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Interview with Epstein's Mother
Las Vegas-based modern rockers Epstein's Mother (www.epsteinsmother.com) stay true to their
title. The title of their release, "Subtle," that is. I've never
encountered a band as cool and laid back as these guys; they weren't even
phased by a crowd of 41 thousand classic rock fans. Epstein's Mother is
beginning a commercial radio promotion campaign shortly with All Indie (www.allindie.com), promoting
two of their singles, 'Gone' and 'My Way.'
Listen to "Gone" in MP3.
[Daina Kazmaier] So why the title 'subtle'? I think your music is anything
but...
[Epstein's Mother] There's little nuances to our band; we're not aggressive-
we've got a subtle personality. Sometimes we stand out from the rest because
of our subtleness. Our sound is very reflective, and we include plenty of
small instrumental sounds in the back of the mix- it makes for a cool
seasoning.
[DK] How about Epstein's Mother? Is there a certain significance to the name?
[EM] It's from that old TV show 'Welcome Back Kotter.' We think it stands
for being cool, making up our own rules. We've got attitude and we do
things on our own.
[DK] How often do you play shows?
[EM] We do about 150-200 shows a year.
[DK] Whereabouts do you usually perform?
[EM] We're starting to play more regionally; we've performed in Denver, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and we play Keystone once a month.
[DK] So what's the best gig you've ever played?
[EM] We won a contest to open for a classic rock radio station festival-
played for 41,000 people!
[DK] Were you nervous?
[EM] Not really- we just tried to win the crowd over. We had a good
response, so I guess we did our job!
[DK] What's your favorite song to perform?
[EM] We like to do 'Gone.' It ends on a high note and keeps the energy
rolling. 'Believe' is a good one, and so is 'My Favorite Song'- that one
really gets a good crowd response.
[DK] Who are your musical influences?
[EM] (Chris Morrison-drums) Zappa is a big influence of mine, as well as
Jeff Porcaro (Toto), Sting's work from the 90's, Rush, R&B, funk, classic
rock, fusion, jazz, old school beebop, Journey, Van Halen, some
Springsteen, the Dave Matthews Band, Tonic, and Live; Live has a great
vibe, and I enjoy their drumming.
[DK] That's quite a variety there- so who helped you get together and get
where you are today?
[EM] Our producer, Michael Sak has done a great deal for us. Before we met
him, we each played our individual style. We had a modern rock thing going
with some southern flair. Mike shaved off the corners for us; made our
sound mesh better. We weren't really listening to each other, therefore we
had no collective sound. Basically we've turned into a modern rock band but
we still have our own vibes.
[DK] I've heard something about a radio campaign...is this true?
[EM] We've got an eight week campaign lined up with Mark Roemer at
All Indie. Two of our songs, 'Gone,' (we've recorded three versions of
it) and 'My Way' will be promoted to commercial alternative radio nationally.
[DK] Would you compare your sound to any of the larger acts that dominate the charts today?
[EM] Probably bands like Tonic, Sister Hazel, Foo Fighters, Better than
Ezra, some more of the intricate work by Dave Matthews, and Live. Live is
one of our big influences because we like the way they focus their energy
onstage; their sound is very driving.
[DK] Are your lyrics written from personal experiences?
[EM] Half and half. Our song 'Constant Reminder' is definitely one that has
come from a personal experience. 'Believe' and 'Hideaway' also. 'Gone' is
about a story that involves Shawn's (guitars/vocals) close friend's
stepmother. So yeah, I'd say that a good portion of our songs are personal.
So, if you're into the modern rock sound that just so happens to be
eating up the charts as of this very moment, take a second to check out this
band at www.epsteinsmother.com. And keep an ear out for their music at
www.allindie.com. Related MusicDish e-Journal Articles:
» Epstein's Mother - Subtle - 2 Generations Management (2000-07-18)
» Various - LV Local Music Scene Com - Las Vegas Weekly (2000-07-11)
» Loving Las Vegas: The EAT'M Music Conference Parties Down in Party Town. - Pass Them Or-Derves Again, Buddy. (2000-06-20)
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