ANNA'S BROTHER
June 16th, 2006
The Whiskey

Hollywood, California

 
A.C. - LEAD VOCALS, GUITARS

STEPHEN BRAY - BASS
ANDREW WESLEY - KEYBOARDS, GUITARS
CHUCK CUMMINGS - DRUMMER
MICHAEL ANDERSON - GUITARS

RADIO STAR STUDIO SAMPLER:
"USED TO BE"

Working your way up in the Los Angeles club scene has never been easy and although it can include some of the best memories of your life it can also be very hard work. Searching your way for who you are and what band you fit best in has made many men go mad. Rewarding parts for this feature's front man A.C. would be working with vocal coach Ron Anderson and having written and appeared for his song writing on many RIAA gold and platinum albums.  A.C.'s latest project with band Anna's Brother now has given him and the band members the opportunity to work with Sylvia Massy Shivy, who produced the first released video from this lineup entitled "Used to Be", which is featured on the Radio Star Studio Sampler along with several other bands that Ms. Shivy is involved with.  

A.C. as well as the rest of Anna's Brother visit the Den for a much appreciated interview. I also recently got to see the boys perform live at The Whisky as well as some of the young kids they had featured in the video and release of "Used To Be" in attendance.  I loved the video.  It gave me a feeling of being back home and home is where I love to be the most.  Nice job everyone.  I also enjoyed the live performance.  I look forward to the release of their debut album and to tell you more about this Los Angeles band sure to be a huge hit everywhere.

So in the Den today is A.C., vocalist and guitars for Anna's Brother.  Thanks go out for this interview and your patience in getting it completed.  

A.W.D.  -  So how did Anna's Brother form?

A.C.  -  I had written some songs with an old friend, Al Boca, from the band Midnight to 12 and his band mate Steve Oliver.  We recorded the songs and decided to start to play out live.  We then started the endless search for players to fit our needs.  Mike Anderson and Chuck Cummings were next to join the band, then Andrew Wesley came on board.  Steve Bray literally appeared out of nowhere but truth  be told, " I met him on MySpace."  

A.W.D. - How long have you been playing together then as a band?

A.C. - This unit is almost a year old now.

A.W.D.  -  Success individually is listed on your bio page.  What happened and where are these bands today?

A.C.  - All of those bands are no longer.  I think Adam from Live is doing a solo thing now.

A.W.D.  - I notice quite a lineup of guitar players for this band.  Explain?

A.C.  -  We like guitars!  Actually, we work hard at interweaving parts so that we are all doing something different.  I always have loved bands that had rich guitar textures.

A.W.D.  - What was it like to work with Syliva Massy Shivy? (System of a Down and Tool)

A.C.  - Wow, she is so cool!  The studio is really great also.  We are all looking forward to working with her again.

A.W.D.  -  Who are some of your influences?  Who do you listen to outside the box?

A.C. -  It's funny, all of us come from a rock background but that is so broad of a term.  We all collectively shoot for having our music at the level of a U2, or Coldplay song wise.  We have all come from punk, metal, surf, LA metal, and blues backgrounds. We have all played in different genre's of bands.

A.W.D.  -  Has there been any label interest so far?

A.C.  -  There has been.  Two indie labels have straight out offered to put the record out and we have had one major label interest.  The music world is changing though and we may go it alone.

A.W.D.  -  So describe the creative process for this band?  Do members write music around you?  Tell us how the flow works for this band?

A.C.  -  It is varied.  Sometimes, I will come in with a finished tune which the band likes, and then we will tweak it from there.  It is becoming more and more of a collaborative effort which sometimes makes it harder, but the results have been good so far.  Everyone has a strong background and there are no greenhorns in this band.  We have all toured and released material on major or indies, so writing is no problem for this band.  

A.W.D.  -  Have any of you had any experiences in Nashville?    Any good stories for us?

A.C.  -  Hmmm, none that I want the entire world to read.  Seriously, I love Nashville and Memphis.  I did meet Stevie Ray Vaughan there so that is something that I will never forget.  

A.W.D.  -  Working on your debut album do you have an expected time of completion?

A.C.  -  We are hoping for it to be finished by the end of summer 2006.  Then an expected release for this Fall 2006.

A.W.D.  - Name for the CD yet?

A.C.  -  Well, I have not run it by the band yet, but my working title is is Strip Mall Serenade.

A.W.D.  -  Can you name me your hero's?

A.C.  -  I can only speak for myself and will limit it to musical hero's only.  I am in awe of U2.  Such integrity that it is scary.  The craftsmanship of their songs is unreal.

A.W.D.  -  Are there any rumors about you that were printed and not true?

A.C.  -  Rumors are fine as long as it does not involve our collective sordid past!

A.W.D.  -  Other then who you are with now, is there anyone alive or dead that would of made your dream band?

A.C.  -  I would of loved to have worked with David Lindley and Daniel Lanois.  I love Phil Lynott also.  I miss that guy.

A.W.D.  -  When you come to a creative blockage, how do you snap out of it?

A.C.  -  That is a tough one.  It just has to run it's course.  Truth is for me, it will manifest itself as a string of mediocre tunes and then a good one will arrive from that.

A.W.D.  -  What are you most of proud of these days?

A.C.  -  The fact that we started this from the ground floor and now we have some great tracks done.  We have two amazing videos and a live show that you can enjoy.  Starting a band is a very entrepreneurial exercise and we are getting to the place we want to be.  

A.W.D.  -  At a time when the industry is so tough to break into or be in, what does Anna's Brother have to get the fans to their shows and sell records?  

A.C.  -  We are writing music that we believe in.  We are not trying to jump on the next trend train.  We have all been through that with our old bands and now we just really want to make an honest statement within a three minute tune.  It is not easy but we are trying to do it with integrity. We thrive on the live experience and in delivering the goods.