Varna Interview!

After the fantastic realise of their song My Heart I got hold of a busy Varna for a quick chat.

For those who haven’t listened to you before, how would you describe your music? And why should they listen to you?

Tiana: Our sound is hard rock with commercial pop influence. If you love rock music with melody, you can't go wrong with VARNA!

Rob: Organic hard rock the way it should be without all the Logic 9's! That is also my reason why you should give us a try! Wouldn't be nice to be guaranteed a show where you CAN'T half-ass headbang.... even if you tried?!

Rossen: VARNA is the type of music that is missing from today's music scene. Hard rock heavy riffs, catchy, and relatable!

Who personally inspired you?

Tiana: When you're a musician there are moments in your life when another musician or band comes along and changes the whole game for you. Two people have done that for me. Mariah Carey and Daniel Johns of Silverchair.

Rob: This past three months I have been HUGELY influenced on musical structures from DARKEST HOUR and BORN OF OSIRIS. A lot of changes that are necessary and a lot of unique chords to keep you surprised.

Rossen: Musically, there are too many. Mostly, all the bands that I listened to since high school.

What has your highlight of the band so far?

Tiana: We have so many extreme moments in this band. Some of my favorites are listening to 'This Time, It's Personal' in the studio for the first time after we mixed it, going to NAMM and SXSW in Austin, TX and playing a showcase for Hollywood Records where the crowd went insane for our band. Above all else, for me, it has been the reaction of the fans to our music. We get letters, emails and comments from people all over the world about how our music has helped them. I still can't believe it. 

Rossen: There are many, but I guess going to SXSW in Texas last year as a band trip.

Rob: To be honest, I couldn't be happier doing EVERYTHING with Varna: writing new music, practicing old music, saving up and starving together so we can record, stressing each other out over responsibilities, and even simply grabbing dinner together afterwards. Every time I'm with these two, Life is great...

Your all time low of the band?

Tiana: Spending thousands of dollars on a demo and hearing it come out like crap or whenever we would have a band member leave the band. The work, time and money that has to come into play to find another musician will knock your band morale down a few notches because it sets you back months behind.

Rossen: Yeah, when you go through so many band member changes, and you think that you can never find the right people. Pretty much right before we decided to change our name from Living Eulogy to VARNA.

Rob: All time low of the band has probably been when I didn't have a fulltime job and I felt like I was holding the band back financially. I of course found one later (at Guitar Center) because we have so much more lined up to finish this time around.

How did you come together as a band?

Tiana: Rossen and I met in 2009, when he was an electrician and he was installing a fan in my apartment. We started the band in 2010 as Living Eulogy. We found Rob at Musician's Institute in 2011 and we have been a trio as VARNA ever since.

Rob: I know we have our story of Rossen being Batman saving the day with his tools, but now to me it feels like it destiny.

Who’s your favourite band at the moment?

Tiana: My favorite band is still older Silverchair. There are current bands that I love but I tend to like certain songs and albums from artists as opposed to everything a band has ever done.

Rossen: Slayer.

Rob: Killswitch Engage, Slipknot, or Darkest Hour during the day, Orchestra and depressing dark piano for the nights.

The song you’re most proud of?

Tiana: 'My Heart' because of all the evolution it went through and I had stand my ground to get it recorded one last time. I even paid for it all myself at first to get it done. 'Running Away' has taken on new life as a personal anthem for people. It goes back and forth for me!

Rossen: Our song Running Away.

Rob: Right now the songs I'm most proud of are the new ones we haven't released/shown anyone yet. How exciting is that for you guys to hear?!

Do you think Unsigned music in general needs more attention?

Tiana: I think unsigned bands that have talent and drive need more attention. Think of it this way, your favorite musician who is on TOP 40 radio was at one time, an unsigned musician. If no one took the time to listen to them and fight for them they would never be a signed artist. That is what people are forgetting. 

Rossen: No, but I think that great talent doesn't have enough credit and recognition. There are so many bands that are just wasted because of the lack of recognition and support.

