Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
Bufflo alt/rock band Say Lonely recently sat down with VENTS Magazine to discuss their brand new single “The Mariner”
How did the band first come together?
Joel, Rob, and Matt were in a pop-punk band together before this band. Things were going well, but ultimately the singer did not have any motivation to keep the band going. The bass player from that band also moved away. So we began looking for a bass player and a singer for a new project, knowing we wanted to move away from the pop-punk sound. It took us 6 months to find Sofia. Sofia had played at Joel’s house for a community event called Porchfest. She was on Joel and Rob’s radar. We got her contact info, sent her the songs, and she was instantly in. We had trouble finding a bass player, so we focused on recording our album. Once it was done, we found Steve, who was in another local band Joel and Rob had played with in the past. Once he came for a tryout, we knew we had our final lineup.
What’s the story behind “The Mariner”?
The idea and inspiration for The Mariner is an amalgamation of a few different things, but I think it started with the poem by J.R.R. Tolkien called Errantry. It’s really a beautiful work; the meter, rhyming structure, and story all weave together to create such a fantastical image and real sense of adventure. We wanted to create a song that paid homage to such a great writer and poem while tying in some real-life personal experiences through allusions to push our songwriting in a new direction. There are other references lyrically from The Wizard of Oz, Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod, as well as to an apartment complex in Buffalo’s Allentown aptly named ‘The Mariner.’ We really wanted to focus on making a song about things we love.
Sofia, what was it like joining the band and recording the song?
Scary at first, being around new people who had been playing together for a bit. But once I warmed up to the guys, this song came together pretty quickly.
How do your different musical backgrounds shape your music?
We are all influenced by different genres. From alt/indie to pop punk. We don’t really think of specific genres when we write. We just write what we think we would want to listen to, and our influences come out in the music.
What was it like making the music video with Adam Seitz?
Adam is a cool guy and a great photographer in the area. He doesn’t really do a lot of video, but he did it to help us out as friends. He was great to work with and moves pretty fast. The point was to keep shooting time to a minimum. The space rental was the majority of the cost. He helped us take care of everything promptly so we could keep costs to a minimum.
Why did you choose to focus on the band performing in the video?
This was simply a budget thing.
What did you learn from playing in other bands before Say Lonely?
We learned that having someone in the band who wants all the control is a good way for a band to fail. In our band, there are no egos. We speak our minds and are always open to new ideas. Everyone has a voice. With this group of people, I don’t see how there could ever be drama. We have gathered the perfect crew.
What was it like recording your upcoming album?
Very stressful for Joel because he was responsible for everything from tracking to production and mixing. I lived in my backyard studio for 6 months. The wife wasn’t happy
Are you excited to start playing your new songs live?
Very excited, and we’re playing our first show in early December.
What’s coming up next for Say Lonely, and is there anything else you’d like fans to know?
We are heading to NYC to do an acoustic session with The PENYC Sessions. Other than that, we are preparing for our first show and beginning to write music for another album.
Follow Say Lonely
