The band name implies a group of quiet guys however that is not the case. This band from Southern California is a bit of a throwback to the Classic Rock of the 70’s, but if you listen to their music, you will find that while much of their sound is a throwback-their music is thoroughly modern. Even their logo which was done by artist Andy Haynes (www.myspace.com/androart) resonates to what the band is down to its core. Something I feel that for many bands right now don’t necessarily “get”. These guys seem to get more than their years which is appealing.
They also have diverse ethnicities and backgrounds which makes for an interesting sound and band dynamic. Silent Treatment is also a well educated group of guys who use their varying roots and colorful personalities to bring a sound that is familiar as well as new to their ever growing fan base.
You can find Silent Treatment at their My Space account (www.myspace.com/stface) as well as purchasing some of their songs like the exceptional song “FEAR” at I Tunes. While their following is growing, if you haven’t heard them play you should. It’s worth the time and effort to seek these guys out and catch the growing fever.
AAM: You’re a young group of guys with very different backgrounds, when and how did you meet and let the AAM reader’s peak into your very diverse backgrounds by letting us know a bit about each of you?
DAVE: Steve-O and I have been hanging out since Jr. High, skating and causing a little raucous in the Pasadena area. Later on we met up again in college. I had gone through a nasty break-up and was writing a bunch of songs, which became the basis of "Stop, Drop n' Roll" (1st ST Album).
Jerry moved here from Taiwan when he was 8 years old and started playing guitar when he was in high school. We met through a classified ad and we seemed to be the only two young guys who were into the same influences… like G'n'R, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughn…
RICO: Yeah they met through casual encounters on Craigslist. (laughs).
JERRY: No, but really at that time I just wanted to find guys to play guitar with and for whatever reason, it was pretty hard to find younger guys who liked playing stuff like Zeppelin or Sabbath – it seems all the young kids are into that stuff now though. I ended up jamming with a lot of older cats usually being the youngest guy.
DAVE: And last to come in the picture was Rico. Steve met him during his brief stint at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where they would hang out and jam in their dorm room. Rico’s a very proud San Francisco Giants fan, being from the Bay Area, and I, being a true blue Dodger fan, made things interesting. I’m happy to say we all immediately clicked as friends.
AAM: You have been together for about 6 years, at one time you thought living together would be a good idea. What where the living conditions and how long did that last?
STEVE: Living together was like a broke, drunk "Real World" from hell. Picture a factory warehouse where we had something a little better than cardboard as wall dividers between beds. No windows, so you couldn’t tell what time of day it was, kinda like a Vegas casino. We’d throw parties just to pay rent. There’d be a door cover, open bar, and we’d perform. It lasted long enough to have a great time but short enough to keep most of our sanity.
RICO: Let me just tell you that sharing one toilet with a bunch of filthy gorillas got a little unsanitary. (laughs)
DAVE: A lot of crazy stories came out of there. Living together for an extended period of time like that really tested the friendships. We even recorded our live studio EP there called "LochNess Sessions."
RICO: It was definitely an experience that every band has to go through to test them. If you can’t get along with your band mates in a house… how do you think you can survive in a van?
AAM: What are some of your basic personality traits that help solidify you as a strong band and friends?
STEVE: I’d say that you have to know how to take criticism and not let it affect your own performance. There are a lot of critics who will try and put you down. Fortunately all of us have each other’s back when something like that happens.
RICO: Yeah, we’re always talking mess to each other too… but it’s always humorous. Strangely, you have to be able to laugh at yourself at times. But I’d say having similar musical interests; open minds and an easy going attitude are a key.
DAVE: Very simply put, we are all too stubborn to break-up.
AAM: Besides music what are some of your other interests?
RICO: I wanted a “fall back plan” so I went to college and got a degree in wine making. I figured if I can get drunk for free, I’d save a ton of money and make a lot of my friends happy. I am also an avid hunter.
JERRY: I like gadgets and technology stuff, but oddly enough, guitars are still my main interest. For me, it’s more than just an instrument – I turn to it even when I need to get away from music for a bit. I have a very curious personality so outside of playing, I love learning about new gear, history and culture of the instrument, that kind of stuff. I’m also a grad student. When we’re on tour and close to a college, I’ll typically stop off at the library and then get picked up later. I can’t believe I’ve made it work with our past touring schedule... but when there’s a will, there’s a way I guess (laughs).
