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Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan
Florida’s rock band Boyce Avenue played a heartfelt and intimate acoustic set at the Hard Rock Café in Boston on October 26, and I got a chance to sit down with them before the show and ask them a few questions.
SP: You three are brothers, how long have you shared the dream to become a band? Do you come from a musical family?
The band started coming together seriously in 2005 or 2006, but music had always been a way to hangout for the three of us, to bond, and eventually it became our career. And yes to the musical family, our grandfather used to play classical guitar around the holidays, our mom used to sing for fun, she has a beautiful voice, and our uncle studied music, so we have always been around it growing up.
SP: How has YouTube affected your fame/ helped you establish yourselves in the music world?
YouTube established our band (laughter from all three). Although we use Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, YouTube is what established our name and got us out there to our fans. We essentially “toured the world through YouTube,” and it was what “put us on the world map.” We embraced the “Youtube culture,” meeting fans and getting out there to play, we just did it backwards, getting people to look us up first, and then going out and playing shows for them.
SP: What inspired you guys to put on a show for the benefit of charity, and specifically why “Pinktober” (Breast Cancer Awareness)?
Well we were looking to do something for America after our tour in Europe, and the opportunity to do something for breast cancer awareness was appealing. We want to give back to the community, and this seemed like a good facet to do that, it’s a great campaign. Really intimate shows are nice, and a refreshing change from the huge sold out shows we were able to play in Europe.
SP: What was it like touring in Europe last month?
One word: “Awesome.” For the most part, it felt like there was no language barrier at all, maybe because music is a universal language? [The fans] knew all the words, in Germany, in France, all over the place. Aside from getting sick on the road briefly, the experience was great.
SP: I’ve noticed that the covers you guys do (Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”) don’t necessarily go along with the same style as your originals, any reason why you like to branch out and cover these songs?
These songs are more fun and it’s challenging to play them acoustic. It’s also fun to play songs that are present, songs that everyone knows. And it’s just plain cool.
SP: What is your favorite original or cover to perform and why?
Alejandro: My favorite original to perform is “On My Way.” My favorite cover is “Love stone”
Daniel: My favorite original is “Brianne,” for emotional reasons, and “When the lights die,” because of the energy. My favorite cover is “Because of You.”
Fabian: My favorite cover is Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”
SP: What bands do you listen to and find inspiration from?
Alejandro: The Goo Goo Dolls, John Mayer.
Daniel: The Goo Goo Dolls, Train.
Fabian: Coldplay, Oasis.
SP: What is the funniest thing that has happened during a show or on tour?
Alejandro: Our first night in Munich I was drinking from water bottle on stage and I had already told the crowd that I was sick, and some girls in the front kept asking for the water bottle, and I repeated that I was sick and they told me that they knew that. They wanted my sickness… it was pretty weird.
Daniel: We were in the Philippines, which is random but for some reason we have a big fan base there, in the Philippines…there were some crazy girls who wanted anything from the stage, so we threw them a sweat towel. A security guard had to come and physically cut the towel into pieces so the girls would stop fighting over it.
Fabian: This one time our van broke down and we had to roll up to our show in Houston on the bed of a tow truck because we were going to be that late. And another time our brakes went out going downhill, probably like 45 mph, and we were all just holding on for dear life, hoping nothing would come between us and the bottom of the hill.
SP: What did each of you want to be when you were younger (if the answer isn’t a musician)?
Alejandro: a soccer player for a while, but I wanted to be a musician mostly.
Daniel: An astronaut, I studied to be a pediatrician for a while but after seeing forty kids a day with the same cold symptoms, it got old. I also majored in English and have a degree in law. Good thing the music thing worked out.
Fabian: (laughs) I have a lot… a ninja, a lion tamer, I wanted to build roller coasters for a while; I went through phases, a magician, a pop-star, a player in the NBA… I majored in architecture.
SP: What is the most rewarding thing about being a musician?
Alejandro: The studio, the feeling of a live show, traveling, delivering a message to the people, and just sharing what you want to say with everyone.
Daniel: Sorry it’s generic, but the connection with the people. Being able to work so hard on something and then noticing that it actually matters to other people, just someone dancing or singing, or crying to a song that struck a chord with them. I mean I’m not a guy with a million friends, so seeing that connection is really important.
Fabian: I love the artistic and creative side of it. I guess out of the three of us, I’m the most into fine arts, so this gives me a way to release my artistic side. I also love the process of producing a song.
{ 1 comment }
wooohoo, thank you so much for sharing the interview! yeah, munich-water-bottle was real =)
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