Tell me why you decided to form Ailura Fate
I would’ve shriveled up and died if I didn’t start another music project soon. It was 2012 and I hadn't played in a band for three years (although I had been trying to start one for about a year). Luckily, Kayla Bell came along right in time.
I was introduced to Kayla in the summer of 2012 in a doctor’s parking lot. We talked briefly in the parking lot about music and I was pretty excited about her. I showed up to her work the next day to invite her over to dinner at my house. Over dinner we talked about forming a band and things just clicked. She turned into my best friend
What do you contribute to the band?
I write half of the instrumental music. (Kevin writes the other half.) I usually come up with a guitar part, Kevin will help me throw down some drums and we’ll send it off to Kayla who will add her lyrics and melody.
Not only that, but we’re a well-oiled business. We each have business responsibilities, but I won’t bore you with the precise details. I do a lot of the online stuff. And the baking. Every band needs a baker.
How long have you been playing lead guitar?
You have to promise not to laugh. Since this January, so nine months (that's a baby!). I was playing rhythm up until then but in January our lead guitarist left. I scrambled to cover his part because we had a show on Valentine’s Day. Since then I’ve been practicing for hours a day to get my lead guitar chops up to speed. I have a secret weapon, though, because I used to play all different genres of guitar which is helping immensely.
And how long have you been playing all the other genres of guitar?
I picked up a guitar when I was sixteen and learned some simple blues and indie rock. I didn’t get serious with it until I was 19 or 20. Since then, I studied classical guitar and performed classical guitar in restaurants and casinos in northern California when I was 20-22. I even published a classical guitar album! That’s the secret to learning lead guitar quickly. Classical guitar will make anyone an awesome lead player. Most of the guitar greats studied classical guitar.
The band doesn’t feel the need to hire a second guitarist so I guess that means I’m doin alright.
You grew up in New York but now live in California. Has that done anything for your music career?
Aside from being able to spot the best bagel stores on the west coast? Yeah, it’s done wonders. The music scene in New York is awesome, but it’s very cutthroat. I thought if I jumped into the Big Apple with my guitar and my killer vocalist we’d get noticed and make it. If only. New York is competitive and harsh, and you’re not only fighting to get noticed, but you’re fighting to just making a living in NYC. It didn’t work for me.
When I moved to California, I met some people who would become my music mentors. Those guys showed me what it really takes to make it in the music industry. They showed me how to be business savvy which was something the indie NYC circuit didn’t really have a grasp on.
Basically, New York taught me how to handle cutthroat peers and California taught me how to build a sustainable career by- ironically, not being cutthroat- but by being as business savvy and respectful as possible.
Also, bagels. New York taught me bagels.
The band was created less than a year ago. Have you encountered any hardships with the band so far?
Sure. Just like any long term experience there have been “adventures” shall we call them? I’ve learned that my gut is a very powerful thing. If it doesn’t feel right, change something. I should’ve trusted my instincts on more than one occasion. We’ve hired a lot of outside help and gotten burned. I guess every band goes through that in one form or another. There are a lot of people who are going to take your money and bolt. Since that experience, I will only hire professionals.
It’s also really important to learn to work with other people. I’ve had mess-ups before. My band mates have had mess-ups before. When you mess up, it’s not a matter of going down a list of excuses to try and cover your butt. It’s a matter of saying, “What can we do to make sure this problem doesn’t happen again?” We work very well as a team and if someone messes up, we’re all willing to help each other fix the problem.
Of course, no matter what, humans are going to mess up. In a band, you can’t only make great music; you have to be willing to work with your band mates. They have weak points. I have weak points. We know where our weak points are (I get distracted easily, for example) so they help me stay on task because I wander a lot.
I hope we never encounter any real hardships. I’ve heard of fans dying because they got trampled to death, or because some piece of stage lighting fell. I would really question my career if I was ever in a situation like that. So by comparison, I’ll take the flaky, outside help stealing our money any day.
On the converse, have you encountered any inspirational events?
Good question. Being in a band itself is inspiring- that’s why we’ve got seventy billion bands out there today.
The thing that makes me feel most alive is when I write new music. Creating a new song is my soul food. Covering other songs are great, but our own music is where my heart is. When we’re writing, I get a high that’s better than any synthetic (or natural) remedy.
What are your upcoming projects?
Got a few, actually. I'm currently in the studio with Kevin Village Stone creating our new Native American Flute album called One Tribe. It's a new genre that's never been done before: Native American Flute over rock jazz fusion. I'm really excited for this music to get out there because it's different. I know every band must say that, but ours is a combination no one's done before.
Also, Ailura Fate is in the process of finishing up our original songs. Once they're 100% polished we'll hit the studio, so there's another album that's coming up soon!
I also have to wash the floors today, but that's not as interesting...
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