Rob: Not all of it. The public and some very undeserving musicians created a horrible image that most local bands are 7 out of 10 at their best. NOT TRUE IN ANY WAY. Please find this opinion for yourself and go out and give some people a try. You'll never know who you'll become addicted to!

How would you describe your live shows?

Tiana: Monsters of Energy. Our live shows are where it's at. We bring everything we have and we guarantee that you will walk away entertained.

Rossen: Energetic, fun, the crowd will never be bored.

Rob: I feel like our LIVE shows are more energetic and pumped up and everything our album couldn't provide. We are WAY more crazy and louder and pumped up on stage and encourage everyone to come out and see to call me out!

When did you first start getting into music? Has it always been a big part of your life?

Tiana: My earliest memories of life I have are of me singing and the way I felt when I heard music. It consumed me and I have always been psychotically obsessed with it 24/7/365. I used to be made fun of all the time in school because I would sing and all I would do was talk about music and bands to anyone who would listen.

Rob: I used to get detention everyday from 2nd grade up to 8th for banging on desks with pencils..... The habit got  only worse so as you can imagine, HELL YES i've always loved it and never will stop. It carries everything with emotion. It's like trying to watch a evil character do his monologue with no godly music in the background.. *blows raspberries*

Rossen: Music always has been in my life. I would play my little Casio Keyboard when I was 8 or 9 years old, without going to piano classes, and I would always come up with songs of my own. I never really liked playing other people's stuff until this day. If I learn a song and don't play it, I forget it immediately.

If you could dinner with any music legend (Dead or alive) Who would it be?

Tiana: Dave Grohl, Daniel Johns or Mariah Carey. I can't pick one! It's the Libra in me.

Rossen: Avril Lavigne!

Rob: Right now I'd have to choose dinner with Howard Benson. Tiana said she'll buy for everyone :)

You’re stuck on a desert island, you can one person, one book, and what album; what do you pick?

Rossen: My wife, Instead of the book I will bring a guitar, Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory

Rob: I would sever my head with neck and put Tiana's head on there with Rossen as my 1 individual guest.  I play drums while she still sings simultaneously. We'd jam till death.

Tiana: Wow. Anything I say, will not trump Rob's answer.

This is like my signature question: What would you do in Zombie Apocalypse?

Tiana: You know my favorite show is The Walking Dead, right? I would find a motor home, raid Wal-Mart for all the food and supplies I could and get underground! 

Rob: Choose between becoming the world's next biggest killing machine or crack down on my intelligence and utilize ALL my cunning to stay alive; either get more physical and less thinking more running, or vice versa. What a badass question.

Rossen: Prepare for war!!!

Check out Varna on Facebook here

Listen to My Heart here

Hey everyone my two amazing Welsh boys a.k.a Faltered are back for the third time but this time we had a little chat :) 

What has been your highlight of being in the band so far?

Highlight...hmm probably recording our album sampler and getting a proper experience of a real studio, makes you feel "proper"! - Conor
I would have to agree with that.. Looking forward to getting the album finished - Daniel

What's been the hardest part of being in the band?
For me the hardest part of being in the band is not living with Dan anymore and working shite hours, it's difficult to write and share ideas when you're both in different places but it's just a temporary thing (hopefully) – Conor
Beat me to it again.. The hardest part is definitely trying to find the time to practice. It's not quite the samewriting parts separately, it's better to get together and do it - Daniel


Personally who inspired you? 
For me it's bands like Biffy Clyro, Hundred Reasons & The Cooper Temple Clause that made me want to write songs. The 2 biggest influences on the way I play the guitar though are Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) and Matt Bellamy (Muse). I think that comes across in the overall sound of faltered - Daniel
Bands such as Silverchair, Fightstar and Biffy Clyro are my biggest inspirations in general. Specifically relating to my drum style though, I'd say Guy Davis from Reuben and Matt Tong from Bloc Party have been big inspirations. As for my singing style, it seems to be a mash up of all my favourite vocalists. - Conor

