Can you imagine the world without music? I think not. Music has lived for a long time and will actually live for an eternity. Even if the world dies, music will live on within our souls. What a great gift that has been given to us, right?
Now imagine the world with music that makes such a profound sound that wakes our senses up more than they already have? It is 2012, and rather than believing that world is coming to end, why not believe that we are all to experience a rebirth of sorts or a new awaking? And with that in mind, there is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that music has to come into play.
Introducing, Late Cambrian, a new Indie Rock band that will make such a profound change in your world that you won’t know what to do. But as evolution has made it for us in the past, you will figure it out and once you do, you’ll continue on with a huge smile.
What is Late Cambrian you ask? Well, the Cambrian period marked a profound change in life on earth. Living organisms that existed were tiny, unicellular and simple. The music coming out of them was far too quiet and according to God, the scenario had to change. Unfortunately, all of us missed this time period so we didn’t get to experience the growth of organisms and music. But as luck would have it and because this is the year of re-birth, God shed a little light and sprinkled some idea powder on a chosen and talented select few to make a new profound change. So, sit back, relax and find out more about Late Cambrian.
Arts A La Carte Magazine - How did music get deep within you and why has this become such a passion? What is your training and what have you done to date?
John - My sister received an acoustic guitar for Christmas. She had no interest in it at all and eventually sold it to me for $20. I took lessons for 2 months and quit to continue my learning by doing scales from Guitar World and Guitar Player magazines, learning the classic rock songs they tab out each month. I think I am a creative person, that is to say, an artist type…someone who needs to create music to feel like I am contributing to my life. It feels like music chose me and not the other way around, though that probably isn’t true. Before Singing and Playing Guitar in Late Cambrian I played guitar in a band called Flying Machines. We were signed to a distribution deal with EMI Records and we had a modest success story with a song called "On A Whim.”This new project is great. I feel really immersed in the creative process and I am learning new things all the time.
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Tell us about your band's name Late Cambrian and how it perfectly applies to your band?
John- Late Cambrian is a time period 490 million years ago. The world had just had an ice age and many of the species on earth had developed burrowing behavior to try to survive. The complexity of life in the Cambrian periods had increased dramatically from the life before. I guess this is all metaphorical in some way, but my original attraction to the name was that it signaled a time of organic life and creativity and development. The name feels indie rock but not in a cute way.
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Who are all of the band members and how did you come together? What venues have you played at? Do you always get along? Who is your target audience?
John - I knew Colin Schiller’s drumming style very well from past projects. It’s very direct and solid but also creative when it needs to be. We feed off each other when the vibe in the room is good and it helps me flesh out song ideas at rehearsal. I asked Colin to play on Late Cambrian’s 1st recording not knowing if it would be a band or a solo record. Turns out it is a band, and a really good one at that. While we were recording the 1st record I met O (our synth, percussion and background vocalist) while playing a patient on the set of the show Nurse Jackie. We became fast friends and she came and hung out while Colin and I were recording and eventually added background vocals to 3 of the tracks. It was around the recording of the 1st CD when O joined the band. Nunzio Moudatsos (Bass, Backing vocals) was a Craigslist find. People talk about how bad it can be auditioning people to be in their band, but I had a totally fun time. Nunzio was the 1st guy to come in and I would have chosen him for the job right away, but I wanted to make sure everyone who emailed us got a chance to try out. Nunzio is a great bass player and all around agreeable dude. His bass lines on our new Social Season EP will blow you away…funky stuff.
We have played many venues since the band’s 1st shows in March of 2011. In New York we’ve hit Spike Hill, Bruar Falls, Arlene’s Grocery, Webster Hall’s The Studio, Public Assembly, Bar Matchless, Fontana’s, Fat Baby etc. We toured through North Carolina twice and have won contests that took us to Bangor Maine for the Kickoff to KahBang (This year we play the main stage for the real KahBang!) …We played outdoors under the Manhattan Bridge for The Luckyrice Festival. It’s been a busy year and a half, as we have found time to do this while writing and recording our new EP and filming 3 music videos.
Our target audience are people who like alternative and indie rock. We’ve been told we sound like The Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks and early Weezer. I guess if you like alternative rock and indie rock; you’ll find something to love about what we are doing…
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Does your band have an agent and if so who? If not, what are reasons not to have one? How have you publicized about your band?
