The MST met up with up-and-coming New York-based duo She’s the Queen after their recent Union Hall gig in NYC’s Park Slope. Fronted by members Emily White and Andrew “Drew” Kuryloski, we think this group is off to a sturdy start to navigating a successful dance-indie-pop career. Here is how the group started and what they’re about:

MST: How did She’s the Queen evolve?

She’s the Queen: We met in class together and unknowingly had a few mutual friends. I heard from my buddy Alec that Emily used to sing in a wedding band and I was intrigued because a good singer is often hard to come by. We organized a recording/writing session to see what musical ideas we could come up with. At the time we had no genre in mind, so we recorded a vocal idea Emily had come up with in garage band over a guitar loop.  I spent the next day replacing the guitar loop with some synths and electronic beats in Reason, and ended up with an electronic-esque, genre-less tune that inspired us enough to keep writing.

What were some initial challenges you faced in getting started?

As with any band we went through a lot of songs before we started to work towards a sound that we liked. We really immersed ourselves into a bunch of different new electronic artists (or new to us) and are still inspired by all of the great music that’s coming out Europe right now.

Getting into the live music scene was (and still is) always a challenge.  Most people in this country seem to be used to a live band (guitar, drums, bass, etc.) and our music doesn’t necessarily translate to that setup.  We try to look to our favorite artists to see how they perform live for ideas, though everyone seems to do it differently.

How would you describe your sound?

We probably consider ourselves synth-pop or electro-pop, although those genres seem to cover such a wide range of artists.  We write in the same structure that any pop or rock artist would write, with a preference towards digital/analog synths, saw heavy pads, and arpeggiators. Our most recognizable quality is probably Emily’s vocal style. She comes from a soul and disco background and I think that gives us most of our uniqueness.

What other influences do you credit? What other artists do you find inspiration from or see reflected in your own style?

Frankmusik was one of the first artists I (Drew) discovered with that super catchy synth pop sound. I had been anticipating the Ellie Goulding album after originally hearing Frankmusik would be her producer, but was pleasantly surprised when the album came out, Starsmith nailed it.  ”Complete Me” and “Lights” were hugely influential in what we thought was possible with electronic music, being a bit sheltered from it in the US.

Loads of other artists continue to inspire us: Anoraak, Dan Black, La Roux, Imogen Heap, Passion Pit, Alphabeat, Ladyhawke, Fear of Tigers, and Bag Raiders.

And none of these artists we would ever know about without sorting through music blogs like Valerie Collective and Arjanwrites.

How do you guys work as a group? What sort of collaborative approach?

We usually write songs in either one of two ways. For half of the songs, Emily will work out an instrumental idea with some vocals and send them over me, and I’ll work on a full instrumental from there.  And for the other half, I will come up with an instrumental and send it over to Emily and she’ll work out some vocal parts for it.  We’ll usually get the song about 75% completed, and then meet up to do a full quality vocal recording where we hash out all the rest of the song details and transitions.

What’s next? Where are you heading?

We’re working on some exciting collaborations with artists that we’ve been fans of for quite a while!  We’re looking to spend much of the summer working in the studio on these, and a handful of new tracks after just finishing our first EP in April.  So stay posted for some new sounds!

If you missed their recent set, She’s the Queen will be at Crash Mansion, NYC on August 19, 2011. Don’t miss it.

Check out their sound and let us know what you think!

www.shesthequeenmusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/emilyjeanwhite

Check out Beats Antique track ‘There Ya Go’ and see full interview below:

How did Beats Antique come together as a band?

We first came together in 2007 for an opportunity to make an album for Miles Coplin, the producer of bands such as Police etc.. Our first album was out in 2008 and was a production for a Belly Dance company. We mixed experimental electronic with numerous world influences to create a unique sound and ended up making a second album. Today we have just released our third independent album Blind Threshold – an evolution from the previous two.

I personally enjoy your most recent album as chill out – how does the album translate into live performance?

The record is geared towards down to mid-tempo but in the live show we definitely rock out more and even have two live belly dancers. I am definitely up for bringing our sound more up tempo in the future. We also have a full live drum set and incorporate more elements of dub step into the massive build ups in our music – including an upcoming show with BASSNECTAR.

