Music · Soul · Story
"Music is a drug for me and I'm basically an addict."
I have always been a fan of bands and artists that tell stories through their music — I wanted to be a storyteller. There is something about music that can transport you into another world no matter what mood you're in. I'm fanatical about The Police, U2, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Buckley, and Led Zeppelin.
I remember when I was 5 years old I wanted to be a rock star and my Grandma would always ask me to sing for her. I would sing anything from Michael Jackson, George Benson, and Bread, to The Beatles. When I was 10 I tried playing the Clarinet in Elementary school band but I was horrible at it. I decided to try guitar next — better, but never had the patience to practice. Realizing that singing came naturally to me I joined the school choir, but the songs were really lame.
In high school my friends had bands but the lead vocalist spot was always filled, to my dismay. And like most So. Cal kids, I spent my high school career smoking herb and daydreaming about being in a band. Tired of daydreaming, I took Opera lessons on and off for about 2 years before joining my first band, Midnite Jammer, in 1990. They had a Southern Rock sound and we released a 2-song single. I learned a lot about teamwork and performing but I wanted something more.
In 1991 I got together with an Orange County punk group called Uniform Choice. I wasn't really interested in hardcore punk but these guys were into trying a new sound, and we released 2 records over 3 years. We received great reviews, got clothing sponsorships, and played venues I always dreamed about growing up — Irvine Meadows, The Whisky, The Palace, Troubadour, The Roxy, Coach House, The Galaxy. We were played regularly on KNAC in Los Angeles. We had several indie label and management offers but declined — we wanted something bigger. Looking back, I guess we were greedy.
In 1994 we changed our name to Sol Ignition and tried a different direction. We released a full-length album on our own indie label and achieved some local success. After almost 6 years together people were ready to move on. From 1995–96 I started a new band with some of the same members called SuperSeed — more of a radio-friendly edge, with placement in a few surfing and skateboarding soundtracks. We called it quits after a year and I was pretty burned out.
After a year off I realized I really missed music. In 1997 I reconnected with an old friend from Sol Ignition and we started a band called Buzzbox, recording a demo at my former employer Time Bomb Records in Laguna Beach. In 1999 that demo got us an indie record deal with Songload Records in Fountain Valley. We released the record in November 2000 — but by the time we got around to supporting it on tour, the band fell apart.
I still feel the need to play music since it's the only thing I'm good at.
New album coming soon.