John - At the moment I am acting as the band’s booking agent. I feel like we are getting good shows and learning about the band still, so we prefer to keep it all a band operation. It will be great to have a booking agent when the time comes! I am also doing most of the publicity work as well. It’s a fun but daunting task, I’ve probably contacted over 100 magazines, blogs, and indie podcasts myself with an intro email and some mp3’s to download. SO far the reaction has been very positive (check out this great review we just received: http://www.musicemissions.com/artists/albums/index.php?album_id=15354 )
Arts A La Carte Magazine - What are the music videos that you have done so far? Tell us about the experiences and what they are about? Who was involved? Will you do more music videos?
John - Those Middle Years: Our first music video was filmed on my iPhone 4 using 8MM. I edited it on the phone as well. You know, it turned out pretty sweet and indie rock and I am proud of it. It’s for the 1st song on our debut album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0rCK6bmSc&feature=plcp Those Middle Years.
ND Passerby: We reached for the sky in our 2nd music video. It is a concept video about being an Extra in a movie. The song is called ND Passerby. We had 12 scenes to film in 12 hours at my cousin’s house, with numerous extras and outfit changes. It was an ambitious project to undertake, and with only one camera, but the director Chris Sanders kept it all moving at a quick stress free pace. I think it may be too much of an inside joke, but anyone who has been an extra on a set would appreciate the video…. http://youtu.be/rVzP5-HwwIE
The Last Concert: We filmed our third music video while in Boston playing a cool show with The Lights Out, a cool Boston band we know and trade shows with. It involves a split screen with the 4 members filmed walking through Boston on their own magical journeys…We walked backwards through the streets and the footage is played in reverse, so it seems like we are walking normal and everyone else is walking the wrong way… This video is being edited now and will be available to view very soon. I think it will be epic and totally a multiple view video.
Ryan Gosling: On June 17th we will be filming the 1st video for our new album. The song is called Ryan Gosling and we secretly hope Ryan Gosling himself shows up for the shoot… we’ll see…
Arts A La Carte Magazine - If your band got to tour the world in eighty-days, where would you want to see the band playing and where would you like the grand finale to be?
John - Well O and I did play 5 acoustic shows in Hong Kong in December of 2011. It was totally amazing really… I really want to tour the UK and New Zealand. I am also excited about Canada as there and a number of radio stations up there playing our new single (Ryan Gosling) already. Japan is definitely on my list! The Grand Finale would be to play Wembly Stadium opening for Weezer or The Arctic Monkeys, I can dream right? :-)
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Let's say that your band has the opportunity to do reality show where you had to live in one place for a month, would you do it? How would you see it playing out?
John - I would totally do it. Life is about the adventure is it not? We would work hard at becoming the best band we could every day and I feel like we could bang out like 7 new singles! In the end we are the sum of our experiences. That is what we would leave with, the life, slightly unhinged and always interesting, that we chose to be a part of.
Arts A La Carte Magazine - What is the biggest challenge about being in a band? How have you overcome that challenge?
John - I think every member of the band might find something else challenging. I am always moving and I am probably less patient than I should be so for me, the big challenge is to not let the quiet moments where it would seem nothing of note is happening get to me psychologically. It’s a morale thing, keeping the spirits high during downtime. I am always getting the band name out there, entering us in contests, emailing blogs and clubs, sending mp3’s to podcasts etc… This is how I keep myself centered, the behind the scenes stuff that many people don’t know how to do, or leave to someone else. I do it all and it keeps me sane. :-)
Arts A La Carte Magazine - What's next for Late Cambrian? Where is the band headed?
John - This is an exciting year for us. We have two performances at the KahBang Music Festival in Bangor on August 10th , http://www.kahbang.com/component/jcalpro/cal/date/2012-08-01 and a live TV interview and show at AF Sessions http://artsyfartsyblog.wordpress.com/tag/late-cambrian/
We have the aforementioned music video shoot on June 17th in Greenpoint, Brooklyn… and a possible mid to late July show at The Black Cat in DC! I am also waiting to hear from Summerfest about a possible slot there. Now THAT would be amazing!
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Where can people find out more information about Late Cambrian?
John -
www.latecambrian.com
www.facebook.com/latecambrian - these are the places that Late Cambrian resides most! Make sure to like us because you really will.
Arts A La Carte Magazine - Do you have any last words for the viewers?
John - Do right by those you love. Find something creative you like to do and do it at least once a day. Make this time you have interesting, sublime, and fun! See you on tour…
