While
some musicians try to avoid contact with their fans outside of the shows,
others seek it.
Oh, Hush!, a pop punk band from the
United States, is the perfect example of
a band who puts their fans first. In fact, its all about the fans for them!
Through their Myspace page, they let fans
create the merchandising and even the artwork for their debut album The Yellow
Album .
Oh,
Hush! members answer fan submitted questions and comments and even take the time
to do an interview with me
The
weirdest thing about them however, is that though theyve been around since
early 2006 and they have released an album, nobody outside of the band knows
who the band members are!
I
hope youll enjoy this exclusive interview with Oh, Hush!. If you want more
information, talk to the band and/or pick up their album, go to www.myspace.com/ohhushmusic.
Joke:
Who are you and what instrument do you play in Oh, Hush! ? Oh, Hush!: Off course I don't expect
you to tell me your name, but tell me a little about you. Maybe one of your
nicknames?
I am a man of many nicknames: the
Master of Disaster... the Lean Mean Fighting Machine.... Justin Timberlake the
Second... and sometimes just Mr. Awesome!! I generally do a lot of the
songwriting, singing, playing and programming for Oh, Hush! Though whenever I
can, I have someone else do most of those things instead of me, because they
are more talented!
Joke: How did the 'members' of Oh, Hush!
meet?
Oh,
Hush!: In the summer of 2007 a few of us got
together and decided we wanted to do something a little bit different from what
we were already doing in our other bands. We didn't really have much of a plan
but just wanted to make some great music and have fun doing it! And a new
project would allow us to move into musical directions not really explored in
our other projects.
Joke:
A lot of people thought your real names would be stated somewhere on the album.
Why did you decide not to do this?
Oh,
Hush!: Did people think that? Either way, it never really crossed our
minds! This project, from the very beginning, has been focused on two things:
1) the MUSIC and 2) the FANS!! The fans really drive everything about this band.
Not only are they the lifeblood and support of the project, but they are also
our artists, our t-shirt designers, our album cover designers, our promoters,
and most importantly our friends. To us, it was obvious and a natural decision
to put the pictures of all of our FANS inside the album cover instead of
pictures of ourselves. This isn't about us... it's about the fans and the
music!
Joke:
Do you like playing shows? Do you like it when people sing along?
Oh,
Hush!: Well Oh, Hush! has never played a show but I assume you're talking
about our other bands. I love playing shows! There's something really
electric and a lot of fun about rocking out in front of a few hundred ora
few thousand people who all know your songs! There's a great commonality in
getting that many people together, rocking out, having the time of their lives!
The best experience is playing a song that you wrote that everyone in the room
knows, loves and is singing their heart out to! There's really nothing cooler
than that!
Joke:
Do you often go to shows? Where do you enjoy standing most (front/back/mosh
pit...)? Do you sing along?
Oh,
Hush!: Since I'm usually spending a lot of time playing shows myself or
working in the studio, I don't get a ton of time to get out to see shows... but
I do love going out to see shows! I've seen a bunch of shows the past few
months and realized
how much I missed getting out to see bands play! I usually hang out in the back
somewhere and just enjoy the show! Every once in a grand while, if Im feeling kind
of sassy Ill go up and bodysurf or something! Usually only if it's a friends
band though!
Joke:
What did/does your family think of your career choice? Do you or the other
members have another job besides Oh, Hush!?
Oh,
Hush!: Mama Hush always asks me when I'm going to get a real job!? My
family all thinks I'm kind of a weirdo and can't understand why I would choose
to try to make a living making music! They understand how hard it is to be
successful as a musician. But I think at the core they all support what I do.
They make fun of me once in a while.. but that's because I think they're
jealous that I'm the only one in the family who had the guts to step out and do
what I really LOVE for my career!
All of us have other bands and projects we
play in and are a part of..... Oh, Hush! is technically a "side
project" but it becomes more and more of a MAIN project for us every
single day!
Joke:
Are you happy with what you have achieved as a band?
Oh, Hush!: I
think it really depends on how you define "success." Most people
define "success" as dollars in their pocket. If something makes
money, it's successful, if it doesn't then it's not. We're certainly not
getting rich over here with the Oh, Hush! project in fact, that's never even
really been a priority for the band. But all that said, I think we've been
successful all the same. I think the real success is showing people that
a band CAN exist and CAN be "successful" without playing the
game. Without having to do what every other band does in the industry.
Without following all of the rules that music has created the past 30
years. In the image-is-everything world we live in, here we are, a band
without an image, a band without band members, a band with some great songs, a
very interactive approach on the internet, a very unique approach to marketing
and a priority of putting the MUSIC and the FANS first, and people are
connecting with it. I think people see us as a breath of fresh air, and proof
that you don't have to play the game to succeed. And people can grab onto that
and want to be a part of what's going on with Oh, Hush!
All that to say, I think if the music sucked, no
one would care about anything else we're doing. So I think the music
really is the foundation of what's going on over here and I think every one of
our fans would tell you that the music comes first, and the music is pretty
great!
Joke:
What inspired you to become a musician? Who are your influences?
Oh,
Hush!: Lots!All of us are not only musicians
but really, really big fans of good music! We all listen to a lot of
everything. Some of my personal biggest influences are all things Butch Walker
(solo stuff, Marvelous 3, Southgang, 1969, etc.); Keith Urban is pretty
much the best entertainer in music today! I realize he's "country
music" but again, this isn't about genres, it's about good music - and
that he is! I know it's cliché to talk about Fall Out Boy being an influence,
but those guys are really fantastic songwriters and just a killer rock band!
Cobra Starship's first record was groundbreaking and fantastico! Justin Timberlake is probably the best pop artist in
the past 20 years! I'm also starting to get into really cool bands like Bloc
Party and The Ting Tings from the UK.
Lately I'm heavily into the new Academy Is
record. Katy Perry's record is a pop masterpiece!! Tokio Hotel has something
really cool happening! I can't wait for the new Killers record. I'm also
heavily into a lot of the Radio Disney stuff . Not sure why but the songs are
usually a lot of fun!
Joke:
What question should I've asked you and what is you answer?
Oh, Hush!: You
should have asked me how it felt to land that role in Star Wars and what it was
like working with Harrison Ford! The answer is "I got lucky and he's
amazing!"
Joke: This is the last one: is there anything you'd
like to say to aspiring musicians?
Oh, Hush!: I
would probably try to talk them out of it at first, tell them to become a
doctor or a lawyer or accountant because those professions pay a lot more
money! And if I couldn't talk them out of it, then I would know they were
serious about music and that's really a lot of what it takes to "make
it" as a musician. Talent is a given.. you have to have some talent. But
if you have the DRIVE to succeed, anything is possible! There's a lot of people
who will be out there trying to tear you down along the way, be it parents,
friends, teachers, other bands, etc. But you don't need anyone else's
permission to pursue your dreams so don't ask, just do it!
If you want to write a comment about this, click 'Reageer(..)' just below this blog on the right.
If you want to copy (a part of) this interview, please cite this site as your source! Thanks!
I love playing shows! There's something really
electric and a lot of fun about rocking out in front of a few hundred ora
few thousand people who all know your songs! There's a great commonality in
getting that many people together, rocking out, having the time of their lives!
The best experience is playing a song that you wrote that everyone in the room
knows, loves and is singing their heart out to! There's really nothing cooler
than that!
