Note To Self...

Opening Line

Got Cook?

Influenced by ...

Belly Button Window, Midnight Vice, Black Earth, Undermars, Durango's Daughter, The Shademakers, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Split Enz, 54-40, The Irish Rovers, Queen, Matthew Good, Nirvana, The Pursuit of Happiness, Johnny Cash, The Payolas, Kiss, Yes, Chilliwack, Billy Joel, Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Alice 'n Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, The Watchmen, The Who, Crowded House, The Doors, Frank Black, The Grapes of Wrath, Green Day, Metallica, John Cougar Mellencamp, Ozzy, Pete Yorn, Police, Odds, Northern Pikes, R.E.M, Sheryl Crow, U2, Lenny Kravitz, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Ben Harper

You'll love our music if you like ...

The Replacements, Hoodoo Gurus, Odds, Northern Pikes, Pete Yorn, Crowded House, R.E.M, Country Music, Folk Music, The Watchmen, Jack Johnson, Paul Westerberg, The Lemonheads

You'll hate our music if you like ...

Death Metal

Favourite Bands / Artists

The Beatles, Van Halen, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle, Metallica, The Watchmen, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Coldplay

Your 5 favourite songs

Unchained/Van Halen, Eleanor Rigby/Beatles, Russians/Sting, All Uncovered/Watchmen, Say It Ain't So/Weezer, Boots or Hearts/The Hip, Life By The Drop/Stevie Ray Vaughn, What I Like About You/Romantics, Killing In The Name Of/Rage Against The Machine, State of Love and Trust/Pearl Jam, There She Goes/The La's

What makes a great fan?

Honesty

Genre

Rock

Website

http://cdbaby.c...

Submitted by Cook on Tue, 2008-04-01 13:04.

Personally, my optimism is rooted in my naivety.
Being raised in this part of the world shelters one from much of the harsher realities that affect our brothers and sisters in all regions of the globe. I am lucky, I know that. Even more so, I feel more thankful that I take NONE of it for granted.
We all have some kind of experience to relate to others. Some of us are lucky enough to have the ability to communicate through music.
Music...
The one true thing that does put us at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Without it, we are just that species of animals that walk upright and wear funny looking pelts!
Trying to stand out in this industry nowadays is like trying to open your eyes in a sandstorm... it can be kinda painful, but if you don't you can get lost very easily, or worse, led astray. Now maybe this is my naivety speaking for me, but I've come to the realization that I can't stop the sandstorm. I can't even guarantee I won't get lost. But I'm sure I won't allow myself to be led into something that I'm not comfortable with! Staying true to one's self is the longest road an artist must follow. Soooo many pot holes on the way to disrupt us with their distractions and temptations. But do we compromise that which is such a unique and large part of who we are and how we view the world? I'd love to say 100% NO!... but, alas,...we are still human.
What we can do is stick to what makes us feel good. Not by making others feel bad in order to justify our goodness, (much like a critic!), but by plain old self-indulgence. The only critics that matter are our guts and the walls to the room we create music in. That's the self-indulgence part! We write until it strikes all the chords in US first, then, maybe, well let someone else have a listen. But until then, it is still ours and ours alone to enjoy.
Originality is too tough of a label to try to strive for.
Better it be an honest, personal effort and then the connection to others will be made. There is something for everyone. If you love it, MOST CERTAINLY so will someone else. Imagine if only 1% of 1% of the world loved your music....that is still about 700,000 people!
700,000 people that are touched by the music and relate to the words...
Oh and YES, words are powerful.
So much so that even the so-called leaders of our day who twist and use words to gain their influence, also try to squash our ability as artists to use our words. Why? Because they KNOW that the artist is more true and just. We use words from the side of the many, not the few.
This is the strength of the artist.