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Leah Stargazing are newcomers from Rhode Island who have just released
their debut album, "Leave It All Behind". The play some perky pop/punk
rock with a fresh sound and seem to be off to a good start in their
career. I recently was able to get the scoop on this new band when I
interviewed members Jordan Fielding (vocalist and guitarist) and
drummer Jennifer Yakes.
Q: "Leave
It All Behind" is your debut album. Are you pleased with how it turned
out?
A (Jordan): We were really excited about how well the album came out.
The only regret we have is that we were not able to spend more time
in the studio, fine tuning all the details.
Q: Could you tell the story behind your band, like how you got started,
and where you hope to go in the future?
A: I started the band with Tom (Keohane, keyboard player) in December
of 2000. In January, Brandon (Fielding, bassist) took a leave from
Georgia Tech for the semester and became our bassist. After a few
months of no luck finding a drummer, I went on line and started searching
for people who had the words "drummer" and "Rhode Island" in their
profile. A lot of people thought I was some internet creep or something
and either ignored me or told me to leave them alone in many creative
ways. Finally, I came across Jenn's profile and started talking to
her. She decided to come over one day and practice, and after we played
she left her drums at our house. From that point on, we pretty much
knew she was a permanent member. In September (of that year) Brandon
went back to Georgia Tech so we had my friend Tim (Aubin, guitar)
fill in on bass guitar until he came home next semester. When Brandon
returned to Rhode Island, we decided to add another guitarist to the
band and Tim was the natural choice. Brandon transferred from Georgia
Tech to the University of Rhode Island so we finally had a full time
band. As for the future of the band, we hope to make a name for ourselves
and we hope to make a great living from playing our music. Music is
such a big part in all our lives and we want to keep it that way.
Q: You are from Rhode Island. What is the music scene there like?
Any favorite local bands? Do you play the local clubs frequently?
A: Rhode Island's music scene isn't what it used to be, making it
harder for RI bands to get recognized. This just makes us try harder.
We know what the scene was like and we know what it could be like
again so we want to be a part of building it back up. There are so
many talented bands in Rhode Island that we've had the opportunity
to play shows with. We play as many shows as we can and try to get
our name out there to as many people as we can.
Q: Are you familiar with a Providence rock radio station called WHJY?
Have you been able to get them to play your music? (I grew up in New
England and WHJY was my favorite radio station, that's why I ask).
A: We know of the station, but it doesn't really cater to our style
of music. We have been played on 95.5 WBRU, however (another Providence
radio station).
Q: I understand you played your album release party at a skating event
at the Providence Civic Center? How did that go? Were the skaters
and their fans into you guys?
A: This show was amazing. We had such a great time and everyone was
into our music. We got such a good response that the next day at the
second part of the skating competition they played our album repeatedly
for all the competitors to skate to.
Q: Have you gotten any response from fans or critics over your album?
How has it been?
A: Overall, the response to our album has been great. People have
really positive comments about our music. The album was recently reviewed
in Billboard magazine, which described us as, "a band set on finding
its natural place among the likes of Sum 41, Saves The Day, and Green
Day". It's always amazing when someone comes up to us and says "I
was listening to one of your songs and I can completely relate to
it".
Q: Your appearance on the album cover shows the five of you dressed
like yuppies. Where did this idea come from? So you dress like that
on stage?
A: The idea of dressing in the suits came from the fact that we wanted
the band to be portrayed as a team, not just five individuals. We
figured wearing suits would be a good way to show us as a whole. It
also plays along with the theme of our album. We wanted to resemble
old fashioned traveling salesmen waiting for a flight. Many bands
that we see have the gimmick of wearing nice matching suits, so we
thought it would be funny to play off that idea. We went out and bought
a few cheap, second hand suits a few days before the photo shoot.
And yes, occasionally we do wear the suits on stage, as well as other
random outfits. We played a show not too long ago where we all dressed
as matching repairmen. It's fun to mix things up once in a while.
Q: Tell us about your label, Telescope Records?
A: Telescope Records is our own creation. Since we were producing
the album on our own, we decided to start our own label. Since our
album, we have used Telescope Records to help new local bands. We
make low cost demo recordings for bands to copy and pass out. This
helps them get their name out there without having to spend a fortune
on promotions.
Q: I've heard your band's name was inspired by the sister of a friend
of yours who had cancer, and you would play for her to cheer her up?
How is she doing? Did she pull through OK?
