MUSIC

Who's in the band, what do they do--instruments of course but other things as well--is anyone the principal songwriter? does anyone do graphics for the band? public relations? wardrobe designer? feed the fish?

TROY GILLESPIE - Bass and Flugelhorn? i am sponsored by the Zwahili government and mozzarella. my racing number is 2.7564349. i play with electricity and get paid to do so.

CHRIS " Killstryker" NELSON - Drums. I have my degree in biology and currently am employed at the environmental lab Servern Trent Labs.

CHRIS HORTON-Vocals and Guitar.  I have lice. I dont have a racing number yet...Im not sponsored.

JARED SINGLETON - Guitars. I take care of getting our gigs booked along with Killstryker. Along with other little things. Some of the artwork ideas, but for now mostly just songwriting. And I wear boxer briefs.

 CHRIS N. - As for songwriting Chris H. and Jared are the main songwriters in the band. Although troy as been bringing some really good shit to the table lately. Horton writes the majority of the lyrics.

We don’t really have specific person doing graphics and design for the band. Whenever someone has as idea we go with it.

I would have to say that the Salvation Army is responsible for our wardrobe most of the time.

JARED - Or people around us who have no interest in seeing us naked.

CHRIS N. - Horton has fish I believe as well as a cat and some various reptiles and amphibians, Jared has a dog and a really horny cat, troy has a pit bull and I have a bird, two cats and a pregnant dog….anyone want a puppy?

What point would you say I am Sound is at in the timeline of its musical career--just starting out, ready to go, touring extensively, just doing open mics, getting jaded, ready to retire...etc...

CHRIS N. - I would say we are ready to go. We need to get a demo recorded and some merchandise to sell our rabid fans but as far as our music goes we are in good shape. We hope to begin playing non-stop in early 2007. At the moment we are playing maybe two shows a month within a 3-4 hour driving radius. We hope to get out on an east coast tour with our good friends FLAMES OF TROY soon after the new year begins.

JARED - We just broke out of our respective cacoons. We're actually getting ready to record our first full blown EP. Our sound is forming shape now. Before now, we always had  really good  sound ideas, or riff ideas; and we could execute it fairly well. But now it seems as though the flood gate of sonic ideas has burst open. We're having a good time. Oh....and we do have stickers coming soon. Next up.....coffee mugs and mouse pads.

CHRIS H.- I never know whats going on, but I hear Im in this band. 

How does everyone in the band know each other?  How long have you been playing together? Did I am Sound have a previous incarnation--different name and/or members?

CHRIS N. - I guess we have known each other for about 3 years now…give or take. Jared and Horton were old friends from  Columbus, GA who had moved here to savannah. I moved here in February of 2003 after graduating and met Horton and Jared that following summer. They were in a band with a good friend of mine from back home named Donald Moats. I moved in with Donald that summer and they were practicing in our house so that’s really how I got to know them. They needed a bass player and although I had never played bass I told them to teach me the songs and that way they could at least practice until they found a “real” bass player.

JARED - Yeah...and he looked good doing it too.  Especially after he shaved his head for a brief time........sexy.....

CHRIS N. - At the time they were called Electric Love Jelly. They broke up sometime soon after I began playing with them and from the ashes we formed the first real incarnation of the band we have today. We were called The Reply. We played together for about two years I guess. We had a good time and played some good shows but eventually it all fell apart. Donald, our drummer, moved to California and so we were stuck in the worst place a band can be…without a drummer. . The three of us continued to write music and play together until finally we found a new drummer. Enter Tanner Murphry. At this point we also enlisted the vocals stylings of Horton and Jared’s good friend Jamie R. we kept the old name and a few of the old songs and began with this new lineup. We played together for I guess maybe 10 months. We played one show at Rude Rudy’s…..god awful show……and that was all she wrote for the reply.

JARED - Yeah...what an aweful show. It's called Sweet Mellissa's now. Horrible sound in there. I still get depressed thinking about that breakup. Band's breaking up are like relationships that come to a sudden end. It never feels good, especially if you put a lot of work into it.

CHRIS N. - Tanner quit the band, Horton moved to California to live with Donald, and Jamie moved back home, so that left Chris N. and Jared. I (Chris) had played drums for about ten years before moving to savannah so I knew my way around a drum kit pretty well and after some very unsuccessful drummer auditions I decided to put down the bass and pick up the sticks again so we could at least keep playing and writing music.

JARED - Yeah. We were a regular 2 man band. Just loud as shit, because we could not find anyone to play with or jam with. It was nuts. Bass players are almost harder to come by than drummers.

