Category: Interviews

Lee Brice Chats With NYSMusic About Music and Life

One of the most anticipated country music shows of the year for Central New York is this week’s headliners Lee Brice and Chris Young, as they come to the Syracuse, OnCenter War Memorial. As Lee and Chris kick off their nationwide tour that will take them across America and the Pacific Ocean from Syracuse, NY to Hawaii, Kathy had a moment to speak with Lee about his musical career and future projects.

Lee Brice – Photo Credit Ryan Smith

Kathy Stockbridge: Lee, I want to thank you so much for agreeing to talk to today.

Lee Brice: Well hey there Kathy, how are you?

KS: Well I am doing great, thank you. Although New York has a reputation of being cold and frigid, we certainly are looking forward to giving you and Chris Young a warm Central NY welcome this week here in Syracuse when you arrive.

LB: I cannot wait to get there. This will be mine and Chris’ first show together of the year, so we’re excited too!

KS: Oh my, I think we are all over the moon with excitement to have both of you at the same time. This is awesome! Now you grew up in Sumter, SC, which is right down the street from my happy place, Charleston, SC. You have been singing and playing your whole life, talk to us a little about how the music bug bit you and the journey it’s taken you on.

LB: Well, it’s a thing that’s just been in me, the music, since I was a kid. I played to play, and sang to sing. It never left me. I went off to high school, and college, and worked some, but music just kept on calling to me. So I went off to Nashville. I felt that as long as I kept working hard at things, it kept working for me, and it’s been a beautiful ride.

KS: You have been tearing up the charts with hit after hit, but I don’t think people realize you’ve been in the business for a lot of years both performing and writing songs. You have penned some of the most famous songs around Nashville over the last few years. Talk to us a little bit about that songwriting process and how you came from writing songs, to performing, and the transition to where you are today.

LB: I was always writing the songs to sing them. When I came to Nashville, I had been writing since I was about 10, I had a little bit more success early on as a songwriter than as an artist… it worked well for me as I was able to take those songs on the road and play them. I think there’s nothing better than being a songwriter.

KS: And you have a knack for it. Your songs touch on subjects we can all relate to. Songs like “Drinking Class”, it just epitomizes us as hardworking, fun loving people, “I Don’t Dance”, and “I Drive My Truck”, these songs tell stories and touch on real life feelings. Now how do you decide to keep a song or give it away to someone else to sing? How does that work?

LB: It’s one of those things you can’t put a finger on. There have been a couple of songs I wanted to keep for myself that I ended up giving away and they worked out okay.

KS: I give you credit, I think I would be territorial and say, “No, that’s mine”. Must be hard to give them away. I also want to thank you and Sara both for sharing with us moments of your wedding…as a photographer I cannot tell you how much I loved the video on “I Don’t Dance”, I loved the vintage look. Share with us how you came about saying, I want to share that part of my life with my audience. A lot of artists are guarded, they don’t want to share such intimate details, and you and Sara opened your lives up and put it out there for the rest of the world to enjoy and relate to you folks. Talk to me about the video.

LB: Yes, Sara definitnely is very private so I was very happy when she was okay with the idea of us sharing some of the wedding footage. I knew I had written “I Don’t Dance” and I had this feeling that I wanted to have some wedding footage in it. I just thought, that it was just “us” (the concept) and I wanted to share her all over the world. So I brought in a guy to shoot footage on that old 8mm film. I wanted it to feel really really real, so I had plans for it back then. Then with Sara’s help, she helped decide what would and wouldn’t go in the video so that it was just right. She helped me so much on that video. Our next door neighbor was producer and we both got to go right into the studio with him as we were editing, so she got really deep into that one. So a lot of what you’re seeing, is Sara.

KS: I have to say, it is absolutely beautiful. Thank you both so much for sharing all that with us. I truly loved it. Now, I Don’t Dance is your third album, and you produced this album. Explain if you would to our readers, what it is mean to produce an album and how much does that play a part in the finished product you put out to your fans.

