Low Level Flight, also known as ‘LLF’ is an Indie Rock band formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario. The quintet is composed of Ryan Malcolm (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Sebastien Duhaime (Bass), Hugh Allen (lead guitar), Brandon Merenick (drums & percussion). For the past five years the band has released their debut album Urgency in 2006, which featured their singles “Change For Me,” “Say” and “Turnaround.” In 2007, they were named “CHUM Networks Emerging Artist.” Their latest album Through These Walls was released in 2011, and features their current single “Brooklyn Radio.” To date the band has released two albums, Urgency (2006) and Through These Walls (2011). I had the opportunity to interview the band, below is my interview with Low Level Flight:

1.     How did you come up with the name Low Level Flight?

Ryan: The name was actually a lyric in an unreleased album years ago that we never used.

2.     How did you guys meet/come together to form Low Level Flight?

Ryan: I was touring with Shaun our original bass players just after my solo album came out, and we had always talked about doing a band thing.  So a year later we formed and found James and Brandon VIA MySpace.  Back when people still used that!

3.      In July 2008, you opened up for Bon Jovi how was that experience?

LLF: Playing with Bon Jovi was fun, but to be honest it did not do much for us as a band. Our musical styles do not exactly work well together.  Playing with Interpol was much more fun and exciting for us as a band.

4.      For people who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your sound? What sets you apart from other bands within the Alternative Rock genre?

LLF: We are basically indie rock.  But again, we hate trying to figure out that. What sets us apart is our tight energetic live show

5.      What is it like touring around the world, and performing each night?

LLF: Touring is the best part of job, we love to tour.  Europe Asia all amazing places…so many stories, most of which we can’t discuss

6.      Out of all the places you’ve toured, which city, country or venue has been your favorite and why?

Ryan: For me, my favorite city would have to Mumbai India. I love the people and city, such a unique amazing scene.

7.      When did you know that you wanted to perform and create music?

Ryan: I grew up singing so probably a very young age, maybe 6

8.      As a band, you write your own music. Where do you draw the inspiration to write these songs?

LLF: We get inspiration from everyday life, whether we are on tour or just at home in Toronto.  We have had a lot of things happen to and for us

9.      When you recorded your second album, Through These walls, what risks did you take? How does Through These Walls differ from your first album, Urgency?

LLF: The main difference is that we spent 3 years perfecting TTW. Risks??? Not sure we always try to push the boundary from where we were before musically.

10.   What is your favorite song you’ve recorded and why?

Ryan: I can’t decide

11.  Your song Brooklyn Radio, was released off your album Through These Walls. It’s also one of my favorites, what inspired you to write it?

Ryan: Being in Brooklyn living there and writing the album.The people there are so colorful and loud!!!  We love NYC

12.  Your song ‘Say’ reached #22 on the Billboard charts, evidently it’s one of your highest charted songs. When you see this, how does it make you feel?

LLF: We try not to focus on the charts etc…Even though we love the recognition.

13.  Will we see possible collaborations in the future?

Ryan: I hope so; we are always looking for great artists to work with.

14.   As musicians, fans are the greatest gift. You know, they buy your albums and tickets to your shows, and they request your songs on the radio. Some of them even make twitter accounts supporting you. As an artist they’re your biggest support system. Is there a special message you would like to give them?

Ryan: You pretty much summed it up with that remark.  We love our fans, without music fans there would be no music.

15.   You’ll come in contact with fans who’ve gotten tattoos of your song lyrics, and fans who tell you how a song has gotten them through the worst situations? At meet and greets, you’ll have fans who tell you that you’re the reason that they believe. That you and your music has changed them. How does that make you feel?

Ryan: I have had so many amazing people tell me what our songs have done for them, whether a relative has passed away, it is a huge honor.

16.   You’ve been a band for 5 years, what have you learned or experienced that you’ll continue to implement in the future?

Ryan: Hard work and we’re always trying to reinvent ourselves.

To keep update with Low Level Flight, check them out on the following websites:

Twitter -@LowLevelFlight

Myspace- http://myspace.com/LowLevelFlight

Facebook- http://facebook.com/LowLevelFlight

A lot of things confuse me. Like life and all its problems creating knots that can hardly come undone, because of the pressure being added to it. I’ve yet to understand “drama” “gossip” and “rumors” and the unnecessary purpose it’s serves in our lives. More so it’s these feelings that have me trapped the most. These emotions running through my body have created spaces and voids I can no longer understand. It’s almost as of I’m no longer in control of this very thing. What I beg to question is why? Why can’t I make them stop? How did things get soo out of control or is this the very thing that I need?

Hakuna Matata
[Timon:]
Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase

[Pumbaa:]
Hakuna Matata! 
Ain’t no passing craze

[Timon:]
It means no worries for the rest of your days

[Both:]
It’s our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!

[Simba:]
Hakuna Matata?

[Pumbaa:]
Yeah. It’s our motto

Basically, the catch phrase “Hakuna Matata” means “there are no worries.” Now, when it comes to the term YOLO, it’s nothing like Hakuna Matata. There is no one definition we can all agree. Instead we’ve all created our own definitions, interpretations of what we believe YOLO means.

Lately, everybody who hasn’t been talking about the Hunger Games has been talking about Project X. When I hear Project X the only thing that comes to mind is YOLO. The famous four world line coined by Drizzy Drake, Jimmy from Degrassi, the rapper, singer and actor. What do Project X and YOLO have in common? Let me break it down for you. “You Only Live Once” is not an excuse to pull something stupid or do something dangerous. It won’t surprise me if the inspiration behind Project X was a misinterpretation of what YOLO actually means. The true definition of YOLO differs from what kids actually think it is. YOLO is when you look back on your life when your 80 years old, and ask yourself why you never took certain risks or chances. Why you settled for less when you could have had more. Why you took the easy way out instead. YOLO is when your sitting down contemplating between right and wrong. When you think about the consequences of your actions in that moment. It’s the split second where you hesitate and meditate upon a thought before moving on. So no, YOLO isn’t an excuse to get soo drunk that you wake up with a massive hangover the next day. It’s not an excuse to take the car for a spin, despite the fact that you don’t even have your license. Neither is it okay for you to go get a tattoo without your parent’s permission, experiment with drugs or get high. YOLO isn’t an excuse to do all the things you want to do, but your parents are against. YOLO, is suppose to make you think. Make you be mindful, make you be grateful for everything and appreciate everything you have. You only live once, means being the best you can be and achieving everything within your potential before you die. It means living life to the fullest

Similar to how The Lion King made “Hakuna Matata” famous, Drake made YOLO famous. They’re both life motto’s, but why did Hakuna Matata become soo irrelevant? When Hakuna Matata was around, nobody used the motto to justify a wrong action. But with YOLO it’s suddenly alright to do something stupid and say “YOLO.” Life before YOLO became apparent and life now that the motto “You Only Live Once” exists, shouldn’t be any different. If anything you should be more mindful and responsible of your actions, what you say and how you spend your life day to day

QOTD: What does YOLO mean to you? What do you think about the use of YOLO?

Item: Lace Dress
Cost: $34.95 CAD
Store: H&M
“You could say, I’ve got some lace fever” -xbrokengirl
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Lace. Is. In. I’ve found, that just by visiting 5 stores that Lace is one of many Spring fashion trends. We’ve got lace tops, vest, dresses and even shorts. I recently purchased this white dress from H&M which is featured in their Conscious Line. This dress is very elegant in the sense that it can be worn to a wedding or it can simply be worn on a night out with girls. This dress can simply be paired with black heels to maintain a “classy” look, or ‘risk takers’ may pair the dress with colorful heels to add color to an outfit. I think what attracted me to this dress was the fact that I was in need of a white dress, but it was also the fact that this dress let’s me breathe and allows me to be me

They say life is never sunshine or rainbows. That there is always room in life to experience pain and suffering. They say we can never own what we truly desire, nor ever be satisfied because once we are satisfied we always want more. Why can’t we just be content with life’s gifts? Is it in our rudimentary nature to act like competitive wild beasts, in a world full of lies, scams and materialistic goods who will soon lose their value? Have we forgotten that we will all suffer life’s consequences in the end? Is it our need to belong that causes us to paint on dark faces that ultimately become part of who we are? What happened to painting the world as it is, and erasing the bright blue sky and magical castle that we envisioned for ourselves? What happened to reading our tongues and discarding the soap bars that we use to rid of our own words. To rid of our true opinions that disappear in the face of monsters who pick and chose what we believe in, what we should wear and what we should say. What happened to free will? Freedom? In the root of it all, within this complicated world and it’s monstrous creations we’ve truly lost sight of really matters and who we truly are.

Currently ruling the music scene, Arizona has brought us bands such as The Maine, This Century, Blessthefall, and The Summer Set. These musicians have went from playing gigs within their hometowns  to signing record deals, allowing them to play in larger venues with a greater audience. Their music is not only being heard in cities within Arizona, and neighboring States, but also worldwide. Similar to many artists, these bands have gone from unsigned and undiscovered to having official management with a continuously growing fan base. One particular group who hails from Arizona, RadioDriveBy, is now taking their turn in the spotlight by sharing their passion with the music industry.

