|
|
 |
Regular Columnists |
 |
Rock Revival pt 1 - Death Valley High Talks Independent Rock
By James Moore - 11/06/2011 - 05:54 PM EST
Rock sales are down. Way down. As a lover of good rock music myself I often wonder how the genre can survive when so many music
fans have flocked to the Idol franchise, the Disney franchise, and the relentless mainstream pop output. Of course, there is ALWAYS
a market for honest music of all kinds, so independent artists need not fear the current music climate. The Black Keys are thriving. The
Foo Fighters are thriving. Tom Waits, Queens Of The Stone Age, and The Flaming Lips all prove there is brilliance in the rock genre.
I decided to interview some hard working independent rock bands about their thoughts on music marketing. This first interview is with
lead singer and guitarist of the very impressive alternative/punk/metal act Death Valley High, Reyka Osburn.
1) Tell us about Death Valley High and what you bring to the table.
Death Valley High is guitar driven, noisy synth laced, drum bombastic dancecore. We cram 80's post-punk sensibilities into the
same room with death and roll.
2) What do you feel are some of the ways that indie bands should adapt and change in today's music industry?
What qualities
should a successful band have?
I don't think bands should have to adapt to anything. They shouldn't have to follow trends or try anything that's not natural.
However I do think they should they should reflect the voice of today. Be a "movement" within themselves.
3) What have you found works well for you as far as promotion goes?
Just get yourself out there. Be in the audience's face. Use guerrilla tactics and be smart about it. Don't be afraid to fail.
4) Who in music today do you most admire most and why?
All the bands and labels that are living on the edge; the ones with real risk. Those types of musicians and music lovers will
always be a source of admiration.
5) Do you have any advice for independent musicians who may feel disillusioned or discouraged at times?
Be real. Be as honest as you can possibly be to yourself and to your music and people will respond. That's who rises above all
the rest.
6) How can music fans keep tabs on Death Valley High?
Among all the other ways to keep in touch (twitter, myspace, fanbridge, etc) we use Facebook quite a bit. It's a really easy
"one stop shop" to be one-on-one with real people.
7) Rock music seems to have taken a back seat to other hugely popular styles such as indie pop, Disney/Idol performers and
mainstream hip hop recently. Do you have any thoughts on why this is happening?
Rock music has always been 2nd (or third) to popular music since the 50s-60s...this isn't anything new. Led Zeppelin never
had a number 1 single but John Travolta has. Rock has always been tougher to swallow by design. It's really only meant for so
many music listeners to latch onto and love. It's the devil's music...
To find out more about Death Valley High, please visit their home page.
ASK A QUESTION & FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S):
For a short bio, along with an intro to the columnist section, see here : http://www.musesmuse.com/col-virus.html.
If you would like to ask James Moore a question, you can write to . Please indicate the column you're inquiring about in the subject matter of your e-mail.
If you have a suggestion for a column or would like to be considered as a columnist yourself, feel free to write to me at .
[ Current Articles | Archives ]
|
|
|
|