LB: Well producing an album is having a part in every single aspect of the album. From the music, and every single part of that music, to where it gets recorded, how it gets recorded, and the songs that go on it, the order they go on it…I mean there’s a lot that goes on besides just the music, and then on top of that the producer oversees exactly what the music needs to be. Me as an artist, I’m not really trying to be a producer, I just want to make my own music.

KS: Right, I understand.

LB: I want to do what my ears are hearing and kinda be true to me, but I have co-producers that I work with as well and they are really awesome. They help keep me on the path, and we work so well together, were just great friends so it works out really great.

KS: This winter tour that you and Chris as starting this week will take you across the nation, staring in frigid, Syracuse, NY and ending in balmy Hawaii. I know, someone has to do these tough jobs. We’re so excited to kick it off here for you this week. Tell us in addition to the tour what are some future projects we can share with our readers to watch out for?

LB: Well, I am producing a couple other folks that are right on the crest of some great things happening. Just some amazing artists; there’s American Young who is actually my co-producer Jon Stone’s band, and so I’m actually producing their record with them. That’s really exciting. I’m also working on some stuff with my brother, Lewis, and we’re in the studio working on some things that are almost finished. I’m also working with a band called Sister C, three sisters who are amazing. So, check them out, American Young, Lewis Brice, and Sister C.

KS: I definitely will. Thank you again Lee for taking the time to speak to our readers. We are really looking forward to this week with you coming to Syracuse, and wish you all the best as you tour across America. Thank you so much.

LB: Thank you so much, you were so wonderful.

As I ended the interview with Lee, I stopped to reflect on what a down to earth decent guy he was, and how easy he made the interview. Someone great once said that all an interview is, is a conversation between two folks. Sometimes those conversations are just enjoyable and that’s the category this one fell into. As someone who loves what he does this much, Lee will most definitely bring it to the stage and leave it behind for those he entertains. This is one show I am eagerly anticipating.

Hope to see you all at The Oncenter War Memorial, this Thursday, at 7:30 pm for Lee Brice, Chris Young, and the Brothers Osborne in one of Central NY’s country highlights this year. Tickets can be purchased online at for $41.50, $37 and $31.50 (additional fees may apply); they will be available in person at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter (760 S. State Street), charge by phone (315.435.2121) or online via Ticketmaster.com.

January 20, 2015
The Buddhahood and Friends 7th Annual January Thaw Concert Celebrates the life of Tony Cavagnaro

In just a week the music Gods will be bestowed upon us when music lovers in Rochester will descend upon the Historic German House for the Buddhahood’s 7th annual January Thaw tribute concert on January 24. The event is held in celebration of the life and music of local music legend, Tony Cavagnaro, who was tragically lost in a car accident in 2007. The proceeds from this event go towards the Tony Cavagnaro Young Musician’s Scholarship Fund, which benefits the Hochstein School of Music and Dance.

Keeping Tony in our hearts and minds and at the forefront of our spirit as a group has helped keep The Buddhahood alive. Celebrating his musical legacy — and his January birthday — has become an annual tradition.”

Buddhahood bassist Rick Whitney

The Buddhahood, a band founded by Cavagnaro, has hosted this event annually during the month of January in celebration of Cavagnaro’s birthday. The show features a variety of special guests and friends to share in the celebration. This year the Buddhahood will be joined by special guests, Teressa Wilcox & Nate Coffey. Also set to appear at January Thaw are friends, Frank Boehm, Chris English, Suzi Willpower, Opal Rose, Chrissy Beth Apples and so many more. The doors open at 7PM. Advance tickets are still available for $10 at Aaron’s Alley, the venue box office and any member of the band. Tickets will be $15 the day of the show so get them now and don’t be left out in the cold when you should be getting toasty inside.

I had an opportunity to sit in on a band practice and talk to the Buddhahood about what this event means to them and why they keep it going year after year. What I encountered was a casual conversation with a band I have been listening to since the good old days, when Park Ave. Fest meant two full days of music with the Buddhahood behind Hogan’s Hideaway. What I learned was what sustains the ever evolving love and light harnessed by Cavagnaro, that was and still is, The Buddhahood.

The studio where the band practices and records is a visual history of the band and all its incarnations. With concert posters from shows past, recording equipment, instruments, photos of Cavagnaro, photos of the band members and their families, and statues of Buddha. Simple symbols that represented the presence of the Buddhahood, an eclectic grouping of cherished memories.