DAVE: I have a pretty addictive personality that veers on the side of A.D.D at times. I tend to be very passionate one moment and bored the next. I live in Huntington Beach and surf as much as possible - it’s something I’ve grown up doing. I suppose I’m the hippy.
STEVE: Beers and Bass Guitars. I actually come from a construction background so that’s been a part of my life outside of music.
AAM: How would you describe your music to people who have not heard you play before?
DAVE: Our music is upbeat, high energy and fun. There is a strong rhythmic groove to each song. We all bring a different flavor that at times can blend alternative and punk with guitar driven hard rock.
AAM: You guys have a really good sound. Your music is modern with a foot in 70’s Classic Rock. What are your music, cultural and life influences?
STEVE: I was big into boarding and grew up pretty much listening to 90’s So Cal Skate Punk like Lagwagon and Bad Religion. In college, Rico got me listening to a lot of the Chili Peppers, which turned me onto Flea’s punk/funk/rock style of bass. I’d say as a drum and bass rhythm section we are influenced by Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)
DAVE: At our core, this band is very much influenced by our home state of CA and its unique lifestyle. There is just something about this place... just look at its diversity in rock music alone –- everything from the Doors to Social Distortion.
RICO: The early years of ST started with us traveling between SLO, LA and San Diego quite a bit. There’s this one stretch of highway near Ventura where we’d always play Incubus’ “Morning View.” To this day, I still think of that album when driving there – College parties and the ocean. The four of us just like having a good time in whichever setting we find ourselves.
AAM: Early on much of your music centered on affairs of the heart but you have begun branching out into other topics. Why is that and is some of it from seeing what is not only going on in the US but the world?
DAVE: A lot of our early stuff did center on break-ups and that sort of thing. At that time I was a very self-centered individual. Growing and opening myself up to the pulse of life, gave me the chance to broaden my lyrical topics. I still believe that the most powerful and universal topics to write about are relationships, whether it is between lovers, friends, environmental, political, spiritual or cultural. For the new album I have hit on a number of these topics. The three songs that we’ve released for the upcoming album thus far touch on how human spirit instinctually fights to triumph in the face of adversity (Some Other Way), environmental consciousness (Steal the Sun), and the struggle with death to seize the moment (Fear).
AAM: In the next month you have a couple of shows coming up. They are in very different venues in the Los Angeles area. Where are they and when?
JERRY: We have a big show for us at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood on Friday, April 3rd. It's an early All-Ages show (9pm) where we are opening the night so a lot of our under 21 crowd will be able to come out. We also will be playing at Cal State Fullerton at noon on Wednesday, April 15th. It's Free and All-Ages. You can off course get more detail from our website (www.SilentTreatment.net).
AAM: You play a lot all over the West Coast. When did you start touring, where and will you be going back out this summer?
RICO: We started touring CA about two years ago by playing select cities where we already knew people and knew that we could pull more than just 15 people to a show. We made sure we had enough road material to put on a great show as well. We are now running a regular circuit up and down the West Coast from San Diego to Seattle. The tours have been increasingly successful. So we’ll continue that same route and add cities as we expand eastward.
STEVE: Before we started touring, we were just playing select shows in LA once or twice a month. Having the same group of friends come out to every show gets old. Young bands HAVE to start small and build themselves up gradually. So often bands only play in their city or town and never venture out of their comfort zone. We’re living proof that it may take leaving your hometown to gain a little notoriety. It’s a lot of work and a huge commitment but it pays off in the long run. Never quit!
JERRY: Learning a bunch of cover tunes helped us on the road. You wouldn’t believe how much of a crowd favorite “Sweet Child o’ Mine” is. The Australian Rugby Team once paid us $100 cash just to play that song. So we did. Then we got severely wasted
DAVE: We are so grateful to all of the friends and family that have helped along the way, from housing to feeding us -- beats sleeping in the van. Even though I usually do, the back seat is my nest.
