Monday, August 8, 2011

LA VIE

LA VIE is a rock band from Venice, Calif., with the hopes of making its music known to the world.

“I came to meet Bill and Adam through a mutual friend,” Trevor Conner, guitarist of the band said. “Jeff Azoff told me about a great singer songwriter who was looking to do more of a band thing. The next day we got together at a rehearsal spot and from the first song we started playing, we all felt like we had found something great together.”

The band has been influenced by many artists such as Kris Kristofferson and Buffalo Springfield. On its first EP, the band had the opportunity to work with Andrew Dixon, producer of bands such as Augustana and Colbie Caillat.

“Working with Andrew has been great,” Conner said. “We came into the studio well rehearsed and with a plan. Being a baby band in LA, money is short and studio time is expensive. We had one night to record 90% of the EP and everyone was ready to get it done.”

“To have him excited about our music and to get his creative stamp on our debut record was the perfect fit,” Bill Delia, drummer of the band said. “We are going to go back into the studio with him to record a new batch of songs this fall, and can’t wait to get started.”

The band strives to make its music the best it can be.

“Songwriting for us all starts with the initial inspiration,” Ryan Williams, bassist of the band said. “A good writing session usually consists of at least three of us at a house or small studio trying out new ideas. We always have been big in demos, and revisiting them until it sounds right to all of us.”

“We write the songs that come natural and feel good to ourselves, never forced or mirroring some other artist,” Adam Roth, lead singer of the band said.

“For being so young, we all have an incredible amount of professional experience in music,” Conner said. “I have always believed that it’s not every day that creativity overflows, but through practice and discipline, we define art.”

The band’s second EP, “Redemption Day,” was released this year, by Fredrik Eriksson, which is combined with their first EP as a "Dual-EP" on their website to help the Rubicon Team with disaster relief in Los Angeles.

“After the release of our first EP, we continued to write nonstop,” Delia said.

“Over the winter we decided to have our touring keyboard/guitarist, Fredrik Eriksson produce some new tunes. Fred is from Sweden, so that was sort of the ‘home-base’ for the record. Adam went to Sweden to cut guitars and vocals. I stayed in LA and tracked drums at Threshold Sound in Santa Monica and sent files to Fred and Adam. We all met in London to play a few shows and perform on the Dermot O’Leary show, which is where Trevor cut guitars and Ryan cut bass.”

LA VIE has been able to perform in Hollywood, Calif., and in the U.K.

“Playing in the U.K. gave us a great international taste and we all have expressed our intention in going back there,” Williams said. “It’s always a treat to see new people and a new place all at once.”

The band hopes to make its music known to the world and appreciates its fans support.

“We write songs really well together and it doesn’t matter if we are writing a song that’s more country or something more pop, it still sounds like LA VIE and that is something important to hold onto,” Conner said. “We write songs because we want to share them with the world, because there is something within all of us that seeks out music and the connection therein.”

“Music for me, and for all of us, is about that ability to connect on a human level,” Delia said. “Being able to provide that for anyone else, is just awesome. Thank you.”





How and when did you start your band?

I came to meet Bill and Adam through a mutual friend. I had just graduated college and moved to LA to be a gun for hire, to play guitar and tour with bands. Jeff Azoff told me about a great singer songwriter who was looking to do more of a band thing. I met Adam and Bill for coffee. The two of them had been playing together for a bit. The next day we got together at a rehearsal spot and from the first song we started playing, we all felt like we had found something great together. -Trevor

Who are some of your influences? Have you been able to perform with them?

One of my biggest influences lyrically is Kris Kristofferson..never met him. -Adam

One of my influences is Buffalo Springfield and I got the opportunity to play a couple of times with Richey Furray when I was 17...it was an incredible experience. He is such a lively person, that energy is just infectious. The band spent more time working out harmonies than playing. He knew the band was pro and he could just set us loose but the harmonies needed to be locked and tight....My dream would be to work with Daniel Lanois some day...he is one if my heroes. I love his sounds and I have spent countless hours playing along with his records and records he has produced. -Trevor

What was it like to work with Andrew Dixon on your first EP?

