MM –
Please, introduce the band to our readers. Who are the members of
S&M, when was the band formed and where do you call home?
The band was originally formed in 2000 by
bassist George Paris and I (Ryan Farrell). Then after many
line-up changes, we eventually hooked-up with guitarist Tony Cecala and
drummer Dan Huff, who knew each other for years before this band. We
currently consider Chicago, IL our hometown. |
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MM -
How would you
describe your style of music to someone who isn’t familiar with the band
and who do you see your target audience as being?
It's always difficult to
describe our style of music without comparing ourselves to someone, so
that's what I'll do. I think we have a unique sound that can be compared
to Alice in Chains meets Tool and Staind. Our target
audience would be everyone that likes good hard rock music. We're not
doing anything groundbreaking
...
we're just a true rock group. No gimmicks
or trendy concepts that will be out of style in a year.
MM -
Where does the name ‘S&M’ originate
from, and what does it represent? Can you remember any of the other names
that were toyed with at
the time?
It's
actually the only name that we thought of. It came by mistake, really.
George was thinking of a name with just a couple of letters or initials.
Then when he said "S&M", I thought that was great! It's easy to remember,
and if it makes people think about sex, then even better. When you're
having sex tonight, think of us!
MM -The band have been
through more than their fair share of troubles over the years. Generally,
would you describe yourselves by nature as pessimists or optimists?
What is it that’s kept you together even in your darkest hours?
We're definitely
optimists. We have to be otherwise, we'd go nuts. Life's way to hard
already then to be pessimistic about things on top of that. The thing
that's kept us together is the fact that we truly believe in each other
and enjoy being with each other. For each of us, it's like being married
to 3 people, so if you don't genuinely like and trust each other it'll
kill us sooner or later.
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MM -
What bands/artists have influenced
you the most over the years?
Collectively, we have many influences from The Beatles up to current bands
like Disturbed, but I would say that the biggest influences as far as our
band and it's sound goes would be Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots,
A Perfect Circle, Staind, and Godsmack. |
MM -
How does the songwriting
process work within S&M? Is it mainly one or two individuals, or more of
a team effort?
It
really varies, but usually, someone has an idea, then they present it to
the rest of us to complete it and mold it into the final song. Then we
really rehash it over and over until we all feel that each part of the
song is right for us.
MM -
Do you have any news on
when there will be a full album release of your material?
At this point, we're currently continuing to record in our home
studio, but we'll probably hold out on releasing a full album until we
sign a record deal. Right now, we've got some people helping us take
care of some of the business end of things, which will hopefully result in
a major label debut within the next year or so.
MM -
Which songs do your fans enjoy the
being played live the most, and what are your own particular favourites
and why?
Different songs get
different responses at different shows. It's weird, but I think it's a
good thing. One night this song will get the best response, then the next
night another one will. I guess that means that we've got more than one
good song, which is definitely a good thing. Honestly, since we work so
hard at constantly writing our best song ever, usually our favorite song
is whatever is our most recent one. I will say, however, that we typicaly
end the show with "Regret", and everyone feels that it's a great song to
leave as a lasting impression on the audience.
MM - What are you listening
to these days yourself? Old classics or modern bands?
Do you ever listen to music that is very different from what you do, if so
what?
We definitely
like to keep up with what's currently going on in music, so we're always
checking out the new bands. I'm currently listening to new albums from
Staind, Disturbed, Korn, Shinedown, and Avenged Sevenfold. As a genuine
music lover, I also find myself enjoying smooth jazz or even classical
music sometimes, just to take my mind off of things. Since whenever I
listen to rock music, I'm comparing and analyzing it to death, so it's
almost like work sometimes, but I love it anyway! Someone else I love to
listen to is Tori Amos, because she's so creative and talented. It's
always inspiring to witness someone that's way beyond just a singer or
songwriter.
MM -
What's the 'grand plan' for your band? Are you aiming for anything like
fame, fortune, artistic acceptance etc?
Of course everyone would love
all of those things, but we really have one basic goal in mind. We want
to make a living doing what we love, and make a permenant mark in the
world of music. If I could, I would love to have a lifelong career, like
Aerosmith or the Rolling Stones, but that just doesn't really happen much
these days because of the way the business is. I would be happy simply
making music for a living for as long as I can, and if we're lucky,
actually making a big enough splash that people still remember us years
after we're gone.MM -
In
three words, how would your best friend describe you?
Insane, generous, fucked-up. |
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MM - I
believe the band are to be featured on the soundtrack of the forthcoming
new sportbike stunt video ”Midwest Havoc”. Wow, that must be so exciting
for you guys. How did that come about?
Honestly, we were just
contacted by them out of the blue. It's ironic, though, because George
and I both ride sportbikes, and are very familiar with these videos. So
it's especially cool that we got our music on one. I actually got a copy
of the DVD last month, and love it!
MM -
OK,
a two part fun question now. (A) If you could have anyone locked in a room
so that you could torture them for a day, whom would you choose, and how
would you torture them?
Britany Spears. Use your
imagination...
(B) Now turn the tables. Who would you most like to be
locked in a room with for a day and how would you like them to torture
you?
Angelina
Jolie. However she wants...
MM -
Tell us one thing about yourself that not many people know.
I've actually got a 151
IQ. I never like to brag or anything, since it certainly doesn't make me
better then anyone else, but I always hate when people think that I'm just
some dumb long-haired musician. I'm a musician because that's what I have
a passion for, not because I can't do anything else.
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MM -
What’s the most precious thing in your life right now, who or what
could you simply not live without?
I'm really trying to learn to
not be attached to anyone or anything, because in the big picture of life,
we can't take anything or anyone with us when we leave, and it's also not
healthy to depend on someone else or something else to make us happy,
but ... I have to say that I really, really love my new car. (a 2005 Z-51
Corvette) I know that's materialistic, but I just can't help it. It
really makes me happy. |
MM -
Finally, is there anything you would like to say to all our readers out
there?
I would like
to say thanks for the support, because that's the only thing we really
have. No matter who you are, if you don't have fans or supporters, you've
got nothing, and we'll continue doing everything that we can to keep
giving back the energy that they give us.
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