Yeah I see you are doing a pretty intensive tour, how do you keep things fresh?

Introducing new music is a good way to keep things fresh; this tour we already have five new tracks to perform and are working to finish five more on the road. On stage, we work with recorded tracks but also have live instruments, including a violin and electric banjo, so there is a lot of improvisation as well. We even customize our instruments – I just attached a synth board to my banjo! We also have a new musician touring with us who plays baritone saxophone and clarinet, so really there are many elements to keep it fresh for both the audience and us.

You can hear many influences from around the world in your music, but are there any regions that have particularly influenced you?

I was lucky enough to be part of an Afrobeat band called Afrodisiac and we travelled throughout West Africa performing. We even had the chance to perform with Femi Kuti, a great Nigerian musician who is the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. I also had many deep experiences in the villages, such as taking violin lessons – all of which definitely influenced my music today.

Sounds great! In this respect, do you ever consider how your music is received by western audiences?

Yes definitely. Our main goals are to bridge cultures together and break down cultural barriers. For example we are currently in a small town in Oregan which is predominantly white and upper class, giving us the opportunity to introduce new sounds and cultures they have probably had little contact with. Hopefully our music broadens their horizons and brings these two distant cultures closer together. And we do the same when we are touring abroad, working to represent our culture in a positive way.

You can check out Beats Antique on 4/23 at the Brooklyn Bowl, along with numerous other dates listed below:

http://beatsantique.com/

Tour dates

03/30 – Ashland Armory – Ashland, OR*
03/31 – McDonald Theather – Eugene, OR*
04/01 – The Showbox at The Market – Seattle, WA*
04/02 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR*
04/05 -The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
04/06 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
04/07 – Samana Lounge – Vail, CO
04/08 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
04/09 – Granada Theatre – Lawrence, KS
04/11 – Zydeco – Brimingham, AL*
04/12 – Varsity Theatre – Baton Rouge, LA*
04/14 – The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL*
04/15 – New Earth Music Hall – Athens, GA*
04/16 – Orange Peel – Asheville, GA*
04/19 – The National – Richmond, VA*
04/20 – North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA*
04/21 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC*
04/22 – Bourbon Street Ballroom – Baltimore, MD*
04/23 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY*
04/26 – Daniel Street – Milford, CT
04/27 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
04/28 – Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA
04/30 – Pearl Street – Northampton, MA*
05/03 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
05/04 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY*
05/05 – 2720 – St Louis, MO
05/06 – Miramar Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
05/07 – Majestic Live – Madison, WI
05/20 – The Hangout Music Festival – Gulf Shores, AL
05/27 – Bella Music Festival – Geneva, MN
06/02 – Wakarusa Musica Festival – Ozark, AR
06/05 – Wakarusa Musica Festival – Ozark, AR
06/11 – Bonnaroo Music Festival – Manchester, TN

*w/ Eskmo

TheMST.COM: How did this collaboration all come about? How did you get involved?

Joshua Seidner: We’ve done events before together— in the past in a space, I use to run…It was a secret sort-of underground bar called USA, on the eastern edge of the Lower East Side…working together we sort of defined a moment that would take place each night, which in turn would define the night over all. They were good—they were rad. It was a nice place to understand where one another was coming from. And then we were presented with this opportunity with BOMB and with Marlborough. The language that we spoke—is created readily—creating a moment in subculture, in club culture—and is interactive. So with that as a basis we started playing with music, performance, movement and whatever else we could find that would define the space so that it felt the things that are at any of the other events that we’ve done together.

TheMST.com: Now the Marlborough Gallery; is that quite different from your usual space or venue?

Joshua Seidner: Personally I’m use to working site-specific; my background is in acting and writing; making performance pieces in whatever space is available. So looking at the space they offered us, which was originally downstairs—as an off-shoot of the rest of the event… it didn’t seem like too much of a challenge, in terms shutting the lights of and turning the strobe light on and covering it in fake smoke and pulling people into this moment that we were trying to create. In being given the second floor space, which they decided at a later point; the scale of it changed completely. We had to work with focusing on making the room as small as possible for everyone in there. I think that was something that was definitely helped by the music and the tone of the room. The sort of distance that it had from the main event floor… As soon as you walk into the space, we sort of defined elements enough so that the room boundaries were not the same boundaries as the rest of the place.

