Interview with the band Misery Lane
By Mick Michaels
The
Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The
Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with
us!
CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that
definition uniquely describe the music?
Misery Lane: We would
describe Misery Lane’s music as non-genre specific metal. I would say we are right on the border of
where hard rock meets metal. A recent
band we played with described our set in one word…” longevity”. He said the fact that every song has its own
feel and isn’t cookie cutter means we will be around for a while. I really appreciated the compliment.
CV:
Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of
connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the
connection to your fans?
Misery Lane: In a world of
social media, the live performance is even more important than it used to be
but too often when I go to a live show all I see is four or five guys just
standing there staring at their instruments like the Beatles because they are
too scared to miss a note then put on a show.
When we play, I want action, movement, and crowd participation. Maybe we miss a note on occasion, but no one
would describe our live show as boring.
Even people that don’t know our music wind up wandering to the stage to
listen more.
CV:
Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Misery Lane: I can’t speak
for the other guys, but I love interacting with fans and any of the other bands
we play with. Too often bands show up,
play then leave. To me that’s rude not
only to the patrons and the venue but to the other bands. It shows everyone just how much you
care. I love taking pics and videos and
sharing them on social media. Fan and
band interaction is also a great way to network.
CV:
Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal
privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your
opinion?
Misery Lane: I think it’s
possible but it’s all up to the band or member to limit what and how they
share. Social media really exposes
people on a whole different level, and I think too many times people/bands post
too much personal information for everyone to see then get upset when people
mention it or say what I said has nothing to do with the band but in reality,
if a person doesn’t know you personally, all they know is what they see on
social media and as we all know people are quick to judge with little or no
information. Cancel culture is real.
CV:
Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion?
If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among
various cultures?
Misery Lane: I travelled
the world when I was in the Marines and from my own experience music is the
true universal language. Even if the
people don’t understand the lyrics because they don’t speak the language, they
can feel the music and moves them. That’s
why I agree with Nietzsche when he said that life without music would be a
mistake.
CV:
Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect
more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see
the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Misery Lane: Since English
has become so prevalent all over the world, I think international bands feel
like once they made it in the American market, they have made it, but I have
seen a lot of local bands, local to other countries, that are popular where
they are that America has never heard of that I think are phenomenal and
underrated.I say play the music you love and if it has a general appeal, it
doesn’t matter what country you started in it will spread like wildfire.
CV:
Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your
opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Misery Lane: LOL you got
me quoting a lot there, but I believe that Freddie Mercury said it best when he
said that there will be a time when technology becomes so advanced that we’ll
rely on it to make music rather than talent. Music will lose its soul and I
agree. It’s no longer about talent, it’s about money. If you have the money,
you can be as famous as you want.
CV: How would you describe the difference
between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
Misery Lane: Hehe another quote…this
time Robert Frost. “Two roads diverged in
awood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the
difference.” It’s easy to do what someone else has already done but it’s the
true artist, in my opinion, that isn’t afraid to go outside the box and dare to
be different. I’m not saying that choice always works but it takes and creates
true passion instead of just playing it safe.
CV:
Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to
appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality,
weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Misery Lane: I do think
that music has been splintered into too many pieces. I hear too many people say
they like this subgenre over that subgenre never even giving it a chance
because bands now just get lumped into blocks of music and any kind of
classification like that is limiting. That’s why Misery Lane refuses to just be
categorized as this or that. We make music for everyone. That can be somewhat
limiting too when it comes to an initial audience, but that formula has more
band and music longevity in my opinion than just sticking to one thing.
CV:
What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
Misery Lane: We are
currently working on our third album that we are hoping to release next
March/April. Until then we are
continuing to do shows to support the second album “Red Balloon” which released
in March of this year.
CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
Check out Misery Lane at:
https://www.facebook.com/miserylanemusic
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zMxWGWTA7cmXidyLAK100
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/misery-lane/1548172968
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