FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR BAND PLAYING IN AUSTIN!

Facts On File is a great band here in Los Angeles and I got a chance to chat with them and find out more about the Band. They play tonight In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at DnO Bar 501 S. Spring Street.

First lets me the band:
Joseph White: Vocals/Bass
Molly Durkin: Drums
Jason Spencer: Guitar/Keys

THG: When did Facts on File form and how?
Facts on File: Molly & I met (Joseph) in San Francisco in 2008. I had amassed a collection of songs that were too rock-oriented for my electro band (The Somnambulants) and was looking to start a new band. Molly had just secured a nice lock-out rehearsal space, was learning drums, and wanted to find collaborators. We got along well and quickly learned the arrangements, found our first guitarist/organist (Jen Hale), and played regularly in SF before Joseph and Molly migrated to LA. We recorded half of the album tracks in SF and the other half in LA with a local guitarist (Shannon Lay). Jason joined us this year just after he moved to LA from Portland.

THG: What genre of music do you consider your work to be?
Facts on File: We’re a rock band that sounds a little “post-punk,” but we’re not afraid of a little pop.

THG: Who are your major influences?
Facts on File: It’s often hard to separate favorites from inflence, but here’s a rough list:
Joseph: Lee Hazelwood, The Who, Phil Spector
Molly: The Kinks, My Bloody Valentine
Jason: Television, Guided By Voices, The Beatles

THG: Who writes your songs and what are the main themes for most of your songs?
Facts on File: Most of the songs on the upcoming album and in the set list were written by Joseph White. A few of our favorites, however, have been written by the band as a whole. (“Keep it Together,” the first single release, for example.) Since Jason Spencer joined on guitar, the process has been even more collaborative and many new songs come from Jason’s idea seedlings.

Thematically, the songs vary greatly, but a common thread in Facts on File lyrics often hints at overcoming obstacles, whether great or small, real or imagined, or self-inflicted.

THG: What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
Facts on File: At this point, our biggest challenge is getting the music out to new ears. We’re constantly pushing to get new people out to shows and doing our best to get those records or MP3′s in the hands of people who will help spread the word. The best thing you can do for any band you love is just spread the word about them.

THG: Joseph who was your favorite singer growing up or what singer inspired you?
Joseph: It depends on what age you asked me. If you asked me at 7, I would have said, “The Oak Ridge Boys.” I never meant to be a singer when I started playing in bands. I sort of fell into it as a result of being the main songwriter in most of my projects. I take inspiration from a lot of singers who I could never truly emulate: Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, or Marvin Gaye. If I was to explain my own style, I’d say it’s somewhere between Johnny Rivers, Richard Butler, Ian McCulloch, and Ric Ocasek.

THG: Molly who inspired you to play drums? was it another female drummer?
Molly: I was inspired to play drums by a friend needing a drummer for his band and deciding in a bar one night that I should be that drummer – even tho I’d never played! I said ok and it was off to the races. But I am definitely inspired by female drummers…ladies like Cara from Moggs, Amy Farina (The Evens, The Warmers), Valerie Scroggins (ESG), Maureen Tucker, and Sheila E.

THG: Jason what is your inspiration for guitar?
Jason: I was inspired to pick up the guitar because I always wanted to be in a band, and the easiest instrument for me to get my hands on was guitar. Also, I thought it was the coolest instrument in the traditional rock band format.

When I was a teenager, I listened to a lot of classic rock and post punk for ideas on how to play, since I am self taught. It was between those listening to those artists and reading a “guitar for dummies” book that I was able to find my way around on the guitar and start producing the kind of sounds that I enjoy.

THG: What is your favorite song to perform live?
Facts on File: We all look forward to “City Boys” (our anti-surf anthem) and “The Flood”, which are newer songs. But “Keep it Together” has a tendency to get the crowd shouting along with the chorus, so that’s always fun to perform.

THG: When can your fans expect a new album?
Facts on File: Soon! We’re releasing the new album in Spring 2012. Follow us on Facebook or sign up for the mailing list on our site to get in the loop for announcements.

THG: Thanks for the chat guys. I can’t wait to see you play tonight!
Checkout their music at Facts on File

Guess who has a residency at The Down and Out Bar in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles! Every Wednesday in October Lady Katherine will be rocking the pants off the DnO bar, don’t miss it!

First let’s meet the band:
Heather Donaldson – Vocals/Guitar
Daniel Bonaparte – Guitar
Will Cheadle – Bass
Brant Cole – Drums

THG: When Did Lady Katherine form?
Daniel: Lady Katherine formed about 2-3 years ago. It was born out of two other solo projects we had at the time.