Kristen Mack-Perry: Let’s talk about January Thaw, Tony, and how you got to where you are now. What is it that you all want to create in having January Thaw?

Pete Mugnolo: We want to give back to the community, and do it in a way that benefited young musicians. Because When we originally thought of this idea, Tony was always do that; he was always teaching, but he would do much more than teach. He would kind of take young musicians under his wing and not only show them how to play guitar but how to function in a band. Like with the Panda guys, he really helped them get started.

KMP: One really fun thing about January Thaw is how many guests you have come in, how do they all connect with this event?

Gabe Costanzo: Well a lot of them used to be in the band, and a lot of them used to be in Tony’s bands

KMP: Well it does seem that the members of the band are always changing and evolving, do you think that’s what the structure of the Buddhahood is? a band that doesn’t need to be a certain set-up, you’re just constantly evolving?

Pete: Well Tony would always say, “I’m the only member of this band that has to show up.” Because we got substitutes for everybody! But we never got a substitute for Tony. We always played with Tony, if he couldn’t play the gig then we didn’t do it. With every single lineup, Tony was the one constant. He would say, “I am the only one that can’t be substituted”… and then he died. As a band we were like, well do we keep playing? So we had Grape Fest booked and we cancelled everything else, and we played the Naples Grape Fest because that was a drum march. It wasn’t supposed to be but we did it anyway.

Gabe: We asked if we could just show up and do the all acoustic drum march, ya know the drum and horn march that was all acoustic, and we did, because we just couldn’t do the whole stage show.

Pete: But we put together the first tribute concert November 18, after Tony died. It was at Water Street Music Hall; which was kinda like the wake we all needed to have. We just got everybody together because we wanted to raise money for Jan and Calvin. So we did the tribute and we realized that the band is not just any particular person, it’s not any one personality, its kind of its own entity. It’s an energy that people gravitate to, and that’s what the band is. We thought, it couldn’t be the Buddhahood without Tony, but apparently it can be. It’s different, but ya know.

KMP: At last year’s January Thaw I remember Calvin coming up on stage to play with you, what does that mean to all of you to be able to share that? Do you think that’s something that would have happened if Tony was here, would he have just naturally brought Calvin on stage?

Gabe: It’s organic in a weird sort of way

Pete: It’s just the right, umm… of course!

Gabe: Well we weren’t the ones to suggest it, Jan came to us and said, “Ya know, Calvin is getting really good at the clarinet, and he wants to play.” Before he played on stage, he used to go up and tell jokes, he was our MC.

Pete: He sang Happy Birthday one year

Gabe: So it was just a continuation of that. He’s doing something again this year.

Pete: Having Calvin on stage with us, is like an assurance that the music will live on [through Tony] its like the next generation continuing to play Tony’s music ya know. I’m hoping there’s a Buddhahood when I’m like 100 years old and I’m just the old guy who shows up every now and then and plays a shaker.

KMP: So this is the 7th annual January Thaw?

Gabe: yup, the first one was in 2009

KMP: This is a benefit show, where does your donation go to? do you know who it benefits specifically each year?

Pete: We donate the proceeds from the show to the Tony Cavagnaro Young Musicians Scholarship Fund at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance

Gabe: And they are always keen to tell us, “your donation went to help a young guitar player” or you know, they don’t tell us who it is but, they do let us know how it helps, so that’s nice.

KMP: Is teaching music something Tony was always passionate about?

Gabe: Well I don’t know many people who have made a living at only playing music, and Tony was certainly no exception. One of the things he did do was teaching; he owned a music shop once too, he’s done a lot of things in the music business. But teaching was always there, it was one of the things he always did.

Jim Schwartz: Teaching young musicians, guitar players and mentoring other bands, like the Giant Panda Dub Squad.

KMP: That’s just so awesome, it’s like a family of music to be a part of the Buddhahood.

Gabe: I think it is a family, and ya know, different aspects of the show, like having Calvin and having all of our guests, and the scholarship donation, it really is in a way, closing a lot of circles and keeping the whole thing going.

