The landscape of rock and alternative music
changes daily. It might even change hourly.
The genre moved in some crazy waves from 2006 to 2013. Mainstays are has
beens and has beens...
We've just had the chance a couple of weeks ago to chat with the Alternative Rock Band based in East Lansing, MI, The Skylit Letter also you can go through alternativeaddiction.com within the next couple of days to see the story as well.
I saw you guys had a previous name before the band's
current name, how long have you been playing as The Skylit Letter?
TSL has been together in its current form for
about three years. Mainly it was just a vocalist change; the rest of the group
has been playing together for more than five years now.
How would you define your music?
We always say that it’s female-fronted Rock n’
Roll that kicks you in the nuts and then buys you a shot…haha…beyond that it’s
just emotionally driven hard rock.
What's the main difference between your band and other
new artists out there?
I’d say the main difference is that the songs
have a cohesive narrative quality, i.e. the music and lyrics tell a story
together, which a lot of mainstream music lacks these days, its either
something musically catchy or lyrical captivating, but rarely both. We think we
have managed to write songs that everyone can relate to. Things that trouble
their everyday lives. Somehow it has blended into a mixture of catchy pop
rhythms and other elements with an avant-garde artistic backbone. Basically,
it’s no bullshit music for real people, we’re not trying to sell a product,
what people hear and absorb is only an extension of ourselves.
I checked out your upcoming tour dates and most of
them are in the Michigan area where you’re based, how have your live shows gone
so far?
Really great so far, the response has been
phenomenal, people have been really connecting with us on and off the stage,
which for any artist is the most flattering and inspirational dynamic of the
whole process.
Your EP Constellations is really good. What did you
learn about the band while making it and what was your overall experience like
with that first EP?
The experience was really good, we have all been
doing this for years, been in other groups plugging away at the scene in
Michigan, not to mention we have known each other for years, so working
together in the studio just comes naturally to us. I guess one thing that we
learned is that we are super picky about our songs and it takes a really long
time to come to a consensus on anything we do, but that’s not necessarily a bad
characteristic to have.
Being an independent musician isn’t always easy. What
encourages you guys to keep going when things start to get tough?
Honestly,
the one thing that keeps us going is all the support we get from our fans,
friends and family. It’s with those people that the life-force of any group is
given the means to live on an survive.
Because of streaming services and them being directly
linked to social media, do you think it’s easier to get noticed now than in the
past?
No, I
think it has worked in reverse. Yes, social media is a great tool for any
artist or group to promote what they are doing, but you have to keep in mind
that with this there comes a threshold that begins to work against artists.
what I mean by this is that because of social media the market is flooded with
so many groups and artists, that it is hard for anyone to sift through them,
let alone pay attention to any one thing. Not to mention that the unlimited
access gives people the means to never really seek out groups, go see shows, or
interact with the artist on a face-to-face basis, besides the proverbial
Facebook message or something like that. All of this makes it extremely hard
for the artist and/or group to gain exposure and receive support from a
fan-base; it makes it hard to survive.
Who are your guys’ main
influences?
We come from a very diverse set of musical
influences. Reba comes from an R & B/Blues background, stuff like Etta
James, Ray Charles, and Billie Holiday, which is pretty, clear when you hear
her style of vocal. Steve, Nick, and I come from a traditional metal
background, stuff like Megadeth and Anthrax, and Chris is more of a 90’s grunge
kind of guy, 7 Mary 3 and all that. But we all grew up with and love Rock n’
Roll of course, you name it, we love it, if I had to give any strict influences
for the band as a whole, I would say that we take a lot of notes from bands
like Rise Against, Thrice, and Foo Fighters, modern rock in that vein with a
different vocal edge.
The song “Elusive Day really” got me. What can you
tell me about that song?
Elusive Day was the first single off the EP,
Nick wrote the lyrics and the music for it. And actually BJ, our long time
friend, and producer from Wall of Sound Studios helped us mold that song,
cause’ when we brought it to the table it had a lot more going on and needed to
be trimmed up a bit, and BJ has one of the best ears for that, hearing where
things need to be taken out or added, stuff like leads or harmonies, the guy is
super human…haha. The song itself is pretty much about how we as people should
never give up on our passions, our dreams, which for us is playing music and
connecting with people through the art of sound, and the point is to not let
that kind of mentality elude you, as it does to all of us when dealing with the
day-to-day hum-drum and distractions of modern life.
You guys are recording right now, what are you working
on and when can we expect to see some new music come out from The Skylit
Letter?
We laid down two tracks that will be on the next
album, a full length that we are shooting to release next summer or fall, we
wanted to get one of the singles we chose for it out as soon as possible as a
sort of teaser or sampler for what’s to come. Hopefully the single will be out
before the end of the year, and we plan on doing a video for it as well.
What are your ambitions for the band in 2014?
For 2014 we are hopefully going to release the
full length and play as many shows as possible, the ultimate goal would being
able to get out and tour for the record, but that all depends on what else we
all have going on in our lives. At the very least we will continue to press on
with our grassroots campaign of art and love, and the more people we connect
with the better.
The Skylit Letter Contact:
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