A: Thank you for your concern. The name of the band did come from
a friend's sister who had cancer. At the time, Leah was eleven years
old and she had a type of cancer called rhabdomysarcoma. We were a
brand new band (Tim and Jenn weren't part of it at the time), and
her mother asked us to play at her surprise birthday party. We thought
that the name was just naturally fitting and we thought it would cheer
her up if she had a band named after her. She's in remission now and
doing great.
Q: I've also heard a member of your band may be leaving? Is this true?
A: Wow, news spreads fast. It is true that Tom left Leah Stargazing.
There were no hard feelings between anyone and we all agree that it
was for the best. Right now we're working as a four piece band, but
we'll probably be looking for a replacement in the near future.
Q: What bands/artists would you cite as influences or inspirations?
Who inspired you to start playing? Who are your current favorites?
A: We all have so many different influences. I think that's what gives
us a unique sound. We all take our individual influences and blend
them together to create something original. Combined, we like everything
from Elvis Costello to the Get Up Kids, from Buddy Holly to Green
Day.
Q: How would you describe your sound? Would you call it punk, or do
you prefer to avoid labels?
A: Our sound is Leah Stargazing, but we have been placed in the punk
pop category. It's not about avoiding labels, or trying to be placed
in a certain category, we just don't want to be pegged down in one
specific genre. We want to be able to make the music that we want
to make, not what a certain genre calls for.
Q: You guys are all very young. You didn't waste any time getting
your musical careers started. Where do you see the band in the future?
A: I think the fact that we started out so early gives us the opportunity
to have a longer music career. Hopefully down the line we'll still
be playing shows and writing new music that we get to share with our
fans.
Q: The next few questions are for drummer Jennifer Yakes: You are
a female drummer in an otherwise all male band, which is somewhat
unusual. How do you feel about this? What inspired you to start playing
drums, and who are your favorite drummers, ones you would call influences
or inspirations?
A (Jennifer): Being the only female in the band is fine with me. I
find if anything it gets us more attention and that's never a bad
thing. I started playing drums when I was five years old and if I
were to say something inspired me, I would say it was Animal from
the Muppets. I think one of my biggest influences as an adult has
been Chick Webb who was a person who had all odds against him and
still managed to become an unbelievable jazz drummer.
Q: Where did the idea for the album's cover come from? It seems to
suggest what the title says-moving to a new place and making a fresh
start in life (It shows a girl picking up her suitcase at an airport
baggage claim). The whole cover seems to have an airport/traveling
theme to it, which I found rather interesting. How did you get that
idea?
A: (Jordan again) We always had the idea of "Leave It All Behind"
being the album title since we wrote the song "Sooner Or Later". We
wanted the album to be something that everyone could relate to, and
we think the theme of "Leave It All Behind" is just that. Everyone
experiences letting go of something that they cared about, moving
on, or leaving things in the past. We thought the best way to express
this was to portray someone at an airport, physically getting on a
plane and leaving.
Q: Where did you find Elizabeth Freeman, the cover model? She's a
beaut!
A: She's the girlfriend of one of the band members. We agree, she
looks better on the cover than any of us would.
Q: I also heard she was in your video, which was shot in Coney Island,
New York? Please tell us about that? What happens in the video? Has
it been picked up by any music channels or video shows, local or national?
A: Making the video for "Someone To Count On" was an amazing experience.
The basis of the video is that we, the band, see Elizabeth on the
beach and for the rest of the video we're chasing her around Coney
Island, but at the same time we're trying to let her know we're not
following her. It's a great video and we can't wait for it to be released
so that everyone can have a chance to see it. It's due to be released
within the next couple of months.
Q: You are a relatively new band. How has the road to rock stardom
treated you so far? Any wild and crazy stories to share with the world?
A: We are all having the time of our lives! We're doing what we love
to do, and getting recognized for it. There are tons of stories, but
most of them stem from us just acting like fools. We're probably the
only people who would think what we do is remotely funny. Maybe someday
a few good stories will be on VH1's "Behind The Music", ha ha.
Q: What advice would you have for someone who wants to start a band
or aspires to become a musician?
A: Make sure you're serious about it and give it 110%. Most of all,
don't let other people discourage you. If you want something badly
enough, you'll make it happen one way or another, no matter what anyone
else may say. There are people out there that will tell you otherwise.
Follow what you feel, not what they tell you.
Q: Any last words for your fans and our readers?
A: We just want to say thank you for giving us the opportunity to
spread the word about our band. Thank you for the interview, and thank
you to those who took the time to read it. Thank you to all our fans
for all their continuing support.
For more info: http://www.leahstargazing.com
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