RadioDriveBy is a five piece alternative rock band with a touch of Phoenix. The members of this trending unit includes Trent Clark (vocals), Adam Simons (guitar, vocals), David Glosser (guitar), Evan Yuen (bass) and Austin Gavin (drums).  The quintet came together in the fall of 2009. After only one year, they have shared the stage with bands such as Family Force 5, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Dangerous Summer, Alice Cooper and the list goes on. They are often compared to Taking Back Sunday and Coheed, but they’re mostly influenced by Blink -182 and Jimmy Eat World. This past summer, RadioDriveBy released their 3 song EP ‘Nothin’ But Better’ which showcases their versatility. Their recent EP ‘On Your Way,’ showcases a developed unique sound while providing us with a new side to the pop-punk band. The bands acoustic version of their song ‘Sunday’ showcases a softer side of them, while showcasing the vocal range of lead singer Trent Clark. Below is my interview with RadioDriveBy:

1.      How did you come up with the band name?

Austin: I came up with the band name when I was driving on the freeway listening to a song called Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind. The name stuck with me.

2.      How did you guys meet/come together?

Austin: Trent, a friend and I jammed together at a church, and everything started from there. We started playing, and a year later Adam joined, and 8 months after David joined. We’ve been doing it ever since, and it kind of fell into place like a puzzle. It was awesome.

Evan: When I joined the band, I didn’t know any of the other members. But overtime we’ve bonded, and I see these guys as my brothers.

3.      Why did you guys decide to form a band?

Adam: I love playing music and I’ve been in different bands before RadioDriveBy. Joining RadioDriveBy came up randomly and it was a good opportunity. Music is a way for us to express ourselves.

4.      Creating a band takes a lot of patience and commitment. When did you guys know that you really wanted to perform and create music?

David: I got into music during my senior year of high school. It was always something I wanted to do, something that I was really interested in. I’ve always had a knack for it. A lot of things changed after I left high school, in one way I got hooked up with these guys now. If there was such thing as destiny, this would be it.

Evan: I grew up with music my whole life and it’s the only thing I really can do; which is weird because it’s the only thing I want to do. They both work together really well. I’ve always wanted to be a musician, but I didn’t know how or why I would be able to. But here I am.

Trent: The very first time I ever performed was at a songwriter’s competition at a Mexican/Chinese food restaurant called Chino Bandido. It was such a crazy experience, and I was very nervous, but the rush it gave me let me know that performing was totally for me! That’s when I decided I’d love to be a performing artist for the rest of my life. The fact that I can reach so many people really meant a lot to me.

5.      For those people who haven’t heard your music, how would you describe your sound? What sets you apart from other bands?

What separates us from other bands is the topic our music (lyrics). We try to write about real things compared to the stuff that is actually worth writing a song about. We don’t just write about partying or going out and hooking up with girls. Every song that we write usually has a deep meaning and a legitimate reason for writing the song. We don’t just write for any reason. Trent’s voice is obviously very unique and he really has a special talent there. We all work really hard as well. 

6.      You recently stated that you write your own music, where do you draw the inspiration to write from?

Trent: I draw the inspiration for my lyrics mainly from my experiences throughout life; experiences that I think are relative for others. Recently I’ve really been trying to tell stories with my writing, and I think it is important to connect to other people and to show them sides of my life, and how we are all similar in the end!

7.      Your second EP, titled On Your Way is going to be released in March. How does ‘On Your Way’ differ from your first EP ‘Nothin But Better?’

David: Just by comparing the two EP’s, you can see that we have a different layer of maturity. The first thing I recognized when playing the songs back to back on Nothin’ But Better and On Your Way, is it just seems a lot bigger and there seems like there is a lot more depth and musicianship in it. That’s what we are all really proud of, and we really wanted to try and achieve it.

Austin: I did like Nothin’ But Better but with On Your Way I could say that I love these songs. I feel like they are a big jump and its music that I really enjoy playing. So it’s all around a better EP.

Adam: For On Your Way, we focused on the songwriting and were prepared more. Our goal from the beginning was to write good songs so that we wouldn’t have to compensate for anything while we were recording in the studio. We already had a catchy song and lyrics that work, I think we prepared more and it definitely paid off.

Trent: I feel like “On Your Way” is a huge step up for us on both a musical and lyrical basis. We really worked hard and were very meticulous with our songs. I feel like the lyrics were a lot more thought out this time around, and this time I feel like I’m really telling a story with my writing.

8.      When recording On Your Way, did you take any risks or challenges?

Adam: We did this all ourselves, we paid for everything ourselves. Were not signed to a label, and recording is a big investment so we had to make sure the songs were really good if we’re going to spend our own money on them. It’s a lot of work to release an album and do all the preparation and the press. We wouldn’t settle for anything less, we want to do the best job we can.

Trent: Oh yes! We definitely took the time to write more intricately, and we really feel like we did things OUR way, instead of the way that anyone else would have liked us to do things. 

9.      What is your favorite song that you’ve released so far and why?

Austin: What You Need, because the song talks about the struggles and something that a lot of people will go through; it’s relatable. The song is also really raw and to the point.