KMP: [to Matthew] You’re the newest member of the band, the youngest, what is it like to come into a band like this?

Matthew Sieber-Ford: Yeah, the band has such a history and its like, the band is like a family and the history of the band is like a culture. I mean you could take a class and you know, you get to graduate on the history of the Buddhahood. Every time i sit down with somebody, and not the people in the band, I hear all about how “oh I saw them play this” or “I saw them do this once,” – so there is this whole history behind it. When I first started playing [saxophone] I was playing Jazz. Then I was just hanging out and playing music with the Buddhahood, not playing with the band, but just hanging out, and that just completely just opened up my ears and my mind to like a whole new world. Playing with them is a whole other thing, I mean I’m playing with people who are old enough to be my parents as opposed to my peers, its nice to play with people who have done it before and have been doing it a long time. It has totally changed my attitude about things. The family of the Buddhahood reaches far beyond just being in the band, and so many other bands support this band.

KMP: That explains all your fantastic guests at the show, they all seem so excited to be a part of the show, and doing something with all of you in celebration of Tony. With the show now in its seventh year, what has it become for you as a whole?

Gabe: It’s a reunion of sorts

Jim: It gives us the opportunity to rekindle our memories of Tony in a community setting when we have all of the people who are not a part of the band on a regular basis, all come together, for the purpose of playing Tony’s music and keeping it alive and keeping it vibrant. A lot of it is timeless, ya know, you can play it today or twenty years from now and it would still be valid.

Follow The Buddhahood on social media –

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/buddhahood

The Buddhahood Facebook: www.facebook.com/buddhahoodmusic

Cdbaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheBuddhahood
January Thaw Concert FB: https://www.facebook.com/JanuaryThawConcert

January 16, 2015
Interview: A Look Into the Sorcery with Consider the Source

In 2014, Consider the Source dropped their first studio album in four years, World War Trio: Part I, and Upstate New York was honored with the inaugural live voyage when CTS played a special release show on Halloween in Albany. The trio has a devout following and the album showcases the creativity, talent, and discipline that flow smoothly and abundantly from each band member.

I recently caught up with the guys from CTS to get some insight into the sorcery. I learned Winooski, Vermonters can attest that Gabe was really bad before getting really good, John’s favorite musical moment came while jamming with Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff lets his good looks do 99% of the talking. Check out the interview to learn more about the best trio going.

Garrett William Montgomery (GW): You guys have been at it a while, you’ve been together about 10 years?

John Ferrara (JF): This is technically our tenth year.

Gabriel Marin (GM): The first couple years was just every month or so we’d get together and jam a bit.

GW: A mutual friend introduced you?

JF: A mutual friend introduced Gabe and the original drummer, Justin, and Justin and I grew up together. So when Justin jammed with Gabe he was like, ‘hey, you gotta come play with this guitarist.’

GM: I have a vivd image of Justin’s old band and my old band playing together at CBGB’s next door. And I remember thinking that guy is nasty so when I got with Justin, I was like ‘you gotta get that guy John to come jam.’ So that was pretty fun. Our bands played with a lot of mutual friends so we knew of each other, but didn’t know each other.

JF: It’s funny… Gabe was in the most popular band in his high school and not to be… I’ll just say, my band was pretty good too.

GW: You were in your school’s best band too, you can say it John. It’s no surprise. So, Justin was the original drummer?

GM: Yeah, and he was great, it’s great. He’s still a good friend and came to our show in New York; his brother’s our manager.

GW: So where do you come into the picture, Jeff?

Jeff Mann (JM): Craigslist (laughs).

GM: We did a lot of trials, and he was the last of the first batch.

JF: We had all sorts of crazy online things. Some were really good, but some were really weird.

GM: We had a lot of guys really good at one aspect…jazzy, or heavy, but not rounding it all together. We also thought he was the hottest (laughs).

GW: Those locks are striking. Speaking of looks…how did the all white/ all black outfits come about?

JF: We had talked about doing it for a while. One day we just did it

GM: We mentioned it for such a long time. We all had the idea, it happened once, and we were like ‘wow, it works.’ Now it’s a mental thing for us, it’s a mental thing for the audience. It’s also a practical thing because the lights never bounce weird off them. The only thing that’s tough is keeping the whites white on tour.

