Featured, Up & Coming Published: February 14, 2013 Midstokke – Second Chance |
Listen to the new song from Midstokke (pronounced Mid-stock) – Second Chance
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Exclusive Interview
Tell us about where you are from and how you got to this position today.
We are a Seattle based hard rock band that has been playing together with all original members for almost ten years now. We met back in 2004 through mutual friends and we instantly clicked. We’ve been grinding it out independently in the greater Seattle area taking advantage of every opportunity we can get and never giving up.
What do you have coming up? What are some of the new projects we can expect to see?
We’re currently working on shows in the area and summer gigs out of town. We’re working on getting back and playing the Sturgis motorcycle rally this summer. We’ve also been promoting and playing songs from our latest release The Devil’s Whiskey.
Tell us more about the current song you are promoting to everyone.
We’re pushing our latest EP The Devil’s Whiskey hard. It’s our best work to date. If you like fun, raucous, rowdy rock n’ roll, then this disc is for you! We recorded it at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle with Grammy nominated producer Justin Armstrong who did an awesome job on the project.
How does your music separate yourself from other artists and bands out there?
We have two very dynamic guitar players who have contrasting but cohesive sounds, a bass player who simply lays it down, a powerful and straight ahead heavy hitting drummer, and a very entertaining vocalist and harmonica wielding front man. We’re strong and uniquely talented at every position in the group.
Our sound is big, it’s bold, it’s raw. It has a thunderous soul and big energy that is very hard to ignore and harder not to appreciate. Simply put, we rock and we have a blast doing it together.
Tell us about one of the hardest challenges you had to face in the industry?
Getting heard I would say. We play a type of music that some would say is a lost art of sorts. We play a ‘classic hard rock’ influenced style of rock you just don’t see or hear much of in today’s popular music scene. It’s almost become a niche sort of music now, especially up here in Seattle where there’s a large indie pop scene that we just don’t seem to fit into.
What was one of the biggest set backs in your career and how did you bounce back?
We’ve had multiple set backs. Being in a band is all about facing challenges, both big and small on a daily basis. We’ve had to overcome broken arms and fingers, severe fire burns from camping adventures, broken and stolen gear while on the road, arrests, being broke, the band van breaking down, getting double booked and bumped from shows … the list could go on.
Every challenge provides an opportunity to learn and grow and get better at being in the business of being in a band. If you don’t truly love being in a band, you’re going to have a very difficult time facing and overcoming everything that is thrown your way. AC/DC did say it best “it is a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll.”
What are some things artists need to be careful of?
Be wary of the sleazy bottom feeding people who just want to take advantage of naive young artists. They do it in multiple ways: pay to play at venues, charging insane amounts of money, making huge promises of fame, fortune, and exposure and rarely do they deliver.
What suggestions do you have for other artists like yourself?
Build your fan base and your brand on your own. Hone your craft and write the best songs you can, everyday. Don’t rely upon anyone other than those you play with to make things happen for you. Artists have more power to make things happen for themselves today than ever before and they need to realize the resources they have available right at their fingertips. Take control of your own destiny and as I like to say, build your own mountain. Nurture your fan base, put out a quality product, be smart about it, and watch what can happen.
What is one of your favorite ways to promote yourself and your music?
We’re a biker friendly band so we’re good about handing out free music at biker rallies and the like. We also have gotten into dropcards which are great little promo tools you can just carry in your pocket and hand out at shows to people who enjoyed your stuff. We use Topspin for our online store and dropcards and they are amazing! Playing shows, as many as you can in a large area and region, is still the best promotion you can have.
Where can people visit you?
Our homepage is: www.midstokkemusic.com
youtube.com/midstokkemusic
facebook: www.facebook.com/
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/
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