How would you describe your music?Interesting, exciting yet diverse. We're no one trick pony, we have a lot more up our sleeves. - Conor
Quite quirky at times but overall pretty damn catchy. We definitely know who and what we are, we like to mix things up a bit – Daniel


What has been the best gig you've been to?Muse at Wembley Stadium with Biffy supporting. Absolutely blew my fucking mind, no gig I've been to since has surpassed it and I don't think anything will! - Conor
Ah, Wembley, hell of a gig that. I think my best would be Foals in Wrexham, tiny place, right at the front, good times – Daniel


Now where did the band name come from? 
Ask Dan. We used to have a different name but ask Dan. - Conor
Well I could go all deep and meaningful at this point but I'm simply going to say, it's just a nice word, easy to remember, doesn't work with 'the' in front of it, simple - Daniel


If you could have dinner with any musical legend who would it be and why? 
Keith Moon from The Who. He'd have some stories to tell! - Conor
Probably David Bowie, he's lived quite a life - Daniel


Favourite Disney film? (we've all got one) 
Nahh, not me.. Or maybe it's Tron - DanielThe Lion King. Has to be. - Conor


Piece of technology could you not live without? 
My phone probably, far too used to using it for everything now! - Conor
Snap - Daniel


If you ruled the world what would you do? 
I would ban use of the abbreviations, lol, tbh, yolo, cba, omg... the list is endless - Daniel
I'd make it compulsory for auto tune to never be used in any song ever. If you can't sing you can't sing, end of. - Conor


The first album you ever bought was?
Pretty sure it was Surrender by The Chemical Brothers - Daniel
Silent Alarm by Bloc Party – Conor

The most embarrassing album? (To make you feel better mine was High School musical) 
I have "The Documentary" by The Game knocking about somewhere, but we don't talk about that. - Conor
Probably that South Park album that was released, it's just 100% awful - Daniel


What was the first song you wrote were you thought 'wow this is good'?
Probably PDTTTWW, it was the first song we ever wrote/played together and the first one we ever put any lyrics or vocals over, and after a bit of tweaking I loved the track. All credit to Dan on that one. - Conor
I totally agree and I'm taking all credit for it.. Nahh, it came together quickly through playing together. That song was definite realisation that we are on the same page when it comes to song writing - Daniel


What is your favourite lyric you've written and why?
 Probably one from a new song I wrote called "Pulled Over". The lyric is "the wool you pulled over my heavy eyes, I'll make a blanket from to comfort me and keep my head from running wild". I think it's nice, my mum likes that one too. - Conor
Erm.. 'a place of terror fear and loss, with equal measures of kindness' Hospital reference - Daniel


You're stuck on a island, you're allowed 1 book, 1 album and 1 person (dead, alive, fictional) Who/what do you pick?
A Spawn graphic novel, because I'm just not that cultured. The album would be Infinity Land by Biffy Clyro and I would probably take that curly haired woman from Lost, she'd be good in a desert island situation - Daniel
I'd bring a book with lots of pages so I could burn it for warmth, I'd take Grand Unification by Fightstar with me and I'd take Steven Hawking. He'd get us off there. - Conor


Who's you're favourite band at the moment?
Arcane Roots, can not get enough of them at the moment - Daniel
Don Broco. Conor


When did you first start getting into music? Has it always been a big part of your life?
 I only started playing music at 17 and singing at about 18, but I suppose I was "into" it at around 15. I didn't take music in school or anything, it was something I got into after all that, which was unusual but felt right! - Conor

I remember my Dad playing The Smiths & R.E.M a lot in the car when I was younger and I started learning the guitar at 13, so yeah, I suppose it has always been a big part of my life. It's always been around - Daniel

When it comes to writing what do you write first, music or lyrics? Music, usually guitars > drums > Bass > lyrics/melodies. Sometimes I'll have a melody in my head as I'm writing the guitar parts, but not always. Can always count on Conor though to come up with something good - Daniel

