RevulsA
Indie
Macomb County, MI
Original Band
Interview with RevulsA
What made you decide to create "RevulsA"?
Ashley: Joe and I became Facebook friends back in 2011, but were formerly classmates in grade school - about a decade prior. We were mutually posting about wanting to be in a music project and connected over that.
Joe: I was in another band, and we were looking for a female vocalist to duet on a song. I sent Ash the lyrics and said I'd get back to her with a demo, and in the meantime my band split. Ash said she was looking for a guitarist, so I said, "I'll do it".
How did you come up with the name?
Ashley: RevulsA was intended to be a solo project, with me taking on the name as my alterego. As time went on, both Joe and I were simultaneously writing and collaborating on mostly everything. For a long time, it was a duo. The addition of our bandmates last year really solidified our entity as a band. But as far as the name, I wanted something that sounded villainous. The "A" is capital since it’s the first letter of my name.
Talk to us about your song writing process. How do you get inspired to write your songs?
Ashley: I find most of my inspiration comes from my passion of storytelling and character developing my persona. Hearing certain words and mantras, or sometimes certain emotions will inspire me to elaborate further. Usually I can come up with a melody instantly based on how I’m feeling. Completion of words tend to follow.
Joe: Usually, it starts with a hook or a melody for me. A lot of times, I get the most inspiration in the mundane. I’ll be doing the dishes, or taking a shower, or taking a walk, and suddenly there’s this melody idea, and I have to stop, run and write down some words, or run and record it into my phone. Then I demo it and send it out to everybody for a yay or a nay.
What would you say you enjoy most about performing live?
Ashley: I love showing off my voice. It's my pride and joy. I love dressing up as my persona and character developing her through the art of performance. I also love spending time with my bandmates onstage and interacting with them. It's my favorite way to hang out with them!
Joe: Getting Leo Mitchell, Gavin Walters, and James Thompson in the band was a real shot in the arm for us over the last year. We were able to bring RevulsA’s sound to the stage and perform a lot of the music we’ve written and recorded over the last 12 years and have these guys evolve the music into this unique massive wall of sound live in just a short time has been like a rebirth to this project. Then we got this live extension with Drew Hayman on Keys helping us out on these gigs, and it just has created such a dynamic to it that I don't hear from many other bands. The best part is I get to have a front row to that, being here and seeing the crowd get into it. That's my favorite part.
Do you get request to perform certain songs? If so, how do you handle them?
Joe: People really like it when we do Billy Squier, also a lot of the classic rock staples like "Rhiannon." Ash really just brings this captivating energy with. Of our own songs, people really like when we do "On Something" and "Rings." This band can do anything, honestly.
Does "RevulsA" have any cool shows or notable events coming up?
Ashley: We are currently working on recording our third studio album, so we're taking the remainder of the year to do that. Definitely aiming to play some gigs in the early spring!
Joe: We'll play in the winter, too, if there's a roof and we're not under six feet of snow.
Do you have any notable achievements with "RevulsA"?
Joe: We’ve never played to an empty room, which for any band, especially nowadays, is such a blessing and it makes performing a hell of a lot more fun to have that connection and give and take with an audience. Before we took this live, we got radio play with a couple of our singles, which was cool. We’ve gotten to meet a lot of cool folks over the years. We did some music videos and some tv. We’ve been able to find a way to pretty much do everything we've set out to accomplish in our own way, and we're still here 12 years later, pretty much in one piece. I think a lot of folks would agree that, especially that last part, is pretty hard to do in this business.
Ashley: I second everything Joe said. I think for me the most notable accomplishment is getting the recorded music to translate live and take it to the stage with the boys. It's an extension of our work that is so fulfilling to explore after spending so many years in the studio. Hearing ourselves on the radio and seeing ourselves on TV or YouTube is always surreal. We’ve been lucky to have met some amazing people who have lended us the opportunities to showcase our work to the general public.
What are your fondest memories with "RevulsA"?
Ashley: I really loved our first photoshoot together as a band. Scott Sprague was our photographer and made the whole experience so memorable. Being immortalized with the guys made me so proud. I also loved performing our 11 Mile Sessions streamcast together. It was no stress. We were all locked in and just really vibing and having fun. Performing, in general always excites me!
Joe: Being able to share the stage with this band, I never take that for granted. We got a correspondence once from somebody at the Library of Congress for "Rings of Saturn," telling us how touched they were by the song. When people come up and tell us that certain songs of ours helped them, or they do things with our music or to our music. Those things from people that our music helped make a connection or a memory for them and us make being a musician so worth it.
What would you say "RevulsA" struggled with that led you to start using Bandinq?
Ashley: Overall, having any tool to simplify our workload and give us more time with our music helps. Balancing working at our craft, navigating the business aspect, booking gigs, and making lucrative connections can be time-consuming. Bandinq's interface helps us stay organized and keep track of the important stuff so we can focus on what's next!
Joe: When you’re trying to keep 5 or 6 musicians on the same page, it can be like herding cats. Being able to keep everybody in the know for gigs, setlists, rehearsals, and still handling all the other off-the-wall things that happen with life and a band is a lot. Bandinq helps keep us on track.
What would be once piece of advice that you could give to aspiring musicians, or up-andcoming artists looking to perform?
Ashley: Network. Get out and support your local talent. Connect with those who support you and treat your support system with respect. Remain open-minded while staying true to yourself and your art. Most importantly, be genuine while doing so.
Joe: Practice. Play anywhere you can and as much as possible. Diversify your tastes and keep an open mind, and most importantly, don’t let anybody tell you who you are or what you can't do. Be you.
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