We are doing this for ourselves and our fans. We are going to release the songs we feel tell our story, and that sound the way we always wanted our music to sound. – @Ugly_Melon
Listen to the Interview
Episode #334 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/06/22/episode-334-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax
GETTING TO KNOW UGLY MELON
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Interviewing: Lu Cachie/Tony LaSelva
Music Business…
Like any business, you need a great product to build your fan base and in turn that will be your business.
Pros: Internet based companies like Tune Core have all the tools to set up your music business, from distribution, radio air play, publishing, webzines and more.
Cons: There are a lot of con artists in the music business, so I’ll do it myself.
Hurdles & Pitfalls: I have been doing this a few times and have been through a few costly experiences. So we do most of the business part ourselves and from those experiences, my gut will let us know: yes or no.
Social Media…
Everything. It reaches many people fast and it’s endless
Challenges… Finding the right people to work with.
Singles verses Albums…
I like releasing singles because it is a good way to get your feet wet and a testing sample for listeners. If they are liking what you are producing then you know you’re up to something.
Marketing Strategy…
We use You Tube, internet radio , webzines, facebook, twitter, instagram, collage radio, main stream radio, sending tracks to friends, and live performance all at niche hard rock market. Anything to allow us to find fans of hard rock music.
I started music when… (Lu)
I was 13 and saw Jail house rock movie ,yes Elvis inspired me
then I heard Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath the rest is History.
Leave it all behind is… (Tony)
about moving forward in your life even when it is difficult to do so. It’s also about forgiving your self for the mistakes that you have made in your life .And accepting that sometimes your own mistakes are often what causes you pain. The lyric … “Can’t forget to water and then hope it doesn’t die”, refers to looking into the mirror and being truly honest with your self. Don’t blame others for your situation. Accept reality and then leave it all behind. The lyrics are personal, but I think many people can relate to them.
I had written this song a long while ago… (Lu)
but never brought it to the table with my other bands cause I’m sure it was meant for Tony to sing ,funny enough it was the first song I played for Tony but we didn’t work on it till 5 or 6 songs later. Once it was written we can tell just with the acoustic version we had a great song. When we recorded it we knew right there the direction of our sound and dumped everything else we had recorded, A dark heaver tone is Ugly Melon.
You can expect the album to be completely honest….(Tony)
We are doing this for ourselves and our fans. We are going to release the songs we feel tell our story, and that sound the way we always wanted our music to sound: strong riffs, real lyrics that both come from the heart. After knowing each other all these years and finally getting to release an album of our ideas is hugely significant. it means everything to us . We are really passionate about these tracks and hope people will feel that and become supporters of our music. Through social media and online radio, we hope to build our following to the point that it will be difficult for Ugly Melon not to be noticed. We are also looking forward to performing these tracks live, the way rock and roll is meant to be.
Toronto, Canada…
is a great city with tons to do. Live music is every where. Places like The rock pile, Lees Palace, The Dakota tavern, The horse shoe… these are just a few of the many places to play.
One fun thing to do… (Lu)
We would love to open for Black Sabbath
I would love 5 Minutes With…
Jimmy Page or Tony Lommi. I want to know if the myth of selling your soul is true .. ha.
Most Afraid of… None
A Success… Writing a song and someone you don’t know says “I love this track”. So, if 3 or 4 people out of 20 love it, then if you can get it out to millions, from there you can build a fan base.
Success Story… Touring with the Scorpions for a couple weeks across Quebec was a fantastic experience; really felt like a rock star. They were a great bunch of guys. I got this tour by opening for Bon Jovi at the Air Canada Center, which I was able to do so from a contest from Q107. We were lucky enough to sit with Bon Jovi after the show and chat. John gave us permission to use his name to open other doors and as a result we scored the Scorpions and Def Leppard at Rogers Bay Fest. From that, we went out to the UK thanks to my cousin Lillo and his friend Dean.
The best story is hooking up with Tony again after many years and writing songs we really on the same page with like two peas in a pot !!
Goal in life and career…Making a living writing and selling Ugly Melon music.
Ways I challenge myself to move towards my goals…
Its not a challenge for me, I just do what I love doing and block out all of the negativity.
Keep climbing those steps till I reach the top.
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