ESBMusic had the chance to sit down with singer/songwriter Matt Lowell at this year’s SXSW where they talked about his thoughts on acoustic shows, his solo show and NYC residency, giving his music away, and working with Joan Osborne.
For more information on Matt Lowell check out MySpace and get his music now on iTunes!
Digital Tour Bus is an innovative and unique website giving fans an all-access pass to go behind the scenes and see how their favorite musicians live while touring around the country. Whether it’s a luxurious tour bus, or makeshift living quarters in a beat up car or passenger van, Digital Tour Bus is there to show you an intimate portrayal of each band’s home on the road.
The site was started in January 2009 by 20-year-old Joshua Weidling. This Bartlett, Illinois native is no stranger to the music industry. Five years ago, while attending Bartlett High School, Weidling began promoting and booking shows for local venues under the moniker Chi-Town Productions. Soon Weidling was booking national acts including The White Tie Affair [Epic], The Fold [Tooth & Nail] and Secret and Whisper [Tooth & Nail]. With a successful promotions company under his belt, Joshua Weidling took it a step further and decided to create his own day-long music festival to showcase emerging talent. The event called Stick it to the Man! Fest takes place each summer in the Chicago-land area. Some bands that have played the Stick it to the Man! stage include: The Color Morale [Rise Records], Just Left [Standby], and Lights Out Dancing.
Joshua Weidling
After graduating from high school and moving on to the University of Iowa in 2008, Weidling shifted to another side of the industry. He worked as a chief news poster at ForTheSound.com and as an editor, contributing writer, and director of marketing and advertising for Chicago’s Crescendo Magazine. Within these positions, he gained experience and found an interest in interviewing several up-and-coming bands.
The culmination of Joshua’s music experience and his desire to personally connect fans with their favorite artist is what fueled him to start Digital Tour Bus, a full-scale project covering the tour buses, mini-buses, RVs, and tour vans of both Indie label, Major label and unsigned acts.
Within a year of its launch, (this past January Digital Tour Bus celebrated its first birthday) the website already has over 220 video tours within its archives covering bands across a wide range of musical genres offering something for everyone.
While you would think that going to school and running your own business would be enough to keep him busy, but not for Joshua; he has added the role of manager to his resume. Currently, he is working with the bands Alumni Club, Backdrop, and Scarlett, as well as Illinois-based photographer, Mikey Kay.
Eat Sleep Breathe Music had the chance to sit down with this high flying, go-getter, Digital Tour Bus CEO/Founder Joshua Weidling to find out what inspired him to start the website, his superb multi-tasking skills, and his plans for the future:
ESBM: How did you come up with the idea of digital tour bus website?
JW: I was reading the “Next Stop” spread in an issue of Alternative Press where a member of a band takes you around their hometown. They talk about their favorite place to eat, favorite venue, favorite attraction, etc. The idea just kinda came into my head and I just decided to go with it.
ESBM: Are there any tour buses that were just too inappropriate to show?
JW: No, all of the bands/artists that I have filmed thus far have been AWESOME! I have been very lucky so far I guess.
ESBM: Who had the nicest tour bus? The most interesting stuff inside?
JW: All tour buses are basically the same, but I would have to say my two favorites to film were Forever The Sickest Kids and Bowling For Soup.
ESBM: Do you find that bands with girls in them have a cleaner tour buses or is it the same?
JW: I haven’t filmed many bands that are in tour buses and have girls in the band too. The only two that come to mind are Sick Puppies and Hey Monday. I also have a screwed perception because most bands do some hardcore cleaning before I film. Haha.
ESBM: Do you find it hard to juggle the Digital Tour Bus along with going to college?
JW: At times it can be hard, but most of the time I don’t have too hard of a time balancing. Lot of late/sleepless nights, but that is to be expected.
ESBM: Do you have contributors who help out?
JW: Since I don’t have the skills to edit video, all of the videos are edited by contributors. My main contributor is Mikey Kay. He edits videos, has a blog on the site and also does some photography. I have a bunch of other editors that contribute videos as well.
ESBM: What is the process for bands to be a part of this tour? Do they sign up or do you request the interview?
JW: If a band tours out of state and has a little bit of internet buzz we are down to film them. Bands who are interested in working with us can email me at digitaltourbus@yahoo.com to set up a video shoot.
ESBM: What if the band just has a van and not a tour bus, do you still do the tour? Are those tours as good?
JW: We film all tour vehicles including: buses, vans, RVs, SUVs, cars, etc. If a band or artist tours in the vehicle we will film it. The tours of vans turn out great. The videos are not only about the vehicle, but about the personalities of the band members themselves and what is inside the vehicle.
ESBM: What was the best tour video thus far?
JW: The best tour bus video is definitely the on of Bowling For Soup and the best van video is a toss up between Sleeping Giant and The Audition.