BLVCK AMERICA: And we couldn’t imagine it any other way now… The piece really did need—conceptually—to be separate from anything else that was going on. It was like ascending to a different level. It gives other people a very intense experience… Even though it was that intense, there was a very angelic serenity to it all… It was very loud, but it really just felt calm.

After this beautiful serene experience, when visitors headed back downstairs, it made it that much more powerful. The darkness…

No one is looking at each other: You can’t really see other people’s reaction. You sort of go inward.

Joshua Seidner: To a large degree, improvisation was built into the piece. We didn’t know exactly what would happen over the course of the hour that we would be putting it together. And with that; regardless of the eclectics of the room that were presented to us; in terms of whether it was something that we move or something that we would have to incorporate like the walls that were there on [the day of the show], but hadn’t been there when we originally visited the space… So there were ways to utilize those aspects of the room so those walls became something that created a little bit more intimacy. Because in that setting you can only look at things through a certain vantage, as opposed to what the floor of an open space would allow—being that we were performing in the center of the room. It is one of the aspects of stepping away from whatever it is you were before. As many aspects, including technical and audio that we could have used, the better. The more that there was, the further away from New York City ground floor we got… We like New York City below the floor.

TheMST.com: At the Armory Week and Basel, where you see this sort of blingy scene of contemporary visual art… Selling at high prices… where do you see your art form—performance art— fitting in?

BLVCK AMERICA: My opinion on performance: I think it is the most valuable art today; it is the most relevant art today. It’s what’s the most needed. It is integral to art’s survival…

Most of the work that is really penetrating right now understands that it doesn’t necessarily need legacy. Legacy isn’t real; it’s a myth—bullshit. I think it’s interesting to see that performance art is still sort of seen, in an unfortunate way, like a side show act. In the case of Armory week or in the context of any kind of art fair; it gets left to that, because I guess people don’t see the value in something that is literally gone, as soon as it’s done. Granted, built into that model, there is documentation…

I do think that’s going to change.

After the show we jumped in their tour van and had a chance to learn about their path to independent fame, their youtube success and a bit about their highly anticipated new album – overall a great insight into the extremely nice guys and gals of The Jezabels!

The Jezabels set list at Glasslands was as followers:

1. Cherry Pie
2. Easy to Love
3. Old Little Girls
4. Long Highway
5. Sahara Mahala
6. Mace Spray
7. Hurt Me
8. Dark Storm

Read on to get a great insight into how they produce their hugely successful tracks (second best selling artist on super label Anjunabeats), and make sure you head to Cielo in NYC on Thursday February 24th to see them live.

TheMST: Your duo formed rather recently, what do you think led to your quick success?

Janne Mansnerus  /  Tab: Hard work! (Laughs) Actually we have been in the business quite a long time and we started to work with each other about 5 years ago. The secret is hard work and get the right people around you, like Anjunabeats, that really helps.

How did you learn to produce?

I started to DJ around 20 years ago and around 10, 11 years ago it was a natural move to start to produce as well. Miika [Miika Eloranta / Super8] had the opposite side to this, he started to produce music then started to DJ.

So how do you handle collaborating / what is the dynamic?

We both have the same passion for music, the same music taste, and we both think the same way about how we should go forward and try to break standards so each track sounds a little more interesting. And it doesn’t matter if Miika is working on the track or me, we both throw in some ideas. It’s working well.

Specifically, does one of you do the mixing and one of you does the synths and the drums? How does that work?

Miika is really, really good about the mixing and he has those melodies, and for me its more like the drums and the drive, and the club hook.

Empire has been really successful, what have been some of the highlights of the album?

Highlights? Definitely that we got it out! That’s the biggest highlight of the album… and we are really happy how it sounds and how it turned out to be. We didn’t think to do that many vocal tracks but we had like 7 vocal tracks in our hands and just loved them all, so couldn’t leave them out. Track wise it is hard to say, it depends on the day, at the moment I like ‘My Enemy’, ‘Empire’ is doing really well, but yeah its hard to say which track is the best or the highlight of the album. It’s like your babies; you have to love them all.

So personally, where do you find inspiration for your music?

