interview with Aries

What's the name of your band? Aries
How was the band formed? In 2007, I was rooming with a guitar player who, at the time I was working with. Things didn't seem to be going anywhere so I took to Craigslist and found the original guitarist, Ted. Over the years the band changed lineups, until Sean Rhodes took over as lead guitarist/songwriter in 2011.
Can you tell about your band?
We're heavily influenced by bands of the 70s and 80s however we give our music a very up to date, fresh spin.
Where are all the band members from?/Who does what in the band?
We're from different areas in Maryland, Westminster, Annapolis, Lithicum, Baltimore. Sean Rhodes plays guitar, writes music, I'm the vocalist, lyricist, manager, Tim Slack plays bass, Andy ham is on drums.
What was the ambitions of the band whe you started? To take this as far as possible, to make the band we wanted to see and hear.
Could you explain your music to someone that hasn't heard you?
If you like rock or metal at all, you'll find something you like with us. We're very versatile without compromosing our artistic integrity.  
What was your first gig? DC9 in October of 2008.
Where was the latest gig? Treehouse Lounge in DC last night.
Who has the best sense of humor in the band?
Humor? Depends on your sense of humor, Sean or myself probably.
What's good/bad with the band?/What genre do you feel you are? I'm not really aware of any bad stuff really, the only negative I think we get is that we could use another guitarist/back up vocalist due to all of the layering we do in the studio, something we're currently working on at the moment. As for best? The songwriting, it's accessible, relatable, powerful stuff. Our live show too, you aren't coming to see some guys practice, we put on a show. I'd say we're hard rock due to that being the most middle of our styles.
Why did you pick that particular style?
What are your songs about? It's really what we felt we'd do best. The songs are about a wide variety of things, some of them are more about storytelling things we all can relate to, like driving(The Road), to more existential and political songs(Mask of Sorrows, A Time to Kill).
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We write our own material, we have a small handful of covers we sometimes crack out ranging from Iron Maiden to Power Rangers.
Have you made any albums?/If yes, what are they? We currently have released two albums, A Time to Kill(2012), and Rise(2014).
Do you have any clips on YouTube? Yes, you can check them out on our YouTube(Youtube.com/AriesRocksUSA)
How old are you?/What got you started in music? I'm 26, I've been singing for roughly ten years. I've been a lifelong fan of rock and it's subgenres. I grew up a huge fan of bands ranging from Bad Religion, Aerosmith, Queen, KISS, and others of the like. KISS' Psycho Circus was a big moment for me, that opening "YEAH" Paul pulled off made me wanna sing like that.
At what age did you start playing? I've been singing most of my life but I'd say I started to get into the technical aspects around 19, I was in different school vocal groups in high school but I'd say officially I became a singer around 19.
How old were you guys when you first stood on stage?
We were around 20 during our first gig.
What year was the band started? Late fall of 2007
Best/worst gig you've played?
Best gig probably goes to our second show with the Protomen in Richmond Virginia, packed house, most people didn't know us, but the moment we opened up with Power Rangers til our finale they totally loved us. It's always a treat making a ton of new fans. Our 2012 and 2014 album release shows were also really great gigs, it's a hard call to make.
Worst? We did a show in 2011 at the Recher that was a total stinker, they really treated us poorly. We sold WAY more than we were asked to, some bands dropped off of the bill and we kinda got "punished" for it by making us play an hour and a half earlier on a weeknight. All of our people got there during the final song, we played in front of nobody. When we tried to negotiate a better set time, they threatened to kick us out. Absolutely unprofessional, not surprised the place went under, it wasn't the only time they treated us and our fans like that either, just the worst.
What places will you be playing in the immediate future?
Out of state, the main goal is touring, all over the US, at the moment I've been branching out to new territories to work in, it's just a new world for me so it's going to take a bit of time. At the moment we're taking time off to work on our new album and plan the next year out, November 29th is the last show we have on the books.
Where have you played from then til now?
Chicago IL, New Haven CT, Springfield VA, Richmond VA, Baltimore MD, Frederick MD, Washington DC, York PA, West Virginia(town escapes me at the moment), Middletown OH.
Which band is the best you've seen?