ESBM: Do you ever get star struck interviewing bands you are a big fan of? Do you ever get nervous?
JW: Honestly, I can’t say I have ever been star struck while filming any of the videos and even if I was, the band’s would never know it. Haha. When I first started I was very nervous. I had to learn how to transfer from acting like a concert promoter to acting like press. It’s two completely different worlds.
ESBM: What kind of phone do you have? Being on the go all the time you must need something to keep you in the loop and up on all the social networking. iPhone/Blackberry/Droid?
JW: I actually have a Motorola Droid. It is literally my life saver. I get to check my 8+ email accounts while on the go and update my Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Foursquare, calandar, Tumblr, and all of the music news I would ever want.
ESBM: Do you ever plan to take the digital tour bus on tour? Meet up with bands on tour in different states?
JW: Could happen eventually, but definitely can’t happen until I graduate college. If we ever start to travel, we will probably travel to other countries to film. So many bands that are big in Europe never make it over to the states. Same thing with Australia and other music markets.
ESBM: What is your favorite music festival?
JW: To be honest, I never really get a chance to go out to any music festivals. If you would call Warped Tour a festival, then I would have to say it is my favorite.
ESBM: Where do you see your site going? What are you plans for the future after you graduate?
JW: Hopefully the site will continue to grow, so that after I graduate college I can run the site for a living. There are a lot of plans coming up on how we are going to improve the site and reach the idea’s full potential. I can’t share anything right now, but we will be revealing some of them very soon!
For more information on Joshua Weidling and Digital Tour Bus check out the site here!
Eat Sleep Breathe Music interviewed Verity in Stereo at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ at the Cobra Starship, 3OH!3, and Travie McCoy show on June 12th, 2010 where Verity in Stereo kicked-off the night with an awesome performance. Watch the interview below!
For more information on this band check out www.verityinstereo.com.
I’m driving up to Asbury to meet the band in their recording studio. I don’t really know what to expect, but when the door is pushed open and I see the mess of equipment crammed into one tiny room, it feels absolutely right. Scott hands me a copy of their long-awaited album The Blackpool Letters. My fingertips want to rip the plastic off the 5.5” x 5” cardboard package and finally hear all twelve (or thirteen) tracks. But I practice patience as I slip the band’s first record into my bag; I want everyone to see what I see, so we have to take care of this first….
Listen to “Miles” here and get the album on 
now.
Check out Jersey Shore Metro Mix review of The Blackpool Letters here.
myspace.com/nightonlyvisual
facebook.com/ScottLiss66
Keane is posting videos discussing each track off their forthcoming album Night Train out May 11th. You can catch the video updates on their official site, and check out the first track “House Lights” now!
Emii’s potent blend of pop, rock and dance produces a sound all her own. The singer-songwriter belts out lyrics about life, love, and relationships with intense emotions that keep you wanting, and ultimately, pleading for more. Eat Sleep Breathe Music interviewed Emii at SXSW, watch the video below and get her new single “Magic” available on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 on iTunes!
Eat Sleep Breathe Music sat down with James Peacock of Captain James and the P.A.I.N, to find out more about the space odyssey rock opera. Don’t miss the next show, Captain James and the P.A.I.N. will be performing on Friday, April 9th at The Stone Pony.
FOLLOWING THE ATTEMPTED INVASION OF EARTH BY THE MUSHROOM HOST OF PORTEBELUS 3, THE GREY CAPTAIN JAMES AND HIS BRAVE PIRATE CREW ARE RIPPED FROM THE SEAS AND HURLED INTO SPACE. THEIR VESSEL, HMS BRIGADIER, HAS BEEN AUGMENTED BY ALIEN TECHNOLOGIES AND TRANSFORMED FROM AN EARTH VESSEL OF SAIL INTO A SPACE FARING WARSHIP. THEIR MISSION: TO STOP THE EVIL MUSHROOM QUEEN FROM RETURNING TO THE MUSHROOM HOMEWORLD OF PORTEBELUS 3 WITH THE INVASION INFORMATION NECESSARY TO LAUNCH A SECOND AND THIS TIME SUCCESSFUL INVASION OF THE PLANET EARTH.
OneRepublic recently sat down from their trailer in Whistler, BC to answer some questions for their fans. Watch the clip to see Ryan, Zach, Brent, Drew and Eddie talk about their biggest musical experiment, song suggestions for Glee, and jealousy of Shaun White.
Waking Up, the sophomore album from OneRepublic, is available on 
now. It features the single “All The Right Moves” which is currently climbing at radio. In 2007, after seven years together as a band, OneRepublic took the world by storm with their debut release Dreaming Out Loud. The album included the smash first single “Apologize” which shattered digital sales and airplay records worldwide, and along with second single “Stop And Stare” propelled the album to platinum plus sales.
Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars sat down with Ultimate-Guitar recently to discuss the bands relationship with their fans, their musicianship, and the unique place they hold in todays rock landscape. Leto says that our family of friends and fans around the world inspired the bands latest record, This Is War, emphasizing that 30 Seconds to Mars has always been really open and engaged with their listeners. Check out the interview here, and be sure to visit the band’s official Myspace for more information and to join the influential Mars Army.
Thirty Seconds to Mars This Is War is available now in stores and on . The band is currently preparing for a European tour.
If you are a music fan you need to know about Shore Alternative (S*ALT). Shore Alternative is an online radio station, but has also been doing a fabulous job of bringing great music into Asbury Park, NJ. Eat Sleep Breathe Music interviewed Michael Merrell of Shore Alternative to find out how they got started and where they are heading.
ESBM: When was S*ALT born and how was it conceived?
MM: S*Alt was conceived the day after G106.3 (WHTG) flipped their format to a Top 40 station and at the time, was the only alternative rock radio station in the whole state. It’s hard to believe that a year has gone so fast but it was January of 2009. We knew there were no other outlets to discover new music that were very accessible to the community, so with the help of Millenium Radio whom we all work for, we were able to throw up a site with streaming capabilities in just over a week. And that is how ShoreAlternative.com was born. It gets me all teary-eyed just thinking about it 
ESBM: What do you think makes Shore Alternative stand out?
MM: I think it’s the people that are involved. Everyone that works for S*Alt brings their own separate quality to the table and that is what makes it great. The main quality we all share is our undying love and passion for music and live shows. This really started as a passion project and now that we’ve gotten some exposure and we feel like it can turn into a legitimate business, but we still feel the same kind of excitement as we did when it first began. Anytime you have a bunch of legitimate tastemakers in one place, it’s a force to be reckoned with.
ESBM: Where can listeners hear Shore Alternative?
MM: As of right now there are two ways to hear the station. You can log onto ShoreAlternative.com and click the Listen Live button. Also as of 2 months ago, we can now be heard on HD radio, on 94.3 WJLK’s HD2 Channel. I know A LOT of listeners don’t have HD radios but a good portion of new 2009 and 2010 cars are coming equipped with them.
ESBM: Tell us about Shore Alternative night at the Wonder Bar on Tuesdays and Thursday nights at Langosta Lounge?
MM: This has been one of the best parts of S*ALT. Billy O’Brien is one of the best promoters on the east coast and week after week, he’s responsible for booking some of the best bands in the area and beyond. We’ve been putting these shows on for about 8 months at the Wonder Bar and about 4 months at Langosta Lounge, and now people know that every Tuesday and Thursday they can come out and see an amazing show. Tuesday nights at the Wonder Bar is the essence of what a great live show should be with a package of 3 or 4 bands in a legendary rock venue with great music in between sets.
Thursday nights at Langosta Lounge have been a bit more of a laid back vibe with one artist in an intimate setting. The kind of setting where you can have a nice dinner, have a cocktail, and get to see some of the best up and coming artists in the area. It’s been an honor being able to put these shows on, and look around on a Tuesday night and see 200 people hanging out and having a great time. But we couldn’t do it without the bands and the support of the people.
ESBM: What do you have in store for the future?
MM: More or less being a one stop shop for everything music related. If you need to see a concert calendar, if you want to read reviews of an album and buy that album, or if you’re just looking to hear some great music to get you through the work day… we want to be that destination. We have a lot of projects we’re going to be a part of in 2010 that we aren’t able to discuss yet, but it’s going to be a big year for us. Right now we’re just trying to make the website better and expand S*ALT with as much quality content as we possibly can. We want to be a real presence not only locally, but on a national level as well.
ESBM: Who are your favorite artists right now?
MM: That’s so tough because there are SO many.. Loving the new records from Spoon, Beach House, Surfer Acid and Massive Attack.
Also, I have to tell you that I’ve heard the completed album from River City Extension, The Unmistakeable Man and I promise when people hear this record, they’re going to completely freak out.
ESBM: What local bands do you recommend seeing?
MM: There are so many great bands in the area that it’s tough to list them all, and if I forget some I apologize.. Status Green, Last Perfect Thing, Taylor Allen, River City Extension, Brick and Mortar, Future Future, The Amboys, Scott Liss And The 66, Brian Graney, The Delfields, The Riverwinds, Black Birds, Montagna & The Mouth To Mouth, Sikamor Rooney, Landlines, Birthwater and Jac’, No Wine For Kittens, Foxes and Lions, Gimme Drugs and Walking With Cavemen.
This week be sure to check out Shore Alternative Night at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ Tuesday, February 9th featuring Mynuskris, Future Future, and Gimme Drugs.
