Chapter Ray give us their advice for aspiring bands / artists.
"The vision of Chapter Ray is simple and clear. We want people to lose themselves in our sound... melody and lyrics. To close their eyes and be in that place... with us. That's the music we love to hear, that's the music we love to play.", words Melbourne 4-piece band 'Chapter Ray' think of whenever they play one of their gigs.
Chapter Ray are said to have a 'contagious sound', likened to The Script, The Killers, One Republic and Elbow among others. We had a bit of a chat with Adam about what him and his band think an aspiring musician needs to know to make it.
H: How did Chapter Ray become a band?
DR: I arrived back in Melbourne after being overseas for a while, I had a bunch of songs I'd
written on my travels and wanted to get them out there. It took time to find our bass player but we put it out there and Rory answered our calls!
H: That's pretty cool it's always good to write about things that are happening at the time
CR: Brendan (guitarist) and Mick (drums) were my first choice. I was stoked they were available.
I'd played with them years back.
Heather Cameron
H: What are your rehearsals generally like? (Do you set a time? or spontaneous?)
CR: Rehearsals are every Thursday unless we have a gig. There's no denying much practise
makes perfect. We try not to miss.
H: What advice do you have for people who want to start their own band?
CR: Try and find like minded people,.. or at least close. If you want it to have some flow, you
have to make sure you're in some sort of same ball park. Individual influences are great, but
not if they're a total clash. From there, just enjoy...
H: Is there anyone you would like to thank?
CR: Influences are long and varied. Jeff Buckley really cemented me in for singing. Blown away
by the 'Grace' album was lucky enough to see him live. Pet Sounds from the Beach Boys is
still one of my fave albums and I think that's where I get my taste for melodic hooks.
Listening to that in my very young years and then being hit with Pearl Jam and the rest of
Seattle in my teens kinda gives a rounded picture of where I am today,
H: That's pretty cool, Jeff Buckley is pretty good.
CR: Yep,. he was insanely good. Totally have my modern band loves also, I like to think I'm not stuck in time. Elbow, Cold Play, Snow Patrol,... I love what they do.
H: Are the members in your band self taught or have taken lessons?
CR: I'm the only self taught member of the band actually,.. probably why I'm the worst musician
in it.. *laughs
H: Your music sounds great though.
CR: Ahh thanks. Yeah I guess I was blessed with good ears and a flair to create.
H: How did you come up with the name for your band?
CR: Ray is my surname. When I started the band, I was doing all the writing. The boys felt it
should reflect that in some way, which was pretty cool of them. It kinda felt like starting this
band was my turn to really put it out there,.. my Chapter in this life, so Chapter Ray it was.
Heather Cameron
H: If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
CR: Nando's.... hands down... Nando's.
H: Nando's is pretty amazing. Also Niall from One Direction loves Nando's
CR: Ha! In good company then...Niall knows his food.
H: What is the one most 'fan'tastic thing your fans have done
CR: One fan took our CD to Fox FM and questioned why this isn't getting played... Classic. Very sweet.
H: Where can we find your merchandise/music?
CR: You can visit our Bandcamp page here and grab our EP, '3000 Streets' plus we have put out our new EP 'Ignite Your Ears'.
H: One more question, where would you like to tour?
CR: The World, over and over again.
H: Any place in particular?
CR: Rio is off the hook. They love their festivals there. I've heard nothing but great stories from
friends who have toured there.
Chapter Ray are launching their EP this Sunday the 26th of July at The Evelyn Hotel, pre purchase your tickets here for a discounted price (U18 FREE). Their new EP, 'Ignite Your Ears', is available NOW through Bandcamp for $7
