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Justin Arthur: Unbreakable ties to music
By Xhiljola Nano
Even though Justin Arthur considers himself a late-bloomer when it comes to playing an instrument, he has been singing his entire life. Justin comes from what he refers to as a “singing family” which has had a great influence on him. Justin learned to play the guitar when he was nineteen years old. “I’ve been playing guitar for ten years and I still feel like a rookie” he says. Stemming from his Appalachian upbringing, Justin has also learned to play other instruments as well including the mandolin, the ukulele and the banjo. “I’m a jack of many trades but a master of none” he jokingly says.
Background
Justin was a member of two prior bands, Radio 1 and Sacra Via and has written several pieces for both projects as well as recording. He continues to diligently pursue music as solo artist while classifying his style as Americana with multiple influences. Some of his biggest influences have been Sublime, Notorious B.I.G and the Avett Brothers. Locally, he's been greatly influenced by his town due to its rich musical background and the vintage/nostalgic feel that has remained in its presence.
When Justin is on stage, he loves to see the audience singing an original song that he has wrote. “Anytime I play an original song and someone knows it, it’s great.” One of Justin’s favorite moments was when performing at “The Newport Music Hall.” He adds, “It was a great feeling that I’d never felt before and it was the first time we ever had our own dressing room.”
Inspiration
Justin was inspired to start writing poetry in the 5th grade when he was first given a writing assignment by one of his teachers. This inspiration comes from all different walks of life, which gets better over time. “There have been times I’ve had an idea for 5 years and haven’t been able to write anything until a spontaneous moment would hit and then I’d write the lyrics…Other times I’ll just have word vomit…but generally I just try to let my writing happen naturally.”
As for his work with Sacra Via, it took them about a year to record their album. The band members did everything themselves in various studio locations and “remote cabs.” The album was co-written by Justin himself and James Perrine. Justin currently has about 10-15 complete songs ready to go. “I don’t have an album and the songs are not all consolidated but I’m hoping within a year it will be.”
Justin would not be opposed to being in a band again but he would not want to rush anything. However, he laments, “To creatively fiend off of another human being is irreplaceable.” One of his better memories while performing has been when he was able to open with his first band for three different country artists and when he opened up for Taproot, Smile Empty Soul and Black Stone Cherry with Sacra Via.
Looking back and ahead
If there is one thing that Justin could change, he states “I would’ve been taking this more seriously earlier in life. I didn’t get serious until I was about 24 years old and that is when I was ready to pack up and go on tour.” He confessed “if you had asked me in October if I was exactly where I needed to be, I’d have said yes but now that I’m starting fresh and doing it all on my own, I’d say I’m a bit behind but at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason.”
In addition to music, Justin is a soccer coach, sells real estate and is a member of the Lions International Convention. Looking ahead Justin would like to be touring, he mentions, “I’d like my travel time to extend so I can play gigs. I now play regionally but I’d like to step it up.”
Check out the following links to get more information on Justin Arthur, Sacra Via and the concept album The Fields of Gettysburg:
No Class Assassins: Survivor men
By Taylor Law
Based in Port Huron, Michigan, No Class Assassins is a metal band that that is unafraid to tackle deep and dark issues. “We always loved heavy metal and the dark side of everything,” explains lead singer Jay Shurkey. With a lot of passion and songs to show for it, No Class Assassins is a band to keep on the radar. “We’re going to be around for a while, we’re not going anywhere.”
New Assassins
The band members all attended the same high school, and found common ground as metal lovers. Dave Kelsey, guitar player for No Class Assassins, was a few years older than the others. Meanwhile, Jay and bassist Chris Stotler graduated the same year. Funny enough, all the members played different instruments for their first project, God Is Stoned. “We had troubles putting our flyers up at certain places” Jay jokes in regards to the name. “We played in our hometown. Years went on and then we started up No Class Assassins. We got the name from the movie Lucky Number Sleven—a movie about assassins.” In the movie, Morgan Freeman says the line “We are world class assassins.” The line stuck with the group, and they put a clever twist on it. “We aren’t high class assassins. We’re no class assassins,” Shurkey says.
Bringing the aggression
The band consists of Dave, Jay, and Chris. Currently, they’re in between drummers. “We’re keeping it a secret for the fans,” says Jay. Regardless of the change in lineup, the band members continue to produce music. When asked about the song writing process, Shurkey described it as collaborative—and that every song in its production description will say “written by No Class Assassins” instead of a particular member. “It’s more of a collaboration of all of us. The guitarist and the drummer have the main chemistry going on. They’re the core of it all. Chris and I are like the icing on the cake,” Jay explains.
It can be hard to pinpoint No Class Assassins’ sound, because they like to draw from different sources of music, while always remembering to stay aggressive. “We’re a metal hardcore band. We have bluesy riffs, some sludge—we want to incorporate a lot of different styles in our music. The idea of incorporating another guitar player came up. We would have a fuller sound, but we like the keeping it open. It forces you to be more creative.”
