Residing with Avalon Landing


Avalon Landing image

Young Adult: Tell YA a little bit about the start of the band…where did you all grow up?

Avalon Landing: Well, three of us are from Buffalo, New York and the genesis of the band really happened there, while our first show occurred in Las Vegas. How we came from Buffalo to Las Vegas can sometimes be a confusing story to tell but the simple version is that Mike moved to Las Vegas in the summer of 2010 followed shortly after by Josh and Clayton. We rounded out our line-up here in Las Vegas and hit the ground running in fall of 2011.

YA: How did you get your start in entertainment?

AL: There was a point in our life that we gravitated to creating music and led to playing it for people, which lead to being an entertainer. With an outlet like music, it kind of finds you rather than the other way around. You almost don’t have a choice. It’s jut how you operate.

YA: What has been your biggest success to date?

AL: Completing our album “Reside”. We are a significantly different band now than from when we set out to create it, and competing that process is something we absolutely see as a huge success. We were all challenged and open to going outside of our comfort zones. The result is an album that really embodies all our hard work, determination, and passion.

YA: Do you have a mentor? If so, tell us a little more about him/her.

AL: We are absolutely each other’s mentors. We challenge each other and support each other and live or die by each other. That’s the relationship you enter when you form a band. We can also include specifically our producer Bryan Russell in on that. Our album is what it is because of his mentoring throughout the process. There’s no question about that.

YA: Quick: Pick one adjective to describe the band!

AL: Determined

YA: Who are some of your favorite artists or bands?

AL: Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab, Coldplay, Saves The Day

YA: Who would you most like to work with?

AL: Less than specific names we would just say anyone who is doing anything creative. People who are pushing themselves and who are boldly going down the same road we are, regardless of their outlet or medium. Those relationships are what keep us motivated and inspired about doing what we do.

Reside album coverYA: What do you have coming up?

AL: Obviously the release of our album is dominating everything right now. We’ll be putting out another single and video and looking to hit the road again. Basically anything we can do to make sure “Reside” get to as many people as possible. Then it will be time to challenge ourselves to top it when we write more material. Whether they are a group of singles or another album is something we’ll decide as we move forward.

YA: What can you tell others pursuing the same career?

AL: Mike: When I was in theatre school I remember a professor telling the class in the form of advice that “if there’s anything else you can see yourself doing, do it” because it’s a hard road. Music and theatre are pretty close cousins and the same hold true with this. It really does come down to not being able to operate in any other way. This road chooses you, at a young age, and it’s full of risks and sacrifice and hard work. But it’s also something full of excitement, passion, and rewards. It’s got to be how you operate. You can’t fake it.

YA: What are your favorite books or what books are you currently reading?

AL: Josh: Just Kids by Patti Smith, The Harry Potter Series.  Currently reading The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith.

Mike: I would probably list Wired by Bob Woodward as my favorite. It really got me into biographies. Currently I’m reading “Ladies & Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce” and “Bertolt Brecht in America”.

YA: Where do you see the band in 5 years? In 10 years?

AL: This is a common question and it seems like the only possible way to answer it is to say we hope to see ourselves still making music. We want the band to be as successful as it can be and if we are still answering questions about Avalon Landing in five or ten years time then we have succeeded in doing something right along the way.

YA: What are three things you want your fans to know about the band that they might not?

AL: One thing people might not realize is that “Reside” is actually our first album. A lot of times people refer to our previous release “Demos, Dead Ends, & Do Overs” as our first album, which is not the case as that was just a collection of material we had from the past that we brought into Avalon Landing.

Another thing is that our album “Reside” was written, rehearsed, and recorded all in the same house, in a neighborhood in Las Vegas. Perhaps that’s another thing people don’t realize, that there are neighborhoods in Las Vegas.

We’re big readers and elements the books that we read end up in the songs. A lot of times we are asked about what bands influence us and in many ways books influence just as much. Thus we appreciate the previous question about the books!


