Today, we sat down with Black It Out to talk writing music inspiration, heroes and much more! Be sure to check out Black It Out music on Spotify below after the interview!
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
Our inspiration for writing music has been our experiences like “Reflections” featuring Promise Game. That song is about my brother’s fiancée who abused our mother. We have a song coming inspired by the people who want to speak to your manager, Karens. We watched some Karen compilations on YouTube and thought they were funny. The song is called “Live, Laugh, Love,” featuring Anndy Negative. Anndy Negative had people be rude about his song “When We Were Young” on Tik Tok. We thought those people acted like Karens, so that inspired us to write and ask Anndy Negative to be our feature on “Live, Laugh, Love.” “Live, Laugh, Love” featuring Anndy Negative comes out May 2nd, 2022, on all streaming platforms. Follow us, Black It Out, on Spotify and Instagram!
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
I (Shaun) listened to oldies when I was growing up because that’s what my parents were listening to. My dad also sang Elvis Presley songs a lot too. When I got a bit older, I got into Green Day and The Offspring. I also got into bands like Metallica, The Misfits, Danzig, and Marilyn Manson back in the day. Now, I listen to stuff like Ice Nine Kills, Senses Fail, and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Of course, that all changes depending on when you ask.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
When I was in college, I was really into this composer named Arvo Part. His music is fantastic. I also looked up to Gorecki; his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs truly moved me. I think AFI is a tremendous band. I try not to have too many people that I look up to because I’ve been disappointed in the past with some of their awful behavior. Kurt Vonnegut, Jason Pargin, Christopher Moore, Alan Moore, and Chuck Palahniuk are phenomenal authors.
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
I would be writing more and making more YouTube videos. I write for CTRLPlusSpace.com and Scenedaddy.com. I also wrote a book called We Are All Z. I think that’s what I would be doing. Bryan would be mixing and mastering more music and doing his graphic design in more. He has a website called TonalityStudio.net. He’s excellent at both of those things.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create
music?
Get yourself a decent interface, a decent DAW, and a mic. I would remind them that it’s not the equipment that’ll make great music; it’s the performance. I would advise them that there are replication companies like Black Lion that make great preamps that sound like expensive preamps that they’re emulating.
If they want to get into rock music, I’d tell them to manage their expectations because it’s difficult in rock music these days. You might not get huge, and that’s okay. It’s all about having fun, so keep trying. You never know. Appreciate the fans you make because they’re the ones who will be listening to you. Don’t go thinking you’re a rockstar because you recorded a track or played a show. That’s not how that works at all. Remember to make music that you want to hear. People respond well to authenticity and not when you make music to make money. Of course, making music to make money can work, but if it doesn’t, it’s not pretty.
Finally, remember to network and make genuine friends with other bands. You never know how you both could help each other in the future!
Music:
