In a world where the music that moves us is so often defined by it’s genre or label, The Material represent art that is thoughtful, powerful, organic and inspiring. The 5-member, Southern California band make compelling music that mirrors their individual life experiences and the real world around them. Frontwoman vocalist Colleen D'Agostino was the woman to talk with about the band's latest release "Everything I Want to Say" as well as what other plans and music these guys have gotten planned.
1. What type of band are you?
Colleen D’Agostino: The Material is a female-fronted alternative rock band from Los Angeles.
2. Tell us the brief history of your band.
Colleen D’Agostino: We started playing music as a group of friends back in 2007 and everything kind of took off from there. We released our first EP in September 2007 and by December, we had won a spot on MTV's Dew Circuit Breakout. From that experience we were able to grow our fan base and got our track "Moving to Seattle" on the video game Rock Band. With the traffic from the game and our MTV performance, we were able to tour as an independent band for the past few years. We have grown a lot since then, and have changed out a few members, but our line-up is solid now and we have a new album out!
3. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Colleen D’Agostino: Our songs are about love, loss, hope and perseverance. Although many of the songs are very personal, I try to write them in a way that can be relatable to everyone.
4. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Colleen D’Agostino: Yes, we write all of our own songs. In the past, Jon and I would write the songs acoustically and then bring them in for the band to add their instruments. This time around, we decided to try a more organic approach in the studio and have everyone put their own influence and ideas into the song. We also had our producer come in on this one and lend another ear and give us an outside perspective.
5. Who are your musical influences?
Colleen D’Agostino: Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, Circa Survive, etc.
6. Tell me about "Everything I Want to Say".
Colleen D’Agostino: "Everything I Want To Say" is our fourth CD, second full-length. This album is a much more raw, rock take on anything we have done in the past. I think the sound lends itself to a more honest approach of our band. The vocals aren't perfect in my mind, but they reveal so much more emotion than the more polished recordings we have done in the past. We definitely feel this is our best work yet.
Colleen D’Agostino: Our last CDs were a pretty even split of rock and pop. This album is a straight up rock album. It has songs that will pump you up, and of course a few rock ballads. :)
8. What would you say is your favorite track off it?
Colleen D’Agostino: The first track "Life Vest" is my favorite song.... spoiler alert! We're releasing a music video for this song soon. ;)
9. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?
Colleen D’Agostino: For the first time in our careers, we tried to let go of any opinions we had heard from the industry, and we just did what came natural to us. We ultimately created an album we would want to listen to as fans. The only goal was to create an awesome album.
10. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?
Colleen D’Agostino: Rather than adding instruments, we've stripped this album down. We used to use a lot of electronic elements in our music, but we just wanted to put out a rock album: 2 guitars, bass, drums, vocals, and a little bit of keyboards.
11. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new album? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?
Colleen D’Agostino: "Life Vest" was the first track I wrote for the album and it is still my favorite. I was suffering from some writer's block after the last album so I decided not to force anything. During that time period my family had a really tough year and I needed a release. Writing this song was a way for me to get that emotion out on paper. It's a song about loss, but also about learning to lean on your loved ones in a time of need.
12. Do you guys have any new music in the works?
Colleen D’Agostino: We just finished a cover song for the new Get Up Kids Tribute album. Aside from that, we are just focusing on the new album for now. Our goal is to get back on the road before we get back into the studio.
13. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Colleen D’Agostino: http://www.facebook.com/thematerialmusic is the best place to stay in touch and hear the album. You can get the album on iTunes http://bit.ly/eiwts or at http://shop.wearethematerial.com.14. What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
Colleen D’Agostino: We want to tour the world and share our music with everyone! Hopefully we will get some international dates in the works, but we will definitely be in your town soon!
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