Star Off Machine
Congratulations to indie rock band Star Off Machine for winning our ReverbNation contest! We selected them because we love their unique sound and their song Inside Out. Band members include Erick on vocals, Robin on guitar, John on bass and Tut on drums. For those just discovering Star Off Machine and want to know more about their music, Erick describes it as: “Melodic rock. It’s got roots in rock-and-rock with a tinge of metal.”
Robin, Eric and Tut grew up together in the Midwest and all three moved to Southern California for different reasons and projects. Robin and Tut formed a band and they needed a singer, so they contacted Erick. They produced their first album Burn This and they’ve been playing together ever since.
John was born and raised in Orange County, California. He is new to the band; he answered their post on Craigslist. As Robin explains, “John was the first one to come in. He knew everything. It was the perfect fit.”
Robin’s father played in bands his entire life. He’s actually named after Robin Trower. “My dad came home from work one day and bought me a harmonica, which I immediately picked up and started playing. I got really good at it really fast and started winning competitions, but I never really liked the harmonica. I started playing guitar when I was 14 and took lessons right away. I started sculpting my own sound from influences like Slash and various other musicians.
John’s father was also a musician, and he started playing guitar as a pre-teen. “I was raised in music stores and pawn shops. I started seriously playing bass and guitar when I was about 14. I listened to a lot of The Beatles, Metallica, Pantera and some heavier stuff. I started joining bands playing bass. In my twenties, I started to develop my own creativity with it, and I started writing songs in a home studio setting.”
Tut’s older brother was a drummer in elementary school. “Being the snotty little brother, I started playing on his stuff. I tried out for school band and they tagged me as a trombone player. I think my dad talked to somebody, and magically, one day I ended up playing drums. Ever since, I’ve been in school bands, drum corps and jazz bands throughout junior high and high school. From there, I linked up with some established guys and went out on the road.”
Erick’s mother was a singer. “She had me singing when I was really, really young. My uncle played in rock bands, and he was my super hero. I decided that I wanted to play everything that he did. In first grade, I was listening to Black Sabbath and all these classic rock bands. I just wanted to sound like Ozzy Osbourne. I started my first band at 11. It sucked, but I just kept at it. I found Jeff Buckley when I was in high school, and he changed my voice a lot. I’ve been a singer all my life.”
The Star Off Machine videos are amazing. Robin is fascinated by cinematography, so the band does produce some of their own videos, but they also get help from fans and pros, like David Hendrick from Pandamonium Productions and Darrin Smith from Visionary Motion Pictures.
On the social media side, John has been doing a lot of promoting on Facebook: “I’ve found that there are hundreds of groups, and you have to find the relevant groups that apply to your style of music or instrument. You want to share your music with them. It’s really easy. Post if you have a show coming up or a music video or song. You get people interested who already like the style of music that you’re into. I post to 75-100 groups every few days. Get out there and share everything that you have.”
Robin adds, “We’ve really embraced social media. That’s where everybody is. It’s free. It’s powerful. We have a lot of people not only here in the States, but overseas too that do a lot of promoting for us. They are constantly pushing us and helping us out.”
Robin also has additional advice for other recording artists, “Most everything is DIY, which means you’ve got to get out there. You need to be promoting everything all the time; always be working and interacting with every fan that reaches out to you. Ask them to share and spread the love and the music. Don’t be afraid to produce your own music videos. People love it. Just be out there and be relevant on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, which is huge.”
So, go out there and start connecting now!
If you will be in the Los Angeles area in early August, go see Star Off Machine play live Downtown Disney on August 2.
Watch the complete video interview on the Amused Now YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/c94Dei38TCA
Amused Now ReverbNation Contest Winners
Star Off Machine
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Cynthia Kahn, Founder of Amused Now
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