SOLICE
Interview
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| 'Music is meant to bring comfort to those going through rough times, that’s our goal.' |
Arlington, Texas’ very own Solice, formed in 2011 - Xtina (vocals/keys), Juan (guitar/vocals), Ryan (drums) and Rob (bass) — grabbed my attention and, as always, I emailed the band. They happily agreed to answer my questions and took their time, but it was definitely worth it!
HOW DID YOU START YOUR BAND?
Juan: Well, I have always been in bands, and have been trying to make music happen. I always thought of being a singer, though, but then I met Xtina and she was already singing and I played guitar, so it kinda worked out, ‘cause she had a really good voice.
Xtina: And then we started playing music together at open mics and we wrote our very first song Break Free in his garage. We were going to start a band out in Cali, but we couldn’t find dedicated musicians. So we just decided to leave and travel, and play music acoustically, thinking we could find our band members in other cities across country, and just see what happens. We thought maybe we’d meet the right musicians or the right person would hear our music.
When we came to Texas, we met the mother and brother of Lacey, the lead singer of Flyleaf at the time, and several other really cool people. So, we decided to stay here. I began searching for musicians on craiglist and we found Ryan. Juan called Ryan and we met him over at JB Studios.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME ‘SOLICE’?
Ryan: I did. One of my old bands, back in the day, had a song called Solace and I just lived that word. I decided, I wanted to have either a song or a band name called Solace, because of what it is.
Xtina: Yah, we really liked the meaning behind it.
WHAT MADE YOU START PLAYING MUSIC? WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
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| Ryan, Rob, Juan & Xtina |
Ryan: I started playing drums when I was 15, my grandmother bought me a drumset, and form that day on, I was kinda a natural born drummer. The drummers I like are Danny Carey from Tool, Chris Adler form Lamb of God, David form Korn. Those are kinda my big influences.
Xtina: I started singing when I was 5. Like, basically from the day I could talk, I just started singing and my mom decided to put me in a church choir, so I started to singing at the church a lot. I began playing piano about two and a half years ago, when I decided I wanted to turn my poems into songs. I basically just kinda sat down and started playing and figuring it out as I went. The first song I ever wrote was called Haunted. When I had written about three songs, I started to perform them at local open mics and I decided then, that being a performer was what I wanted for my life. My main influences are Amy Lee form Evanescence, Lacey form Flyleaf, and Hayley Williams from Paramore.
Rob: I first started playing an instrument back in 5th grade. I played the cello. In 6th grade, I switched to Tenor and I played alto, and then the trumpet. Now, I’ve played bass for a little over two years. My idols on bass are Korn, Tool and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Juan: The first instrument I started with was a piano, when I was like 8. I played that for two years and then just stopped, ‘cause I liked it, but it wasn’t really for me. I always wanted to play the guitar, but since I had a piano, my parents didn’t want to get me a guitar. After moving to America, I went back to Argentina and I jammed with some of my friends on the guitar and I convinced my parents to get me one. When I was 16, I got a guitar, but I really started to focus on it, when I was like 18. The guitarists I look up to are from Bullet for My Valentine, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying.
WHAT BANDS INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE COLLECTIVELY?
Xtina: I would say Evanescence, Flyleaf, Korn, Tool and Bullet for My Valentine.
Ryan: Yeah, but it’s more like the influence of those styles of music, not like the bands in general. It’s more like we explore our own way and collectively, add a bunch of different sounds to create what we have now.
Juan: It’s like a combination of each individual coming together.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT AN ALBUM?
Xtina: We just released our first official EP November 19th, 2013. Our full length album should be ready by Summer, 2014.
DO YOU, GUYS, HAVE ANY RITUALS BEFORE YOU GO ON STAGE?
Juan: I try to meditate the day of the show.
Xtina: Yeah, we try to meditate. I drink hot lemon honey water. Before we go on stage, I do vocal exercises on our band vehicle, I stretch with Ryan, and I try to say a quick prayer to clear my mind.
Ryan: Before the show, I usually get really quiet and try to clear my mind.
WHAT PERSONALITY TRAIT STICKS OUT THE MOST IN EACH BAND MEMBER?
Juan: Rob’s the party animal, Xtina’s high maintenance, and Ryan’s the asshole! Haha!
Xtina: Yeah, Ryan IS the asshole, haha! And Juan just kinda goes with the flow. And I am not high maintenance, I don’t know what they’re talking about… Haha.
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| Xtina |
WAS IT HARD TO GET YOUR BAND ‘OUT THERE’? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE YOURSELF NOTICEABLE IN THE MUSIC WORLD?
Xtina: It was actually really easy for us to get ‘out there’ initially, because Juan and I weren’t from here and we lived in our band rehearsal room form the first year. We networked and made several connections, since we were always at the studio. Ryan booked our first show, in February 2012 and after that first show, we started getting some attention. I got hit up a lot by several different venues and promoters. Usually, they would contact me.
Ryan: That first show opened a lot of doors for us in the local Dallas scene. A lot of people didn’t think we were form Dallas, they thought we were the touring band, because our sound isn’t a ‘Dallas sound’. It was a little different for a lot of people. We stood out.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, BOTH FOR THE BAND AND INDIVIDUALLY?
Xtina: Touring, creating more awesome music and more videos.
Juan: Touring back to Cali, playing more festivals.
Ryan: Touring to California, making more fans!
ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS FORM THE SHOWS?
Juan: There’s so many!
Rob: SO MANY! There was the kick drum falling out on the way to the show.
Xtina: It’s funny now, but that was awful! Haha.
Ryan: That was definitely the most memorable moment.
DESCRIBE YOUR BAND IN ONE SHORT SENTENCE.
Official page - solicemusic.com
Follow Solice on Twitter
Listen to Solice
Buy their EP on iTunes
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