Blue Meridian




1. When were Blue Meridian formed as a band and how did you all get to know each other in the first place and tell us about the members of the band?

Blue Meridian has been together for ages. Since we were mere lads back in 1994. I was DJing some college night at a bar in Winter Park, Florida. One of the managers there caught wind that I wrote and sang songs. He told me that he played lead guitar and asked if I wanted to "jam" some time. When we finally got together, he brought along a few other players. We made music for 9 hours that Saturday afternoon and agreed by the end of it, that we'd be a band. Now, 12 years later, I'm the only original member left. The drummer, Kevin Kirkwood stayed with the project for a whopping 10 years, but bowed out when I decided that the group should relocate to Los Angeles, California, 2 years ago.


2. Who have been the bands main influence musically and where do the band get it's ideas for the lyrics, are they taken out of everyday and personal experience?

We all have our favorite artists. From the Beatles, Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, The Tragically Hip and so many more, but I don't think any of them helped shape our sound. When you're first getting started and don't yet have a direction, you can be very impressionable. Bands that were huge around the time we started may have had an influence on our early sound. Groups like Pearl Jam or Live, but by 1998, I'm pretty sure we'd developed our own sound. The comparisons that we've gotten over the years have been so diverse, I think it's evident that we don't sound like anyone in particular. Just Blue Meridian.

Lyrically, there's no set pattern either. Some songs I write the lyrics first, some I write the lyrics last. Some songs are about or inspired by actual people or events, some were taken from the paper or history books. Most are created using my minds eye. Most of my best love songs, for example aren't about real girls. It's a love story that I invent in my head. There are exceptions though.


3. The band have got 4 albums under it's belt so far, the last one, Minerva, released in 2003. How's the musical journey thru each album been for the band and to progress a long side of that journey?

Creativity, like life can progress in cycles. When we first started, we had no desire to be world famous. We just wanted to make music and have fun with it, but then we started making albums and the powers-that-be saw amazing potential and put the idea in our heads that we could be world famous. "Minerva" and the album before it, "Brave Angel" were the result of me writing for radio, but trying to retain as much artistic integrity as possible. That can be exhausting. So with the fifth album that will be released later this year, "Avalon and Babylon and Me", I decided to go back to writing for me. The songs aren't snappy, catchy, three minute radio songs, they are whatever they wanted to develop into. Some of my favorites are six minutes long. Ironically, this album so far has generated a great deal of attention and interest from the music business.


4. Has there been any interest from any record labels for the band from Japan and Europe?

We've been told a couple of scouts might be coming to see us on March 9 in London, but that's about it. Well, one of the more important people at the Reading Festival also expressed interest in putting us on the mainstage, but we'll see about that. Overall, shows in Europe have been a new thing for us. We toured there for the first time 8 months ago. We're returning next month, in March and going back for a 3rd time in September. We're serious about making an impact over there and it's working so far. We've never been to Japan.


5. There's scheduled two releases this year from the you and the band called, Avalon & Babylon & Me, and the other, Skint & Shattered. Are both of them gonna be released the same time and would it all be under the moniker Blue Meridian and has any release date been set yet?

The Avalon album will be a solo project for me actually. It would be too much of an unnecessary departure for Blue Meridian. It's also very personal. More than the other records. I hope to release it before the September tour. The other album, "Skint and Shattered," probably won't be released in 2006, but we will begin it before years end. I'd expect a 2007 release for that one. That disc will feature all of the songs I've written since moving to California with the new lineup. It will be our most aggressive album overall. We're excited about it.


6. The band were in the U.K. back in August 2005 for a tour, how did that go and how's the crowd in the U.K. compared to the crowd in L.A. when the band plays and also the band are coming over a second time around in March, there seems to be a demand to see the band over here in Europe?

Yes, there's an interest. I don't know if I'd call it a "demand" just yet, but I'm hopeful. For a first time, we were very happy with the size and enthusiasm from the crowds, we expect it to be even larger in March. It's very exciting creating something from nothing. For the most part, the UK didn't know who we were a year ago. Now we have a couple thousand fans over there.


7. You recently signed a deal with Universal Music Publishing Service. How did that deal come about and what doors does that open for your own career and the band and are you already scheduled to write for some well known artists/bands?

Many people are confused about what that deal means exactly, so I'm glad you asked. I was signed as an artist more than as a songwriter. Their goal is to place my music on TV and on film soundtracks. So far no placements, but it's only a couple months old. They seem confident. They don't sign artists to these deals to meet quotas, like with many recording contracts. They sign only what they feel they can use. If they ask me to write for an established act, I'll certainly welcome the challenge and the paycheck, but mostly we're just hoping that the placement of one of our songs will open many international doors for us as a band. It would be lovely to see our audience triple overnight.


8. What's the bands personal point of view on today's music industry and the general music scene as it's seen on MTV and heard on the mainstream radio stations?

Music a few years ago, left a lot to be desired. Hip Hop and Rap have taken over pop and Metal has taken over rock. The other commercially viable alternative is power pop or punky pop, but all of those bands are hard to tell apart. Recently the Damain Rices, James Blunts, David Grays, Coldplays, etc have really brought quality songwriting back into the game and that has increased our chances dramatically. For the first time in ages, some of the music out there is emotionally charged and passionate, often intelligent and melodic. That can only be a good thing.


9. Hows the local area where the band hails from when it comes to get gigs to play and get played on the local radio stations?

We were very fortunate to come from Orlando, Florida. That place had a great music scene and if the scene is good and big enough, it's impossible for radio and the press to not take notice and embrace/encourage it. We've been played on the radio back there more than 2,000 times. It really helped us develop an impressive fanbase quickly. The great show opportunities and everything else just fell into place.


10. What's been the bands best moments in it's short time of existence and so far do the band itself feel it's been a struggle to get to where the band is now and how much influence have the fans played in this process?

Anything worth having is worth working hard for. I wouldn't call it a struggle though. It's been more of a pleasure than a struggle. I wouldn't pour this much energy into something I didn't love or believe in. Best moments? I thought our first tour of England, our first tour of California were way up there. When the Hard Rock Cafe bought one of my guitars to hang in their cafe in Florida, I thought that was a lovely thing. The contract with Universal may very well prove another huge accomplishment. The fans play a huge part in everything. They have more power to motivate or dishearten than they probably realize. When we were struggling (ooh, I guess there was a struggle) to raise the money to record Minerva, fans stepped forth and offered as much as $5,000.00 to help us afford it. When the fans show up and pack a room, we put on our best shows. The fans are everything.


11. What does the future hold for the band at this moment in time, any plans of touring in the progress beside the one in the U.K.?

There's so much we want to do and so little time. On our "to do" list we've got, 1. release these albums 2. play New York City again 3. Play Chicago for the first time 4. Tour Texas. 5. Tour the Northwest 6. Tour the UK as much as possible and get over to Germany 7. South Africa 8. Australia


12. Any last words to the fans/people out there here in the end?

Support Indie Music. There you'll find the largest group of the last of us that still do it for the art. There are two types of artists. Starving ones and Multi-Zillionaires. Help create a middle ground by supporting indie music. When sales of the albums do more than just pay for themselves, when they help make rent of put food on the table, then more time can be devoted to them.. and the art improves. If you've read this far, it's because you care and for that... we'll always be grateful.

-Donovan Lyman