JF: Coffee stains…any stains…(laughs). No, but it’s cool. It cleanses the palette, sets the stone, clears the space before we start playing. We spend so much time in the van driving, often 8 or 9 hours a day in whatever clothes we’re in, clothes from the day before sometimes. It’s really hard to do laundry on the road. After a stressful day if we get a flat tire or the AC breaks, we’re like ‘ok, let’s get up here and we’re fresh. It’s show time!’

GW: Before getting up there, how do you come up with a set list?

GM: It’s a group set list. We change the order up, but we keep most songs from night to-night. We have enough freedom within the songs that even if we did play the same exact set different nights, people would think it’s totally different.

GW: Right. Lots of improv. So how do you communicate during jams and improv runs?

JF: Just listening, and there are a few musical cues.

JM: Lots of eye contact.

GM: If someone has an extended solo, anything can happen for a while, but eventually it’ll land somewhere on something we all realized we’re going with.

JF: Then when we get into one of those sections, there’s a lot of freedom for each of us to do whatever we feel. The three of us all listen to different music, but there’s a lot of overlap. And because we’re always in the van together, we’re listening to music together. I think we’re getting to the point where we’re speaking the same language so even when we’re practicing, we hear each other and warm up on ideas, and they all seep in and then on stage, you’ll realize ‘oh yeah, that’s Gabe doing that thing from rehearsal,’ or Jeff’s doing some cool drum thing and it’s like ‘that’s from the other night. I see where he’s going.’

GM: It becomes one mind. Sometimes we’ll be practicing on opposite sides of the room, just stop, and look at each other. Without saying anything but we know, “yeah, that was it!”

GW: So…Gabe, how did you get that guitar?

GM: It’s the fretless and the fretted. I saw a long time ago a picture in a guitar magazine. And then I saw someone play it on TV when I was 19 or 20 and I knew that’s how I wanted to play. On the old jazz channel, it was the Screaming Headless Torsos. And the midi pickups, I saw some guy doing some really bad stuff with it…he sounded really cheesy, but I remember thinking it could be really great with the fretless. The day I got it we had a gig in Winooski, VT and I had never used it before and I was terrible. But a couple of days later it just clicked and sounded great. I remember John being like ‘Why would you play it on the first day?!’

JF: That was an assault man (laughs).

GW: You’ve got a pretty sweet Roland drum pad, Jeff…

JM: I had a pad for a long time. I didn’t use it much when I joined the band, but there were a couple of songs that needed samples so I started using it more. I’ve been slowly incorporating it a little more.

GW: You guys play acoustic and electric sets… do you prefer one or the other?

JF: It’s cool having both. I don’t think any of us really prefer either. It’s cool now because we’re kinda starting fresh again… it’s kind of like a new band. We each have instruments that we’re not as proficient on. It makes us think differently and approach song-writing differently, too. We’d never have a 4 minute song with electric stuff. It’s a new perspective. For the past 4 years or so, we have built up so much material, so it’s nice to have a fresh batch of music.

GW: So the acoustic side is relatively new?

JF: Yeah. We just did one set at Catskill Chill a few years ago and it was awesome but pretty unstructured. Then we really started doing it last summer. And this summer it’s become really solidified.

JM: No one else is really doing it, so it’s a nice thing to have.

GM: If it was all-electric, it could be too much after a while even for us. We all like intense music. But after one set, it can be enough. Playing the acoustic stuff gives us the opportunity to do two sets and not be overly intense. Although, it’s not like the acoustic set is less intense…just less loud (laughs).

JF: It’s in a different vein.

GW: Alright…so, an average music fan at their 1st CTS show…what do you tell them going into it?

JF: One thing we pride ourselves on is that we have something for everyone. We have so many different sides…the world side, a metal side, a large improvisational side rooted in our love for jazz, we have funk, ever since Jeff joined we have reggae, some other new stuff. And we don’t have a singer…so what? We have elements that will resonate with everyone. Most genres in the west we cover to some extent.

GW: Are there any special moments you’ve all had as a band?