                 

residing-with-avalon-landing

Avalon Landing image

Young Adult: Tell YA a little bit about the start of the band…where did you all grow up?

Avalon Landing: Well, three of us are from Buffalo, New York and the genesis of the band really happened there, while our first show occurred in Las Vegas. How we came from Buffalo to Las Vegas can sometimes be a confusing story to tell but the simple version is that Mike moved to Las Vegas in the summer of 2010 followed shortly after by Josh and Clayton. We rounded out our line-up here in Las Vegas and hit the ground running in fall of 2011.

YA: How did you get your start in entertainment?

AL: There was a point in our life that we gravitated to creating music and led to playing it for people, which lead to being an entertainer. With an outlet like music, it kind of finds you rather than the other way around. You almost don’t have a choice. It’s jut how you operate.

YA: What has been your biggest success to date?

AL: Completing our album “Reside”. We are a significantly different band now than from when we set out to create it, and competing that process is something we absolutely see as a huge success. We were all challenged and open to going outside of our comfort zones. The result is an album that really embodies all our hard work, determination, and passion.

YA: Do you have a mentor? If so, tell us a little more about him/her.

AL: We are absolutely each other’s mentors. We challenge each other and support each other and live or die by each other. That’s the relationship you enter when you form a band. We can also include specifically our producer Bryan Russell in on that. Our album is what it is because of his mentoring throughout the process. There’s no question about that.

YA: Quick: Pick one adjective to describe the band!

AL: Determined

YA: Who are some of your favorite artists or bands?

AL: Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab, Coldplay, Saves The Day

YA: Who would you most like to work with?

AL: Less than specific names we would just say anyone who is doing anything creative. People who are pushing themselves and who are boldly going down the same road we are, regardless of their outlet or medium. Those relationships are what keep us motivated and inspired about doing what we do.

Reside album coverYA: What do you have coming up?

AL: Obviously the release of our album is dominating everything right now. We’ll be putting out another single and video and looking to hit the road again. Basically anything we can do to make sure “Reside” get to as many people as possible. Then it will be time to challenge ourselves to top it when we write more material. Whether they are a group of singles or another album is something we’ll decide as we move forward.

YA: What can you tell others pursuing the same career?

AL: Mike: When I was in theatre school I remember a professor telling the class in the form of advice that “if there’s anything else you can see yourself doing, do it” because it’s a hard road. Music and theatre are pretty close cousins and the same hold true with this. It really does come down to not being able to operate in any other way. This road chooses you, at a young age, and it’s full of risks and sacrifice and hard work. But it’s also something full of excitement, passion, and rewards. It’s got to be how you operate. You can’t fake it.

YA: What are your favorite books or what books are you currently reading?

AL: Josh: Just Kids by Patti Smith, The Harry Potter Series.  Currently reading The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith.

Mike: I would probably list Wired by Bob Woodward as my favorite. It really got me into biographies. Currently I’m reading “Ladies & Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce” and “Bertolt Brecht in America”.

YA: Where do you see the band in 5 years? In 10 years?

AL: This is a common question and it seems like the only possible way to answer it is to say we hope to see ourselves still making music. We want the band to be as successful as it can be and if we are still answering questions about Avalon Landing in five or ten years time then we have succeeded in doing something right along the way.

YA: What are three things you want your fans to know about the band that they might not?

AL: One thing people might not realize is that “Reside” is actually our first album. A lot of times people refer to our previous release “Demos, Dead Ends, & Do Overs” as our first album, which is not the case as that was just a collection of material we had from the past that we brought into Avalon Landing.

Another thing is that our album “Reside” was written, rehearsed, and recorded all in the same house, in a neighborhood in Las Vegas. Perhaps that’s another thing people don’t realize, that there are neighborhoods in Las Vegas.

We’re big readers and elements the books that we read end up in the songs. A lot of times we are asked about what bands influence us and in many ways books influence just as much. Thus we appreciate the previous question about the books!