“We always wanted to be a metal band like Pantera,” Jay emphasizes. Some other bands that influence No Class Assassins include Alice in Chains, Crowbar, and Vision of Disorder. “My personal influences are the Misfits. Dave likes Despise Icon, and Chris is into Guns N’ Roses.”
The Struggle
Pulling from personal memories and general experiences that would “piss anyone off,” No Class Assassins keeps it real with the themes of songs, whether they talk about drugs, ex-girlfriends, death, or going to jail. The band is currently in the process of recording new tracks, with the production help of Mike Hasty (the guitar player for the Walls of Jericho) to mix and master the record. Coming together, the songs all delve into deep concepts. “I would say that the story is just about everyday experiences and life,” Jay Shurkey states about the future recordings. “[There’s a focus on] things that happen in life, positive or negative. We tend to focus on the negative aspect of things because we are a metal band, things like growing up, jail time, being depressed, money issues, drugs, fights… In general, the struggle [itself].”
Regardless of the darker themes that the songs emulate, No Class Assassins continues to climb the latter of success and fight the struggle—especially when it comes to funding the band. Some band members have a criminal record, making the job hunt very difficult. “Chris is a substitute teacher, and is highly dedicated to his job and music. We get the funding from him, and he doesn’t mind putting money towards things,” states Jay appreciatively. “I sold my car to get into the studio.” Ultimately, the band mates make it work, keeping music their main motivation.
An outlet for life
For the future, No Class Assassins has new songs to look forward to, and in addition more touring. “We definitely want to tour, and hopefully play one day at Dirt Fest. It’s like Warped Tour but for metal heads. We want to get into big festivals. It comes with time but it’s something we always wanted to do. We love playing live… We’re going to get a trailer and hook it up to the van.”
Dedicated and focused on gaining more fans, the band members of No Class Assassins are adamant about working hard until they reach their musical goals. “We call ourselves survivor men. This is part as who we are; we don’t look at it like a job. We love talking to our fans and our biggest hobby is promoting. It’s our outlet, [playing metal and] being angry, but we are the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”
SIOS and “The World of 8”
By Taylor Law
Overcoming a number of obstacles and going against all odds, SIOS is a band that has gained a lot of history in a short period of time. First starting off as female-fronted band and eventually becoming SIOS today, the band brings a new wave of progressive rock to its listeners. “Through all [the] troubles, I think I speak for the whole band when I say that the current state of the band is the most solid and exciting that it's ever been!” says vocalist and bassist Phill Defreitas.
Reforming and re-adapting
After a previous band split, members of the current lineup were heading their separate ways until Chris Cruz, lead guitarist, wrote something extremely different than he normally had. “That song came out to be ‘The Evil In Us.’ After I wrote that song I decided to adapt the name of the world I had created in a previous story I was writing and thus SIOS was born.”
“Chris intended to keep that song as part of a solo project of his, but he thought bringing me into the picture to do bass would be a great dynamic to add to the music,” Phill reminisces. “From there, finding all the members was just a process that took a couple of months time.” Eventually, Gabe Scholis-Fernandez (drums) came into the picture as well as Jake Ball (rhythm guitarist)—both through ads on Craigslist. “Now that all the right members are in place, we've managed to establish a great chemistry and sound together.”
The band is working harmoniously, so what barriers could there have possibly been? Before the current state of content SIOS has now, there were some obstacles they had to face. “We had singers coming in and out of the band every other week,” Chris remembers in regards to trying to find a female vocalist. “After a lot of frustration in not finding the right person, we decided to let Phill try his hand at it.” A successful endeavor, Phill became the new front man—most obviously altering the concept of having female vocals. Shaping into SIOS today also required a change in lineup. Having difficulties with the previous rhythm guitarist, SIOS decided to take a chance on Jake Ball, a decision that no one regrets.
Formed in Jaunary 2011, SIOS is a relatively young band—not only in formation but also in years. “Our drummer Gabe is currently a senior in high school. I actually finished high school last year,” Phill says about the band’s youth. “I think the contrast between our age and our sound really caught people off-guard because maybe they expected the sound to be a bit more immature or not as developed… We have actually received much praise from fans, journalists, and professional musicians we've looked up to regarding [our] debut release.”
Carnival-like chaos
Described as progressive rock or art rock, SIOS band members agree that the sound they create is complex. “When it comes to recording our stuff, it's always a lot more than just a beat, bass line, two guitar parts, and some vocals. We tend to have a lot of fun with layers and things to give the music an awesome vibe and atmosphere.”
“[In terms of our sound] I think I would say something along the lines of very dense and very carnival-like. I say carnival-like because there is a lot going on in the music, almost in a hectic or chaotic sense… The whole carnival thing is just an expression to say that all these layers coming together makes it very much like walking through a carnival, with all the people running around, all the rides and their lights and music blaring at the same time...it's a dense and colorful environment.”
SIOS pulls from a multitude of influences ranging from Michael Jackson to Queen to Metallica. Describing the band members as diverse in terms of influences, Phill emphasizes how hard it is to define the band’s fusion of the influences. “[Our sound is] such a deep hybrid of so many styles of music put together, and you might say that this fact in itself is what makes the sound different and unique.”
