Make A Scene is a hardcore rock band emerging from the East Bay, California with catchy melodies, breakdowns, and the occasional shenanigans! They are known for their unique and distinctive mix of blistering guitar riffs, commanding bass thumps, aggressive drum beats, and fiercely confident vocals. Make A Scene boasts all original material and has a little something for everyone. With that said, the entire band got together to talk about themselves, their debut release, and upcoming plans for new music and playing some showcases in between perhaps?
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
I started this project as a child. I would write and compose music in my bedroom as a solo artist for years before finally meeting Charlie Rage (Drums) who went back and forth from bass, guitar and singing before finally settling on drums. Then came my brother Cory Sharks (Lead Guitarist) who I begged to join the band multiple times before he finally agreed and last but not least came AVB (Bass) whom I worked with at a movie theater. He started out as a fan who learned to play bass just so he could join the band.
2. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
We are not musically racist whatsoever. We like so many different styles of music; I just can't pinpoint it down to one. So listen to us and tell us what we are cuz we really have no idea.
AVB: (Bass)
We don't have a style; we have like a thousand styles in one. I dunno, if you wanna pick a label and call us that then go ahead.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
To answer all that, Doritos Locos Tacos.
3. How did you guys come up with your band name?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Our original band name was Mudshovel but after awhile we decided to change it to something more suitable. We went through a whole shit load of names and it was actually my little sister that said we should name the band Make A Scene because she loved an old song we had titled that and everyone else felt that it represented our band really well and it just stuck. I hope you guys like it, if you don't then fuck you.
4. What have you released so far and how were your releases received?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
We have released one album titled "A Theme For Her Murder." That's the only official release that we have that we're actually selling. It was received generally well. People seem like they really dig it. We just felt that the CD didn't really do us much justice, it didn't have the quality we'd hoped for, because it wasn't recorded very well which is why we're in the process of recording a new album.
AVB: (Bass)
I think generally speaking not many people disliked the album. A lot of people that I don't know tell me how awesome our music is and how much it's changed them. I can't imagine it being received poorly if people are actually being motivated and influenced by it.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
Everyone pretty much said it. I think the quality will be better on the second one we release. As far as received, I mean, we sent it to people and they received it!
5. You mentioned your debut album "A Theme For Her Murder" does this title refer to someone and is this a concept album?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
The album is not a concept but for some people, when they hear "A Theme For Her Murder" they think the album is a soundtrack to a girl being murdered but it's not. The soundtrack is actually a theme for a murder the girl is committing. Whether it's physical murder, the murder of love, the murder of hope, the murder of whatever it may be. Though all the songs are not only told from the perspective of a girl, it's also from a guy, we just tend to like girls, I don't know what's up with that… but it's definitely not a concept album. Is our new album gonna be one? Maybe. Everything we do is open for interpretation. Never expect a straight answer.
6. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
I write about anything and everything whether it's real or fictional but I tend to try to write about things that are real life, things that people can really identify with even though I may exaggerate sometimes or just tell a fictional story about zombies. Then I usually bring that concept to the band to get more opinions because I feel like more opinions lead to a better concept and then it offers more to the public. We cover things from the bad side of love to bullying to the government. Pretty much anything you can think of, if it makes people feel something, whether it's anger or happiness, it doesn't matter. We write about it and hopefully you identify with it.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
I feel like most of our songs pertain more to ways you could be damaged by people in general whether it's in a relationship or the way people treat each other. Even political stuff where people just don't care if other people are starving to death in other countries while in America, some people act like it's the end of the world when their wireless goes out.
AVB: (Bass)
I would rather you guys listen and find your own meaning to the songs cuz we have themes and we have meanings in our songs but those are to be interpreted by the listener in anyway they see it clicks to their life. I listen to some of our songs and I take things differently than N!ck or Cory or Charlie would and there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't mean the songs are confusing.
7. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Yes, we write our own songs. And as far as the song writing process goes in detail, it varies a little bit. Usually since I sing, I will write a very simple, shitty rhythm to a melody. Just the skeleton idea and I will bring it in and then everyone will kind of add on to it as if it were a cake where everyone's adding on the frosting and the sprinkles and building upon it and making it even better. Primarily our songs are very vocal and guitar driven. So usually, I will write the skeleton of it or Cory will come in with riffs and then I'll throw vocals on top. Bass and drums are usually something that comes after but everyone contributes and we couldn't do it without anyone of us, it just wouldn't work.
