Muen Magazine

BLACKLIGHT REVELATION

Los Angeles

www.myspace.com/blacklightrevelation

www.facebook.com/blrband

By: Macavity

Blacklight Revelation is a relatively young band having formed just a couple of years ago. They certainly are making a name for themselves by working really hard playing as many shows as possible and putting out their second great EP earlier this month. We had the chance to speak to them about the band and what is on the horizon.

MUEN: Hey guys thanks for sitting down and talking to us about Blacklight Revelation.

BLR: Thank you; we’re honored to be a part of MUEN.

MUEN: You have been together since late 2008 and I noticed there is a new face in the band. How did that come about and how is your sound different?

MARCUS: Yeah, we’ve actually had several different members since the beginning that never really quite fit in. Now with Ian in the band we’re much more cohesive and the overall sound has matured.

LONNY: I met Ian at a local bar a few days after we let our prior bassist go. We weren’t really sure what to do or what direction we were moving in…then enters Ian and the three of us really hit it off.

MUEN: What bands have you been in that have inspired you to put together the BLR sound?

MARCUS: The idea of BLR really came out of the remnants of my last band, “Mercy for Mary”. Soon after Mercy for Mary came to a halt, I called up my brother, Lonny, and asked him if he wanted to throw a jam and we both instinctively knew we were onto something good.

LONNY: We took some of the songs Marcus wrote for his last project and kind of revamped them. The band I was in before, “Distilled Spirits,” was a huge influence on my drumming style. So the harder edge style of drums coupled with the unique writing style Marcus started with led to the “Blacklight” sound. Then Ian came in with a six string bass and just took it to the level we’re at today.

IAN: I was most recently playing with Avidity, whose sound was nothing like Blacklight. I just wanted to put my style down and see where it went.

MARCUS: We truly have three unique styles and outlooks to music, and I think that’s what makes BLR interesting.

MUEN: The three of you put out some big sounds that are great. Do you feel this lineup and your individual influences help with what you write?

LONNY: I think this is the best lineup the band has had and that the three of us are the core of the band and always will be no matter what lies ahead for BLR.

IAN: Absolutely! The three of us have such huge differences musically that it all comes together in a way we never thought possible. Lonny has the harder edge, Marcus has the rock/indie thing, and I come from more of a jazz/classical side.

MARCUS: For a three piece, we’re really striving to maintain our integrity-musically speaking-as well as have that huge “wall of sound”. I think we’re getting to the point of achieving that and each of our influences directly affects what comes out in the final product.

MUEN: Are you still looking to fill a rhythm guitar player to complete the lineup?

MARCUS: I think we all feel that this is our complete lineup. We’ve kicked around the idea of adding additional musicians but we’re pretty content with where we are as far as a three piece.

LONNY: Our doors are always open to other musicians and future possibilities, but like Marcus said I think for now we’re just enjoying being a power trio.

IAN: If the right person came along and added something to the band, we’d be open to the idea of exploring that but presently we’re not actively seeking another musician to be a permanent member.

MUEN: Who does the writing for the band and how does it evolve into a song?

LONNY: Marcus usually comes to us with the ideas and basic structure of the songs. From there it goes through a filtering process where myself and Ian finalize the structure, melodies, and lyrics.

IAN: For the most part, Marcus comes to us with a song in mind and presents it to us, where we’ll all collectively participate in coming up with a finished product.

MARCUS: Yeah, I kind of come to the studio with several ideas in mind, then they’ll pick and choose what they like and then the process of remolding begins. Lonny’s a master of the “restructure”!

MUEN: Speaking of your sound you have a new CD that has just been released. This is your second and I reviewed your first, “Tranquilizer”, that was kickass. How has the music changed since “Tranquilizer?”

MARCUS: Thank you. I think the biggest change to our music when comparing “Tranquilizer” to our latest CD is the addition of Ian. We now have two lead singers, a fuller bass sound, much more backup vocals, and I think in general, a bigger-harder sound.