"The World of 8"
SIOS has released its debut album, Halcyon Failure—the first part to an epic storyline that SIOS hopes flows throughout each future release. “The concept is mainly about a god known as SIOS that creates life on this planet called ‘The World of 8.’ He creates a wonderful civilization in which they flourish for many years in peace,” Phill begins, setting the foundation of the story. “In time, the people start to rebel for many reasons, and it creates a lot of chaos in The World of 8, also giving birth to many factions and underground groups each with their own goal. Our debut album, Halcyon Failure, is mainly the chapter in the story talking about what happens when your creation goes against you.”
With the visual help of artist Elizabeth Visco, SIOS has made the storyline come alive. SIOS is excited to continue working within the plot, while also staying open in musical concepts and styles.
Taking the nation… eventually
Gaining attention from their personal influences (for example, the band 3), the band members of SIOS are confident that their fan base is growing. Some fans have come from YouTube® and watching SIOS vidoes, others from a recent radio interview, and many from hearing the band live. “So far we've had incredible reception when people hear us live,” Phill states positively. “I don't think I've had one negative comment from anyone after a gig.”
Playing in only venues across the New Jersey area, SIOS hopes to branch out and hit other areas across the United States. “Right now we are just trying to get some details figured out for touring like buying a trailer to transport gear, having to book each date accordingly and whatnot,” Phill explains on the current hold up to tour. “It's a process that will no doubt be tedious, but exciting at the same time!”
At the end of the day, SIOS is focused on spreading news about Halcyon Failure. In order to do so, the band members are making it a goal to tour in the future. With a lot of exciting ideas and concepts in the air, SIOS is a progressive rock band that creates innovative music and possesses an inner strength that allows it to overcome any struggle.
“We like to be organic as possible, so we don't really follow a certain formula when it comes to [music],” Chris sums up. “We usually practice at least 2-3 times a week. If it weren't for realistic issues like gas and work, I think we'd live in Gabe’s basement 24/7 just jamming out!”
Stephen Oran: Finding his voice
By Xhiljola Nano
Stephen Oran was born and raised in Northeast Kansas City, Kansas and grew up on all different types of music. “Growing up, music was ALWAYS in the house and it was just a natural progression for me," he says. As a self-taught musician, he plays three instruments (guitar, keys and drums) and is currently learning bass. After playing in a few bands in college, he started writing and producing music for other artists. However, he always had a drive to pursue his own project. “Deep down inside I always wanted to take center stage, so I decided to do just that and I haven’t looked back!”
Music and inspiration
Stephen classifies his music simply as Rock and Soul comparable to a blend of various artists and genres: Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Parliament/ Funkadelic, The Ohio Players, Cameo and the Winans just to name a few. He continues by saying “They range from the harmonies of gospel, to the energy of rock, to the “soul” of soul, to the attitude of funk. All of these are just a part of me and it comes out in my music.”
While describing where his inspiration comes from. Stephen says, “Life. Mine, Yours. The things that either have happened, are happening or are going to happen around us”. He believes almost anyone can relate to his music because we go through similar things in our lives, which is connected through music. He explains: “The lyrics; the melody; the mood of the music; All of this allows us to connect. There are things that the everyday person feels, but really hasn’t found the words to express. A song can be that ‘voice’ for them. Yes, there are some people that have experiences that others will NEVER have, but a song can help us ‘walk in their shoes.’ Music helps us relate to one another, because on some level, we experience the same emotions. We all have the human experience in common. Our experiences are different, but similar in a lot of ways.”
Performances
While onstage, Stephen loves to see the audience enjoying the music. He exclaimed “All performers feed of that energy. We LOVE it!”
Stephen believes that musicians have the power to truly impact and change another person’s life. He mentioned, “We can do this by what we put out there lyrically. The tongue has the power of life and death. I try to say things that will inspire people to be ALIVE.” When asked what his thoughts are on what the music industry is currently lacking, Stephen admits “Musicianship, heart and soul. We are missing a certain warmth. I’m down with using technology, but I also like actual instruments being played by human beings.”
Future
Stephen hopes that he will continue to always create great music. He spoke about some of his musical goals: “I hope to have a fan base that will grow with me. I look at bands like The Grateful Dead and Maze f/Frankie Beverly. They go for YEARS without putting out new music, yet every time they come to town, they sell out the arena. Their fans introduced their children to the music. They have a whole new generation of fans. That is what I’m striving for.”
Music has played an incredible role in Stephen’s life. “Music for me is like a calendar. I remember where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, etc. by what song was playing on the radio; I remember people, places and things because of what music was hittin’ at the time”. He laughed “It is like therapy in that it helped ease the pain when “she” broke my heart, whoever ‘she’ was that month!” Music has been a major component in Stephen’s life and aided him through every walk and every journey. In the future Stephen hopes to be touring and making a living through his music. He would like his fans to know that he has put a lot of effort and time into his music and it is one of the most important things in his life.
In addition, he’s finishing up an EP and is starting a Kickstarter campaign to fund the post production portion of this project. As Stephen moves forward, his advice to young musicians is “If this is your passion, don’t give up!”
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