CHRIS N . - Eventually Horton moved back to savannah and began playing with us again. Because I was now on drums we needed a bass player. This is where Troy comes into the picture. Although he was a guitar player he was eager to be in a band so he picked up the bass and here we are. After a few different names I AM SOUND was born.

JARED - And man, did we ever go through some stupid names.

TROY- I was born in the back of taxi, on the street from whence my name is blatenly ripped off. i was kept frozen in the time space continuum  until the doctors felt it was suitable for me myself and i to be allowed to approach them. then i did. and here i is.

CHRIS H - I dont know any of these people.

How long have you been in Savannah? Do you have any plans in the future to leave savannah or are you staying for awhile? What would you say you like best about Savannah?  Have you met a lot of bands here to network with?

CHRIS N . - Troy has lived here his whole life. The rest of us have been here for about 4 years. We like it here, if you could only experience some of the places we have lived in the past you would understand why. People always bitch and moan about savannah but I promise you there are much worse places out there.

Troy - Actually, there really isn't much to do around here but fuck and get fucked up. we need roller coasters and IMAX.

JARED - I could tell you horror stories.....

CHRIS N. - We don’t have any plans for leaving anytime soon. I think with current technology and all you can be a successful band without living in a huge city. It used to be that you had no chance living in a small town but now you can get your music out to the world with a click of a button, no matter where you live. Until recently you couldn’t find the local band scene with a high powered microscope, but it seems that lately there have been a lot of new bands and we all seem to be at least talking with one another and trying to help each other out with shows and what not. Scad radio is getting involved and helping out with free all ages shows and that sort of thing is a big step in building the scene here in savannah. We think the future looks good.

CHRIS H - when do we get to Hoboken? 

How do you approach the songwriting process--do you start off with a theme, a story, a cool riff, a poem, a picture--do you usually write the lyrics first or later--or does it vary?

CHRIS N. - There really isn’t a set pattern for writing songs. Jared, Troy and Horton are always coming up with different riffs and ideas and we usually just start with someone’s idea and go from there. One person will be like” hey check this out” then someone else will say “ oh that’s good now lets do this next” and so forth and so on. On occasion someone may have an entire song written before we start but even those songs usually get so altered and changed that they rarely resemble the begining concept. As for the lyrics Horton has a head full of lyrics and will usually just listen to an idea and come up with the lyrics after we get the song mostly finished.

TROY- I practice on the shitter.

CHRIS H - I write from post apocalyptic dreams and things I think about while Im doing my girlfriend. Hi baby!!!

How do the band members work out creative differences--is there a majority rules policy, or maybe more like the Beatles where each song is directed by its particular writer who has final say.

CHRIS N. - I think everyone has a say so in how a song is structured and although there will always be “creative” differences we usually go with a “majority rule” mentality. If someone has a problem with a certain part we will usually discuss it and try to come to an agreement. I don’t think anyone has a “final” say so. There are no “my way or the highway” personalities here.

JARED - There are certain times when if one of us wrote an entire song, we will start off listening to that person's ideas before we throw in our own, because in a sense; it's their baby first. After that....we all become godparents.

TROY - I think any band who doesn't fight over what they think makes the song work, or whether or not they have a better idea, should break up, cuz you does nothing new to bring to thine table butt munch. retro bands are cool for that whole vintage thing, but damn, how many times do i gotta hear a "new led zeppelin" or something. hype bands suck too (strokes)

 CHRIS H- Ditto to the T-roy. He is Trill.

What would you say is the purpose of making music and/or performing music.

JARED - There are really too many ways to answer that question. There really doesn't have to be a bigger purpose. Some artists or bands out there do it for money. Some do it for women / men. Some do it because they have an inner need to connect with other people, or have inner demons that they need to exorcise through sound or poetry. Some do it just because they get off on the creativity process. I would have to say that we are all of those rolled into one big fat  nasty riff or melody; slowly and blissfully ripping your eardrums apart.

Troy - what else am i gonna do? make your fucking big mac?

CHRIS H - It was either this, or stripping. I refuse to degrade myself anymore for two bit blue-haired hussies.

CHRIS N. – I think the most important reason for playing music is an inner need to give back what music gives us all. I think anyone who plays music has obviously felt how powerful music can be and can probably attribute music in some form or another to his or her own survival. Music has the power to give us release, comfort, enlightenment, and meaning and I think it’s our responsibility to see that that continues. Playing live is just for getting chicks.

Some bands enjoy mixing and making music in the studio more so than conducting live performances and others are just the opposite. Which do you prefer?