LONNY: Yeah, the songs are just bigger and more developed than on the Tranquilizer CD and I think the vocals are more well rounded with having two unique singers. We’re focusing more on lyrics and melody and well as working in multiple harmony parts. The songs just have a little more energy to them now.

MUEN: Where can people get your CD other than at your live shows?

MARCUS: Nationally, you can get them on internet sites like Interpunk.com, CDBaby.com, and very soon you will be able to download them on iTunes. You can also get them at most independent record stores in California and Las Vegas, including ZIA Records, Lovell’s, Rhino Records, Aaron’s records, and Amoeba. We’re currently working on getting our latest S/T E.P. in Best Buy’s on the entire west coast.

MUEN: How have your live shows been since you have been working with both the older and now the newer tunes?

LONNY: The live shows are amazing. They continue to get bigger every time we play. We were playing a mix of the old and new songs…but we’re continually phasing out the old stuff in favor of the newer songs. But we still play some of the older material if the fans want it. Usually that comes down to Tranquilizer, and Black and White.

IAN: Yeah, you’ve got to come out and see the live show…that’s really what Blacklight Revelation is all about. We’ll always keep the old material on standby but the new songs are intense and seeing it live is the ultimate experience.

MUEN: You have been doing some shows in California but do you have plans to take the live show to garner more fans and where?

MARCUS: Absolutely!!!  We’re going to be doing some small tours the rest of the year where we’ll be focusing on Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, The Bay Area, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

IAN: Yeah, we’re planning on doing a few cities a week, and then returning a month later and doing it all over again to establish BLR and to maintain a working relationship with our fans.

LONNY: We’re definitely going to be hitting up the entire western US several times by the year’s end.

MUEN: Saw that you were already looking forward and have some “working titles” to the next CD. Have you already started the recording process for it?

Lonny: We’re focusing on putting out one more E.P. after our latest before we move on to a full length. We have so much material that we’re trying to release it piece by piece to get people used to the BLR sound.

MARCUS: We’ve already finished the songs for the next E.P., tentatively entitled “Nicotine Fog Machine” and we’re in the middle of pre-production for that. Sometime by the end of the year, we’ll start focusing our full length “Gods of Our Own Domain”.

IAN: I’m really excited about Nicotine Fog Machine as it will include all new songs including “Pain is a Gift”, “Byronic Hero”, and “Convict Me.” The full length is going to be incredible as it’s going to be a mix of new material and a new spin on some select older material.

MUEN: Speaking of titles, where did the unusual name come from for the band and also for the latest CD?

LONNY: Marcus was working as a substitute teacher a few years ago and during recess he realized he wasn’t cut out for that profession. He looked down at the blacktop and realized he was having a revelation to do something different.

MARCUS: Then, later that night, I turned on the blacklight in the studio and had the same realization and out of the fire came “Blacklight Revelation”

IAN: Most of the song titles and album names come directly from something relative to our everyday lives. Nicotine Fog Machine comes directly from the amount of smoke on any given day in our studio. It was a toss-up between that and Cabernet Hot Rails.

MUEN: What is on the agenda for the rest of 2010 and beyond for the band?

IAN: TOUR, TOUR, TOUR!!!

MARCUS: Getting our CD’s available nationally, touring the Western US, and promoting the hell out of Blacklight Revelation.

LONNY: We want to focus on touring with incredible bands, playing live as much as we possibly can, continue to release great music, and bring the BLR sound to as many people as we can.

MUEN: Is there anything you think your current and especially new fans should know that I have not asked?

MARCUS: BLR is here to stay and we’re coming to a town near you very soon.

LONNY: We look forward to bringing our style of “core-rock” to the masses. Look for a live video soon that will be available not only YouTube, but our MySpace and Facebook pages as well as a brand new website where you can find out all the latest information on Blacklight Revelation.

IAN: All our latest information is always posted on these sites including show and tour information, photos, videos, and general band info.

MUEN: Thanks for sitting down and talking with MUEN about Blacklight Revelation. Look forward to hearing many more great things from you.

BLR: Thank you, the privilege was all ours. We’ll see you soon.