Millis Music Magazine with The Follow

Next band out in Millis Music Magazine is a band from the midwest in the US - The Follow. They are known for their way to combine real life and second life with concerts that makes great sucess in both worlds. They did a World Tour in SL for an example - five shows in five countries in one day.

The Follow have three members: Troy (Troy) on guitarr and voice, Powers (Mat) on drums and samples and AJ (Amy) on bass and voice. They are playing rock influenced by Pink Floyd, U2 and Radiohead and have created a great sound. Listening to their music makes me happy and in a good mood and I think that the main reason to that is their skills in what they are doing, on record and on stage.

You can read more about this band and of course listen to their music at follow websites: Myspace, Facebook and thefollows.com.

Picture taken from The Follows Myspace

In this interview you can read about The Follows second birthday in SL and how they will celebrate that with a concert tomorrow 25:th of June.

How would you describe your music, what style is it?
Panoramic Rock.

How long have you been doing music?
The band's first show was in 1989. AJ was with the band from the beginning but didn't begin playing in the band until 1997.

Are you writing your own songs?
We sure do. Troy is the primary songwriter.

If you do, what comes first when writing your songs, the lyrics or the music?
Well, it depends. Usually, the music and melody come first and then lyrics find their way. It's an organic process and we work on allowing the music to flow freely.

Where do you find the inspiration for your music?
We find it from all around and from all within. From the beauty of the oceans to the wonder of the cosmos and from the awe of our creator to the introspection of feelings, we are inspired by truth and it's pursuit. We are inspired by the human condition.

Who are your role models in music?
Our role models would be those artists and bands that no one has ever heard of. But, they keep writing. They keep recording. They keep playing. And, it's not only for the fanfare that may come one day. It's not only for making a living at doing what they love. It's also because when they wake up, they just don't have a choice. It's in them, they must do it to feel right. It's who they are and using their gifts is fulfilling on its own.

How long have you played in SL?
We are celebrating two years of performing SL on June 26th, 2011. The band will celebrate with a performance at Boom Pony Music Club on Saturday June 25th at 7pm.

Do you also play in RL?
Yes, the band plays in real life.

What is the difference between playing in SL compared to RL?
In many ways they are similar. The band has been mixing our own sound for several years. When we show up at a venue, we give the sound engineer just two channels to plug into their system. So, it was a fairly easy transition, technically, when we started broadcasting into SL.

The live performance itself is very interesting. The band has been thrilled with the connections we have been able to make with the SL residents. After shows in RL we love to hang and talk with people. But, many times we are rushed to break down our gear and load it into the van. So, if someone isn't willing to find their way to the back alley of the venue, or if they aren't will to miss the band we were playing before that particular evening to chat with us, then we miss them.

Chatting with show attendees in local chat after our shows and in private IMs is such a thrill. We enjoy the immediate feedback and the ability to carry on multiple conversations at once. Speaking of immediate feedback….we try to keep an eye on local chat during the shows too. We don't hear applause, but we sure can feel the vibe of the room and we can feel it's temperature that way.

Picture taken from treet.tv

Why did you join SL? Was it because of your music-making or something else?
We can in specifically as a way to share our music around the world. We have done this, but we have also found this wonderful world of creative people. We have been accepted graciously by them and we value the friendships we have formed and those we are developing.

Which is your favorite venue to play in?
The one that is full of people tipping the owner!

Which is your favorite song to perform?
I think if you asked each band member today you'd get three answers. Tomorrow, perhaps three more. We definitely have our few favorites each.

Do you remember your first SL gig? Please, tell us about it.
We were nervous. Behind the scenes at the broadcast location things were frantic. It was new territory and we were heading into a new culture. We didn't want to do or say anything wrong. We hoped the internet connection would sustain four computers and that we could focus on performing instead of the tech gear. We played at Trax Resource Center who is owned by Bones Writer, whom at the time was assisted by Tangle Giano. We still hold both of the as dear friends and remain grateful to their endless hours of help and expertise given that helped get The Follow up and rolling in SL. Once the performance was underway, we had a blast and I don't remember it being horrible….so, we must have made it through just fine :)

What are your plans for the future in SL?
Bands, solo artists, digital artists, programmers and other creatives do what they do. We try to have strategies and plans in place to hopefully develop the most exposure for our art while also hoping to hold on to our values. So, The Follow plans on doing that very thing. We are grateful to the residence of SL for continuing to give us a wonderful place for expression. In that, the future of art within SL is up to the residence.

It is Powers who answered the questions and picked this videos with The Follow. Thanks Powers!





I wish The Follow best of luck with their musical career in SL/RL.