IPO Interview – Stormy Strong

Posted on 08 April 2014

Stormy Strong

PGH is all about helping artists highlight their most recent projects, so let us all know what your latest project is – and tell us about how it come into the world. What has the initial feedback on it been like?

Stormy Strong (STORMY): Hi, Stormy Strong is the name of my project, but is also actually my real name, it represents the music and the crew that rocks with me. My Dad is a retired fisherman, and so a lot of my life has been intertwined with fishing and living in/visiting different western coastal towns.  I was named after a commercial fisherman’s nickname from the fleet so that might shed some light on my name. I call the style we do “Saltwater Rock”, because people kept asking what the style was and I wanted to be as specific as possible without just saying the general category of alternative rock. Its kind of gritty with the rock influences and it has a bittersweet pop thing naturally going on. The project began after spending some serious time thinking about the music I wanted to create and what I just could not find out there in the world to listen to myself. A unique sound with songs that made me want to sing along. The spark occurred after leaving a pop punk band I was in from the late 90s, I saw so many problems in our band situation that I realized if I wanted to take music seriously, I had to build something to last and there is a lot more to that than I will go into here. You gotta be prepared for all the bad things that happen in the music industry and just roll with them as part of the journey. Take nothing personal. I  think about the project as a ship and my goal is to write the best songs I can alone and in collaboration and keep the ship sailing. Positive feedback has been growing internationally slowly over the years. Our Pixies cover of “Where is My Mind?” has begun to change the equation and find new listeners and fans who are also liking the new songs.  

Stormy Strong

The Recording Process:  There are so many interesting ways that music projects come into the world these days compared with what artists had to struggle through years ago.  Take us on the creative arc of how this project came into being and any wisdom that you learned along the way.  Also, what were some of the obstacles or struggles that you encountered when you were working on the project?

STORMY: Initially I was writing the songs all by myself, but I quickly realized collaboration was the way to go (just as in a band, but in this case I could avoid problems of a “real” band). So I started out jamming through tunes with some of my former band mates and other musicians helping get it off the ground. I was primarily a vocalist, but I grabbed my guitar and they helped me gain momentum to the point of a band able to play the songs and I think we all agreed it sounded good. I was compelled to go further down the rabbit hole. Next, I knew I needed a record producer. If you listen to 99.9% of all records produced by bands themselves you realize (often rather quickly) that even if the heart of the song is great, it’s just not all it (the song) wants to be. You will probably not play it more than once or a few times. It may be raw natural but something is often missing. I wanted to make songs I wanted to sing along to and spin over and over like my favorite records. Again it’s about collaboration to me so finding a good record producer was my first obstacle. Many profess to be producers, and that makes it harder to find good ones. I also had taken a college course on American music history and the theme was… the key to helping an artist or band bring their songs to life and rise above the noise…was great songs and a record producer.

Are there any particular songs on this project that are special to you or communicate a message that you’d like to share here?

STORMY: I have some new ones that I’m really enjoying help bring to life to what they want to be “when they grow up”, but “Stolen Winter’s Kiss” from our last EP “Take Her Down” is really special to me. I don’t want to give away the story, because I think it tells it better than I could. The clif notes would be “realizing what was not meant to be and letting go”. Lyle Workman plays lead guitar on it and I really love his playing.

As we all know, the music industry has been devastated for many reasons over the past 10 years, what are you thoughts on these changes and are you finding some of the changes helpful to you with getting more people to hear your music?

STORMY: In my honest opinion, the best thing that ever happened to the industry was its partial destruction so to speak. Forced change. Change can be painful, but it is often good and necessary. I do feel sorry for the 50% or so I’ve read lost their livelihoods as a result of this evolution as that is really sad. Otherwise, it opened the gates. If you or your songs are amazing, I think the cream will rise to the top faster than with previous label and industry controls in place. That previous industry was the industry I had aimed for, and its devastation completely annihilated all of my music plans at the time. As a result I’ve tried my own experiments and adapted. I now have my own label Amber Coast Records.  The lowering of recording costs has made everyone able to have a home studio. This competition has brought down some professional recording prices, though I would argue if you want to do it right unless ALL your friends are musicians, engineers and producers, it will still cost you good time and money.  I believe the only reason I get more and more people listening is that this project is all about trying to write great, truly from the heart songs and putting the time into them while being true to the song and keeping the quality high as possible. If it is not something that represents the sound and vision, it disappears. It happens.  

Along the lines of this discussion, it would be really interesting to get your thoughts on what you think the future of ‘music enjoyment’ will look like in the coming years?  How do you personally enjoy and ‘consume’ music?  Any trends you’ve noticed with your own habits compared to, say, 10 years ago?