Music. Always the music! Then we'll splice together lyrics we have written already if it fits the song or we'll write an entirely new set of lyrics. If This Is A Joke was written after Dan named the track. - Conor


What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse? 
Climb somewhere high with a fuck load of bricks, food and blunt objects! And a gun if one was available! - Conor
Well I would always stay in a group, never wander off on my own.. that's just gonna get you dead. Chainsaw, axe, a large knife, sorted – Daniel


Where to you want to be in ten years? 
Preferably touring and working on our 15th album. - Conor 
 Yeah, still doing our thing hopefully, as long as people are listening we have plenty of songs left in us - Daniel

Have a listen to their new EP/Album teaser here: http://faltered.bandcamp.com/ 
Em xxx

Hello Everyone :) 

Today I have my very first interview with the lovely guys at Silver Story (remember I reviewed there first EP 'Wake up' might need to scroll down a bit to find it if you haven't already read it)  Find out about there inspirations, there music and what they would do in a Zombie Apocalypse...   

What has been your highlight of being in the band so far?

Alex: Recording our second EP ‘Wake Up’, our first EP was shit but then we recorded ‘Wake Up’ and then everyone was like, ‘’Okay maybe these guys are better than we thought!’’

Tom: Watching Alex McCabe drink Rob James' piss. I thought I was going to die from laughing!

Rob: Recording with Matt Ogrady was great, also our E.p release was pretty cool!

Gaz: Id say our EP release gig this year, massive turn out, great sound, brilliant support from fans, friends and family.

Your all time low of the band? 

Tom: Pee

Alex: Haha Tom! I’m going to say playing a home town show about three years ago in front of about four people! It was embarrassing. We learned a valuable lesson that day, if you don’t tell people about gigs no one will show up!

Rob: Alex

Gaz: When a couple of members left and we didn't really do anything for nearly a year.

Personally who inspired you?

Rob: Michael Jackson, the be all and end all of why I became a musician

Alex: There’s a lot of influences for me but Dave Grohl and Kurt Kobain are the most influential for me. Bob Marley was also an early influence as my mother always used to play his cassette tapes repeatedly on car journeys.

Tom: Bradley Noel, did what he loved until the day he died, it's a shame he also did alot of what killed him...

Gaz: Tommy Lee, Travis Barker, Buddy Rich, Rick Allen.

How would you describe your music?

Tom: Best heard live.

Alex: We’ve took elements of old school pop punk, classic rock, modern pop, Grunge and Indie and created our own sound.

Rob:  Rock/pop punk/alex punk/cuntpunk

Gaz:  Musical sex!

What has been the best gig you've been to?

Alex: I’m going to be controversial and say coldplay at Manchester Etihad Stadium. Simply because of the colours, the carnival atmosphere. Not a big fan of theirs but it was definitely a surreal experience. Other than that I’d say Foo Fighters at reading was pretty amazing.

Rob: Velvet revolver in 2007! only because i met slash.

Tom: Rage Against The Machine @ Leeds Festival... just massive. OMFG it was gooooooooooood!

Gaz:  Motley Crue/Def Leppard/Steel Panther, December 2011.

Me: I'm very jealous... 

Now where did the band name come from?

Gaz: Ask Alex.

Tom: We really need to come up with a good story for that don't we?

Alex: Haha. Basically the band was out drinking, before we were a band. And someone slurred ‘Silver Story’ and we couldn’t be arsed to think of a better name. Ask us again in a year and we’ll have a fantastic, gripping story for you all!

If you could have dinner with any musical legend who would it be and why?

Gaz: Probably Rick allen from Def Leppard, hes a big inspiration to me the way he plays with one arm

Tom: Freddy Mercury... I'm sure you've all heard what his dinner parties were like...? :P

Alex: Bastard I was gonna say that! Motley Crue would be a laugh!

Rob: Slash!

Favourite Disney film? (we've all got one)

Gaz: The Jungle Book, easy!

Alex: Hands down ‘The Lion King!’ Although I love Aladdin and The Jungle Book too!

