interview with Asleep At The Gate
Have any of you played in other bands?
Adrian: No
Andre: Yes, I would usually play in two or three bands at a time. It's fun!
Satya: No
Brandon:Yes, in a few actually.
How is it that you started playing music?
Adrian: Friends in High School played in bands and I loved what they did on the guitar so, I began to ditch classes and practice non-stop.
Andre:I started playing piano when I was around 6, but I got bored of it. So I started playing drums at 7 and I was hooked. That was all I thought about back then.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?
Adrian Watkins: Guitar/Vocals 26yrs
Satya Fuentes: Keys/Vocals 20 yrs
Brandon Crow:Bass 19 yrs
Andre Aldana:Drums 21 yrs
Did you make music even when you were young?
Adrian: Yes, I used to write lyrics in a journal from the end of middle school into High School.
Andre: Yes, I made music when I was younger, and it was terrible. I have old recordings of it and it's some cheesy, screamo shit. Good times.
Brandon:Yes
Satya:Yes
Where are you from? Satya: We are all based out of Orange County California.
What year did the band form? 2013
What's your style of genre? Alternative/Soul
What inspires you?
Adrian: Everything
Andre: My inspirations come from anything really. Personal experiences, mood, etc. if anything, stress pushes me to play my best.
How often and where do you rehearse? Andre: We rehearse once a week at my house. We have a band room here. The A/C is broken so it gets miserable sometimes.
How have you developed since you started with the music? Adrian: Writing together as a band has become easier and more enjoyable as time has passed.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Brandon: We aren’t actively searching for a booking agency, but it would be nice to have one working along side us.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Adrian: We are open to the idea, but aren’t making it a main focus at the moment.
What made you decide to make this music? Adrian: Life
What are your songs about? Adrian: Life
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Brandon: The whole band writes individually and the band comes together collaboratively to make up the instrumentals.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Adrian: Usually the instrumentation/music comes first and the lyrics and melody come after.
Have you done any covers live? Brandon: Yes, we have covered Jeff Buckley’s ‘So Real’, songs by Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, The Police, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Jill Scott.
What was your latest gig? Satya: We played at The Viper Room on Sunset in Los Angeles mid November.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? Adrian: It’s fine either way. I personally download most of my music, but I buy physical copies of artists I really love. From vinyl, posters, CD’s and more. It just depends.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? Adrian: It puts more power in the artists hands and forces the artist to be more business oriented while maintaining an artist perspective.
Do you have any role models or idols?
Adrian: No
Andre: My role models are my parents. They give me so much push. My idols are Questlove and Kanye West. I almost worship them. I strive to have a career like them.
What advice would you give other bands or artists?
Andre:I'd tell every other band to play your heart out no matter what!! Even if you're playing to a crowd of 1. You put on the best show of your life, so much so that the one person who attends your show is on fire from your energy.
Adrian: Ditto to what Andre said.
How do you get psyched for a gig?
Adrian: The band is constantly cracking jokes and fooling around before we hit the stage.
Andre: I get psyched by doing some random shit. I'll jump up and down, do chants.
Do you have any new material? Satya: Yes, we are currently recording a single called ‘Underwater’.
What are your web sites?
asleepatthegate.com
https://www.facebook.com/AsleepAtTheGate/
https://soundcloud.com/asleepatthegate
How can people reach you? Satya: Facebook, and band email.
What are your plans for the future? Record new material, make rad artwork through music videos and merchandise, and play a ton of shows in Orange County and Los Angeles.
Adrian: No
Andre: Yes, I would usually play in two or three bands at a time. It's fun!
Satya: No
Brandon:Yes, in a few actually.
How is it that you started playing music?
Adrian: Friends in High School played in bands and I loved what they did on the guitar so, I began to ditch classes and practice non-stop.
Andre:I started playing piano when I was around 6, but I got bored of it. So I started playing drums at 7 and I was hooked. That was all I thought about back then.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?
Adrian Watkins: Guitar/Vocals 26yrs
Satya Fuentes: Keys/Vocals 20 yrs
Brandon Crow:Bass 19 yrs
Andre Aldana:Drums 21 yrs
Did you make music even when you were young?
Adrian: Yes, I used to write lyrics in a journal from the end of middle school into High School.
Andre: Yes, I made music when I was younger, and it was terrible. I have old recordings of it and it's some cheesy, screamo shit. Good times.
Brandon:Yes
Satya:Yes
Where are you from? Satya: We are all based out of Orange County California.
What year did the band form? 2013
What's your style of genre? Alternative/Soul
What inspires you?
Adrian: Everything
Andre: My inspirations come from anything really. Personal experiences, mood, etc. if anything, stress pushes me to play my best.
How often and where do you rehearse? Andre: We rehearse once a week at my house. We have a band room here. The A/C is broken so it gets miserable sometimes.
How have you developed since you started with the music? Adrian: Writing together as a band has become easier and more enjoyable as time has passed.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Brandon: We aren’t actively searching for a booking agency, but it would be nice to have one working along side us.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Adrian: We are open to the idea, but aren’t making it a main focus at the moment.
What made you decide to make this music? Adrian: Life
What are your songs about? Adrian: Life
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Brandon: The whole band writes individually and the band comes together collaboratively to make up the instrumentals.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Adrian: Usually the instrumentation/music comes first and the lyrics and melody come after.
Have you done any covers live? Brandon: Yes, we have covered Jeff Buckley’s ‘So Real’, songs by Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, The Police, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Jill Scott.
What was your latest gig? Satya: We played at The Viper Room on Sunset in Los Angeles mid November.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? Adrian: It’s fine either way. I personally download most of my music, but I buy physical copies of artists I really love. From vinyl, posters, CD’s and more. It just depends.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? Adrian: It puts more power in the artists hands and forces the artist to be more business oriented while maintaining an artist perspective.
Do you have any role models or idols?
Adrian: No
Andre: My role models are my parents. They give me so much push. My idols are Questlove and Kanye West. I almost worship them. I strive to have a career like them.
What advice would you give other bands or artists?
Andre:I'd tell every other band to play your heart out no matter what!! Even if you're playing to a crowd of 1. You put on the best show of your life, so much so that the one person who attends your show is on fire from your energy.
Adrian: Ditto to what Andre said.
How do you get psyched for a gig?
Adrian: The band is constantly cracking jokes and fooling around before we hit the stage.
Andre: I get psyched by doing some random shit. I'll jump up and down, do chants.
Do you have any new material? Satya: Yes, we are currently recording a single called ‘Underwater’.
What are your web sites?
asleepatthegate.com
https://www.facebook.com/AsleepAtTheGate/
https://soundcloud.com/asleepatthegate
How can people reach you? Satya: Facebook, and band email.
What are your plans for the future? Record new material, make rad artwork through music videos and merchandise, and play a ton of shows in Orange County and Los Angeles.