JF: We did a festival last summer and Oteil Burbridge came in and jammed. That was one of the coolest moments ever. From the first note it was just special. That was the best.

GM: I think we’ve got to wrap it up now, but I hope you’ll think tonight is pretty special too.

January 12, 2015
Interview with Chris Alan of Passion in Constellation

Passion in Constellation is the evolving brainchild of Chris Alan. This project can be described as synth-pop. But this is not just like any electronic music; this music involves guest vocals with some very passionate lyrics that give more of an indie feel to the music too. Passion in Constellation has been making a name for itself all around Buffalo, being mentioned on BuffaBLOG (Buffalo’s Local Music Blog) website and podcast and has had air play on What You’re Missing podcast.

Alan graduated from Fredonia State in which he studied recording arts and guitar performance. He has also worked with Buffalo’s very own Well Worn Boot with producing their last two albums. He recently released a single called We Want It All ft Cara Doyle who is also a fellow Fredonia graduate. The single has been receiving airplay on a few podcasts.

Alan and I set up an interview where he shared his passion for music, how he got started and his accomplishments.

CK: How did Passion in Constellation start?

CA: Passion in Constellation started as a way for me to share my music to the world and the people I love while also keeping it consistent. I’ve written and producer many different genres but the music I really enjoy writing is somewhere within Indie and Electronic arena.

CK: What was your first project?

CA: The very first band I played and wrote with was called SpeakWrite, back in middle school which was barely heard beyond my basement. It was a hardcore band and we all had a lot of fun with it.

CK: Cara said she was nervous with doing the song with Passion in
Constellation how did you convince her and how did you pick her for the song?

CA :She was a bit nervous, but who isn’t when placed in the spotlight! Especially being it her first time recording in a studio. I had first heard her singing voice from a video she posted on Facebook singing a song with her father. After writing “We Want It All”, I knew her voice would be the perfect complement to the music.

CK: Are there any other projects you are currently working on?

CA: I’m always in the studio writing. My next release is going to be a bit untraditional but it has been a very fun project to work on. It’ll be an Ep called, “Forfeit the Genre”, it’ll feature three previous Passion tracks remixed in a hip-hop styling with a rap vocalist. Additionally, I am in the works of writing a new song in a similar vein as “We Want It All” to have Cara sing some more epic vocals.

You can download Passion in Constellation on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

January 4, 2015
A Chat With Queensbury’s Frank Palangi

NYS Music recently sat down with with Queensbury, N.Y native Frank Palangi, a rising star on the local rock scene. Palangi has opened for some big acts in the rock genre over the last couple of years besides headlining some of his own acoustic shows. Frank talks about how some of these opportunities presented themselves and where he is going in 2015.

Chad: Thank you for taking the time out to sit and chat with me for NYS Music!

Frank: Thank You.

Chad: The 2014 N.Y rock scene has seen a lot of Frank Palangi. You have opened for a lot of big names in the genre like Trapt, Powerman 5000, 3 Doors Down, Aaron Lewis from Staind and most recently Buckcherry. How did those opportunities present themselves?

Frank: It takes hard work and dedication and persistence to keep on moving forward. You really have to look out for all opportunities between booking sites, local venues, your fans and emailing and calling to make things happen. I’ve been blessed this year with all these acts and playing solo gigs every week this 2014 year.

Chad: After the Trapt show, I saw you talking with singer Chris Brown. With all the people who you have met during your young career so far, did he or anyone else give you some advice or pointers on the music industry that has helped you or will stick with you for a long time?

Frank: Chris gave me some. He seems like a cool guy. The first time I opened for him, I didn’t get to speak to him. I asked him mainly what he does for vocal warm ups and keeping your voice on track. I ask all singers I meet that question. (laughs) He was nice enough to take my card and hopefully open for them again when they come back around.

Chad: Yes I remember taking a picture of you and him at that show.

Chad: Now you have been playing acoustic at these shows which seems to be a popular format with bands these days venturing off on small acoustic tours and with the likes of local radio station Q 103’s Garage Sessions and Sirius/Xm Octane’s Unleaded series. What do you like most about the acoustic setting?