That's a tough question, there's a lot of good bands, A Sound of Thunder, Wild Storm, Sin4Sin, Sweet Suicide, On Standby, Giants of Genesis, Cassandra Syndrome come to mind.
Is it always the same songs live?
We have some go-to tracks we primarily stick to however it's usually a different set every night, sometimes a surprise cover here and there. Pearly Gates is typically a closer though.
What has been the best/most promising gig so far?
We played two Protomen gigs that introduced us to a lot of new fans, any out of state gig really, helps get our feet wet away from home.
Have you had any bigger tours from start to now?
We've just started touring last year so it's hard to compare at the moment, it'll be bigger and bigger as time progresses.
How big of crowds do you usually play for?
That depends on the show, some in the hundreds, the ones out of state are usually the smallest due to us not being as big over there. Richmond was an exception.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? We have a new album, Noir we'll be working on soon, intense touring for Rise when we aren't working on that.
Where do you usually play? The Ottobar is a frequent place we play in Baltimore, that's probably the most common place you can find us if we're in town.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? Some vocal exercises, a little sugar free Red Bull, I try to keep myself calm and let it get out when I'm up on stage once I get a feel for the crowd.
What are you goals with your music? To make a living on music, to take part in the stuff our heroes did really, the big stages, the crowds, all that good stuff.
When did you decide to go all in for the music?
Probably when I was 18 and just starting vocal lessons, I was a stubborn kid back then, I wasn't satisfied until I became the absolute best I could be at my craft and pursued it to it's fullest. I'm not a fan of doubts, and I'd have a ton if I didn't give this my most honest try.
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern?
Older bands, although I keep an eye on the climate for business inspiration at times.
What are your sources of inspiration? Lyrically I draw a lot from personal struggles, it depends on the song, really. Some songs are love letters to old school metal while others are relevant commentaries on the world today. Movies, comic books, anything I'm interested has a potential to find it's way onto a song.
What's the first step when making a new song? Sean writes the music, sends me the file and I begin work on it. Once that's finished we bring the stuff to the band, however pretty often we work on it all together, some of our best songs are written on the spot.
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? It's a double edged sword, it's made self promoting extremely easy, but it also has removed a lot of big money from the industry and turned artists away. It's not bad to want to make a living doing what you love, none of the "greats" felt differently about it.
What would be your dreams for the band?
Arenas, major labels, Billboard, it's not a great climate these days but it doesn't change the goals at all.
Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? Rock, Metal, Funk, some Jazz, video game music, pop, anything with a good melody really.
What do you hold most dear? Hard call to make, probably Rise, this album really was a labor of love and the reviews seem to agree. It'll be a fun challenge to top it with Noir.
What would be your greatest fears for the future? Lineup changes can be tricky, especially when you have no option other than to stay in a bad situation. This lineup is a great one, however ones in the past floundered us tremendously, someone can really hold a band hostage if they are being really selfish about things.
What would be your greatest fears for the future? That we aren't doing enough, that it isn't going over well. If I'm not aching the next day, I didn't do enough as a performer. We all have a little of that concern when we are up there and it's a good thing to be worried about.
What songs and what years were they released?
That's a bit of a list, here goes.
2008
Aries demo
Shades of Grey
Reaching for the Sun
Reason to Live
2010
Aries
Demo
Shades of Grey
Bedroom Eyes
Hopeless
A Time to Kill
Aries
A Time to Kill
Shades of Grey
A Time to Kill
Reaching for the Sun
Walls of Solace
Hazel Eyes
Pearly Gates
Mr. Madness
Prisoner of Time
In Crisis
Reason to Live

Hopeless
2014
Aries
Rise
Rise
Beware the Gun
The Road(One Way)
When the World Needs a Hero
Mask of Sorrows
Wasting Dreams
Silence
Dogs of War
Cold
Trial by Fire
Angel of Mercy
Cradle to the Grave
Have you been a part of any other projects/bands? Yeah, I was in a power metal band called Visionary in 2009, then in 2012 I starred in the Power Metal Rock Opera, Valhella by the Baltimore Rock Opera Society(BROS), I've starred in about 5 others since then ranging from Jesus Christ Superstar, Prog Metal Sweeney Todd, and a handful of other originals. I recently did a real fun gig with the Concert Artists of Baltimore(Symphony + Choir) doing BROS originals with classical compositions. I currently work as a session vocalist for remixes and covers, I've recreated vocals on everything from Bluegrass to AC/DC to pop music. When I'm not doing those I'm teaching voice privately. There's some Sweeney Todd stuff that is rumored to be returning as well as some other prog metal thing on the horizon, but it's pretty speculative at the moment.