STORMY: People have no attention spans today since 10 and especially 20 years ago. That’s fine because mine has diminished as well lol. You have 7 seconds to catch a new listener (from the book FutureHit DNA) and I think its true. Over time this was longer, but this is a current average I think. Will it go down? Probably before it goes up. As humans we are under massive amounts of technological and daily life stimulation. I think it’s hard for the average person to just listen to music. They are driving, texting, listening (and hopefully not all three at once) and doing all kinds of things with often many responsibilities in a world that is draining their time like a vampire. We become filters of tons of incoming data at all times. I think the enjoyment will increase with new mediums. Dynamic music in games is a good example. Making music to go with what you experience as YOU make it happen. Its not passive, its active. You attack the monster and the music changes… you start losing the battle again it changes… you run away… etc. Some combination, it then enters another state.  Some songs work well with multiple tempos and sounds, probably applications there from the same artist. YouTube is the current elephant in the room of where it’s headed. Most people seem to need visuals with music, whatever it happens to be. I personally have less time to just listen to music, I’m always listening in unison with all my life experiences. For example, right now Katy Perry happens to be in the background, I’m not playing it, but my daughter is and she has good writers. I mean its cool to just lay on the beach and listen, but this change may not be a bad thing. However as a result of all of our demands, the relaxation on beach and listening experience becomes all the sweeter when it happens!

Stormy Strong

We would love to hear what your plans on with your next project – Are you going to a full CD, an EP or just release songs as you finish them?  Release them digital only or combine physical with the digital or what?

STORMY: We released our new EP recently “Take Her Down” and there are a number of amazing musicians involved. Its available online everywhere digitally. iTunes. Pandora, Spotify, CDBaby, Rdio, Beats, CDBaby and on and on. Also it is for sale on Amazon in physical and soon from our own store. So right now it is either/or physical/digital. Most physical sales have been at live shows. I want to take a moment to thank my amazing musicians, Doug Polhamius, Tai Ma, Dave O’Neal and Ruben Castillo, my attorney Jon Duman, my producer for the new record Chris “Von Pimpenstein” Carter and my amazing manager Barb Rocks. It is key to have people around you that inspire you.

What are you finding that is working well for your music right now that others may find interesting to hear about?

STORMY: Putting my best foot forward with the best musicians I can find. It’s a total team effort and my team is quite a salty talented retinue. They get what I am trying to do and are helping take it there. The plan is… best songs possible, my plan is kind of that simple that way.

Okay – time for some light humor!  Spinal Tap Moment: dig deep. Locate. Relive. Share that special ‘trauma’ with all of us!

STORMY: Blink 182 traumatized me backstage at a show we opened for them in Vegas in 98 or 99. At the time it was shocking, it later became par for the course.

Is there a particular musician(s) you’d love to collaborate with – and why?

STORMY: Black Francis of the Pixies. Probably because I know he has commented in an interview on disliking writing lyrics (or that it’s the hardest work). I think that is one of my greatest strengths and comes naturally for me. I think we could write some great songs collaborating.

Amanda Palmer. I love a lot of her work and that she does what she wants defying how things work now in many ways in music to great success. Above all musicians I think she would get what I am doing. Such belief I have in her, I started long ago the process of working with her…to be continued.

Ben Gibbard. Not sure why, it just makes sense somehow.

Advance apologies: the so-called ‘classic’ questions.   What other artists and bands have influenced your music and any particular reason why? Also, push come to shove: “Your Top 5 Albums Of All Time”?  (Pop Geeks really are interested in this, trust us!)

1. Weezer (Blue Album)

2. Nirvana (Nevermind)

3. Pixies (Surfer Rosa)

4. Jimmy Eat World (Clarity)

5. The Killers (Hot Fuss)

I missed one or two but fire and forget!

Elvis, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Frank Black. Del Shannon and way too many to name here.

Social Distortion to Queens of the Stone Age. Again too many to name.

We’re always trying to find new music discover here at PGH – what are some of your favorite music releases of the last few years?

STORMY: The new Pixies EPs are pretty cool, they are up to number 3. I’ll admit I like some of the new Lorde songs, though I’m not into the sound, the songs are great. You want to see a pop punk band where you actually get your moneys worth? Check out Pounders (from San Jose) live! Its rare you find a band close to home (esp. as a musician) that embodies what is missing in so much of music and bands out there. We’ve played some shows with them and they work hard. To me that is inspirational, and that’s what this is all about… finding inspiration.

Yes, it would be great if most indie musicians could work on music full-time but the reality rarely the case for most of them.  I am always asked by music fans, what are the careers or full-time jobs that the musicians of the music they are listening to do…so ‘what’s your main gig?!’

STORMY: I work in the tech industry (to be vague), which I must say if you have a day job is pretty amazing. I’ve met awesome brilliant people over the years that think differently than me and I like the perspective. As a bonus technology changes fast… and I like change. Music is all about change! I would say if you cannot vibe with change neither music nor technology are a good fit for you. For me it reminds me I must evolve or perish and I mean that multiple ways. Being forced to constantly learn is awesome! It’s a journey much like music….the journeys are the reward! No other guarantees…I’m ecstatically satisfied with that. There was a time I was not.  

Okay, last question:  Where can we hear more of your music and any other releases you have?

STORMY: You can hear all the tracks right here: https://stormystrong.bandpage.com/

Thank you so much to Pop Geek Heaven for the interview!

Stormy and the Crew

 Stormy Strong

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