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The Virginmarys
Mailinterview
28.03.11
The Virginmarys Homepage
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Can you please introduce the band members and tell us a bit about you?
Ally Dickaty: guitar/vocals – Matt Rose: bass guitar/vocals – Danny Dolan: drums
We´ve been together now for 2 and a half years, Ally and Danny met at music college and were in a few different bands previously and then met Matt in Macclesfield and started The Virginmarys.
Why did you choose The Virginmarys as band name?
It was the name of a bar in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, CA. Ally and Danny were in another band that were recording over there and thought it would be a cool name.
Your first EP Cast The First Stone got very good critics. Is it easier to start work on a full length album after those positive reactions or do you feel some kind of pressure now?
What we wanted to do by releasing the mini album Cast The First Stone and then in March this year release a four track EP called Just A Ride was really more just to build up a fan base. We wanted to wait for the right time when we feel we could put out the best 12 tracks possible. The response so far from critics have all been really great and although there is some pressure to deliver a great first album. It´s good pressure and helps us work harder at it.
Do you have an idea at what time you will go into the studio again for recordings?
We´re hoping to go back in the studio some time in August/September and then hopefully have the album finished and ready to go by the end of the year or at least the start of January next?
Who writes the songs – all band members together as a team, only one or two of you or other songwriters?
Most of the time Ally will bring an idea or a riff or a verse and chorus to the practice room and we´ll all collaborate together. Sometimes the song comes together really quickly and other times we´ll leave an idea because it´s not quite there and sometimes come back to it months later.
Which bands were the reason for you to find your way to rock music?
As individuals we´re all into all different types of music but as a collective rock music seemed to be the most natural for the three of us to work on, specifically late 60´s and early 70´s rock bands (influences including: Peter Green´s Fleetwood Mac / Pink Floyd / Jimi Hendrix and Free)
There is a photo which can be found in the internet: Slash wears a The Virginmarys shirt. What was your reaction, your feeling as you saw Slash wearing one of your band shirts for the first time?
It was probably the most crazy and amazing single thing that´s happened to us since we started. We´d heard a rumour backstage before the gig that he´d picked up one of our T-shirt´s, ripped off the sleeves and someone had took a photo of him wearing it, but we never expected him to come out wearing it. It was a truly great moment for all off us that he did that, unbelievable, really?!!
You were on tour with Skunk Anansie – how is your resumé?
In the last 12 months everything has really started to move in the right direction for us, especially with regards to the tour supports. We´ve been lucky enough to go on. Touring with Skunk Anansie made a massive difference to how we play and approach gigs, we learned a lot from them. For anyone who´s never seen them live, they´re one of the best live acts going!!!
You are now touring through your home country England – are the concerts you play there something special for you?
We did our first U.K. headline tour in March this year and the response was brilliant. I think with it being our first ever time out on our own, we were expecting some of the shows in areas we´d never been to, would be a low attendance but surprisingly they were all really good turn outs. It´s encouraging to think we´ve made such an impression without releasing our first album.
You will play some gigs in Germany in October – as support for another band or as a headliner?
As far as we know it´s as headliners but we´ll have to see... We met the promoter while on tour with Skunk Anansie and she was really great with us. So we´re all really looking forward to the gigs, headliner or not.
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are indispensable for bands nowadays. Do you see it as a cool chance and as an inspiration for your music to get contact with your fans there and to read their opinions?
Yeah definitely... With all these social networks that are around now it´s a great way to stay in touch with your fans, make your music more accessible to them and get their feedback. We think it´s a great thing for new bands that they have a vehicle to get their music across to more people than ever before.
What is on your plan for the next months?
Right now we´re hoping to do an official single release here in the U.K. in the next month or so and then get back in the studio to finish the album. We´ve got a load of gigs in Europe through October and then looking to do another U.K. tour in November.
Thanks for your time. We wish you all the best and a lot success!
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