THG: What genre of music do you consider your work to be?
Daniel: Well, I know we fall under Alternative/indie umbrella, then again who doesn’t.

Heather: But it’s a little bit of shoegaze and a little bit of indie rock.

THG: Who are your major influences?
Daniel: A lot of the shoegaze bands I guess. We are big fans of The Smiths, The Sundays, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Ride….. Etc…

THG: Heather do you write all the lyrics?
Heather: I write the lyrics and melodies and Daniel writes all of the arrangements. He is a multi-instrumentalist and writes all the guitar, bass and keyboard parts. It’s too bad he’s not an Octopus because that would make for an interesting show =)

THG: Who is the main music writer in the band?
Heather: We all contribute, but it’s mainly Daniel who does all the arrangements and I write the lyrics and melodies. There’s usually a loose idea for the drums but we trust Brant to add his magic.

THG: How often do you guys work on making new music?
Daniel: We tend to write as we go along. There might be an idea in rehearsal and we take it from there.

Heather: We try to keep it fresh and constantly push ourselves. If we don’t have a new song to work on, we’ll work on a cover just to learn something new.

THG: What is your music-making process?
Daniel: Any little ideas or melodies that come to mind. Heather will have a few chord structures and then I will do some arrangements and develop the song. It can take a while to get it to sound right.

Heather: The songs are constantly evolving during rehearsal; sometimes even after we have recorded them.

THG: What’s your ultimate direction for your band?
Daniel: We just want to create something people will listen to…

Heather: Something beautiful and something we can be proud of.

THG: What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
Daniel: Finding the right people who are committed to the project. We’ve had quite a few lineup changes, but it has always been Heather and I at the core.

THG: What is your favorite song to perform?
Heather: Hmm…that’s a tough one. Where Are You Now has one bad ass guitar solo at the end so that song can be pretty awesome. But we try to have fun with all of them.

Daniel: thats a tough one. I love playing “Paint the Walls” because I feel like Johnny Marr. The guitar part is fun to play with all the little licks here and there. I also like the lead for our untitled song. It sounds great….

THG: Oh yeah! “Paint the Walls” is one of my favs.
Thanks for the chat guys and I look forward to your downtown shows coming up!

Checkout their music right here: Lady Katherine

Checkout Spero in the LA Times Entertainment section

read it here

The New Room currently has a residency at The Down and Out Bar in heart of downtown LA. Their last show is August 31st, so make sure you check them out!

Let’s meet the band:
Anthony- Vocals/Guitar
Mig- Guitar/Keyboards
James- Bass
Jason- Drums

THG: When did The New Room form?
Anthony: My brother James and I formed the band together in 2004. We played as a three piece along with our drummer Jason for about a year before we met our guitarist/keyboardist Mig. It’s been the four of us ever since.

THG: What genre of music do you consider your work to be?
We consider it post-punk/new wave/pop.

THG: Who are your major influences?
Artists like Echo And The Bunnymen, David Bowie, and The Chameleons.

THG: Who writes your songs and what are the main themes for most of your songs?
Anthony: It’s a collaborative effort. Usually Mig will come in with a musical idea; a riff or a chord progression. We develop the parts together, then break it down and reassemble it ten times. All the while I’ll scat a vocal line or melody. It all kind of swirls until the song reveals itself. Then I take it home and work on the lyrics. The themes of the songs vary; some are character studies, some deal with current events, other with relationships.

THG: Will The New Room stay in the same musical direction?
Mig: We try to incorporate new ideas, while staying true to ourselves. To keep the sound fresh, experimenting with things we haven’t tried yet, but always sounding like us.

THG: What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
Anthony: I would say balancing writing, recording, and playing out. That and being a band from Los Angeles, which comes with it’s own set of challenges.

THG: Anthony who was your favorite singer growing up and who or what inspires you?
Anthony: I have always been drawn not only to great singers, but great performers, like Frank Sinatra, Elvis, or James Brown, for example. I’ve been inspired by artists who have something meaningful that they are trying to convey through their work.

THG: When people are listening to your music what do you want them to leave with or how do you want it to effect them?
Mig: We want our music to leave an impression; to change their lives. We want it to inspire them in some way; to inspire them to do something.

THG: What is your favorite song to perform live?
Mig: Dance like the Night is always great to play live. You Lied When You told Me, which is a new song, is turning out to be another good one; it has a lot of energy.

THG: When can your fans expect a new album?
Mig: We’re about half way through a record. We’ll be posting songs as they are completed, and hopefully have something out by the end of the year.

THG: You guys are awesome to see live, you always bring your “A Game”. I’m looking forward to your next shows!

Checkout their music at The New Room | The New Room Facebook

and they have great merch too woohoo!