David: Sunday, because it really has a nice feel to it and I can connect to it a lot. I’m from another place, I’m from New Jersey. I miss my family and friends, but I love Arizona to. Overall, I can connect with the song very well.

Trent: Oh man! I really love Sunday! It just holds a lot of wonderful memories for me!

10.   Out of the various venues/events you have performed at, which one was your favorite?

Our favorite venue we’ve performed at is The Nile theatre in Mesa, is the local venue in Arizona. We’ve played a bunch of shows there with bands such as He is We, to Action Item to Forever The Sickest Kids. The Nile theatre is home to us.

11.   What is the biggest goal you want to achieve as a band?

To make it what we do. If we’re not the biggest band in the world but we can still live and support ourselves with playing music that’s okay. That’s our dream. To be able to live off it because it’s the only thing we can picture ourselves doing. Our dream is to be able to play music for as many people as possible and to somehow make their lives better by the music we make. Just connecting to people through music and playing a show every night. We want to enjoy looking at the world.

12.   As your fan base continues to grow and increase, what do you hope to achieve?

Adam: The internet has been a huge factor in getting our fan base and getting our music out there. We haven’t played a show out of Arizona yet, and we already have all these fans all over the world which is amazing.  I think our goal is to spread our music more and to develop friends and fans in cities all over the world until we can actually tour. When we do tour they’ll be able to come see us, and we’ll know them already. Tumblr and Twitter are amazing tools for meeting people and spreading our music out there.

Evan: With Tumblr, Twitter and all social media, we’re creating relationships with our fans. Without the fans there is no way we would be able to be a band. We wouldn’t be able to chase our dreams without them.

Trent: I really hope to just reach out to as many people as possible, and to spread the word about RadioDriveBy. We are all very young and fresh in the music industry, however I feel like we have some really important things to say.

13.   You’ve been a band for two years, what have you learned during this period that you can implement in the future?

As a band we’ve learned about our attitudes, work ethics and our passion for what we do. Right know this is the most important thing we’re doing in our lives. We want to make our goals come true. It’s really humbling because we’re figuring out how we all work together and how to pay the dues. You play a few shows with no people and you get shows with a lot of people. We go through these challenges in learning how to be a band.

For the fans of Sing It Loud, This Century and The Maine this is an EP for you! Though their unsigned, don’t let the wit of fear stop you from checking them out. With that being said, check out RadioDriveBy by visiting their Facebook page: http://facebook.com/radiodriveby.

*** I interviewed the band in February, which was several weeks before their EP came out

Tonight’s post is dedicated to 4 handsome down to earth guys. Two years ago, each of them started a journey. They all came from different places, different times within their lives but each of their paths would ultimately lead them to each other. And that…that my friends is how the band NEVEREST came to be. It’s crazy knowing how far a musician or an artist has succeeded, especially when you’ve been following them since Day 1. When Neverest’s first single ‘About Us’ came out, I was there. When their debut EP, About Us came out I was there. When their EP and single About Us went Gold in December I was there. When they won their first CRMA (I voted and requested like crazy) damn right I was there. And I’m still here now.

Neverest who is comprised of Spee Chalkiotis, Mike Klose, Brendan Colameco and Paul Loduca have given me one thing that money can’t buy. They’ve given me love. They’ve made me a proud fan who’s been with them since day one. They don’t just see me as a fan, they see me as family and that’s more than I could ever ask for. When you have a band who’s so caring and open; a band who you’ve created a bond with, why can’t you just love them for who they are? Despite never attending a concert nor a meet and greet session, it feels like I’m as close to them as any other fan. I know, my time has not yet come, but I’ll meet them one day. Hahaha ;)

This ride has been crazy, because when I heard ‘About Us’ for the first time on the radio I was instantly hooked. And it’s just been amazing to see them grow and cover so much ground so that time. I never imagined, that I’d be here celebrating this Chapter with them. It’s amazing, I don’t think I could be more proud. The fact that I bought the last copy of the About Us EP at the HMV location in Yorkdale, is crazy! How many people can say that? I know I can ;) I know fans these days are always expecting something more. They are always in need of something that they can hold, see or touch. A memory simply isn’t enough anymore. Sometimes, a memory is all you can get. As fans we need to be both thankful and grateful that our favorite musicians and bands make music for us to hear. We need to be thankful that they create music that puts a smile on our faces.

So thank you Neverest for your music, the laughs and the smiles. Thank you for not being afraid to chase out your dreams, for not being afraid to take risks. Thank you for making music. Thank you for being you! When Neverest album comes out, I’ll be at HMV ready to buy it. As I will be ready to request that first single on radio stations. I may not be their biggest fans, but I’ll always be there to support them P.S: Today they finally found a name for Neverest fans. From this day forward, we’re known as ‘Nevy’s.’ <——— Loduca I’m blaming this one you :)