8. What bands have influenced your band and its sound?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Billy Idol is my number one influence because he was the first artist that I got into. The moment I was born and got ears I was listening to Billy Idol and he just had this raw edge to him and he had that pretty bad boy kinda thing. And I was like this mother fucker is awesome!
Charlie Rage: (Drums)
I would have to say my number one influence is Michael Jackson. The man inspired me in so many ways to the way I dress, to the way I present myself and the way I express myself musically.
AVB: (Bass)
My number one influence has to be Korn. When I saw their music video "Freak On A Leash", man that was my dream right there. I just wanted to make some dope ass fuckin' music like that. It was too cool, it was too real and I was like, that's what I want to do.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
I was influenced and inspired to play guitar by Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit and the guitar players from Korn. They made me want to pick up a guitar and be able to have such a distinct style that people would hear my riffs and be like, “Yeah, that's Cory from Make A Scene, I can tell".
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Our music is the love child of Korn Michael Idol Bizkit.
AVB: (Bass)
Sounds like a horrible meal.
9. What made you guys decide to form a band?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
"Why not? Who doesn't want to be rock star?"
10. Will you guys be shooting a music video anytime soon?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Yes we will and it's going to be for "I Don't Take Baths Cause I'm Afraid Of Sharks." Right?
Band: Right.
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Right. Yawp. Cool.
11. What are your dreams and goals?
AVB: (Bass)
My dreams, I wanna tour, I wanna go across the world with my fuckin' homies, my brothers and I wanna have thousands of hundreds of millions of fans that love it, that dig it. My goals are to have a positive influence on everyone I meet. I want people to understand that it's all right to take care of yourself before taking care of someone else because you can't help anybody if you can't help yourself.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
Well first, my goal is to have my dream come true but, it's kinda like Alex was saying, you wanna leave a positive message on people. We always have the negative but I think we as people just need to see the positive more often and that's the kinda thing I'd like to have more people realize, is to not be so negative all the time. To really get out of that habit because it’s a really bad habit.
Charlie Rage: (Drums)
My dream is to continue doing this with the band for a long, long time. My goal is to give back to the community, to help those who need it the most. That's always something that has driven me because I've been through some hard times.
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
First, I just wanted to point out that this question really reminded me how awesome it is to be in a band cuz I can just fuckin' sit here and talk about myself!
My dream has always been to be in a band and to make music that people can identify with cuz there's nothing harder than putting yourself out there and being so vulnerable in a world where everybody judges you and stereotypes you. To have people enjoy what you're doing and to identify with it in a world like this is an amazing feeling. I use to see all these bands when I was younger that played for these huge, huge crowds and I'm not saying the only way I'll feel like I made it is by playing for a million people but to be able to reach that point would be amazing. That's like my ultimate dream, to be a huge successful band, one that gives as much as it gets. As far as my goals go, I just want this band to fucking make a little bit of money. And with the money we do make, be able to start a business out of it and just be able to fuckin' survive off doing what we love.
12. What are the biggest obstacles for bands?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
I think that money is the biggest fuckin' obstacle because the less you have, the less you can do and the more money you have, the more you can fuckin' buy into it. It all comes down to that. I don't have gas, I don't have a big enough car for my equipment, my equipment sucks, I can't afford a demo, I can't buy articles in newspapers. It all comes down to money and I fuckin' hate that shit cuz I'm a broke bitch.
AVB: (Bass)
I agree, cash rules everything and we don't got none of that shit, so… we do what we do and we survive and we scrape by but that is one of the hardest set backs. I got all the time in the world to write songs, practice songs but without the money I can't really invest in anything, I can only sit there and practice and write. Which is cool, everyone needs to practice but to keep the band's momentum moving in the way that it's moving you need more funds to keep that drive and that push going, to keep us spreading out, ya know?
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
That probably pretty much says it all, it's money. It takes money to make money. You really have to be dedicated and resourceful to find other ways. It's possible but it's very hard to make it when you don't have money. If we were all little white Canadian singers and Usher happened to find our video on YouTube maybe he would give us some money to record hella shit.
13. What advice would you give to fellow bands who want to do what you're doing?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Number one, start a band, write your own songs, rehearse them and record them if you can. So that once you start playing shows you will be rehearsed, prepared and have material to offer potential, interested fans. Number two, promotion is key. Online is awesome and it really helps but it's not the only way to do that shit. Get out on the streets, go to the mall, meet people, introduce yourself, put yourself out there, let people know how important it is to you cuz if you let someone know how important something is to you the more trouble they're going to have saying no. Never give up!
