01 Jun 11 - Interview with The Rift

...not another 'teen school of rock' band ...[a] true musical experience...

Hey, blogspot readers, come meet a group of young (adult) musicians ready to prove to the world that they are not some ordinary "teen" scene band with a bubblegum pop sound. They're quite serious about their music and have a rockin' mature vibe with flowing melodic rhythms. Known as The Rift, this new local band of talented musicians from various as well as diverse music backgrounds will be hitting the Elbo Room stage on June 19. Collectively, members Patsy, Lily, Katie, Jimmy and Vince are amazed within a year since the forming the band how fast they went from performing an open mic on the school stage to doing fundraising functions ...meeting local rockers, Company of Thieves and now a debut at Elbo Room in which they say is "...a step up from the other places we have performed..." Yet performing at Elbo Room is merely the beginning for The Rift, blogspot readers, with manager (and teacher) Adam Wouk working on future summertime show at other venues like Beat Kitchen. Recently, SouthSide had the extreme pleasure of sitting down to chat with The Rift at Marist High School about their music, opinions on popular music, meeting Company of Thieves and more.

SouthSide opened the interview asking The Rift to briefly describe the band and/or its music in five words or less which somewhat stumped the musicians a little bit ...almost like a pop quiz. With some cheatsheets and deep thinking, they tossed out words like "...unique...innovative...inspiring...(working towards) progressive...eclectic..." thus leading her to ask them about their songwriting style. Patsy said The Rift's song are based from "...experiences..." that Vince chimed with his "...life's a rollercoaster..." quote. Adam stated "...it's shared ideas and experiences..." in which he would bring a small piece of a song or guitar riff for them to play around with and then The Rift's songwriting continues onward from there. The band highly recommends blogspot readers to listen their songs Unspoken and Fading Fleeting Sound because both not only showcases everyone instrumentally but also features two different music sides of The Rift. As another surprise "pop" question, this reviewer asked them what were their personal favorites and once again, she stumped the band ...even Adam found it intriguing just to hear what each member had to say. Vince and Jimmy like Unspoken and Lily and Katie said Fading Fleeting Sound however Patsy said Concrete Shakes.

Recently, The Rift had a surreal experience when they met local rockers, Company of Thieves. For these young musicians, it was more than a chance meeting but an extreme opportunity to see a band that started out in the same position as they are now to rise as one of the premiere local bands rockin' the charts nationally. It was also an opportunity for them to ask questions as well as be inspired by Company itself. The Rift, still reeling from that euphoric high when SouthSide met with the band, mentioned briefly their conversations about songwriting and more that she asked them about their future aspirations and did it invovle music in some way. All stated emphatically that music is a big part of their lives yet thinking realistically each one does see music as part of their future endeavors even though knowing the need to support themselves. For instance, Patsy is considering taking a music class or two while attending college and would like to be a piano teacher while Jimmy dreams of playing as a full-time career - perhaps double majoring (or minoring) in music yet knows he would need to something to support himself. Lily hasn't really decided whether or not to make music as her career choice but Vince might join a band just for fun while attending college. Then, SouthSide asked them about what their parents thought about them being in a band in which they said "...our parents love it ...[they] are very supportive..." as well as that their friends "...think it's so cool..." with Adam stating The Rift has a nice student following. Blogspot readers should know something extra special about Katie - she recently took second place (in the world) in an Irish fiddling competition. She's quite humble about this accomplishment ...so the band does all of the bragging for her. Meanwhile this reviewer and Patsy share a common liking for the same classical composers - (Wolfgang Amadeus) Mozart and (Ludwig Von) Beethevon with a fondness for American composer (George) Gershwin. She's also known as the "...romantic..." and "...cryer..." of The Rift and is often quoted saying "...I love love..."

SouthSide was able yet again to stump the band when asking to compare their music to any other artist and/or band. They were able to compare their acoustic songs to Munford and Sons however had difficult time comparing their music in general to someone else without taking it song by song. For example, Powers to Play according to The Rift has a White Stripes feel while Unspoken has been compared to a cross between Wilco and Spoon. "...each song is so different ...a new experience ...and [we're] not afraid to step out of our boundaries..." Since they are the target radio audience for what's hot and popular on the airwaves, this reviewer wanted their opinions about music. Vince was first to say "...popular music is crap..." which generally summed up the consensus with the rest of the band. Patsy has a problem with some of the lyrics wondering "...what they [artists] are thinking..." when they wrote their songs and Jimmy stated songs today are "...losing that emotional side..." They all agree about sometimes having to "like" a certain band/artist because it's popular or it's what everyone else is into saying "...popular music is losing also its creativity and meaning...". Jimmy said "...I can appreciate music when turning on WXRT than B96 [WBBM-FM 96.6]..."

One might think this young band is nervous about their Elbo Room debut but as Lily put it "...[we] get butterflies ...but [it] depends on the crowd and venue..." also saying "...there always will be nerves..." Overall it may be nervewrecking but a little exciting especially since the fine staff and management is assisting Adam in making sure it's a memorable experience for the young musicians. So what can fans expect to hear and see from The Rift when they perform on stage? The band says expect to hear "...a really unique sound..." with a variety of songs as well as instruments (i.e. violin, synth, bass and piano with acoustic and electric guitars) and arrangements. Sounds like a fun yet interesting show to check out, blogspot readers and SouthSide will be there to review The Rift as well on June 19. And to close this fun interview, SouthSide asked the band for any final thoughts about anything and everything ...even do a shameless plug. Here's what The Rift wants you to know that they "...work hard at whatever they do..." and "...practice 6 to 7 hours..." asking blogspot readers to "...give our band a listen ...[it] has something for everyone..." while still being "...amazed they sound like a band [after] listening to the demo..." Yet there's one important thing The Rift wants you to remember, "...[we're] not another teen school of rock band..."

Visit The Rift at http://www.myspace.com/musicrift or simply head to Elbo Room on Sunday June 19 at 8p to see this band rocking the stage live.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide