WBM Features: Viva Mayday

You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.
-John Ford

What do the words you say, say about who you are? Better yet, how do those words affect the actions you take now and in the future?

Take 3 phenomenal musicians from New York, for example. Based on their experience of the world as they know it and their upbringing under the Bush Administration here in the United States, Jafe, Duke, and Gian great friends who started playing together in high school have yet to look back since the forming of their band, Viva Mayday. Their goal is to create music with a message.

Well the message is loud and clear. Make a difference-- and a difference they shall through their musical efforts. Here with some time to share with Why Blue Matters, Viva Mayday provides a close look into who they are as a band, their perspective on music and the impact they plan to make.

[As Told To Why Blue Matters]

So tell me a little bit about yourselves?

VM: We're 3 native New Yorkers who started playing music in High School
together and just never stopped. Because most our adolescent years
were spent growing up under the Bush Administration, we set out to
create music with a message and the end product is what you hear today
in Viva Mayday.

What can you most attribute your musical ability to?

VM: Our families and are up-bringing. Growing up, the 3 of us were
surrounded by different, great music that inevitably made us want to
play.I (Jafe, lead vocals/guitarist) grew up with Afro-Caribbean music
and Bob Marley blasting through the house. Duke (bass/backing vocals)
was raised singing along to classic rock and roll like Bruce
Springsteen, The Who, and Queen, while Gian (drums/backing vocals) has
always been bumpin' funk, soul, and old Motown records.

What's your genre of music?

VM: When we have to put a label on it, we usually go with
Indie/Rock/Reggae. Ultimately though, we want to explore as many
different styles of music possible, and play each one well. During
live performances we'll be playing a blues/rock song at one point,
then jump to a more reggae or ska feel, then lead into a song with a
more hip hop feel to it.

What do you like most about being a singer/songwriter?

VM: It's an incredible medium to share your stories, experiences, and
messages with everyone. Music is something that is everywhere, that
everyone listens to. You can be in any small city or village on any
continent of the world, but one thing everyone understands is the
universal language of music.

What's the thought process behind your works?
...from personal experience?
...mere creativity?

VM: It varies from song to song. Some songs are about personal
experiences, while others have been completely dreamt up and are
completely random. One things for sure, the 3 of us provide something
different to each new song that's brought to the table - the end
product of a track usually sounds nothing like it first started.

What inspires and motivates you?

VM: If it were to be put into one word it'd have to be: Life. Your
surroundings, family, friends, the experiences, struggles, and
triumphs of the everyday person - that's what truly inspires us to
keep on playing and writing.

How long have you been involved in music?

VM: As a band, the 3 of us have been involved in music together for about
4 years. Individually, we've all been playing and performing since we
were young kids.

Considering this is the top of the year, what do you plan to accomplish in 2010?

VM: Right now, finishing and releasing our full-length album is our main
concern. Once we get that done and ready to be put out there, its full
on promotion, hopefully some distribution deals along with playing
festivals and more out of state shows.

Who would you love to collaborate with musically?

VM: Anyone who has something new and different to bring to the table.
We've always been more about playing good music, not just having a
specific sound inside a specific genre. Like I said before, we
ultimately want to do it all and do it well.

What type of impact would you like to leave with your music?

VM: We want people to remember us as a band that put out good music that
had important messages behind it. Other than just music to dance and
have fun to, it's great when people look into our lyrics and song
meanings only to be motivated to learn more about the subjects -
whether that be post-Katrina New Orleans, international relations
(Cuba, the Middle East, Africa), or stories of immigration.

What would you do if you weren't involved in music?

VM: Ha, that's a great question. It'd be hard to imagine our lives without music.

What's in your iPod right now?

VM: A random selection of things such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The
Stones, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Ray Charles, James Brown, Bruce
Springsteen, Sublime, to The Black Keys, Arcade Fire, The White
Stripes, a whole lot of stuff. Most people are actually surprised by
the fact that we're into Hip Hop and Neo-Soul artist like The Fugees,
Jay-Z, Common, Erykah Badu, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, and of course:
The Legendary Roots.

Any advice for those looking to pursue their goals and dreams?
...for vocalists?
...for lyricists?

VM: Just keep doing what you love to do. The world of music and art is a
difficult one, but if it's one that makes you happy then keep on
going. I'd rather be rich in happiness doing something I love, than
have all the wealth in the world doing something I hate.

For More On Viva Mayday:

Official Website: www.vivamayday.com
MySpace Page: www.myspace.com/vivamayday
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/VIVA-MAYDAY/8590473235
YouTube Page: www.youtube.com/vivamaydayband
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/vivamayday