Tell me a little bit about the first moment
you realized you wanted to make music
an important part of your life.
High school... I needed catharsis. I was
a huge fan of rock 'n roll at that time. It
really made me want to be behind an
instrument and microphone.
Did you start out with guitar? What
instrument did you start out with?
Yeah. I started out with guitar at the
same time my brother started drums.
Who do you say your influences were
in your life? Especially when you were
growing up. Is there anyone in your
personal life that was gifted musically
My folks were musical people. Not musicians, but fans. They exposed my bro and I to lots of pop
music in the 80's.
How many years have you played on a
stage?
Probably been about 7 years.
Do you still get nervous at all?
Oh yeah, absolutely.
If you could, describe your style of music.
What do you think makes you stand out?
I think every honest artist has something to
offer. I’ve tried to be as honest as possible with
my writing. That seems to be a novelty these
days with everyone trying to make it, whatever
'it' means. In the end, I
In terms of the genre that you’re in, what genre would you categorize yourself under?
Alternative/Acoustic maybe. I don’t know. There’s always a catch with labels. Pigeon-holing abound.
What is the life of a musician like here in Richmond? Is it tough to kind of break into here?
(Akshay)
I think it is tough actually. But it's especially tough if you hate self-promotion like I do. I still haven't
really grasped the concept of walking up to a complete stranger and verbally assaulting him or her
with pretensiousness. I guess it's something I'll need to bite the bullet and get over that if I want to
get anywhere. But overall, the Richmond market seems to be more conducive to cover bands than
singer-songwriters like myself. I guess people like to dance.
What would you say you enjoy the most about being a musician?
Definitely the release it provides. The fact that you can express anything you want is endearing. I
mean, you can’t necessarily do that with the office job.
Do you remember the first song you ever penned?
Vaguely.
How old were you?
Probably about 16-17 years old, somewhere
around there. It was probably awful.
Do you remember the name of it?
Nah. I don’t know if it even had one.
When it comes to writing new material, what’s the writing process for you in general? Do you prefer
to write lyrics first or go off on the musical rhythm first? I know it varies, but in general.
It does vary but most of the time it’s musical. I’ll just sit there and fiddle around with the guitar and
corresponding words come to me. Writing lyrics is generally like pulling teeth for me though. But
every once in a while, the stars align and everything comes at once. Writing really only happens
when I have something to say.
A fan from myspace writes “I love the song, I find myself singing it during the day. I sing it especially
when I’m having a bad one because it makes me smile immediately.” What’s it like knowing you’re
making an emotional connection with people through your music?
I paid that person to say that (smiles).
I always have to ask about myspace. I find it a phenomenal resource. Would you say that in terms
of myspace does it help bring people to your shows? What benefits do you get?
Oh, it’s amazing. It’s a great way to market yourself, network, and meet people. It's especially useful
for artists. I feel like it's definitely brought more people to my shows.
Your talents they run pretty deep, you’ve done some work as an audio engineer is that correct?
Thank you. I’ve done a little engineering.
You worked with artists like Nathaniel Baker.
What was it like working with this project and
what would you say you took away from the
experience of producing/engineering his
albums?
I had the pleasure of working with a couple of
my mentors/friends on Nathaniel's projects,
Chris Stup and John Fishell. Both very talented
cats. I learned a great deal just from being in
the same room with them. And I laughed like
I've never laughed before. Those guys are
From those experiences does that make you desire to produce more projects?
Sure. Definitely. Down the road, I'd love to work with artists I genuinely love.
Where would you like to see your music career go from here? Do you a desire to do road tour?
Hopefully in the future. But I'm not really concerned about all the bells and whistles of the music
industry. I just want monetary sustenance and artistic freedom to coexist. A tall order, I know.
What do you think about the Richmond music scene in general? Have you noticed any changes
over the past couple of years? Are more people coming out in general?
More people are coming out. May be that's due to Myspace. I think the Richmond music scene is
growing but I haven't noticed
any drastic changes these past couple of years. I think people like to stay in their comfort
zones...and dance.
What do you have to say to someone who has never been to one of your shows, What can they
expect?
A dark and broody experience featuring small woodland animals and goat sacrifice (smiles).
I’ve been sampling a lot of different artists on
Myspace. I know you have the kind of structure
that makes you stand out in a crowd in terms of
you have a different style of music. Is Gor your
brother?
Yes.
I think he’s great too. He’s in the Nathaniel
Baker band and your band, right?
He is great. He goes to school in Harrisonburg
where Nathaniel goes to school. When Gor's in
town, I steal him. It’s nice to have such a tasty
resource.
Now, Where are your CD’s available at? Do
you have anything available online?
There is a link at myspace/akshay and they
are also available at all of the Plan 9 branches.
Is there anything that you would like to plug or mention?
In no particular order...
Stone Lucy (myspace.com/stonelucy) - tasty hard rock, killer live show, go see them
Robert Parker Vaughan, earnest indie singer-songwriter faire, he's a weird guy Noah Denney , - a
crooner, check him out if you have ovaries Matt Rumley, - honest, organic, touching
singer-songwriter faire, one of my favorites Bandazian, - indie folk rock, something different Ki
Theory, - alternative trip hop, refreshing Brian Vaughn (myspace.com/boynamedbri) - mellow,
smooth, angst-ridden singer-songwriter faire Jessica L. Fenton, - ridiculously talented
singer-songwriter, immaculate songwriting Maia Banks, - dark, broody, and moody
singer-songwriter faire Leslie Moruza, - light and quirky piano-based singer-songwriter faire Brian
Bachman (myspace.com/brianbachmanmusic) - a crooner, bittersweet songs, girls seem to like him
Erik Bradford, - uncuth, raw, honest indie rock Ranjini, - sultry r & b pop princess Moneypenny, -
sassy pop rock, great live show Andy Waldeck, - refreshingly tasty singer-songwriter faire Alona, -
intense hard rock with a singer that wails Furious Gor, - acoustic/electronic singer-songwriter faire
with soul Monumental RVA (myspace.com/monumentalrva) - up and coming clothing line inspired
by puppies, wine, mescaline, and the eiffel tower. The Richmond Buzz Myspace Page, - tasty
resource that brings Richmond art and entertainment to your fingertips (smiles).
And now is the Fishbowl Question, there are two from Gor:
(Gor)
Do you do anything to psyche yourself up for a show?
I can't go into detail, but it usually involves puppies, wine,
mescaline, and the eiffel tower.
Whats your favorite joke to tell on stage?
A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel down his
pants...
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