We listen a lot to different types of music. It doesn’t matter if it is house, techno, trance or normal radio / commercial stuff – U2, Coldplay, all kinds of stuff. And then we just think what we like about those tracks and mix it into our sound. Not stealing but getting the inspiration from it. Then try to make the track a little different to the way we did last time, mixing those feelings of inspiration. Listening to lots of different types of music is the key.

And that’s what you would recommend to others?

Yeah I think when you listen to different types of music and think what do you like about them, how they might be able to do that, how it moves you and why you feel that track is so good – try to find it out and make it in your own way. Not copying or stealing, but what you like about each track, what is the key.

In regards to your fans, what do you hope they take from your music or experience while listening to it?

I hope they enjoy listening to it, dancing to it, go crazy, forget about any worries they might have, live in the moment, have a good time and feel that at the same time there might be more people listening to the track. Uniting people and you know, having a good time!

Let’s talk about Trance music in general. When do you remember getting into Trance originally?

I am not sure it was called trance at that moment, but it was in the early nineties when I was playing in Helsinki at illegal after parties and going to clubs, running my own parties and it’s just how it felt in me. All the build ups and the atmosphere, there was just so much going on. So many different levels, it just got me.

Where do you see the genre developing in the future?

Every genre is getting closer to each other, if you listen to house music or trance, they both have influences from each other. If you listen to the radio these days can you say that it’s pop music? Or is it house music or trance? I think it’s all of them mixed up together and that’s quite interesting because it’s reaching new levels.

Also, Trance music BPM’s are getting lower. These days more people are listening to 134 or 135 BPM, when five years ago it was like 140. I think that’s good for Trance because it gives more room for the track to make the bass line more groovy or the drums; the track breathes more when the BPM is lower.

So what’s next for you?

At the moment we are doing remixes from the Empire album, the original tracks, maybe more tracks with Jan Burton and these guys, and touring a lot doing DJ sets.

2011 looks very busy; more gigs and shitloads of releases coming out! It feels great that we are now in the situation where we only do remixes and releasing tracks from the album. We no longer have that sort of pressure to finalize the album. It was a good project, interesting and we learned a lot, but it feels great that it’s done and even better to release them out there!

Full tour listings and releases found here: http://www.super8andtab.com/

Iranian-Washington, D.C. native, Ali Shirazinia, better known as Dubfire or the former half of dynamite duo Deep Dish, is concluding a monumental North American tour. This Thanksgiving weekend he takes on New York’s Good Units, on Saturday November 27th.

UPDATE: Make sure you grab your tickets to the upcoming 4TH ANNUAL BPM FESTIVAL IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO – Dubfire will be there to spin under the hot Mexican sun!

The DJ/producer first discovered a passion for electronic dance music when he began listening to the work of originators like Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode. He credits punk music as an early inspiration of his music career.
Fast-forward to 1991, when Sharam and Dubfire were accidentally double booked at a DC joint and Deep Dish was born shortly thereafter. This lead to major successes including chart-smasher “Flashdance,” featuring Anousheh Khaliliand; a remix of Stevie Nicks’ “Dreams;” Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You;” their “Say Hello” track; and in 2002, the duo won a Grammy Award for their mix of Dido’s “Thank You.”

Deep Dish as the original duo is now on hiatus, but Dubfire has an impressive and established career on his own with solo-artist successful tracks like “I Feel Speed” and popular remixes of /b/’s hit, “Spastik,” in 2007, and System 7′s “Spacebird” in 2008; as well as two critically acclaimed Global Underground compilations (Toronto 2003 and Taipei 2007); Dubfire solidified his presence as a electronic dance music great.

TheMST caught up with Dubfire to snag a few words before he gives New York something to talk about…

TheMST: Tell us about growing up in DC? You seem to have an eclectic and musically diverse upbringing…

Dubfire: DC has obviously had a great deal of influence on me. We had a revered punk scene, which I was very much into; despite its superficially conservative polish, DC always supported an alternative to the status quo. I felt free to explore a varied palette of musical identities.

TheMST: How was it to form SCI + TEC? And how do you feel it has benefited your career?

Dubfire: It was a logical step for me as I needed an outlet to release my new solo productions. But that soon led to an influx of new music demos I kept receiving, which naturally called for a shift in policy. We’re nearly up to 50 releases and going strong and I’ve been very excited about highlighting a host of emerging new talent.

