 "Photo: Photo courtesy of LEFTHANDOUT")
The featured Myspace band for this week is a group of four guys that call themselves LEFTHANDOUT. The four of them are all local boys from Owings Mills and Reisterstown, Maryland. Their roster consists of Justin Smith, 18, drums; Tyler Principe, 18, vocals and bass; Alec Galler, 18, guitar; and Lee Hallett, 17, guitar and vocals. Tyler, Alec and Justin all go to Towson University, and Lee is still at home, about 20 minutes away. When I contacted them, I asked them a few questions, and they replied back, interview style. Meghan Hole: How did you come up with the band name? Is anyone a leftie? LEFTHANDOUT: That's a tough question to answer. We honestly didn't think about it too much at the time, as to why we picked that name. It's been too long, nobody really remembers, but [Justin] truly [is] left-handed. MH: How long have you been a band? LHO: We've been a band for four years, with the recent addition of guitarist Lee Hallett. MH: Do you play a lot of shows? LHO: As for shows, we try to play as many as we possibly can one or twice a month, but we are in the process of booking a few. Now that we are going to school in Towson, we will play more around the area. We are in talks right now with some really exciting shows, so keep watch! MH: Do you have any CDs or EPs out?
LHO: We do have an EP we just recently released, it has five tracks on it. We sell it at our shows or online. MH: Describe the favorite show that you guys have played. LHO: Our favorite show would probably be either when we played Sonar or at the Recher Theatre; we like the intimacy of those venues. The audience is up close, and we can really get into it.
MH: Who are your favorite bands? Do they have any impact on your music?
LHO: Our influences range from Steel Train and House Of Fools to My Morning Jacket and Smashing Pumpkins. Our songs are original and different, but their styles definitely shine through.
MH: Who comes up with the songs? (Lyrics, melodies, etc.)
LHO: Songwriting usually starts when one of us has an idea for a riff or melody, then we all feed off each other, creating our own parts; [then] they form into a song. Lyrics can come in anywhere in the process. It's never straightforward with us. MH: What do you do to get inspiration?
LHO: Inspiration usually comes from past experiences whether it be events or relationships (of course), [or] other things we may have seen.
MH: Who are your biggest supporters?
LHO: Our biggest support definitely comes from our best friends. They come to every show and help out with equipment, the merch booth and all. Our parents have also helped us our greatly over the years. We have a great group of supporters (friends/fans) who come whenever they can. Every show is so great because it's basically another night with everyone hanging out.
MH: Do you hope to be really famous at some point?
LHO: We just want everyone to hear our music [and] to relate to it and have a good time. We'd love to be able to make a living off of it, but we don't need status. We don't believe there is such thing as selling out nowadays. We are working independently right now.
MH: Anything you want to add?
LHO: One more thing. Our live shows are energetic and intense, definitely worth coming out to. Our merch booth is also sort of a staple of our live shows--it's where everyone gathers and talks before/after our set. We have a big blow-up palm tree and lights... yeah, it's a little over the top. And one more update: we have a big show at the Ottobar. We're opening for one of our favorite bands, Steel Train, Sunday, October 19. They may be a little over the top, but they're definitely worth checking out! Go to http://www.myspace.com/lefthandout or http://www.purevolume.com/lefthandout to get a feel for their music!
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