Houston Calling

10 Questions for Ignite the Morning

May 15th, 2003 · No Comments

Ignite the Morning used to be called Serene. That is, until one of their members quit recently and they realized that there has to be at least 500 other bands around with the name Serene. I asked the band, then still known as Serene, to answer a few questions for Houston Calling.

10 Questions for Ignite the Morning

HC: How did the band get started?

Bryan, Danny, and Lee started a band back in high school with some other people in hopes of making music that was unique and original. After different strings of members, Lee moved to drums and Bryan moved to guitar. Tim joined the band in March of 2001 as the singer and after a couple of other bassists, Chris was asked to join in January of 2002. And that is when Serene finally became able to make the music that they had hoped to make.

HC: What do you consider to be your primary influences?

We all have our own individual influences ranging from Bjork to Far, Further Seems Forever to Jaco Pastorius, and Ben Folds Five to Glassjaw.

HC: What do you guys have planned for 2003?

Well, we’ve been passing out the same 3 song demo for the past year. So, right now one of our main focuses is on recording. We have a lot of new songs and we’d like to record them so that way people can have a copy of them instead of only hearing them at the shows. We like to record at least once a year so that way our fans can hear how we are evolving. Another main focus is getting out on the road and playing shows in as many different cities and states as we can, and we have a couple of possibilities of “mini-tours” that we will do over the summer. And as always, we will be playing shows in and around Houston.

HC: What is the one description that you hate to hear about your music?

There isn’t really any one negative description that we’ve heard consecutively. We have a hard time trying to describe our music ourselves, and we have found that the people that hear us or see us at a show have a hard time describing us as well. The main things that we hear are the same things that we say, and that is that our music is emotional and passionate. And that’s really all we’re striving for. We’re not trying to be anything, we just make music that means something to us, something that moves us and that’s what we hope people get from us.

HC: What’s your take on the state of the music industry?

I think there is alot of over-production on a lot of the music in the mainstream. But it does seem like it’s starting to go towards finding bands that have more depth and more to say than the average Creed rip-off. I think that most of the music that comes from the”industry” will always be kind of sugar-coated and manufactured because once a new fad comes along, even if the original is amazing, there seems to be a lot of carbon-copy bands to go along with it and then it all gets blurred together, unfortunately.

HC: How are you (or are you) using the internet as a tool to market yourself?

That is our main tool. It’s very important today for bands, local or independent bands especially, to have a website with their music and info available for the public. I think that’s why underground band’s aren’t so underground anymore, and it makes it possible for a band with little or no money to create a spread out fan-base without having to tour endlessly. It makes it easier to get a “buzz” going about your band.

HC: If you could have any band cover one of your songs, what song would it be and what band?

Well, this isn’t really something we have ever thought about before. I (Tim)personally would think it would be interesting to see Bjork cover one of our songs like “Your Last Words” because she is probably my biggest influence as a singer, or if a band like Tool covered one of our songs, because they are amazing, and it would be interesting to see what they would do with the song. But it’s not really anything that we have ever thought about. I think if any band covered one of our songs it would be very flattering no matter who the band was.

HC: How important is it for you guys to be original as a band?

Well, it is very important to us that we are original, but when we are writing we just write. We make music that we are feeling, and because of that it is original. We aren’t trying to make a song that we are writing sound like anything specific, we just write and if we all feel it we keep it, and if we don’t then we get rid of it or put it away for a little while and then come back to it and revise it, if possible. Our songs usually just happen, we don’t use formulas and because of that we tend to have our own style. And that’s what the amazing thing is for all of us in the band. Because they just happen. It’s one of those things that you can’t describe. But whenever we finish a song we all have an uncontrollable goofy smile on our faces. I think that it is probably one of the best feelings I could ever experience.

HC: Have you ever caught one of the other band members practicing in the mirror?

I don’t know if we’ve ever been caught. And I would never admit to it because there is no way to not feel like a fucking dumbass. I think everyone in the world does some pretty strange shit when they’re by themselves.

HC: What is in your CD player right now?

Tim: Bjork, Coheed and Cambria, Far, Self, Serene

Chris: Bela Fleck, Fairweather, Less Than Jake, Pressure 4-5, Sigur Ros

Bryan: Jeff Buckley, Further Seems Forever, Lost Prophets, Haste, Glassjaw

Lee: Sparta, Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus

There you have it.

The band, now known as Ignite the Morning, will be playing shows throughout May and June. Visit their website for more information and a chance to get a free demo CD.

The band is currently in the studio recording new material. More info as we get it.

Please remember that Beautiful Losers are playing at Rudz tonight (5.15.03) around 10:30 p.m.

The Stratford 4 and Ester Drang were great on Tuesday night. Both bands put on an amazing show. Please show your support by purchasing their music:

The Stratford 4 — Love & Distortion

Ester Drang — Infinite Keys

Now Playing in my iPOD: Spiritualized — various

Tags: Music