JARED - Recording is a lot of fun, but it can also be frustrating at times. Sonically, you can do whatever you want. When you record an album or an EP, or whatever; it is a permenant representation of what you want people to feel or hear about you. No matter what you have to do in the studio, if it takes a bit more effort to pull something off and you really want people to hear it like you hear it; then take the time to try it out. However, the joy of getting to play live cannot be matched. Its just an all out aggressive, blissful, terrifying, release of emotion and expression. If anyone in the crowd goes nuts, we feed off of that. If anyone gives us shit....we just play harder, or try to be a bit more obnoxious.

TROY- actually i look at recording as a different approach entirely than playing live. you have the chance to make each song sound like a separate organic...entity. the chance to be..artisitic/autistic. live it's about the rush. Nothing but the rush. for you. for them. you're an entertainer.

Chris N. – Playing live is just for getting chicks.

CHRIS H- This interview is getting really long. I hope that some one will read it at least to this point. If you are that person, its about to get really good.

Relive your worst-gig and/or best gig experience:

JARED - Oh Jesus........we actually haven't had any absolutely terrible gigs yet with THIS band. We had some that left something to be desired, considering it wasn't a great venue at all. We haven't had a "nightmare gig" yet. As far as a great experience, it's a tie between at a place named Buffington's, in Milledgeville, GA and a show that we played at the Jinx here in Savannah. At Buffington's the show ended with Horton and I on our backs on stage flailing around and having tons of beer, wine, and liquor being poured on us while everyone screamed. Troy just threw his bass down in a wave of feedback and delay, and I think "Killstryker" was just banging away and yelling at people. The Jinx was just a great experience. Nice crowd, good sound, and an overall fun experience. We played with Jeanne Flight at their last show. We can't wait to play there again.

TROY- yea, i've never played live before joining this band, so really it's all been fun. i'm just now getting over the stage fright thing.

CHRIS H - I like to think that Im just at a state fair, doing a number raffle to give away a free bike ofr lawnmower to some unsuspecting person, so when I see the smile on thier face, its pure reward. Every show is a gift.

Do you ever have stuff missing after a gig?

JARED - Haha. Troy leaves his bass a lot. But somehow it always comes back to him.

Troy - yea i tend to forget why i'm at the bar.

CHRIS H- I leave a piece of my integrity at the guitar bar every time.

Do you ever have extra stuff after a gig?

TROY- no i'm usually on empty. especially after guitar bar gigs. no band beer and pabst are 4 bucks. what the fuck elaine!?!?

JARED - Yeah. A leftover beer, and a hangover.

What would be your ideal city of residence as a gigging musician? (or is there a particular city's scene that has influenced you.) What cities have you performed in? What was your favorite venue you played at?

JARED - As far as a residence, we're fine where we are at for now. It's not something that I at least think about very often. I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say that. The whole Seattle scene from the early 90's will always have a place in our hearts, there is no doubt about that. I personally believe that there will never be another scene of great bands like Seattle had, ever again. We will be performing in Atlanta soon. Maybe next year when we go on a mini tour with Flames of Troy, we would like to play all the way up the east coast and stop at New York. I want to find out what the big fuss is with New York City pizza anyway. As far as venues overall.....Buffington's is just a lot of fun for us to play in. They know us there, and they rock out harder than any town I have ever seen.

TROY- i dunno. hong kong? ho chi man city? denver? moscow? gimme eastern european broads any day. right chris?

CHRIS H - I miss Los Angeles.

And last but not least, everyone's favorite: Take all of the influences, motivations, emotions (or lack thereof)--all of the chord progressions and overtones and melodies and stray sounds and beats and harmonies and dischords and everything else--and figure out how to strip that down to a few stagnant sentences to give us a verbal idea of how your music sounds.

JARED - Psychedelic, punky, heavy as an anvil ,Biker Band rock music, created by some people who, instead of putting the gasoline in their bikes; consumed the gas with a grin on their faces. Oh yeah, and we don't have any bikes either. They're all just "pretend" bikes. And we look like pussies.

TROY- i was raised on peter gabriel, led zeppelin, nat king cole, stevie ray vaughn, paul simon, eric clapton (yawn), king crimson, and the fucking beatles, and i think slayer are even jesus' favorite band. oh, and god bless miles davis, fugazi, and stoner rock. oh, and i just discovered west african desert blues and perez prado king of mambo. dance bitches. dance.

CHRIS H - I just listen to the washing machine until it hits a suitable rhythm. Then I sing to my cat. Shouts to Immortal Teq and Tripping Daisy.

Chris N. – I think it sounds like a fucking record deal to me.

Ok, and if there is anything else you'd like to say do it now:

CHRIS N. - Eat your peas.

JARED -  You still manage to fart after you die, so be sure to wear proper undergarments.

Troy - tell your mother to call me, the filthy harlot.

CHRIS H - Blessed be, you granola eating bitch.