TheMST: As a separate artist you differ greatly from Deep Dish– how do you balance the two world’s and what do you enjoy differently from the two successful experiences?

Dubfire: Well there’s no real balancing act now as Sharam and I have ceased to record and tour as Deep Dish. Although stylistically different, I am very proud of the work we did as Deep Dish and continue to evolve as an artist.

TheMST: You’ve had a very busy year– tell us about some of the highlights.

Dubfire: Gig-wise it’s been the Click2Click show with Richie Hawtin and Timewarp; both were equally memorable experiences. Production-wise, the new remix I did for Plastikman as well as the two tracks I produced for Underworld’s new album.

TheMST: What’s on deck for next year?

Dubfire: I’m really looking forward to having more of a productive year in the studio in 2011. That will be my primary focus.

TheMST: We always want to know–what do you love about performing in New York? Did you get to explore the city? What hit the spot?

Dubfire: New York will always be a very special place for me for obvious reasons: Sharam and I used to come up to the city literally every week for years and only to experience the music of our idols at some of the best clubs in the world at that time. There’s a certain energy in New York that you don’t find anywhere else; the one place I always seem to get butterflies at before a gig. While New York nightlife has seen a severe decline in the quality of venues and events, the past few years have ushered in a host of great new nights at various emerging clubs.

Dubfire’s final US tour dates conclude the first week of December:

Fri 26 Spy Bar, Chicago
Sat 27 Verboten & SCI+TEC @ Good Units, NYC

TICKETS: Wantickets.com/flawless
GUESTLIST: RSVP.flawless@mac.com
TABLES: 917.763.4498

December
Fri 3 Tongue & Groove, Atlanta
Sat 4 Gryphon, Ft Lauderdale

Festival Appearance: Dec 31st – Jan 9th – BPM Festival Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

http://www.dubfire.com/

http://www.plastikman.com/

http://www.goodunits.com/

http://www.thebpmfestival.com

The MST recently caught up with Gareth Emery as he returned from his long weekend in the US, playing NY, LA, Seattle and SF, he talks about the new generation of music listeners, his gruelling schedule, the future of his sound and what we can expect coming up. Also read my insight into debut album ‘Northern Lights’, a great addition to my current playlist!

I see you have just returned from the US, visiting LA, New York, Seattle, SF, tell me about your experiences there?

Gareth Emery: Well it is hard to compare because each one was so different. In San Francisco I ended up playing a four hour set at Ruby Skye, Seattle was more of a Rave with 10,000 people, while New York was a small, yet packed out club. But it was a great and very intense 4 days!

Tell me about Cielo, it is one of my favourites in NY, but tends to fill up quickly!

Yes it was a weeknight so you never know what to expect, but loads turned up on the night. I think a few people felt it may have been too full, but being a DJ it is hard to feel any ill effects! I think next time we come to NY we will need a bigger venue!

Yes I think with the release of ‘Northern Lights’ and 7^th place in the TOP 100 DJ’s definitely contributed to your popularity in the US, do you feel like you are becoming a more recognised name in the US?

Yes but I think it has been a slow build. We have been coming to the US alot over the years and this year we played 40 shows in the US.

Wow thats alot… how did you produce ‘Northern Lights’ while constantly touring?

Well I worked even on the plane, working on compositions and order. Flow is very important for me, from the beginning to the end. For some DJ’s order is an after-thought, but for me it was integral to the album. I kept a list of the demo’s on my playlist and kept re-listening to make sure everything was in place.

Well I think the effort paid off, the whole album feels like a journey, beginning in progressive and ending in full-on Trance beats. Although you do play a large mix of genres, what draws you to Trance particularly?

Yes I understand why I am called a Trance DJ because 60% of what I play could be categorised in this genre. Trance is special to me because it was the first genre that pulled me into dance music 11/12 years ago, it has that magic with the ability to take you into a different mental state.

And how do you see yourself developing? A further move into multi-genre albums/sets?