AAM: So many bands are now promoting themselves on social networking sites like My Space and Facebook; where else do you think you could and should market yourselves so you reach the greatest fan base possible?
RICO: If there was an exact answer to this question, everyone would be doing it. I think that every band has to utilize the tools and resources they have available to them, just like in anything else. We are on everything from Facebook to Twitter and looking to expand as the platforms expand. The exciting thing is that there is always a new way to reach people and turn them on to our music. It really offers artists and bands an opportunity to reach people like never before. Bottom line, building your fan base takes a mixture of it all, but most importantly get yourselves out there and be personal.
AAM: What do you think of the Rock Scene right now and why do you think so many great bands are seemingly going unnoticed and unsigned?
STEVE: If there is a scene... then it's lying in a hospital bed with an IV attached – at least in LA that’s the way it seems. There are some really good unsigned bands out there, but unfortunately shows don't get put together with solid lineups. It seems that venues would rather get 8 bands on a bill not of similar style to make money off them in a pay-to-play format. Labels are backing off, they need to make money and are looking for a quick hit. No more developing an artist’s career. More than ever, today it feels like we are surrounded by rock mainstream one-hit wonders. Money has definitely blinded the rock scene, but in tough times for clubs and labels, who can blame them – it’s a Catch 22.
AAM: you’re My Space page has a listing of radio stations you can be heard on; what are they and how did you first begin to get radio play?
JERRY: We usually make it a point to drop-by college radio stations in the town we are performing and ask to interview. The DJ's most of the time is so laid-back and mellow that they are usually down to have you in. One time, we were in Klamath Falls, OR and the DJ at Oregon Institute of Technology took us out after a show to a B-class strip club where I think the girls were in training… they were in flip flops and stumbling all over the stage! But hey, we got free PBR tall cans out of the deal!
AAM: Your band is rather lucky in the sense that you have several. Can you let us know how you handle it and who they are?
DAVE: We have been fortunate to have picked up some great sponsorship over the years. As a rule we like to say we are all sponsors rather than individually connected to the companies we endorse. For all they gave to us we'd like to do a quick shout-out to our Sponsors for helping us wherever and whenever we need it: S4 Optics, Lost Enterprises, Clayton, and Buddha Amps in SF endorsements.
AAM: You had an amazing fan experience. What can you tell us about it?
DAVE: We once had a fan that was going through a tough break-up. He started drinking a lot after it happened and one night he put on his IPod, grabbed his car keys and began to head out the door. He got in his car and our song "Some Other Way" came through his ear-buds like an angel, he told us. He listened and something in his head clicked. He got out of his car, went upstairs and avoided the risk of killing himself and/or someone else. He said that "Some Other Way" changed his life and is so grateful that we wrote it.
RICK: When you hear stories like that, it makes every hardship of being in a band worth the struggle. Making a difference in not only our own lives, but in others, is why we do, what we do.
AAM: What is your ultimate goal for the band?
DAVE: Our ultimate goal as a band is to be content. As artists, it seems like we are never content with anything. I suppose we’re in a bit of a situation, huh?
STEVE: In all seriousness our short-term goals are to finish this album up, set up a solid tour schedule for the rest of summer through winter, and make as much noise as possible through Fans, Press and Industry.
JERRY: Eventually we’d like for this band to be able to support itself and its members sort of like a small business so we can continue doing what we love to do and not have to worry so much about money all the time.
RICO: If we could just spread our music and positively influence the lives of others while having a couple beers and laughs, we’re game.
AAM: You will be heading back into the studio to record a CD soon, when will that be and will it sound different from previous recordings?
JERRY: Ever since working with producer Kevin Churko, it has really made us step up our game on how a professional studio session is run. We hope this record will be far and above anything we’ve created thus far – sonically and musically.
DAVE: We've been in pre-production for a bit now and have been hashing out a lot of ideas. We just moved into a new lock-out to tighten the songs up for the studio. The sound is more concentrated and focused than previously released.
RICO: The new album will be released this summer and we’re working to capture the essence of our touring, shows, lifestyles, and musical influences. The only difference is we’ve grown as musicians and are better adapted to the recording studio environment.
