THE
BASICS
Name : Ben Murray
Band : Heartsounds
Job In Band : Guitar, Vocals
Website Address : www.myspace.com/heartsoundsband
HOME
Hometown : San Francisco, CA
Hometown is best known for : In terms of punk rock,
there are some amazing bands that have come out of the Bay Area such
as Operation Ivy, Rancid, AFI, Samiam, Dead to Me, American Steel,
etc. However, I think the world mostly knows San Francisco as an extremely
liberal and progressive city, which is definitely true, and refreshing
as hell to be a part of!
Best venue in your hometown : At the current time,
the best venue is Thee Parkside, but I don’t think anyone can
ever forget The Pound and how amazing that place was!
THE BAND
How long has the band been going? Laura and I started the
band about a month after our last band Light This City called it quits,
in the summer of 2008. We took a year and wrote our debut record “Until
We Surrender”, and recorded it in June of 2009. We have been
together as Heartsounds for 2 years, but we didn’t start playing
live until August of 2009, so a little less than a year, really.
Many lineup changes along the way? There have been
no lineup changes thus far, given that Laura and I are the only official
“members” in the band. Our good friends Steven and Wes
from the band Comadre have been playing bass and drums with us live
up until this point, since Laura and I only handle vocal and guitar
duties live. When Comadre hits the road this summer, we will have
our other great friends Trey and Kyle fill in on drums and bass, respectively.
However, the “lineup” (being Laura and myself) has not
changed, and will not!
How would you describe your sound to the average person on
the street? I would describe our sound as 90’s era
Fat/Epitaph style melodic punk rock, fused with the mid tempo sensibilities
of darker punk bands like Hot Water Music and Bad Religion, with pop
punk tendencies. In a nutshell we are a fast, melodic punk band in
the vein of Strung Out and Propagandhi, but we have some progressive
elements, and a definite metallic side that comes from our roots in
heavy metal as well as punk.
What's your most recent release? Tell us a little about it...
“Until We Surrender” is our debut full-length record that
I released on my own label Creator-Destructor Records, in August of
2009. Since we signed to Epitaph in March of this year, they have
decided to re-release the album. We are still extremely proud and
excited about getting “Until We Surrender” into the hands
of the masses, which Epitaph will definitely help out with. The record
is still fresh to us, and we are having a blast playing the songs
live!
Got a favourite track that you have released so far?
I love all the tracks on the record, but if I had to pick a favorite
it would be the last song “Our Last Hope”, which I feel
displays the best elements of Laura and my voices together, some great
harmonies, and the music is really powerful, but short and to the
point. Lyrically, it is sort of the anthem of the record, delving
into feelings of music being our only real savior in life when all
else seems bleak. That is definitely my favorite track.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously
about playing it? As soon as I heard Bad Religion’s
“21st Century Digital Boy” in a skateboard video when
I was 10 years old, I knew that I wanted to buy a guitar and play
punk rock. I know that sounds cliché, but it is absolutely
true. From then on my life was set. I learned how to play my guitar,
and then picked up the drums, and started writing my own songs at
age 13. I had never heard a sound quite like the punk rock that my
brother introduced me to when I was really young. All of the Epitaph/Fat
bands of the 90’s really made a profound impact on my life,
and musical upbringing. I owe everything to those bands!
What was your first band name, and what style did you play?
The band that Laura and I played in before Heartsounds was called
Light This City. We were a melodic death metal band on Prosthetic
Records, and existed for about 7 years. We toured the country multiple
times and put out 4 full length records. It was an amazing learning
experience, but eventually we got burnt out on playing death metal,
and wanted to return to our roots, being punk rock.
Most prized music related item you own? The guitar
I bought when I was 10 years old is a black “Les Paul II”,
which I think they only made a small run of. 12 years later I still
have the guitar, and have written every piece of music I have ever
created on that thing. It is definitely my most prized possession.
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is...
getting the hell out of my hometown for a while and living in a fantasy-world
for a few weeks at time, with no responsibilities besides playing
music… It’s pretty great!
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is...
knowing that I will miss my family and friends a lot, and being fully
aware that I will gain about 10 to 15 pounds while out on the road.
When your not doing band related stuff, what are you usually
found doing? Well, I am actually currently in school at UC
Berkeley, so that takes up most of my time when I am not playing shows
or writing new music. I also work at Pirates Press (The BEST vinyl
manufacturer out there) which takes up a lot of time as well. I have
been taking care of my dad in my free time, since he has been sick
for nearly 2 years now. However, my hobbies include watching horror
movies, riding my bike, going to the gym, buying records, etc. Pretty
normal stuff! (Aside from the excessive horror movies)
ON THE STAGE / ROAD
Best rider item you've ever received without requesting it?
Heartsounds hasn’t toured a lot as of yet, and certainly haven’t
had a “rider”, but our old band Light This City received
some interesting items on past tours. We definitely had a full Chinese
food buffet one night on tour, which was amazing… Aside from
that, it is the usual pizza / beer / water / towels sort of deal…
not very exciting!
Favourite place (city/town/country) you’ve toured…
and why? Laura and I have never been overseas with any band
of ours, but have toured the US, Canada, and Mexico numerous times.
While most of the US is a complete shithole, there are some beautiful
cities hidden in certain areas. Portland, OR is just amazing every
time, as is Western Massachusetts, Milwaukee, Chicago, and parts of
Florida. Those shows have always been great, and we certainly look
forward to playing those places each time!
Most memorable show you've played? and why? With
Heartsounds, the most memorable show we have played thus far was March
25th of this year at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA with the
legendary Bad Religion. We got invited to play a few shows with them
shortly after the Epitaph signing, and we were just in shock. The
whole experience still seems surreal, and it was one of the most fun
nights we’ve ever had. We played pretty well, but had a blast
hanging out with our idols, and shootin’ the shit with Epitaph
crew! Lots of fun.
Worst 'guilty pleasure' artist / song you've come across on
a bandmates iPod? Haha, lots of bands / artists on my Ipod
would probably be considered “guilty pleasures” to a lot
of people. I regularly rock out to Pat Benatar, Steely Dan, Paramore,
Fall out Boy, etc. Pretty easily criticize-able bands, but screw it!
I love em’ all the same!!
Who in your group has the worst “bad habit” on
tour, and what is it? That would definitely be me with my
hygiene and overall lack of care about anything while out on tour!
I constantly have to be reminded that I smell like shit, or I’ve
eaten way too many burritos in one day, etc.. It’s just a mess,
but that’s what tour is for!!
RIGHT NOW
Where are you? I am currently at home in my apartment, listening
to Howard Stern and filling out these questions!
What's the last song you listened to? That would
be “Elishiva, I Love You” by Junius.
Which band or album is currently rockin' your world?
This new Junius record is definitely doing it for me… picture
a 21st century Joy Division, but darker and heavier! The new Menzingers
record is great as well, really catchy. The new Seahaven record is
incredible, which is entitled “Ghost”. It’s an epic
indie/post-punk combination with really intense lyrical content, etc.
Highly recommended!
Tell us a band we should all go and listen to right now?
Definiltey check out Seahaven, At Our Heels, Young Generals, and Gypsyhawk.
You wont be disappointed! |
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HEARTSOUNDS
UNTIL WE SURRENDER
OUT NOW ON EPITAPH RECORDS
Buy CD [Here]
$18.99 |
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