ENTERTAINMENT
From Issue #8
Faze Interview With:
THE CALLING
By Maya Chendke, 16
They are the California based quintet, founded by lead
singer, Alex Band, and guitarist, Aaron Kamin. As you probably
well know, they have skyrocketed into the radio stratosphere
with their first single and recently released "Adrienne",
but it took a lot to get them where they are now.
According to the Oxford dictionary, a 'calling' is an inwardly
felt call or summons; a vocation.
Says Alex of their calling, "I knew right away this is
what I was put on the planet to do." But turning your calling
into reality is not as easy as it seems - without support and
understanding it may seem next to impossible to get on the road
to "Wherever You Will Go." Upon being signed, Alex
remembers that, "I had to leave school [in grade 10] and
all my teachers said I was wasting my life. It never bothered
me though; my Dad did the same thing and became very successful.
I always had my parents' support."
"I always loved music, but I just didn't think that I was
up to slugging it out in bars and clubs for years - your typical
I got signed 10 years later story," explains Aaron of the
uncertainty of success. He was brought up to appreciate music,
but not to take it too seriously.
So how do you go from not taking it too seriously to being taken
very seriously? PERSISTENCE. It was essential in pursuing their
goal: they had a neighbour who was a record company exec. and
every morning they placed a demo tape in his mailbox - until
he finally took notice.
Alex and Aaron knew that dedication to a goal was essential
for success so one of their biggest problems in forming the
band was that many people their age did not share the same focus
and motivation. "Our drummer was like 58. We got old guys
in the band because my friends at school were either too stupid
or too busy and didn't want to dedicate serious time,"
Aaron recalls.
But their drive and determination paid off as they began the
process of recording Camino Palmero with new members Sean, Billy
and Nate. Sacrifices were made to reach their destiny as Aaron
left pre-med at UCLA and Alex left his friends behind.
So next time you feel those butterflies in your stomach, stop
and ponder if you've found your calling. Aaron knew it because
he felt "there was always some underlying real desire to
succeed." This underlying desire is what pushed them to
keep trying, to ignore the nay-sayers and pursue their calling.
