After a couple trial and errors, lead vocalists Dennis Lee and Shaun Milke formed Alesana (pronounced Alice-Anna) in Baltimore, Maryland during the spring of 2004. “We lived on a street named Alice Anna and it just fit,” says Milke. But after not finding the solid mixture of sound in Maryland, Lee and Milke moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where they found the talents of Patrick Thompson (guitar), Adam, Fergason (guitar), Shane Crump (bass) and Jeremy Bryan (drums). “We decided to officially make the band Alesana on Halloween 2004, while I was in a pink too-too, dressed as a fairy princess,” recalls Lee. “That’s when I knew this would be a great time,” says Milke.
Two years down the road, their first album On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax was released and known for its hardcore and aggressive feel. With two opposite pitches of both lead vocalists Lee and Milke, accompanied with the fast paced nature of the album, Alesana’s popularity grew rapidly on Myspace. “It is a Catch-22 situation,” says Milke. “Without Myspace, we wouldn’t be so popular but it is watering down genres of music. It gives everyone an opportunity to make music if you have a Mac computer and Myspace account; but Myspace isn’t the primary reason we are successful.” Dennis follows up with, “Myspace has changed the face of the music industry. The primary reason is we can connect on a more personal level with our fans. And for that, we love Myspace.”
Both guys recall that it is awesome to see such a huge fan base and is extremely apparent at the live shows. “We have been on tour for about three years and we have seen it all,” says Milke. “We have played roller rinks, bowling alleys, on top of skyscrapers, driving ranges and yes, even the Chicago Metro, but it doesn’t matter where we play. As long as there are kids there, that’s all that matters. We play for them.” Lee laughs and says, “Actually on this tour, we have played a small mall in Mexico. We do it all and our next goal is to play on a rocket ship.”
It would seem after three years on the road, the lives of Alesana consist of being on tour. But surprisingly homesickness isn’t a problem. “Instead of getting homesick, we get road-sick now,” says Milke. “I’ll get a phone call from this kid [Lee]after two weeks of being home, saying ‘I’m ready to go back on tour.’
Lee says, “We could have real jobs, work the 9-5 but instead we are on tour. It’s amazing. It is really the most rewarding job ever because the kids understand and appreciate what we are writing about.” Milke recalls that just the other night, their fans were chanting their names to come back on stage and he turned to their guitar tech and said, “This never gets old.” Lee says, “I get to play videogames during the day and rock kids at night; that’s my job, not a lot of people can say that.”
From their first album to their new release of their second album this summer (June 3rd), Alesana has grown into heavy hitters in the emo-popular world but still keeps their humble pie at the table. “We really are a different group of guys than a lot of bands,” says Milke, “We never take this for granted, ever. And all of us have such a high appreciation for what we do every day.”
The boys of Alesana keep a philosophy in mind everytime they play. “Our motto is postitive-mental-attitude, PMA. And we have a chant out before every show.” Lee says, “We are constantly reminding ourselves how lucky we are to be here, to be in this moment.” But the cohesiveness of the band is not only in their beliefs, but in their style. “We intentionally have the same color hair and dress the same for shows,” says Milke. “Unity is key, we are not just six guys that are playing together; we are one band.” He goes on to say, “Hey, it worked for the Beatles, we might as well give it a try.”
After headlining their first world tour this spring, Alesana will be jumping from tour to tour again. For the second year in a row, Alesana will be featured on Smart Punk stage at the Van Warped Tour this summer. Known for their crazy and over-the-top performances, fans and people alike will enjoy their intense and unique presentation that sets them apart from other bands featured. “Play until you puke is another motto we have,” says Milke. “We have a lot of emphasis on our live shows and we never let up.” Lee says, “Kids don’t go to a show to hear the album; they go to the show to get rocked.”
“I think the reason why we are headlining Warped Tour this summer is because people enjoy our different use of instrumentation; we could have ridiculous break-downs of metal riffs followed by bubble gum pop parts,” says Milke. “And obviously our different style has paid off.”
But one primary factor that sets Alesana apart from other bands in their genre is the vocal structure. “I have a hardcore metal background and sing/scream super low,” says Lee. “But then you have pop-punk Milke with his high pretty singing voice. Honestly, it is a nice contrary.” Milke says, “You really don’t hear that in any other bands.”
Successful because of their memorable wardrobe and style would be an understatement; Successful because their wholesome and unique approach to their lives and careers would be the correct way to classify hardcore band Alesana.
|
Written by Guest on 2008-05-04 20:09:32
 YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!! |
Written by Guest on 2008-05-09 05:06:04
majorly hot band and the music rocks |
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
