Simply Six: Kellen Ross of 'Opium Symphony'

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

Yes! The moment I knew that I wanted to start/sing for a rock band was after I heard the Smashing Pumpkins album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I was 14, and heard it for the first time from my older brother's CD collection. I knew then that rock n' roll was something that I wanted to be a part of. I was so frustrated with the music at that time, and I felt that bands like the Smashing Pumpkins set a great example of how to "break the mold". I wanted to do just that!

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

My band always makes fun of me because I rarely listen to music! Haha, but when I do, I enjoy bands that are timeless (in my humble opinion). I listen to The Beatles, Queen, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, and Dire Straits, to name a few.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

The greatest moment was the first time that I heard one of my songs, "Deaf Radio" to be exact, on the radio! I had spent my teenage years in Abilene, TX daydreaming of all the things I would do/accomplish once I graduated high school, and moved to Dallas to start a band. This was one of those things! 

I was waiting tables at the time while performing on the weekends around DFW. One night I was driving "home" (I was sleeping on my bass player's couch), and I turned on the radio about 3 miles from home. It took me a second to realize that the familiar song I was hearing was mine! I couldn't believe it! An Opium Symphony song being played one of the biggest rock stations in DFW! I knew that if a rock station was playing a song I wrote on their own accord, then I had something that the rock community deserved to hear!

I felt like I had crossed off one of the goals from my "musical bucket list".

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

Of course I believe that music can change the world. It can do whatever the listener wants it to. For some people, music is "just something to listen to", or to dance to. I tend to delve into the music that has/speaks a certain message or encourages some time of change within the listener. You can't listen to John Lennon and avoid catching yourself thinking about life/the world. You can't listen to Marilyn Manson and not feel just a little pissed off at society. 

Music is always influencing current events, or at least it is always reflecting current events, and acting as a voice for the Zeitgeist. For example, Muse's single "Uprising" was perfect for the way that the world was feeling at the time. The bank bailout just happened, economic recession was at it's peek, and people were feeling slighted by big brother/corporations. It isn't as if Matt Bellamy spawned the idea of speaking out to these injustices, but I can bet that the song was a huge hit partially because he "hit the nail on the head" relating to what people were feeling at that time.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology is affecting everything. It makes things easier, yet more complex. I think technology is a great thing to embrace in the music industry as long as you don't use it as a crutch. In recording, I spent about $19,000 dollars on a record that just 20 years ago would have cost me well over $300,000. In the realm of recording, if someone uses technology to do something that they could do if they practiced (or worked harder), then I would call that using it as a crutch. But pushing the boundaries with technology and creating sounds that are humanly impossible is a good use of technology. 

Lastly, anyone who doesn't use technology to get noticed is simply ignorant to the possibilities, or has an extreme "purist" view on "getting noticed". If a band isn't using the Internet to get their music out into the public, they're missing out big time, and I would say they have no chance of ever having a voice in the future of music.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Well Barbara, I mean John, if I were a pair of shoes, I would be a pair of Marty McFly Nikes. Simply because I am mentally willing their existence so I can have a pair before I die!

Simply Six: Jason Poe

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

The moment I remember most, was when I was 16.  I was driving down I-44 in southwest Missouri, and I heard "Cherub Rock" by the Smashing Pumpkins come on.  I had never heard the Smashing Pumpkins, or really, anything that sounded anything like it.  I remember driving down the road in my old 1970 Impala, and blasting the speakers as loud as they would go.  I wanted to be engulfed in that sound.  I still get a chill everytime I hear that song. Especially in the intro when everything finally comes together.  That was the moment I knew I had to play guitar.  I would spend the next two years basically locked away in my room studying the tabs for every Smashing Pumpkins song I could find.  I should start saying Billy Corgan taught me how to play guitar!  

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?

Well, as you could probably already tell, The Smashing Pumpkins are always getting played on my iPod or stereo.  I also listen to a lot of Radiohead, U2, Oasis, The Verve, etc...the essentials of 90's rock.  The Beach Boys and the Beatles get spun a lot also. As far as recent releases, I've been listening to the Arcade Fire, Temper Trap, Tame Impala, Grizzly Bear, and Miike Snow to name a few.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

This is something I've never really thought about much.  This might seem like a small thing, but once I was in a band called The Professional Americans.  We were a three piece rock band, and at the time we were given the opportunity to open for a large touring band.  Now, the three of us in The Professional Americans were straight-laced-GAP-sweater-wearing kids, and were asked to open for a band that had a reputation for being a rowdy party band.  I just remember getting on stage, and getting booed by the audience from the second we got on stage.  I had never faced that in a live setting, and especially, never in front of a packed venue.  We pushed our way through the first couple songs.  By the end of the set, we had won the audience over, and they wanted an encore.  I think that was one of the most rewarding shows I've ever played.  Sometimes I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder, and that show, my bandmates and I got to prove ourselves to the crowd.  That was fun!

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?

I don't really think that music in and of itself can change much.  It takes people to change things.  I believe music can be used as a catalyst to make people think about things they never thought about before, and because of that, can have an impact on the directions of society.  On an individual level, I do believe music has a ton of significance.  For me, I can often remember the first time I heard a song.  I remember hearing Bittersweet Symphony when I was waiting to watch Titanic in a movie theatre. I've already shared my experience with Cherub Rock.  I remember hearing Karma Police at a Taco Bell.  For me, music instantly transports me to these moments in my life, and that often has an impact on my life in the present tense.   

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has done two primary things to the music industry, as far as I can see.  For one, it has leveled the playing field.  Now, I have nearly the same access to potential listeners/fans as a major label.  I don't have the same type of funding as the majors, but with ingenuity, I now have the opportunity to reach those fans effectively, and on a large scale.  The second thing it has done, is water down everything.  What I mean by that, is that anyone can now record a decent sounding demo on Garageband, and can upload it to Purevolume or Myspace, and instantly start reaching potential listeners.  So the new challenge for independent artists is to stick out from the crowd.  Your songs have to better at a quicker pace.  There is an urgency to create more and more, and to get it out for consumption faster, and faster.  People have shorter attention spans.  If you release an album every two years, like the old industry model, you're going to be left in the dust, unless you're already an established act. 

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I would love to say that I would be an awesome pair of Chuck Taylors.  Those have been cool since the beginning of time.  However, I am probably a pair of Dee Brown Reebok Pumps.  I'm often full of air, and if you pump me up to much I'll make your feet hurt.  I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.  Sorry.