Tom: HAHA! (lost my virginity to the lion king sound track!!!) It's gotta be the jungle book... I'm the king of the swingers... Well, no actually I'm not... but I would enjoy being an orangutang. So that's something at least.

Rob: Jungle book

Me: Tom... TOO MUCH INFORMATION!  

Piece of technology could you not live without?

Rob: I could live without technology tbh, it annoys me!

Alex: Iphone 4s. I can’t believe I used to survive without one of these bad boys!

Tom: I am a geek in disguise... at first everyone in the band thought I was cool, through slow realization, they found I am nothing but a fashion conscious nerd! ha! My iMac is a sexy beast, it does everything I want, when I want... well... not EVERYTHING... but it is damn schweet!

Gaz: Xbox 360.

If you ruled the world what would you do?

Tom: Send Alex McCabe to an 'all you can eat' stripper buffet, send Gaz Haigh back to the 80's, and chain Rob James to a lampost somewhere in st Helens... because it would annoy him... Then live a peaceful life! ....NOT! I would reestablish morals and humane decency, rid the world of the parasite we call money and get real hippyficated... that and demand that everyone in the world greets each other with either high fives or hugs. yup. That's what I would do.

Gaz: I would get rid of X-Factor and that cunt Simon Cowell for a start.

Alex: Tom you know me so well! I’m gonna copy Tom and say abolish evil money and create a resource based economy where no one has to work and everyone is equal and lives a nice, comfortable live. Kind of like a Utopia. If anyone is wondering what the fuck I’m talking about watch Zeitgeist! I’m also gonna say destroy Simon Cowell and bring back real music into the charts!

Rob: Get rid of tory politics, allow people to walk the streets naked, everyone gets a limitless credit card.

The first album you ever brought was?

Alex: Sum 41 – Does this look infected. And some thieving fucker stole it from me. If the thief in question is reading this I have a message for him. One day I will find you, and I will beat you, fat shit!

Gaz: Well the first album i ever listened to was a rock compilation called 'The Greatest Rock Album In The World...Ever'

Tom: Tape album (yeah baby, old school) Will Smith - Big Willy Style (lol)
CD Album, Blink 182 - Enema of the state 

Rob: Michael Jackson History album! on tape!

Me: All these taps is making me feel little...  

The most embarrassing album? 

Tom: HA! Loads of them! Tbh I have no problem with liking lame music as well as super cool music.. if you like it, you like it.. nuff said..

Alex: Spice Girls, but technically I didn’t buy it, my mother bought it and I used to play it a lot, I was very young and fancied Emma Bunton!

Rob: Busted LIVE!

Me: If it makes you feel better mine was High School Musical. 

I know you're going on tour soon, what is your favourite part about touring?

Rob: Putting VILE things into google translate to keep alex up all night, and i also enjoy belly laughs, and the arguments between gaz and alex need to be filmed and sold!

Alex: A disgusting game we play called ‘Pooing.’ It’s horrible when someone gets you with it, but when it happens to Gaz Haigh and he kicks off it’s fucking hilarious!

Tom: It's gotta be the pissing your pants, my face feels like it going to fall off, lung aching, side splitting belly laughs... there's always more than a few moments.

Gaz:: The experience of going to different places and playing to different people every night.

What was the first song you wrote were you thought 'wow this is good'?

Tom: Mellow Stages - The first song I wrote actually, not being arrogant or anything, but it was about my best friend and his decline into drugs and shit that doesn't matter. I miss you Enders.

Alex: ‘The End’ which is on our second EP ‘Wake Up.’ I was only 15 at the time but I knew it was good. I think most of my songs are good though, otherwise I wouldn’t have the confidence to bring them to band practice and say ‘’Hey let’s work on this song I wrote, it’s really cool!’’

Rob: It's happened a few times, but then the more i listen to it, the more i think it sucks, so i just delete it and restart!

Gaz: Would have to be My Empire.

What is your favourite lyric you've written and why?]