Frank: I like it because there’s less pressure. It’s an easier setup, so it takes less time, and your personality comes out more than with a full band. I like that raw type of sound and approach sometimes better. More people who ask for it, the popular it will get for that kind of acoustic rock style.”

Chad: Yes I’ve personally enjoyed a lot of the acoustic stuff out there lately. More than I expected I would but I dig it.

Chad: My nephew saw you play an electric set and he was like “Chad you have to see Frank Palangi. He is awesome.” I personally never had the chance to see you play electric. What happened to the band and is there any future plans on forming a band again and re visiting the electric side?

Frank: I’m currently looking for a drummer and bassist to bring that full sound together again. I enjoyed the full sound and playing with different people who I worked with. I’ve been through a number of players trying to find who meshes well. My current guitarist seems to fit very well, Jared. It will come together again. My fans have been asking for it.

Chad: Nice so maybe by the end of 2015 we will see the band assembled?

Frank: No idea. (laughs) Depending if I can get things together. (laughs)

Chad: Cool,Cool bro.

Chad: Have you ever thought about or would be willing to try out for t.v shows like America’s Got Talent to help gain more exposure on a national basis and possibly more or is that something that you’re not interested in doing?

Frank: Yes. I have before. I came close to making it on Rising Star this year. I went up to Boston after I get a call from the casting agent to audition for it in front of the producer of the show. I have also sent videos to The Voice and went to an America’s Got Talent tryout too.

Chad: So what happened with AGT? I think you could thrive in that setting if you can get on. How does that process work?

Frank: Never got a call back. (laughs)

Chad: (laughs) That’s b.s. Never give up though keep trying.

Frank: Stood in line with thousands of people for AGT.(laughs) I did meet Nick Cannon quickly.

Chad: That’s cool is he nice?

Frank: I’d say so (laughs)

Chad: What made Frank Palangi say I want to play music for a living?

Frank: It didn’t really start out that way, I just I wanted to do music and give it a good shot with making my own music. I’d say though it was when I met Day of Fire on their last day of their last tour at Upstate Concert Hall. After Josh Brown the singer listened to my CD on his bus ride home their producer Rogers Masson contacted me and then 3 months later I was in Nashville, Tennessee working on my first debut EP. From there I knew I wanted to stick with this and do it for a living and go more professional.

Chad: You must have been stoked when they contacted you?

Frank: They are one of my influences so for sure!

Chad: How do you go about the song writing process? Do you just sit down and try to pen one out or for an example your just going about your day and some words just pop in your head and your like this could be a song and starting writing it out?

Frank: I start out with the music. Usually I pick up a guitar I’ll start playing something and I turn that into a tune. Then based on how it feels, the words start to come to me. I do write down lines and ideas I have sometimes out of playing guitar too.

Chad: Nice. Everyone has their ways of doing it. (laughs)

Chad: Your sound check was cut short at the Buckcherry show but like a true professional you just shook it off and gave a great performance. How do you prepare for a show? Do you have any superstitions or rituals you do before you go on stage?

Frank: To be honest, no. (laughs) I stay calm and relaxing and make sure I’m warmed up vocally and in the right frame of mind. You have to forget about everything else in your life and just focus on the present.

Chad: While on stage at the Buckcherry show you talked about some of the plans you have in the works for early 2015, I think with a member from Daughtry. Could you tell us about exactly what you will be doing and how this opportunity came about and do you hope it leads to something more?

Frank: I’ll have a press release coming out soon with info on that

Chad: It will have something to do with a member of Daughtry though?

Frank: You’ll see. (laughs) Yes has to do with Daughtry (laughs)

Chad: I saw a quote on your website. You said “I have no plan b on backing down on my dreams.” What else is next for Frank Palangi that fans can get excited about?

Frank: I’m working on new material for this upcoming year, some unreleased material to be released somehow as well. Also a new music video for HOPE coming out early this year! More live shows and we’ll see where things move toward.

Chad: Awesome bro. Thanks for your time Frank. Best of luck to you in the future.

Frank: Thanks man. Also everyone can go to cdbaby.com and get a free download of the song “Hope.”

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January 3, 2015