldn’t miss is May 20th at the Slide Bar in Fullerton.

BD: Where can we find more info on you? Anywhere that fans can learn more about you or hear your stuff.

myspace.com/corycasemusic
Corycase.com
Facebook search “Cory Case”
dead-beat-records.com

I’ll be at the Slidebar show on May 20th, and you should be as well. Let’s do this people. Support an awesome musician.

“A raging animal lives in my chest
Pounding the time, holding me hostage
Just want everyone to understand
I’m trying hard, doing what I can
The under achieving everyman”

From Poison Soul by Adam Watts

“My goal as a singer and songwriter is to express what’s going on inside me as honestly as possible. As a band, we feel that music is more than just entertainment, it can also be a meaningful way to connect with people. On top of that, there’s nothing better than playing music with your best friends. I lucked out and found all my favorite musicians in one family!” So says Adam Watts, one of Orange County’s native sons and Renaissance man in the realm of music. The Adam Watts Band is composed of Adam, and the three brothers Rodriguez: Nic, Matt, and Jules.

With partner Andy Dodd, Adam has produced material for all three High School Musicals, Miley Cyrus and Switchfoot.  He also co-wrote/produced 2008’s Jonas Bros. and Demi Lovatos #1 itunes hit which was also used for the Jonas Bros recent 3D Movie.  He’s a songwriter and a recording producer, but what revs Adam’s engine is live performance with his own alternative rock band. And the music they make has gained the rapt attention of one of the hottest people in culture right now: Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of vampire novels. Just before they headed out to Arizona for their appearance at Meyer’s Breast Cancer benefit, we caught up with the ever-busy Adam Watts for a brief interview for Orange County Arts & Culture.

William Dean: Adam, you’re the original “do it all” guy, recording, producing, composing. What is the driving force behind you still getting out on stage to perform live with the band?

Adam Watts: Performing is like the last piece of the creative process for me. Everything starts out as this feeling that sort of morphs into a song. Then I take it to the band and we take it to the next place it needs to go and record it. Or sometimes I start recording as part of the writing process, which is something I’ve always loved doing. After all that, the song is hopefully all dressed up and ready to go out and meet people. Like most singer-songwriters, for me it’s all about expressing and connecting. First with myself and then with anyone else willing to listen. My dog’s often the first one to hear it, she’s a great audience. Performing is so immediate, it’s the opposite of the rest of the process in some ways, in terms of the connection that happens, you sing something and it’s just out there, you can’t control it anymore and it just does what it does, it falls flat or it connects. So there’s this sort of ‘now or never’ feeling of just wanting to give it all you have in that moment. Writing and recording is my way of putting something out there that says ‘hey look, I exist!’. Like carving your name in a tree, or when people painted the walls of the cave, you know? But, one of my favorite things about performance, and the biggest challenge, is trying to completely dive into the edge of each passing moment. To turn off that little jerk in my brain that judges and just be committed to what can happen right now.

WD: I know you’ve got a significant gig coming up on April 4th for a benefit connected with Twilight author, Stephanie Meyer. How did that come about and did you personally have any connection to Meyer? Are you looking forward to meeting her?

AW: Stephanie and I have a mutual friend. It will be great to meet the woman that wrote these books that made my wife disappear into lala-land for almost a full week! I’ve heard so much about how powerfully transporting these books are for people. I’m just starting to read Twilight, so maybe I’ll be taking a mental vacation too, who knows. Stephanie and I are fans of the same kind of music, so it ended up being sort of a natural thing in that sense. I was stoked to hear that she likes our music and wanted us to come perform at this benefit. The best thing about it though is that we get to go play music for a cause that’s close to my heart, which is fighting breast cancer. My mom is a breast cancer survivor so I love that we can contribute in this small way to help someone with their fight. The Project Save The Book Babe event will help relieve some of the burden of Stephanie’s good friend’s medical bills.

WD: The lyrics to your new song “Poison Soul” really reflect the Dark Side vs. your strong Christian commitment. Do you think a lot of people will connect with that struggle and what inspired you to write about it?

