I play in a band called Counties.
You won't have heard of us, much to my eternal disappointment but I am working to change that!
If you do want to listen to our musical efforts: Bandcamp
Right, shameless self-promotion out of the way
I wrote this after my bandmate, Lloyd, wrote on his blog
Music is something I have done for 15 years now. It's in my blood. I studied Audio Engineering, I record my own music at home, I invest in equipment where I can (by "invest", I mean "purchase with no intent to ever sell it"!), and I have worked in the music industry for the last 8 years or so.
Being in a band is maddening...Playing a show is amazing. Even to a handful of people. And you can't do it every night. That is whats maddening, because you want to. You want to show the world how you and your brothers can fucking slay given the chance, how you have something to offer the world outside of a 9-5 existence. But the world doesn't want that.
If income is based on a skill, finely honed, hours put into practicing, then music was the sector they forgot. Half the time, if we play a show, it's for free - they don't even cover the cost of fuel. I have played shows where I had to pay for bottled water, and to use their bathroom.
I wake up most mornings and one of the first things I think about, after "awesome, no erectile dysfunction yet" and "do I need the toilet?" is music. It's my band. It's how I can push it forward, or an idea for a song.
Sometimes I wish I never picked up a guitar, but most of the time I am 100% ecstatic that I chose to spend my teenage years learning about music and not chasing girls. I have met amazing and inspirational people in this industry and made some amazing friends to boot.
I was 14 and I was bought a Classical guitar for Christmas. I didn't come from an immediately musical family. Neither of my parents play an instrument, though both love music. Mum loves soul and Motown, the old man is into Drum & Bass (he hasn't grown up either!). My grandad taught me to play guitar. He showed me how to play open chords and a 12-Bar Blues pattern. He introduced me to blues and rock n roll - before this, I was a metal fan only.
I still love metal, it's my first (musical) love.
But my Grandad opened my eyes and ears to 4 decades of very cool music - The Faces, The Stones, BB King and more.
My cousin Glen has also played guitar for years. He is my mother's age, and works in the industry as Tour Manager for a fairly well-established act. He introduced me to the idea of the guitar as a journey, how learning music created by these early Blues and Rock n Roll guys would inform my playing to a higher standard - how metal was born of these two genres.
You won't have heard of us, much to my eternal disappointment but I am working to change that!
If you do want to listen to our musical efforts: Bandcamp
Right, shameless self-promotion out of the way
I wrote this after my bandmate, Lloyd, wrote on his blog
Music is something I have done for 15 years now. It's in my blood. I studied Audio Engineering, I record my own music at home, I invest in equipment where I can (by "invest", I mean "purchase with no intent to ever sell it"!), and I have worked in the music industry for the last 8 years or so.
Being in a band is maddening...Playing a show is amazing. Even to a handful of people. And you can't do it every night. That is whats maddening, because you want to. You want to show the world how you and your brothers can fucking slay given the chance, how you have something to offer the world outside of a 9-5 existence. But the world doesn't want that.
If income is based on a skill, finely honed, hours put into practicing, then music was the sector they forgot. Half the time, if we play a show, it's for free - they don't even cover the cost of fuel. I have played shows where I had to pay for bottled water, and to use their bathroom.
I wake up most mornings and one of the first things I think about, after "awesome, no erectile dysfunction yet" and "do I need the toilet?" is music. It's my band. It's how I can push it forward, or an idea for a song.
Sometimes I wish I never picked up a guitar, but most of the time I am 100% ecstatic that I chose to spend my teenage years learning about music and not chasing girls. I have met amazing and inspirational people in this industry and made some amazing friends to boot.
I was 14 and I was bought a Classical guitar for Christmas. I didn't come from an immediately musical family. Neither of my parents play an instrument, though both love music. Mum loves soul and Motown, the old man is into Drum & Bass (he hasn't grown up either!). My grandad taught me to play guitar. He showed me how to play open chords and a 12-Bar Blues pattern. He introduced me to blues and rock n roll - before this, I was a metal fan only.
I still love metal, it's my first (musical) love.
But my Grandad opened my eyes and ears to 4 decades of very cool music - The Faces, The Stones, BB King and more.
My cousin Glen has also played guitar for years. He is my mother's age, and works in the industry as Tour Manager for a fairly well-established act. He introduced me to the idea of the guitar as a journey, how learning music created by these early Blues and Rock n Roll guys would inform my playing to a higher standard - how metal was born of these two genres.
My grandad died around 5 years ago. I was by his side in hospital with my family and I made sure I thanked him for the greatest gift he ever gave me; Music. I play guitar for my Grandad, because I know if there is something after we hop the twig, he would be dancing to our music every time I've played live, he would have loved hearing my songs recorded, and I could have shown him some very cool music in return.
At this stage, we are currently on the search for a new drummer, which is not much fun at all. Band members leaving is never good. We lost our bass player a few years ago and replacing him was an utter pain in the arse. We auditioned around 10 people. The first guy had been playing bass for about 8 weeks - he couldn't even tune the thing. We had a militant vegan, who's American girlfriend looked like a cut-price stripper. One guy turned up on a skateboard. The ad said we wanted someone with a car, who could be responsible for getting their equipment to gigs. A skateboard doesn't count, even if it is a pop-punk band! Eventually we found Tom, the coolest cat with 4 strings and the biggest pop-punk nerd in the world. He once crowd surfed at a Four Year Strong show.
I love my band. I love putting time and energy into it, I love writing as it feels like I am writing for a purpose, not just for my own ears. I like the standard we set ourselves - we like to put on a slick show, we like to be professional even though by definition that means we get paid for playing our music. We don't! Not even fuel money!
Check us out, we should have new music out very soon with any luck and if you're a drummer in Essex who loves pop-punk, give us a shout!
Enough rambling now
Have a good week all!
At this stage, we are currently on the search for a new drummer, which is not much fun at all. Band members leaving is never good. We lost our bass player a few years ago and replacing him was an utter pain in the arse. We auditioned around 10 people. The first guy had been playing bass for about 8 weeks - he couldn't even tune the thing. We had a militant vegan, who's American girlfriend looked like a cut-price stripper. One guy turned up on a skateboard. The ad said we wanted someone with a car, who could be responsible for getting their equipment to gigs. A skateboard doesn't count, even if it is a pop-punk band! Eventually we found Tom, the coolest cat with 4 strings and the biggest pop-punk nerd in the world. He once crowd surfed at a Four Year Strong show.
I love my band. I love putting time and energy into it, I love writing as it feels like I am writing for a purpose, not just for my own ears. I like the standard we set ourselves - we like to put on a slick show, we like to be professional even though by definition that means we get paid for playing our music. We don't! Not even fuel money!
Check us out, we should have new music out very soon with any luck and if you're a drummer in Essex who loves pop-punk, give us a shout!
Enough rambling now
Have a good week all!
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