Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A few questions with Brian Sheerin of Audio Addiction

Photo by Holly Parkhill
One great thing about not getting paid for what we do here at The Backstage Betty Pages is getting to do interviews with bands and artists that we like or have that influenced us. Don't kid yourself, we would love to get a paycheck for our hard work, but until that happens, we do what we want!!! There are a few bands whose live performances rank on the top 10 charts with me. Mower definitely belongs in the top 5 of that list. Mower and it's alter ego Slower have since slowed their touring for front man Brian Sheerin to focus on his other project Audio Addiction. I contacted Brian a few weeks ago and asked him to tell me a little more about the band. Being based out of San Diego, California, they have found sanctuary and support among friends and family in the surrounding areas. In Iowa, however, not much is known about Audio Addiction. You may have never heard of them unless you were paying close attention to the Mower Facebook page. What ever your case may be Brian was able to share with us his new(er) found outlet...
  
Greg: Can you tell me how Audio Addiction came to life?

Brian: My friends Keith and Johnny have been writing together for years and I used to see them around San Diego.  Up until the time I was recording the third Mower CD, those two didn't know I could do much more than scream, but they thought I was an interesting front man. After they started hearing the jazz/lounge covers, they wanted to see what I might do over some of their songs, that's when we started working together. As far as Kevin goes, I saw him perform with Buckfast Superbee at the Casbah one night and I thought. "This guy's a monster" so I hit him up online about playing in a cover band. The cover band thing didn't happen, but when we needed a bass player for this band, I called him. Jimmy is one of Johnny's good friends and a solid player so he got the call when we added a second guitarist. That's basically it. If we don't like you we'll just tell you that we formed in Liverpool in the sixties.
  
Greg: How does Audio Addiction differ from other projects that you've been a part of?

Brian: It differs in the vocal style more than anything. I love heavy music, but I grew up on 70's rock and then got into what was going on in the punk and glam scenes. In Mower, my role wasn't to do much singing and I reached a point where I wanted to make music that had elements of The Rolling Stones, MC5, Hanoi Rocks, The Who, Dead Boys, Jane's Addiction, bands with a lot of soul and style and grime to them. I'm never going to sound like any of those singers and the band doesn't write music like that, but we can get that vibe into what we do and it feels very real and that comes across. Audio Addiction is good about letting each guy do their thing. We trust each other. One thing we say in rehearsal all the time is to "serve the song", do what's best for the song. Maybe that means playing a simpler riff, or not singing over a part or not passing on a big fill and just keeping a solid groove. Whatever is going to make the song shine rather than trying to display your talents or whatever. Another thing that's different is that we are an idiot, I mean, collectively, we're just an idiot that makes himself laugh a lot. Audio Addiction is funny.
  
Greg: Not a lot of info is available on Audio Addiction, Is there anything that you would like fans of yours to know about the band?

Brian: Go to the shows when you see them booked.  One thing that struck home when I took a break from Mower is that these moments, the beginning of a band, that rawness, the grit and intensity, it's a passing thing. It's life, it's alive, it's living. Go to the shows, be a part of it while it's cool and unpolished and crammed into a little club and add your energy to it. Buy tickets, be there and we'll give it back with all we have onstage. We're entertaining, we'll get your blood moving. We're good for you, like vitamin C.

Greg: At what age did you first become interested in music?

Brian: I was four or five when I started identifying bands, The Beatles, The Monkeys, Sha Na Na, Elvis, but my entire life went down the tubes when I talked my dad into buying me Kiss Alive II for my birthday when I was six or seven. That was the end. I could have been somebody if it weren't for that album :-)

Greg: Who would you say your personal musical influences are?

Brian: Real Mofos, Ace Frehley, Eric Avery, Bill Ward, Brian Jones,  Izzy Stradlin. The type of person where the band loses the mojo when they're not in it.
  
Greg: When can we expect to hear more music from Audio Addiction for people who live outside of San Diego?

Brian: We have about two CD's worth of songs but we're going to release it on our own which means we have to foot the bill.  So for now, there is the freebie track out there at http://www.audioaddiction.co/music/ People can get a copy of "The Way To Hell' to check out while we sort out the details.

Greg: I have a final question I like to ask everyone I do interviews with and it isn't of the conventional variety. If you feel inclined to answer, here it is!!!
If a gun wasn't available, what would your weapon of choice be?

Brian: Your mind is the best weapon, right? I don't know. Two rubber bands, a pen and a paper clip. MacGuyver my way out of the situation.

Click on the blue highlighted links. For more information on Audio Addiction you can visit their Facebook page or website.

-Greg Waldrop