Working with Andrew has been great. He is an incredibly talented guy and is really going to do some great things. We came into the studio well rehearsed and with a plan. Being a baby band in LA, money is short and studio time is expensive. We had one night to record 90% of the EP and everyone was ready to get it done. Andrew just let us do our thing and shaped it together. We were all so comfortable working together and I think that comes across on the EP a bit. - Trevor

Andrew's the best. He's a fellow Berklee grad, and while we were at the school at different times, I knew of him and wanted to work with him for some time. To have him excited about our music and to get his creative stamp on our debut record was the perfect fit. We are going to go back into the studio with him to record a new batch of songs this fall, and can't wait to get started. This time around we are going to take our time a bit more and spend more time developing things in the studio. Some of the new songs we've been writing have us all really excited to get to work. -Bill

How do you write the songs for your music?

Songwriting for us all starts with the initial inspiration. A good writing session usually consists of at least three of us at a house or small studio trying out new ideas. If something sticks, we keep it and move on until we feel like we have a tangible piece of music, not just a lone riff or chorus. We always have been big in demos, and revisiting them until it sounds right to all of us. It's really fun to let the collaboration happen and let everyone's own sound speak through whatever they are adding to the song. -Ryan

We write the songs that come natural and feel good to ourselves, never forced or mirroring some other artist. This allows our true sound to shine through, but also let's our fans discover our real influences. -Adam

For being so young we all have an incredible amount of professional experience in music. I have always believed that it's not every day that creativity overflows but it us through practice and discipline that we define art. When we get together to write, we write. There have been maybe a couple of times that we got together and didn't finish a song. I absolutely love working with these guys - Trevor

What is the story behind your “Redemption Day” EP and how did you come about its recording process?

After the release of our first EP, we continued to write nonstop, and some of the new songs started to make their way into our live set. A few of them became our new favorites, so over the winter we decided to have our touring keyboard/guitarist Fredrik Eriksson produce some new tunes. Fred is from Sweden, so that was sort of the 'home-base' for the record. Now, here's where it gets complicated- Adam went to Sweden to cut guitars and vocals with Fred. I stayed in LA and tracked drums at Threshold Sound in Santa Monica and sent the files to Fred and Adam (which, in case you're wondering, took about 15 frustrated hours for all of the drum tracks to load and send via email and dropboxes and yousendit....although in retrospect, I think may have done something wrong...). We all met in London to play a few shows and perform on the Dermot O'Leary show, which is where Trevor cut guitars and Ryan cut bass. Then Fred went back to Sweden and put it all together, and it's available on our website as an internet-only release. -Bill

After its release, did you have similar expectations than your previous EP?

I don't think so...I'm not sure what our expectations for the first EP were, but we knew going into this EP that we were only going to put it up online, and we really just wanted to get these new songs down and put them out there. We are going to go back into the studio this fall with Andrew Dixon again to make another new record, which will be more of an 'official' release. -Bill

Where have you been able to perform and where would you like to play?

We have been lucky enough to become regulars at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. We always have a great time when we play there. I feel like it's a really responsive crowd that attends those shows, people that go there seem to be looking for new artists rather than see someone they already know.
Also, playing in the U.K. gave us a great international taste and we all have expressed our intention in going back there. It's always a treat to see new people and a new place all at once.   -Ryan

What are your future goals for the band?

One thing that we all agree on is that we want to take over the world haha. We are all experienced musicians and know that what we have is really something special. We write songs really well together and it doesn't matter if we are writing a song that's more country or something more pop, it still sounds like LA VIE and that is something important to hold onto. -Trevor

What would you like to say to your current and future fans?

We write songs because we want to share them with the world, because there is something within all of us that seeks out music and the connection therein. Thank you for listening. Thank you thank you thank you. -Trevor 

Thank you for listening and giving us a shot. To have anyone be able to connect with our songs is truly overwhelming. Anytime we get a message from a fan or someone comes up to us after a show and tells us what this song or that song means to them, it's so positively refreshing and humbling. Music for me, and for all of us, is about that ability to connect on a human level. Being able to provide that for anyone else, is just awesome. So thank you! -Bill





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