AW: I hope people will connect to it. That dark side is what needs the most light shed on it. My theory is, that stuff grows if it’s not acknowledged. For me this song lays out why I lean so hard on my beliefs. It’s about the central struggle we all have against those parts of ourselves that aren’t that pretty. The parts we’d rather keep hidden. We all have them. Sometimes, it’s impossible to hide that stuff, it just spills out and effects other people. I wrote this song when I was kind of owning up to the fact that I wasn’t proud of how I was acting. I was recognizing that I needed to kind of apologize and get by myself to work it out. The bridge says “this isn’t how the story ends, it’s dark in the middle but the light comes in”, so the song isn’t stuck in the mud, there’s some hope in there.

WD: I know you travel a fair amount but you live here. What are the things you consider special about Orange County that are important to you and your music?

AW: Orange County is home. I was born in Laguna Beach hospital and grew up in one house in Mission Viejo until I moved out on my own. I’m thankful for the safety I felt growing up. I have a great family and OC had this warmth to it, and yet an hour north you have this huge, wild, sprawling city of L.A. and a couple hours south you have another country entirely. Musically though I’ve always been focused on expressing the world inside. Stuff that is universally human. I feel like the music I create, or the feeling behind it, would be pretty much the same regardless of where I was born. I suppose is if I was born somewhere in the Amazon jungle I’d be using bamboo flutes instead of electric guitars, but I’d be trying to express the same stuff at the core.

WD: The band has just completed an EPK (electronic press kit) and you’ve stated in your blog that AWB is moving into another phase. What are the things you’re foreseeing that might change, improve, just “be different” for you and the band?

AW: I’ve never been so on fire about what’s going on with the music and the band. Nic, Jules and Matt are some of my best friends and my favorite musicians. We’ve been playing together for 5 years now and something has clicked in a new way for us recently. We’ve been recording and playing a lot. Also, Nic and Jules are twins and Matt is their younger brother so I guess I’m like the honorary brother. There’s this link we have musically and as friends that makes the whole process of being a band deeper. We have this goal to passionately share music that is honest about the human condition. I’ve heard it said that the personal is universal and I really believe that. We want to express the good, the bad and the ugly, but never without a sense of positivity. And now those goals are starting to be reflected not just in the music, but organically in all other ways, from things like our artwork to the new website (adamwattsband.com) to our videos and our live show. We’re all more focused and unified than ever, and it’s been a blast!

WD: What are your upcoming gigs and where can people come see the band in the near future?

AW: April 4th is the Stephanie Meyer event in Arizona. We’re playing Thursdays April 16th and 23rd at The Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, which is a great place to see live music. Our website will have our shows posted, there are a bunch of shows we’re working on right now, so you can check there for daily updates on shows, news and blogs, all that stuff. We’ve just finished recording a ton of music. So we’re releasing “Poison Soul” as a single to radio and to digital retail (Speakerheart.com and itunes.com). then following that, a full album, which is almost finished. Hopefully we’ll see some of the OC Arts and Culture readers out at our next show!

The Adam Watts Band website: www.adamwattsband.wordpress.com

Moostache is that rare breed of band that comes around once in a while that really makes you realize what’s important in life: rocking. And they do it well. Comprised of five enterprising young gentleman from the beachside town of Huntington Beach, Moostache play blues-tinged indie rock that is reminiscent of fellow OC legends in the making, Cold War Kids and The Walkmen. And with their youth—the youngest member and lead singer being only eighteen years of age—and their tireless work ethic, the sky is the limit for these guys.  Be sure and jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late.

Billy Davis: Please tell us more about each member of your band and their backgrounds.

Moostache: Patrick Wardell is 18 years old. He started playing guitar in 5th grade. Pat doesn’t act younger than his bandmates. Rather, he is band leader. He holds veto power over parts and songs, but he encourages ideas and parts from all of the members.  Brian Wardell, 21, began playing drums in 8th grade. Sean Wardell, 23, started playing bass sophomore year of high school. Sean met Bobby Waltman (keyboardist/keytarist) through a mutual friend, Kyle Kuehner, and a funk band called Sonic Broom, which Sean didn’t even care enough to mention to his brothers. But when they needed a keyboardist, Bobby was called upon to join Moostache. Previously, Bobby had been playing keyboards for Boombox Orchestra and living in a van in Santa Barbara. Bobby asked his friend Scott Zschomler if he wanted to join on guitar, too. Scott had toured in a metal band called Odd Project.

