THE BEAST

Have any of you played in other bands?

Yes, we’ve all been playing music from a very young age. Andrew Hooker played in the progressive jam-band,Vinyl Soup, from 2004-2014. Hooker has also worked as a session musician in Nashville, and he owns The Cave Studios which has operated as a commercial studio since 2006. Michael Meadows has also worked as a studio and live session musician in Nashville. He’s played with many groups but a standout would be
The Bayjacks which is led by Tom Leadon. Leadon is the original founding member of Mudcrutch which was formed with Tom Petty in Gainesville, Florida. Simona Bressi (drums) has played with many groups on the west coast of the USA and in Nashville, TN. Stand-out artists and bands she has played for are Kristen Ward (Seattle) and Venus in Rage. Bressi has also played in Mistress of Reality, an all female Black Sabbath tribute band based out of Los Angeles, CA.

What are your names? / Who plays what?

Andrew Hooker - guitar and lead vocals.

Michael Meadows - bass guitar and background vocals.

Simona Bressi - drums

Have you had other previous members?

We always wanted to have 2 guitar players. We recorded several songs with a guitarist named Michael Roberts, but he left the band shortly after the recording.

Where are you from?

Andrew Hooker is originally from West Point, MS. Michael Meadows is originally from Champaign Urbana, IL, and Simona Bressi is originally from Milan, Italy. The Uneven is based out of Nashville, TN which is where we formed. Andrew and Michael both live in Nashville, and Simona resides in San Diego, CA.

What year did the band form?

2017

What's your style of genre?

We simply call it rock but the kids today like to call it all sorts of things like: Sludge Metal, Stoner Rock, Psyche Rock,... The Unevens influences range from classic blues rock of the 60s and 70s to 90s alternative rock and alternative metal. Every generation has its own idea of what rock is. To us, rock is an attitude, it’s reckless, and it’s visceral energy. Yes there are many genres and subgenres of rock. For The Uneven it begins and ends with the blues. No matter how heavy we might get, there is always an under-layer of blues in our sound.

What inspires you?

LIFE! You gotta get out and LIVE if you want to write anything that’s real.

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?

Possibly, if it were to be the right fit for us.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?

It seems these days that labels are used primarily for marketing purposes, which every band needs. If they are a
reputable label then they usually have a good size roster of bands. Having other bands to share tours with would be nice. We are definitely looking for a label, but it must be the right fit.

What are your songs about?

Our songs are based on the ups and downs of relationships, and the will to keep on moving and fighting no matter how tough life gets. Everyone is fighting some type of war in their life at some point.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?

Andrew Hooker is the principal songwriter and lyricist of the band. His wife, Stephanie, is also a lyricist for the band, and has many co-writes with the group. Hooker presents the songs as guitar/vocal demos and the Meadows and Bressi work out arrangements with Hooker to help turn the song idea into what is The Uneven’s sound.

Do you compose in a certain environment?

The band rehearses, writes, and records at The Cave Studios in Franklin, TN.

Have you done any covers live?

N/A because The Uneven has yet to play any live shows

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?

We are in the process of having t-shirts and stickers very soon. We also plan to release our first album in 2021, which we hope to be available on vinyl and cd.

Where can people buy your merchandise?

www.theunevenband.com once it’s available.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays?

It is the reality of how music consumes. You either adapt to the times or you don’t.

How do you think the music industry has changed because of this?

Bands have to work much harder in different ways. You have to learn to diversify your revenue streams or you don’t make it today’s music biz.

What do you think of my work?

We are just getting to know what you do. We think music bloggers are so important to helping get the word out about music. It takes many different avenues to get a band’s music noticeable.

How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business?

We hope that it will at least bring some awareness to people where you’re located. Sweden has a reputation of producing some great rock bands, so we are excited to be presented in your country!

Do you have any role models or idols?

Not sure I understand this question.

Why do you think that they exist?

Everyone has someone they admire.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?

I don’t think time matters. There are many great bands out there today, you just have to look harder for them. There have been great bands in every decade, and all of us are influenced by a huge range of artists from many different decades.

What have been your biggest obstacles?

Finding the right band members. Andrew Hooker began running ads on the Nashville Facebook musician group in 2015. It took over 2.5 half years to form the right group of musicians.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?

Don’t wait for anyone to do anything for you. Be willing to work hard and persevere. Know who you are and what you want. Be willing to invest in yourself both physically and monetarily. Do you have any new material? We are sitting on an entire album that is ready to go, but we want the right label behind it before we release it.

What are your web sites?

www.theunevenband.com

Do you have something to add?

Thank you for this opportunity!!

https://www.facebook.com/theunevenofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8QGrWpEZFnNSoGrilR1ww?view_as=subscriber

Interview by Robex Lundgren Musik Blog