Well i see myself moving with how Dance music as a whole is evolving. In two years time I like to think I will be considered a DJ who just plays records. I like that people are opening up to different types of music, one week they go to a trance night, the next a completely different genre. I think it is harder for us of a older generation to understand. It is the ipod generation, they hear something they like, they check it out on facebook / twitter and there is less pressure to stick to one genre.

Yeah I think we are used to that pressure of becoming experts in one genre and being often forced to cite our favourite acts / DJ’s as part of a definition of who we are…

Yeah, now kids can like heavy dance but then also listen to a pop track, there is less of a pre-conception of cool.

Agreed. And I see you are coming to South America in a few weeks, visiting Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. Do you come to South America a lot and are you excited about the tour?

We don’t get to come to South America a lot so its a great novelty, I love the food, the people and the crowds are great!

And in the near future, what are you looking forward to?

Well, firstly relaxing! I have played 130 shows in 40 countries so far this year, so need some time to unwind. But we have a lot coming up, we will be continuing to tour through to the new year, with a remix edition of Northern Lights and a compilation album to be released in 2011. I am really happy with the remix edition coming out because we managed to get all my favourite DJ’s on the record.

Great! We will be looking forward to those releases, and in the meantime we will have Northern Lights on our IPOD…

Below is my take on Gareth Emery’s ‘Northern Lights’ – I advise you add it to your own collection:

Northern Lights is Gareth Emery’s first full album release, featuring a mix of genres with a strong trance backbone. Emery starts with a progressive house sound building in the first three tracks, with my favourite being ‘Too Dark Tonight’ – a beautiful composition of piano melody, restless beats and great atmospheric vocals.

By track 4, ‘Arrival’, the music really starts pumping – calming slightly for ‘full tilt’ (track 6) before dropping heavily into a great pounding beat with well chosen trance vocals for ‘Sanctuary’ (Track 7). Moving forward comes the massive track, ‘Citadel’, pulling you deeper into Emery’s world – a heavy, pounding culmination demonstrating years of intent listening, podcasting and endless touring.

By track 11, ‘I will be the same’, you’ve reached driving trance, perhaps what he is best known for and a great track, yet just a small part of his musical talent. Global, the last track on the album and the theme for 2010 Global Gathering, features a driving bassline with almost psy-trance melodies riding over the top – a great contrast between light and dark in the track, and a great culmination and crescendo for such a highly anticipated and extremely well executed album.

GET NORTHERN LIGHTS NOW

Who wants to see Gareth Emery on the balance series? I do…

Glaswegian indie rock outfit Frightened Rabbit are currently on tour in support of their third studio album, Winter of Mixed Drinks, and have made a strong push Stateside in 2010. Originally conceived as a solo project for singer/guitarist Scott Hutchison in 2003, Frightened Rabbit have since expanded to a full-fledged, five-member band. Earlier this year, they made their U.S. television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and contributed to The A.V. Club’s “Undercover” series with an excellent cover of the Lemonheads “Confetti” (albeit with a significant dash of “Scottish glumness,” as Hutchison described).

In the middle headlining a month-long U.S. tour, singer/guitarist Scott Hutchison was kind enough to take some time for a brief Q&A…

The Music Street Team: You’ve said “I’d like to continue challenging myself and taking different subject matters.” Midnight Organ Fight really focused on relationship heartache and loss, while Winter of Mixed Drinks’ lyrics focus on ‘resetting’ or recapturing oneself. What kind of other themes do you see exploring on future albums?

Scott Hutchison: I’d like to widen it beyond my own life and experience a little more. When you work through a live set for around 90 mins, and realize it’s mostly about you, it can start to feel a bit indulgent. I think I need to widen the scope of the material.

MST: You’ve really shot to amazing success in the US mainly through word of mouth—with this sudden rise in popularity how does this tour feel compared to your last?

SH: It feels great. I think in many ways, the last tour felt a bit more pressured, as it was our first tour playing some larger, more daunting venues. Personally, I was a little bit uptight during that last tour. I think with the experience of festivals and whatnot this summer, I’ve come to be more comfortable as a performer.

MST: Your band has grown considerably in size since its beginnings—how does this effect the creative and collaborative efforts that go into recording?

SH: Up until now, it hasn’t changed much. I still toil away on my own (by choice), write the songs and then arrange them in the studio. But I’d like to think that may change and I can loosen the reins on this next record. I’m trying to let others in…

MST: What are the challenges of recreating the energy and expansiveness of your songs when playing live night after night?