What would you do if there was no music? Pro video game player? I dunno, never thought much about it, real glad it's not a possibility.
How important are your fans? They are everything, as cliche as it sounds, anyone who makes a show is doing us a favor, no matter how big of a fan they are to us. I wear my voice out more talking to fans than I do singing. Without them, there's no point.
What's the funniest/most memoerable thing a fan has done for you? About two years ago, a local news channel did a story on local up and coming rock acts, the list was really weird, some bands were established, others were unheard of. When it came out some of our fans took to the comments about how we were on it, their zeal was really something. I had one fan drop off a pack of a special kind of energy drink to the host of a show we did, that was pretty cool.
How often do you rehearse? About once every two weeks unless we're working with a new member, then it's weekly, still auditioning for a second guitarist so it's subject to change.
Where do you rehearse? Studio 14 in Baltimore
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? The Road(One Way), and Cradle fo the Grave
What is the best live band you've seen? Still KISS, no one touches their live act.
What drives a band that isn't all famous and renowned to try to make a living off on their music and to keep playing? Someone singing your songs, money can't buy that feeling of accomplishment and pride. It's a wonderful sight seeing people singing along to something you wrote in an apartment as a kid.
Do you have any webpages? Yep, www.AriesRocks.com, www.facebook.com/AriesHardRock, www.reverbnation.com/AriesRock, www.YouTube.com/AriesRocksUSA
Any pearls of wisdom for all other bands out there? Think about the listener more than what impresses you. We build up ears as musicians and sometimes get caught up in the technicalities of our own playing instead of something that would be fun to play in front of a crowd. Also, this stuff doesn't come to you, nothing will, you need to pursue it relentlessly. Let your music do the talking, not your words. Whenever I hear someone talk about how great they are, I kinda assume they NEED to do that because their work can't do it for them. Be hunble with your words, and big with your work.
Describe your show, visually and musically Our biggest shows include a full light system, fog, banners with our logo on it, an LED , white mic stand, tons of showmanship, we work hard to make sure the crowd isn't just watching us rehearse something. Crowd interaction is a big one too, we want to engage people sonically, and visually.
How do you view the music industry of today? Oversaturated to a degree, however due to the economic climate, it's made a lot of people seek other opprotunities leaving behind a lot of people who are truly in this for the love of it.
What are the biggest obstacles for other bands? Keeping everyone on the same page, if one person does the majority of the work it's easy for them to be villified because they want to get people mobilized, keeping a lineup. It's a lot of politics sometimes to find a relaxed, but reliable lineup of members. Networking, planning a tour, budgeting.
What is te best/worst with playing the clubs?
The intimacy, some clubs take good care of you too with their sound, others couldn't care less who you were.
Tell us about upcomming gigs and why we should be at them? November 29th, at Crossroads Tavern in Glen Burnie, last show on the books, and it's gonna be a huge one. We are playing with our good friends, Omnislash, truly excellent power metal act from around our neck of the woods. It's a big benefit for our friend Liz Avella who's currently fighting cancer. The crowd is looking to be massive and it's for a great cause.
How would you describe your sound in one sentence? Decisive.
What is your favorite crappy instrument? I play a little piano so I can teach lessons, don't expect much more than major scales haha.
What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band? We've been through our share of testing, the music brings us back. I'd say the toughest time I'd be up for chatting about would be when the original guitarist left, it was a super stressful time, the band's future was extremely questionable. We've had some other bumps since then but it's nothing we can't power through. It's kinda like fighting with your sibiling.
What's your pre-show ritual?
I don't think we have much of one, just making sure we thank everyone for coming, getting the set list ready, discussing it, then just killing it.
Thanks a lot for contacting us for this interview!

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