Smashing Satellites Interview with Salvatore Costa lead singer for the Canadian Alternative-Pop group.
Smashing Satellites Interview
– What’s new in the world of Smashing Satellites?
Smashing Satellites – We’re gearing up to release our full length record SonicAluzion on June 16th. It’s pretty exciting. You know, it’s really been a work in progress and I’m finally ready for the world to hear it. We’re also getting ready to release a single this summer, which I am particularly excited for.
– How was it recording your debut album SonicAluzion?
It was pretty amazing. I was living in California working with Bob Marlette and Dave Bassett and with no recording deadline. I really had the chance to sit back, create, play and write without any fear of time cutting my creativity off. I feel as though I really got to execute my ideas fully. When you listen to this record it doesn’t sound rushed, and it just wasn’t. It’s very ME to say the least.
-When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time? What’s the shortest time you ever took to write one?
You can spend too little or too much time on a song. It’s all about intuition and mindfulness. Your heart and your gut will tell you when to stop or when to continue. It’s very important to follow the path and direction of feel. Sometimes I get this rattling feeling in my bones… almost like an anxiety… an excitement, and it’s usually my first sign to continue. When my body and mind feel at rest, I just know that it’s done, and at that point I surrender.
-What was your strangest inspiration behind the album?
Experience. There is a very beautiful saying which comments on humanity… “As life progresses we move from innocence to experience.” This was very much my inspiration and theme for the record. I was 21 years old when I had my first shot in the music business playing in a band that reached Platinum status in America and Canada. We toured for over three years pretty much straight supporting our success. In that time I experienced the most amazing moments in my life, the scariest, and the most uncomfortable. I also met the music industry for the first time whom seduced me, propelled me, and raped me. I met so many beautiful and terrifying people along this journey and most of this record is a commentary on that. Making this record was therapy for me and I hope it will be for others too.
-Vinyl is making a comeback. Do you have a personal preference? Is your band producing on vinyl?
Hands down my preference is vinyl. I have a beautiful vintage record player and system at my home and I try to listen to everything I can on that. It’s just perfect. As a matter of fact, we have officially only released our music via iTunes and vinyl. It’s something I’m very passionate about as vinyl truly gives you an experience as a listener. I made this record to sound great on vinyl. That was a big goal for me.
– How many shows do you play per year on average, and how crazy does the schedule get?
It really depends. We’re at the phase where we’re still introducing people to the band so we have mostly been doing short tour stints and showcases. This is part of the reason why I am excited to release the record, as part of release promo will involve playing lots and lots of shows. Live shows are where I get to bring this music to life. It’s a beautiful thing.
– Could you describe some of your earliest influences in life and in music?
I come from a pretty eclectic family and with it came an eclectic playlist. I grew up listening to the likes of The Bee Gees, Placebo, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, The Eagles, Prince, Bob Marley, Elvis and so many of the greats. I just had such a great breeding ground to be a musician as I was always surrounded by it in different shapes and forms. My mom was a poet and taught me the importance of words, my eldest sister was a classical pianist… my middle sister was a 90’s skid and showed me the dark side of music… It was just a beautiful time for me.
Rick DeJesus Interview (Adelitas Way)
Pop Evil Interview Leigh Kakaty
– How important is it for a musician in this generation to spend time on social media?
It is pretty important as 90% of everything you do or will do is online. You can play a show and it will be on YouTube before you leave the concert venue. Unfortunately, we live in a digital world so it can be hard existing as an analog person or artist. However, I must say that I do think there is a very human way to manage your social media. Fans know when it’s the artist speaking and when it’s a machine. It’s important to stay human for the humans.
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
Barbra Streisand’s ‘Guilty’ LP produced by Barry Gibb. Truly one of my favourite albums of all time. It is a masterpiece.
– How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
My manager George Cappellini Sr worked with a little band called Guns N’ Roses who were signed to Geffen Records and couldn’t get a shot at radio and they were on the brink of extinction until David Geffen called in a favor and asked MTV to play ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ just one time in the middle of the night. That video had so many people call in at once that the switchboard literally caught on fire. They went on to become one of the biggest bands in history. They straddled that line of fame and failure and it was MTV that saved their life. In the middle of the night there was STILL enough people tuning in to MTV to watch music videos to make a difference. That would never happen in this day. Today, people have too much to look at ALL the time that videos aren’t as special. Mainstream television also doesn’t play them so the only time you can see them is online… so the excitement of waiting for it to appear on your television is gone. You can just watch it whenever you want and while you watch get assaulted and distracted by an onslaught of penis enlargement and Exxon advertisements. It’s just not the same as it was. But hey, embrace what is in front of you and turn it into gold. There is a positive to every negative and you just have to aim for greatness at all times.
Check out Smashing Satellites on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SmashingSatellites