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MESSAGES is a four-piece modern metal band from San Diego, California, featuring guitarists Andrew Allaband and Chris Bullock, bassist Reigh Harrison, and lead vocalist Crystal Kennedy. While a fairly new band, the members have known each other as far back as middle school. Having been intertwined in musical projects in some form for the last 20 years, the group finally joined forces in May of 2023. The band is currently finishing their debut EP, set for a Fall 2024 release.
In this interview, the band opens up about their roots, creative process, and the messages they hope to convey through their music.
Where do you come from?
Chris: all four of us were born and raised in San Diego County, but Andrew, Reigh, and Crystal all have known each other since middle school. I didn’t enter the fray until my junior year of high school in Escondido. I first met Reigh, then Crystal and Andrew. Our first foray into music was, funny enough, a Christmas recital. Crystal and I paired together to write our own original Christmas song, then months later, I had formed my own band, which Reigh and Andrew were a part of. After my most recent band went belly up, I started writing music for what is now MESSAGES, and reached out to Crystal first, then Andrew. Not too long after, Reigh came by the house to listen to some demos, and that was that.
Tell us about one of your tracks
Chris: so, “Ashes” kind of came together by a happy accident. I’ve always been a fan of industrial metal like Static-X, Sevendust, etc. and I had wanted to experiment with adding keys and dance influences into my music. I programmed the drums, and demoed the guitar and bass tracks in literally 3 hours, then I brought it to rehearsal and showed the band. It was Andrew, Crystal, and Reigh that made the call for this to be our debut, and honestly, so far, they were right. The lyrics were the most interesting. I listen to a lot of Bob Marley and the Wailers, and one day, I was watching the sunset with my daughter, and the opening line popped in my head – “as the earth stops, and its spirits grows weak, the sun begins its final sleep as his daughter weeps.” The idea that we owe it to the next generation to leave the world better than we inherited it.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Reigh: Music has helped me through some of the darkest, most emotional periods of my life. It has lifted my spirits, raised my creativity and been a positive outlet for me. I’ve discovered so many different artists by just spending time with friends and it’s nice to be able to introduce them to bands they may not know as well. Being at shows, surrounded by people you don’t know, singing along to your favorite band at the top of your lungs is such an amazing feeling. It’s hard not to feel passionate about it.
What is it you would like people to do while listening to your song?
Andrew: Our goal is to present messages to our fans as our name suggests. Listen
to the music and feel the lyrics, the breakdowns, the passion of that message.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Andrew: Being able to take what you’re feeling and translating it to a language
anyone can understand. Even without words, you can get the driving message
from the music alone. The notes are all the same, but how you use them in
coordination with each other can still deliver a message.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
Crystal: Ourselves. We are so critical of putting our best foot forward. As artists, We try to perfect our sound & attitude to make sure fans have the best experience. We are just here to physically manifest the thoughts in our heads. Sometimes things work out better then planned. We all were in high school music together so we can be very open & frankly too honest with each other, which can be a good & bad thing, lol. IYKYK
What colour(s) would your music be like for people who suffer from synesthesia?
the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body like seeing colors for sound or words
Crystal: All the colors. We hope to bring an experience that is a one of a kind, with a wide range of colors & emotions. My take on our vibe can range from the absence of color to vivid yellow, green, pinks & reds. If you have synesthesia, let us know what colors, shapes, letters, etc. come to mind. We’d love to meet you! First fan to let us know, we will update our answer…
If you had to write a theme song for a movie, which movie would that
be?
Andrew: I think with the basis being messages, I would like to do a song for a
Superhero movie. There are a couple of our songs that may fit into that genre,
but we wouldn’t turn down the idea of writing a new one.
Would your music sounds the same 10 years ago? Or the 20 years older you? What would he change to it?
Chris: this was one of the hardest questions I’ve ever encountered, only because I’ve had this conversation before with the band about maybe rewriting some of the older material we wrote together to fit our current taste. And truthfully, I don’t think we would’ve been capable of writing “Ashes” 20 years ago when we first formed GTO. We weren’t anywhere near as confident or willing to take risks. Back then, our goal was to make it out of Escondido and make music our careers. Obviously, over time, things have changed: two of us are married with kids, all of us have full-time careers. So for us, MESSAGES is strictly for the love of the game. And because of that, it gives us greater freedom to try new things we wouldn’t have done in our teens.
Connect with MESSAGES via
IG: @wearemessages
FB: wearemessages
YouTube: WeAreMESSAGESOfficial
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