Tilted Shadows Interview
Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD. What type of artist are you?
TS. Tilted Shadows is a Rock / Alt. Rock band with a grungy sound from Pittsburgh, PA
PD. Tell us the brief history of yourself.
TS. We all knew each other from being in other bands in the area and decided to get together and work on some songs I had written in early 2015. It was kind of funny because we weren’t sure if we were going to make a go of being a band, or just get the songs recorded as kind of a solo thing 
for me. We were so pleased with the album when “Nothing Ventured” came out that we then decided we had to start playing some gigs and putting it out there, and the rest is history – we’ve been gigging and working on songs for a second album ever since.
PD. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
TS. Each guy in the band has a little different taste in music which keeps things interesting. We have a variety of influences ranging from classics like Hendrix and Black Sabbath to grunge and post grunge such as Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Collective Soul to current acts including Volbeat and Highly Suspect. As far as non-musical influences, I think every guy in the band can safely say that we’ve been influenced by various family members and their support for us.
I think every guy in the band can safely say that we’ve been influenced by various family members and their support for us.
PD. What are your dreams and goals?
TS. In the short term, we want to get back in the studio and get another album recorded, hopefully by the end of the year. The long term dream and goal? For me, ever since I was a kid my dream has been to be able to tour and play my music while seeing and experiencing all the new places I possibly can, and it’s still my dream. There’s so much of the U.S. and Europe I would absolutely love to see.
PD. Who writes your songs, what are they about?
TS. I’ve written all the songs so far, along with the arrangements, melodies, and rhythm guitar parts, with the exception of one of our new songs that I wrote the lyrics for and our lead player Joey Conner wrote the guitar part for. The guys have pretty much free reign over their individual parts though because it lets the creative process do its thing that way. We all like and trust what one another does. Usually I’ll write a song, send and MP3 out to the guys, and tell them to knock themselves out and we’ll get together sometime after and see what we’ve come up with. I typically write about my own life experiences, inner thoughts, or even observations of social or political conditions and events.
We all like and trust what one another does. Usually I’ll write a song, send and MP3 out to the guys, and tell them to knock themselves out
PD. How do you promote your band and shows?
TS. For us right now, social media and our website are the two main (and most effective) tools for promoting both the band and our shows. Facebook, Twitter, and ReverbNation are probably the ones we use most.
PD. What do you think about downloading music online?
TS. Well, I think regardless of whether one likes it or not, it’s the reality of the music industry 
today. So we might as well try to make the most of it. Would we like to be getting paid for each download? Sure, absolutely. But at the very least, if someone finds a way to download it for free then our music is still being heard, and hopefully enjoyed. Who knows? Maybe down the road that listener becomes a paying customer – maybe they buy a shirt or concert ticket or something, and maybe they turn their friends on to our music as well…
PD. What’s your outlook on the record industry today?
TS. The record industry today? Tricky. It’s a tricky thing for indie bands to navigate and really try to build themselves up and get noticed. We’re still working on it ourselves. It’s always changing, evolving, always some new digital platform or networking opportunity to explore.
PD. What’s your claim to fame?
TS. As a band, our claim to fame is being pretty much the only band around that put an album out before ever playing a gig together! Lol
As a band, our claim to fame is being pretty much the only band around that put an album out before ever playing a gig together! Lol
PD. What are some of your pet peeves?
TS. Oh boy, I’ve got lots of those! I’d say some of the biggest are judgemental, critical people that don’t actually know anything about creating art and music, slow drivers, and people that think your band should play for free when they’re making out on it… I could keep going on this one…
PD. What are the biggest obstacles for artists?
TS. Predatory entities of all kinds are the biggest obstacles that I see. There are so many websites, agents, promotion companies, etc. out there that are more than happy to take your 
money while not really delivering any real value for your band. Lots of promises, but not much in the way of results.
PD. Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.
TS. As of this date, our next show is August 4th near Saltsburg PA at a great, weekend long, outdoor annual music event called Rock For Life. Not only is it a great time to hang out and camp and enjoy live music all weekend, but the reason they call it Rock For Life is that the organizers use the proceeds to help a sick child or children in need of medical care for a variety of life threatening conditions. So it’s a win / win for sure!
The following show is August 12th at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, which is kind of a classic, local favorite music venue in Pittsburgh. It’s known for the intimate setting, great sound, and wonderful Polish and American food. Unfortunately, after many years of being a family business, this awesome venue is set to close later this year. You’ve got to catch our show there while you still can!
Tilted Shadows links
Band location – Pennsylvania
Check out our page for Tilted Shadows
Find more info about Tilted Shadows on their Website
Learn more about Tilted Shadows on their Facebook page
Watch the latest Tilted Shadows videos on their You Tube channel
Find info and links for Tilted Shadows on their Reverbnation page
Follow Tilted Shadows on their Twitter page
Listen to Tilted Shadows music on Napster
Buy Tilted Shadows music on their Itunes page
Listen to Tilted Shadows music on their Spotify page
Buy Tilted Shadows music on Amazon
See more about Tilted Shadows on Google Play
Discover more about Tilted Shadows at CD BABY