Alex: The line ‘’You won’t forget the pain, because your tears will leave a stain, on you.’’ from our upcoming video single ‘My Empire.’ There is a lot of meaning for me behind those lyrics for me, but I think they’re also words that everybody can relate to.

Tom: "There is no alternative, for me" - I have my reasons. I wish I never wrote 'The STD Song' though... Fuck that backfired!

You're stuck on a island, you're allowed 1 book, 1 album and 1 person (dead, alive, fictional) Who/what do you pick?

Rob: FRONT magazine, wasting light by the foo fighters and i'd sooner be on my own cause I'd just end up eating the fucker.

Tom: The Karma Sutra... ;)
        Bob Marley - The Complete Anthology, that would be daaaaaaaamn good on a desert island :D
        A person that will only be named as '2211'... yes, you know who you are.

Gaz: Book: Heartbreak & Triumph (Shawn Michaels) Album: Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood, Person: Pancho from Dirty Sanchez.

Alex: Something along the lines of ‘’How to survive on a desert Island. The Colour and the shape – Foo Fighters and Moses so he could part the sea and we could get the hell off the island!

Who's you're favourite band at the moment?

Alex:  Well I have my all time favourites. But the bands I’m listening to most at the moment are Young Guns and The King Blues.

Tom: Molotov Jukebox - It's all about the folk revival!

Rob: Dave Matthews Band. (if you haven't heard of em, I'm going to destroy this interview!)

Gaz: At the monent, Crashdiet.

When did you first start getting into music? Has it always been a big part of your life?

Tom: My dad told me when I was 15 that I was conceived at a Dire Straits concert... after getting over the initial horror of finding out my parents had fucked I quite liked the concept... not the act.. Dad that's just gross... but the concept, yes! I've always felt the rhythm as long as I can remember, but I guess the flash point was just after starting to play the piano my parents took me to see Jools Holland... from that point I was well and truly hooked.

Alex: I’ve always loved music, I used to play violin (badly) when I was little. Then I kind of got into reggae and salsa music. Then when I turned 14 all of a sudden I started listening to Grunge and Funk then Gaz introduced me to Pop Punk bands like Blink 182 and Greenday and I decided I wanted to write songs and be in a rock band! So yeah I’d say its always played a big part in my life, without music life would be fucking shit and boring!

Rob: I started playing guitar at the age of 8! Since then I've just followed it, im still fucking poor though! But I won't give up, oh no.

Gaz: I was into music from an early age, as early as 5 years old listening to Queen, i have been brought up with it.

When it comes to writing what do you write first, music or lyrics?

Tom: Both, whatever comes in my head needs writing the fuck down, my memory is crap to say the least. I find get all of your thoughts gathered and mash it all together. But more often than not, inspiration for music comes much more erratically and will just click, at that moment immerse yourself in it and don't let go.

Alex: I agree with Tom, he does have the worst human memory I’ve ever encountered! We’re starting to write together now rather than separately but sometimes it is hard as inspiration happens really randomly, and at that point you have to stop whatever else you’re doing and start using that inspiration. I normally get a random snippet of melody, lyrics and chords in my head, then I grab an acoustic guitar, usually write the vocal melody and chord patterns simultaneously and then the lyrics come afterwards.

What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse?

Alex: Kill myself.

Rob: Kill Everything!

Tom: Dual wielding 50 cals and a thirst to kick some zombie ass! That, or go hide in a toy shop.

Me: A top shop? Ok....

Where to you want to be in ten years?

Alex: I’m a bit of a dreamer. I want to be at that level when Silver Story is an internationally known band, preferably playing world arena tours and having a great time. Anything less than that I will be slightly disappointed, but I guess I would settle for just doing what I love and making a comfortable living.

Tom: Doing what I love, music and my girl.

Rob: It would be nice to drive a fast car!

Gaz: Doing what I’m doing now, only a bit richer!

Bands Facebook were you can here the first EP Wake up: http://www.facebook.com/SilverStoryBand?ref=ts&fref=ts  and there new EP Arts and Vandals http://silverstory.bandcamp.com/ 
Em xxx