Thus, Moostache took form in September of 2008, completing its first demo in October of 2008. They rehearse in a music room at the Wardell house in Huntington Beach. They recorded drums and bass at New Monkey Studios in Los Angeles and the rest is recorded and produced by Scott Zschomler at Lunar Studios, which is at Scott’s house.

BD: What are your dreams and goals?

M: Our dreams and goals are to travel together and make sweet music. We also would like to share the stage with Esteban.  Moostache doesn’t want to set certain expectations for 5 to 10 years. If we are fortunate enough to all be healthy in 10 years and still playing music together, we will be extremely grateful for the time together. We are friends as well as brothers (3 of us) as well as musicians. Over time, the music will only improve. We hope to tour this June along the West Coast. As Brian, Sean, and Scott complete college, Pat will be starting college next year (results of applications are not yet in) and Bobby will be starting law school at Chapman in Fall of 2009. School doesn’t get in the way of rocking and rolling. Music is like food for Moostache. If they don’t eat, they won’t be able to study.

BD: Who writes the songs and what are they about?

M: Pat writes the songs and then we work them out together.  Oftentimes, Pat and Scott will work together on acoustic guitars, hashing out the parts that Pat came up with before they share it with the others. Then, in a group meeting, the band will jam out the song and finalize it, although songs have a tendency to continue evolving. In fact, songs are often the result of mixing and matching parts of other songs written years ago. Other times, someone else will come up with an idea and share it with the band and then Pat will develop it on his own. Or the band may jam along with it until definite parts have evolved. Pat likes to think that he isn’t actively searching for the melodies, but just kinda lets them come to him.

Instead of approaching one instrument at a time, we approach one song at a time. This leaves more space for creativity because we sit in a room and think, “OK what should we do to this song to make it better?” as opposed to “What should we do with this particular instrument on this album to make the album better?” One of the difficult issues that comes up when you take it song by song is making the album fit together as a whole, which leads one to realize that the challenge is to maintain focus on the album as a whole while manipulating and organizing each song to make it stand out and unique on its own. One of the best examples of this is definitely Dark Side of the Moon, by Pink Floyd.

BD: How would you describe your music? Who are your biggest influences?

M: The music is rock, infused with elements of folk and blues.  The band wants to create a raw sound. This comes from listening to artists like Pavement that just emanate an attitude. That attitude translates well to the listener. It’s not the perfection that makes the song – it’s the feeling, which is often found in the imperfection or the raw emotion that can be felt. Music shouldn’t be contrived. The song should feel like it was meant to be organized in the fashion that it is, yet feel original, too. Our first demo was too clean- it felt overproduced. Therefore, our new album, of which two songs are presently on our myspace (Windows & Shape and Sound), was approached differently. Scott’s main influence on guitar is David Gilmour and Bobby’s main influence on keys is Rick Wright, which leaves Pink Floyd as a major influence. Other influences include; Wilco, Tom Waits, Pavement, David Gilmour, Chris Vo, The Walkmen.

BD: Are you signed? How many albums do you have?

M: We have a demo and we are soon going to release a full length and music video. The demo can be downloaded through a link found at our www.myspace.com/moostachetheband, or be purchased at Electric Chair in Huntington Beach.

BD: What inspires you to do what you do?

M: We like to have fun (except for Brian, who hates it). Every songwriter just wants to be heard.  Also, the Wardells’ are from a musical family. Their father plays many instruments and continues to share his opinion on songs, melodies, and whatever else might occur to him.

BD: What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to a band that’s just starting out?

M: Practice mucho and enjoy your music.

BD:  Finally, what’s your most recent band news?

M: We are going to play a residency at Detroit Bar in Santa Ana during the month of May, which means that we will play every Monday in May for free. The Myspace is www.myspace.com/moostachetheband. Patrick wants to add: “rock and roll can save the world and the chicks are great!”

Moostache will also be rocking your faces off at the Wayzgoose Festival at UCI on April 18th, and at several other awesome locations in Orange County throughout April. Be sure to check their MySpace for the latest show info as this is not the type of band to rest on their laurels. More shows are sure to be added throughout the month of April and in the future.