AVB: (Bass)
My tip would be open-mindedness and that's one of the top things you need to have in your band. If everyone gets closed-minded about what they want then you guys just get stuck in a rut and you scratch it and start a new one. You get stuck in the same thing, it's like a cycle, it's ugly. And aside from that, confidence. If you go on stage and look like you're scared to be on stage, the fans can smell it, they feel it from your aura. You need to be confident when you go up there and know that you're here to fuckin' rock this fuckin' show and make all these people jump up and down and scream your fuckin' name, ya know?
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
Actually, what I've heard the most every time I see any band and I ask what kind of advice do they have for me, it's always practice and before I'd be like, you just don't wanna give me advice cuz you're lazy, but really that's what it is. You just have to practice together. You even have to practice like being a functional band. You really have to find what works with everybody, what clicks, and what doesn't with each member. Just stick with it and keep going is the advice I would give.
Charlie Rage: (Drums)
The advice I have to give to bands starting out that wanna do what we do is to challenge yourself all the time no matter what you do and never give up because in the end it's all worth it.
14. What accomplishments are you most proud of as a band?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
I am most proud of the fact that we are four struggling, motherfuckers that share the same love for music and somehow manage to stay together in the end no matter what. Glass half-full, glass half-empty, it doesn't matter cuz in the end we know we still got something to drink.
AVB: (Bass)
I'm actually most proud about the way we've matured as a band. That's probably one of my biggest things. We've done a lot of cool things, got a lot of messages from people telling us how we've helped them out. Got a lot of fans on Facebook in a year and a half. We're moving fast but I'd like to move faster. I'm most proud of how structured we've become. Every day we get that much more structured, that much more in tune with each other's minds.
Charlie Rage: (Drums)
I'm very proud of gaining fans and learning something new every day. There's things that I didn't think I could do before and I'm finding out I can do them. It's that drive that I think I'm proud of the most.
15. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Here's where you can buy and bump our shit. Thank you.
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iheartmakeascene/app_178091127385)
YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/iheartmakeascene)
iTunes: I Don't Take Baths Cause I'm Afraid Of Sharks — Single (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-dont-take-baths-cause-im/id607174083)
iTunes: A Theme For Her Murder — Album (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-theme-for-her-murder/id556001880)
Spotify (http://www.spotify.com/us/get-spotify/overview/)
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/A-Theme-For-Her-Murder/dp/B00895FD4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365807773&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Theme+For+Her+Murder)
Reverbnation Press Kit (http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/songs/2378099)
16. Why should a music listener buy your material?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
If you're not open-minded enough to take a chance on something new then you should seriously rethink the way you're livin' life.
Charlie Rage: (Drums)
To experience something new and to hear the dedication we put into it.
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
Vocally, lyrically and musically, our songs are very honest, very identifiable, they can be brutal, they can be uplifting. I would say our music is life pretty much. It's got everything that you might have experienced. Take a chance, you never know what you might learn from it or take away from it until you actually just give it a listen.
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Ya, our music is a rollercoaster of life. It goes up and down and if you're not willing to take a ride then sit on the fuckin' bench.17. What plans do you have in future as far as shows, touring, and as a band?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
We have plans to tour, and do shows, get a bigger fan base, and just you know, take over as much of the world as possible. I know everyone says that but I don't give a fuck cuz all bands have something in common and they all wanna be the best and we know we're never gonna be the best but we constantly strive for it every day… you know, we'll get close and just keep getting better .
Cory Sharks: (Lead Guitarist)
In the future, we want to have more people at the shows, we wanna play more shows and then as a band we want more, so more is what I'm sayin'.
AVB: (Bass)
As for the future, I'm not too good at reading the future. I'm pretty sure we're gonna play a show and then we'll probably play some more and I think that's called a tour if you play more shows. So we'll probably do that too. And then as a band we're probably gonna be a band in the future. So it seems like we'll be a band that tours and does shows. It looks pretty good.
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
And if we judge the future by how we judge the past then we'll most likely cancel the show, say fuck the tour, and quit the band. Joke!
18. Would you like to say anything more?
N!cky Sharks: (Singer/Guitarist)
Stay Gold, Bleed Black! Coming soon.
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