Sons Of Alamo is a 4 piece Indie- Pop Rock band located at New South Wales Central Coast/ Sydney area. In one year, the band have recorded 3 singles, an EP and an Album, working closely withCaravan Records & Tommirock Records (in which they received a publishing deal on their single ‘Insomnia’. 2010 saw the band win the 1st place in the Central Coast Battle Of The Bands. Most recently, the boys have released their new music video on youtube.
Who are Sons of Alamo?
The band includes brothers Jordan and Rohan Fleming, Bryce Gleeson and Will Hunt. Jordan, the main songwriter and frontman of the band is a 20 year old film student at Sydney’s SAE. Rohan (bass), Bryce (Lead Guit) and Will (Drums) are all 18 years of age and are currently studying their HSC at Central Coast Grammar School 2 hours north of Sydney.
How long have you been playing together as a band, and what brought you together in the first place?
We have only been playing together for a year and a few months. But in that time we have achieved so much! Including the release of our music on iTunes, a publishing deal, winning Central Coast’s Battle Of The Bands and all round becoming tighter and more complex as a band.
The band started accidentally when Jordan wanted to see what his music could sound like with a band backing it. We rocked up to Newcastle for a few days and recorded an 8 track EP with Tommirock Records and started to think “Whoa this stuff’s sounding pretty good dudes”.
What inspired the name?
Like most musicians with screwed up sleeping patterns, Jordan (Singer) found the name in a mixture of sleep and lack there of. A song off the first EP was written “The Rising Sons”, and this, along with what most likely was Jordan sub consciously seeing a show on television “The Battle Of The Alamo” created a dream which ultimately combined the two!
Who are some of your favourite artists or bands?
When we think of some of the artists that inspired us to get going, we think ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Kooks and The Killers. The catchy melodies and subtle complexity of these bands really opened something up in us as a band.
Do they inspire your music or your lyrics?
I think everything inspires our music sub consciously. Like Keith Richards from The Rolling Stone says, no music is the artists original idea, we are always borrowing simple without knowing it. The lyrics Jordan writes are often stories. I think the lyrics write themselves when the music is already at the right point.
So you’ve entered the International Music Video Competition run by FAIR PLAY Anti-Corruption Youth Voices. Its great that you’re now being featured on an international level- how do you think this will affect the band’s career path generally?
We are extremely happy to be featured in this year Anti-Corruption Youth Voices competition. We didn’t enter to be ‘noticed’ so to speak but we are currently just riding the wave. Whatever comes of it will come, and we will be glad to take it. Or borrow it. No other band has ever entered the competition so we entered as soon as we could! I mean, nobody representing Australia? Get out there and play your stuff man!
What has been your favourite gig?
Our favourite gig so far was playing Sydney’s Metro Theatre in 2010. It was nuts! Our music bounced off the walls so powerfully and we knew we had everybody right where we wanted them. It was one of those moments where other bands come out and watch you and you know you are doing something right.
Got any pre-gig rituals?
Pre-gig rituals for us are more than likely food-based. Say we have a gig at a club in Kings Cross, we rock up early and wander the streets for something to up the spirit. Will (Drums) would often say “Wheres the gig?” and Bryce (Lead Guit) would reply, “More importantly, what the hell is for dinner?”.
What would be your ideal gig? Who would you play with and where would it be?
We’re aiming high but one stepping stone we’d really like to cross would be Australia’s Big Day Out. Playing a Big Day Out gig with fellow Australian/ international bands would blow our minds. Imagine the feeling of looking out and getting the music out. It would be more powerful than anything we can imagine – music wise.
What do you think the most important issue facing artists in NSW is today?
Support for live rock n roll is becoming a issue in NSW today. People are starting to get lazy. Electronic music is slowly taking over and because of this, venues are slowly transforming, losing their long haired sound dudes and stages. We have the to keep the Indie rocker’s out there and get people to come back to making out to catchy riffs and and real drums. Instead of dancing like robots to never ending drum patterns and auto-tune.
What about the Central Coast?
The Central Coast is getting a lot better at getting live music out there. More so for younger bands. Over the years places like The Hub and The Metrodome on the Central Coast have supported live music and encouraged people to get off the couch and have a dance to real people on stage. We are very happy with how scene is developing up here.
If you weren’t a musician, what do you reckon you’d be doing?
If we weren’t musician’s we’d most likely be clinging to Rohan (Bass) in the band. He is a genius at Business, economics, maths etc and would mostly like be successful if he wanted to be, on his own. We would be coming to him like the Godfather perhaps, with our spare time.
Any advice to young, up and coming bands?
The only advice we can give is to stick to your guns. Don’t act or be a band that you want to be or that people want you to be. Take advice from people in the music industry but always have final say over what you do. And most of all- play music because you love it. Not because you want fame or fortune.
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