Vayden Interview 03.14.2008
March 15, 2008 by FromTheCrowd
Filed under Interviews
By Stephanie Baldwin, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor
From The Crowd had the opportunity to sit down with Vayden (Vayden Myspace), a few minutes before their performance at the Last Exit on March 14, 2008. If you have not had the opportunity to catch them live, you can easily correct that by checking their next performance, at one of their self-proclaimed favorite venues on March 22, at the Last Exit. In addition to an insightful interview and entertaining interview, Vayden provided a performance later in the night that captivated the audience, and demonstrated variety in their style of music that appealed to all those in attendance.
From The Crowd: Thanks for meeting with us tonight before your performance. Can you let me know who you are and what you do for the band?
Vayden: Hi I’m Curtis and I sing, I’m Bruce and I play drums, I’m Jason and I play the base guitar and I’m Armin and I play guitar.
FTC: Where did the name Vayden come from? Who came up with it, any special meaning?
Bruce: Yeah, it actually has a very special meaning. My sons name was Vayden, and about four years ago, he was in an accident. As a tribute to him, we named the band after him.
FTC: That’s very meaningful. Well, congratulations on being signed to SMG (Silent Majority Group), earlier this year. How do you feel about the decision to re-release a re-mastered, remixed version of your “Children of our Mistakes CD?”
Bruce: Yeah it’s super exciting.
Curtis: The re-mixing sounds awesome, the re-mastering sounds awesome. I think when we wrote this album we knew, no matter what, it was going to be released by a major, it would have its’ day in court. We’re just happy its going to get its day in court and that it does well.
FTC: If you could pick a favorite track off any of your releases, what would it be and why?
Curtis: Mine, personally is “Welcome”, it’s the 11th track on the CD.
Bruce: Mine, is one I actually don’t even plan on and that’s the ballad.
Jason: My favorite tracks are “Children of Our Mistakes” and “Karma”
Armin: Those are my favorite tracks too…
Curtis and Bruce chime in laughing: You’re such a clone!
FTC: Your MySpace, which also currently serves as the main website for the band and it states that you often respond to the question of what you sound like with the answer “Everything you’ve ever imagined yet nothing you’ve ever heard.” What do you feel makes your music so unique?
Curtis: (Jokingly) Haven’t you heard us? Well what makes us different is we have a drummer, a bassists, a guitar and a vocalist… Ha… Wow…. That’s a great question…
Armin: I think it’s our influences…
Jason: Yeah, I was going to say that we’re four people but everyone in the band is so different. Our backgrounds and the things that have influenced us are completely different.
FTC: That actually plays into another question that I have for you guys. Was there a particular artist or album that had a great musical influence on you?
Curtis: Not as a unit, but like Jason said, as individuals were all so driven by different influences. I grew up listening to Motown. I never even listened to Rock music until I was 16 or 17 years old. That was the first time I ever started getting into rock and until this day, I’ll have more R&B stations turned in on my radio than Rock stations. I love old R&B and that’s kind of how I approach my writing.
Bruce: I’ve studied a lot of different types of music including Latin and I studied Jazz in college. I’ve always kind of had an infinity for Funk and stuff like that. Of course, I have always loved Rock, but it seems like the things I’ve pursued as a musician, were things other than Rock. A lot of the Rock I listen to is a little more obscure too.
Jason: When I was younger, even when I was really young, I listen to a lot of Rock and Heavy Metal stuff, that’s what I grew up on. But when I turned 19, I got really heavily into Jazz and when I was in school, I played in orchestras, and professional orchestras, Jazz bands and things like that. So there was all that Metal background and roots, that just kind of branched off into all of this other stuff and now, after doing all of that other stuff, I’m rediscovering my roots again. It’s all of the things together.
Armin: I really love all of the Beetles work, a lot of their late work, and Lennon’s solo work. I like their song writing and everything.
FTC: Vaydens’ myspace also features an interesting story about how Curtis booked an hour-long lesson with Bruce to talk him into the band and it only took 5 minutes, what was the most convincing part of your pitch to create a band?
Bruce: Well I would say, at the time, I had really been trying to get something together for a long time and I didn’t have anything going and I was really hungry…
Curtis: I had brought Jack in the Box… (laughing)
Bruce: He knew I loved that Sirloin Steak Burger… (laughing) It was just, the timing was perfect and I knew that if, well, once you have a good singer, the rest can fall into place. I had known a little about him (Curtis) from before, we really didn’t know each other, but we knew of each other, and I was excited for the opportunity to be in a band with someone who could sing and write cool lyrics. Those were really the primary things. I was familiar with some of his writing and just a big fan of his lyrics.
FTC: So Curtis, did you have to pay for the whole hour?
Curtis: Yeah, I never got my money back.
Bruce: He did pay for the lesson, and he gave me a pair of drumsticks. You know that was my time, I just can’t give that away (laughing).
Curtis: Yeah, I gave him a pair of drumsticks, I kept a pair of drumsticks, and I still have mine. He doesn’t.
Bruce: I gave mine to a student, who really needed them; it was like a charity thing.
FTC: Before you started performing, what was your favorite venue to catch a show in the Valley?
Bruce and Curtis: Big Fish
Bruce: Big Fish was the place back in the day.
FTC: I think it is great that you continue to play local shows, what is one of favorite local venues and why?
All: This place (The Last Exit), Martini Ranch, the Clubhouse.
Curtis: Those are the three spots. You know this place, the owner is amazing and it sounds amazing. It just feels like a good Rock club. Same with Martini, the people there are really cool.
Bruce: Yeah, we get treated well; those are the three clubs where the people have actually become my friends. They are set up well and the crowds that come out are really cool as well.
FTC: What is your favorite song to play live and why?
Curtis: Favorite Song live is a new song “Just the Tip” which is a lot of fun to play live
Bruce: Off of the “Children of Our Mistakes”, I would say, “Karma”
Curtis: Oh yeah, I should say off “Children of Our Mistakes”, uh, “Karma”… no Kidding, I would stick with “Welcome”
Jason: That’s a really tough once, as far as “Children of Our Mistakes” I like to play them all, but with the new ones, I think “Save the World” is my favorite.
Armin: I think I’m going to start talking before him, because he is taking all of my answers! Elysium…
FTC: Now, your album is still coming out in May?
Curtis: It’ actually June 3 and the single is going to drop April 22, so call up your local radio station and request, “Anthem of the Used”
FTC: What are you all listening to right now? Any up and coming artists, besides yourselves, that you’d like to recommend to others?
Armin: Tantric new release is really good.
Jason: Tool, Disturbed
Curtis: I dig the new T-Pain and Mesmerized by System of a Down.
FTC: I know you’ve mentioned a few new songs, what your creative process? I know that the past guitarist, who can no longer perform is still involved. How do you create?
Jason: I think it’s a cross between two things. Someone will just bring something in and we will just play it or everyone has their own recording stuff at home and will either come up with a few ideas or complete ideas and then we’ll just bring them in and it will just get completely changed. That’s the great thing, everyone is so open and no one is too attached, we all compromise and when it’s all done, everyone’s happy with it, so the compromise is worth it in the end.
FTC: Well, that is all of the questions that I have for you. It was great meeting with you and we’ll follow up closer to the release date!
Vayden: Sure thing!