SH: It’s hard to throw that level of feeling into each song, night after night. I have the occasional evening where I just can’t get it. But most of the time, I am immediately aware of the importance of the songs to the people in the audience, and it helps. Touring is exhausting, and if we didn’t have the fans coming out and giving so much back to us each night, I’d just give up.

MST: What are some of the upcoming bands that you see making a large mark on the music scene in the next couple of years?

SH: The Phantom Band need to be heard by many, many more people. They are coming out on this US tour with us. Their new album The Wants is incredible. I’d also recommend an Edinburgh band called Meursault, Cincinnati’s finest sons Bad Veins and of course, We Were Promised Jetpacks will probably make the best album of next year.

Frightened Rabbit play Terminal 5 in New York City on October 30th. Winter of Mixed Drinks is out now on Fat Cat Records.

Hannah J. Gouldstone contributed to this article

Check out this interview with We Are Scientists from All Points West 2009! Originally planned for print, but the magazine died, so we are free to publish – enjoy the musician / comedians as they talk Zane Lowe, Jay Z, Coldplay and American politics. And cava.

London-born former DJ and human potential expert, Christopher Dines, has been busy public speaking. Having DJed at legendary club nights such as Defected in the House at Pacha, Ministry of Sound and City Loud at Turnmills in his early twenties, Dines has made the transition onto the global human potential platform as a rising star gaining applause in Hollywood. Dines has been endorsed by Hollywood’s Celebrity Image Consultant Daniel DiCriscio, Former Led Zeppelin, Ossy Osborne, The Who tour manager Richard Cole, 24- Emmy Award winning journalist Michael Cogdill, Hollywood Emmy award winning screen composer Michael J. McEvoy, music business personality Eddie Gordon and, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Danny Rampling. Christopher’s brand new book “A Ticket to Prosperity” is released on Wednesday 7th July 2010.

We see that you’ve been busy Christopher. What have you been up to?

I’ve been creating a positive organic energy for the launch of my book, “A Ticket to Prosperity,” and have also been talking at human potential events.

How does it feel speaking to a crowd rather than playing music?

Playing music and talking to people are totally different. But I see them both as healing people. I used to heal people through my music, playing and remixing records. Now I do it by talking and sharing spiritual principles that can help people.

You’ve attracted wide spread attention by gaining applause in Hollywood. Tell us more?

This was not planned. At 23, when I was travelling the world as a DJ, I had no idea that I would write a book and talk at events on spiritual principles. It’s mind blowing. As for the endorsements, it just came together organically. It’s beyond my wildest dreams!

Who is your favourite DJ?

I haven’t a favourite but I could give you a list of names off the top of my head: Tony Humphries, David Morales, Paul “Trouble” Anderson, Chris Samba and MAW. I am a young old school kid at heart.

Although you are not DJing on the circuit anymore, what is your favourite club and do you still go clubbing?

Club Deep in LA is my favourite club night. It’s a deep, soulful night that runs every Sunday evening. I am a big fan of Garage City too.  I love dancing but it has to be the right energy, DJ and venue. If someone like Frankie Knuckles is in town, then chances are I’ll attend.

Who are your heroes?

Honestly? I would have to say Mickey Mouse. I love Disney!!!

Do you or would you DJ anymore?

I have no desire to be DJing in nightclubs every night. I DJ at the occasional private party but that’s as far as it goes.  However, my focus is to help people through writing, talking and television.

What’s in the pipeline for Christopher Dines?

Lot’s of speaking, travelling and television appearances. I am teaming up with Mr Daniel DiCriscio in Los Angeles, creating a spiritual event to encourage people to flow with life. We want popular culture personalities talking to and sharing their experiences with the kids.  It’s essential that people believe in themselves and have a clear understanding of their spiritual nature, which is all knowing and all powerful.

And finally what message do you have for the kids out there?

Create something positive in life that can help and serve people. Always seek to improve and of course, believe in what you do. There is a power much greater than you that can bring you an incredible life, if you let it. Dream your dreams and understand that you’re a winner.

Written by Stevie Calm

Visit http://www.christopherdines.com for more info.