Interview Page!

---

After thoroughly enjoying their show at Sharky's in Nashua NH, the band and i went outside and downstairs of the club for an interview. The large hallway was as glaringly bright like a K-Mart in full swing. As luck would have it this hallway was by the bathrooms. The sound of flushing toilets during the interview brought new meaning and lottsa comedy to some of the comments below. The upside was that various newfound fans would stop and talk to the band before doing what, er, um, comes naturally. The flow of the interview was broken up quite a few times as adoring fans, including a female exotic dancer, sang their praises of the band as the band signed autographs.

 

Static 13 consists of Ari (lead singer), Jay "Crunch" Edson (lead guitar), Tony Low (bass), Chris "Animal" Boylan (drums). My name's Steve Rochlin... just a lowly reporter in the food chain of life.

Steve: So how did you guys meet?

Jay: In the beginning G-d created music, and it was good. Towards the end of the Cheepskates the existing members auditioned me for the new Cheepskates. Because the music was so different it didn't make sense stay as the Cheepskates. Thus Plutonium was born and Plutonium ultimately begat Static 13.

Steve: And now you've been together for?

Jay: Two years, but with this lineup eighteen months.

Chris: While they were with the old drummer, Static 13 was in discussions with Neil Jason (NY Jam Music) and Jimmy Ienner, Jr. (Sony Music Entertainment) about producing an album as a side project. So the band went into the studio and showcased a few tunes for them. Basically, Neil and Jimmy said they just weren't quite ready for prime time.

Jay: The project didn't quite work, so Jeremy bailed. Chris then joined into the ranks

Chris: So Crunch, who was a good friend of mine already, convinced me to join the ranks. Not that it took too much convincing. I practiced with them and two weeks later we played our first gig. At that gig were the same two producers (Neil and Jimmy). We played and after the show Neil said "you guys are ready."

Jay: And thus Static 13 begat our new release eye won't fool i.

Chris: At the release party was a radio promotion company called Mia Mind Music. The following week we met with Stevie B. of Mia Mind Music. He really enjoyed the CD and felt we were ready for college music.

Steve: So how many radio stations gives Static 13 airplay today.

Chris: 638 in the US and Canada. In fact we have over 30 top 30 chart positions.

Steve: So now your doing local touring and even have a www site?

Chris: Our www site receives around 6,000 hits per month from all over the world. We're performing about six times a month mostly in the New York area, yet branching out in other states too. Some of our bigger gigs have been CBGB (numerous times), New Music Cafe, and Maxwells in Hoboken just to name a few.

Sue: (an exotic dancer and newfound fan, about to use the facilities) Really awesome and I'm gonna get my friends to come see them again.

Bob: (another fan with his Static 13 CD in hand) AWESOME, KICK -SS! The best original band I've seen in a long time.

(Some offshoot discussions with their fans and we continued)

Chris: Pepsi also commissioned us for a commercial, though ended up choosing the Spice Girls i believe.

Steve: So what's the deal with your music?

Ari: I say that what I try to portray in our music is that fear is your friend. If you can confront fear and learn to make it your companion then you can attain a special kind of power that will help you feel more comfortable with your surrounding life and everyone else's.

Steve: Yeah, there is that theme with your music and lyrics about the positive aspects of experiencing hard times in life. In fact my oldest brother passed away due tot the HIV virus a few years ago. Because of that my focus has been to live life to its fullest.

Ari: Pain is reality, pain can yield positive energy. Darkness is not negative. A thunderstorm can be beautiful. The Dark Light with a positive vibe. It's ok to be afraid and as I learn and accept it more, the better I feel about my unanswered questions...

Steve: Your stage show has it's intense yet exciting moments filled with positive energy too. Defiantly worth the price of admission!

Jay: It's amazing when you come to a place that you've never been before and no one has heard your music, yet the audience seems to be immediately hooked.

Steve: What do you feel accounts for this?

Jay: The music is original, genuine, emotional, and powerful. Ya know, there's a lot of luck involved in being the right thing at the right time and doing the right thing at the right time... and a lot of hard work.

Tony: Hard work definately pays dividends, especially for an original band. You haveta go out and make your own fan base. Professionalism is very important too. Too many original bands play their music and rest on their laurels but they're never going to go anywhere because it's just not good enough to play well. You really haveta hustle. This band works extremely hard.

Steve: That's for sure! So what do you see in Static 13's immediate future?

Tony: I see us continuing our path of gaining a large fan base and hopefully getting a record deal shortly. Our CDs, which we produced ourselves, are selling well and gaining momentum. We are continually asked to return for another performance at clubs on a later date.

Steve: Well, it's 12:45am and your next gig is about 300 miles from here. Let's have a few closing comments.

Tony: Playing music is the most fun thing I can imagine doing.

Chris: The rock and roll lifestyle isn't everything it's cracked up to be, but there are moment or epiphanies where you feel that your music has made contact with people's inner soul. That makes it all worthwhile.

Steve: Thanks Chris, Tony, Jay and Ari for your time.

The Band: Thanks Steve.