Karman Line

Interview with Greg Brown (Vocals with Karman Line) and Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)

PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?

GB: Eager, hungry and hopeful, in a few words.

PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.

GB: We started making music together in 2020. We’d all been friends for a while and actually come from a few different bands in the local rock scene, which isn’t very big in the UAE as you can probably imagine. Though none of us are actually from here, we’ve all been in the Middle East for quite some time now.

PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?

GB: I don’t want to answer on behalf of the whole band but, if I had to, I’d say our music is very inspired by the day-to-day. Everyday struggles, thoughts and musings through to recounting real events. There is no singular focus and I think that’s what makes the writing process that much more exciting.

PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?

GB: Well, we aspire to achieve what any emerging rock band aspires to achieve. We want to play our music all over the world and do what we love for people who love what we do, and get paid for it.

PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?

GB: Finishing our debut album ‘Like a Machine’. It’s coming out in this May. That’ll be our next proudest moment, after this interview of course.

PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new artists emerging from bedrooms in the day of the home studio. How is that going?

GB: It’s going pretty well, I’d say. It’s true that everyone’s got a home studio on their laptops these days and it’s amazing how far some people have been able to take it. If you’re able to do it, and you’re good at it, why not? It’ll save you a decent amount of beer money at the end of the day.

PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?

GB: The biggest one we’ve got coming up is the launch gig for our album, that’ll happen here in Dubai. Further than that, we’re hoping to take our album on the road pretty soon with a couple of international shows in mind. We’ve been promoting all our news on our page @Karmanlinetheband, so give us a follow and stay tuned!

PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?

GB: It’s an absolute robbery. But what else have we got, really? Who’s actually willing to buy music these days? If you’re a struggling musician surviving on people purchasing your music then it can really suck. Otherwise, it’s a means to grow your fanbase to make money through gigs.

PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?

GB: Again, it’s difficult to answer on behalf of the band but, personally, it’s Barracuda by Heart, because who doesn’t wish they wrote that song?

PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?

GB: There needs to be a bigger focus on territories outside Europe and the US. There are so many incredible bands from the Middle East and Asia that don’t get the recognition they deserve. Rock as a genre is so diverse and widespread and some of the talent on this side of the world is absolutely mind-blowing.

PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?

GB: Right now, we’re gearing up for the launch of our album. We just finished shooting the music video for our first release, ‘King of the Day’ and are already planning a second shoot for the next release. We’re focusing on putting the record out and doing everything we can to push it.

PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?

GB: You can follow us on our instagram @karmanlinetheband. We put all of our updates up there, including news on releases and new merch.

PD. What music have you available online and where can we buy it from?

GB: So the first track from our record will be live across all major streaming platforms from March 3rd. We’ll be releasing a few tracks in the lead-up to the album launch so, if you’re reading this, go check out our track ‘King of the Day’ and tell us what you think!