|
Wounded Soul desires to create a new sound, a blend of hard edgy rock with progressive attributes. They include worldly textures such as tribal beats, Arabic tones, spiritual lyrics, and pound for pound explosive, pumping, head-banging music. Wounded Soul launched onto the NC music scene - doing open mics, benefits, and opening gigs to get their music out. Wounded Soul has since become one of the hottest new bands in North Carolina. Their heavy progressive sound can be linked to influences of Evanescence, Tool, P.O.D, Korn, and ethnic meditational textures. Maria's powerful voice carries a spirit that cannot be ignored. Their adrenaline-pumping shows, stage and audience interaction, high energy sound, and all around presence provide awesome experiences for those who share their love for the music. Working with Grammy nominated Producer John Custer, Wounded Soul is now ready to be unleashed! Wounded Soul is out to make this genre of music be heard! LOUD 'n CLEAR! We hear ya here at BurnJam.Com, And we DIGG IT! Congrats to Wounded Soul ... BurnJam Artist of the Month! We got to ask the band a few questions and here is what they had to say! Q:Where is WOUNDED SOUL from?
A: We are based out of Raleigh, NC
Q: How long has WOUNDED SOUL been together?
A: Since September 2003
Q. How many members are in WOUNDED SOUL? Names? Instruments?
A: Maria Ward- vocals
David Shek- drums
Jason Johns- rhythm guitar
Wyatt Parrish- lead guitar
Doug Hamel- bass guitar
Q: What is the age range of the band members?
A:Maria Ward- 29
David Shek- 31
Jason Johns- 33
Wyatt Parrish- 16
Doug Hamel- 35
Q: Why the Name WOUNDED SOUL? How did you come up with that name?
A: Maria came up with several names starting out. Wounded Soul happened to be one of them that wasn't taken by another band, or registered at least. Maria, like so many others, had one hell of a life, facing struggles and turmoil just to exist. Instead of using these experiences as excuses for weakness or failure, she in turn used them to brighten her future, better her understanding, and gain knowledge and wisdom from them. Referring to the lyrics in our song "One", "though our bodies may be broken, our vengeance won't be unspoken", Maria believes strongly that although our souls and hearts may have been wounded, that does not mean that we are weak or powerless. In fact, Maria is often a person to remind those facing strife to take control of their own emotions and life and to realize their own potential to create their own destinies and lives. Wounded Soul represents to the whole band what it is to rise out of the depth of pain, stand, and reclaim the universal power that is inside all of us.
Q: What (if any) is the message behind WOUNDED SOUL’s lyrics?
A: Each song has its own message. There are many songs that are not recorded yet that differ greatly from the ones on the EP. All of Wounded Soul's lyrics can be read on our lyric page at www.woundedsoul.com. I will say that all of our songs are based on true life experiences with no exaggeration or fluff. Maria has lived through her lyrics and has always been a narrative writer. Payback, for example, was written during a horrendous parting with an ex. She wrote that song during a smoke break, sitting on the front steps of our band space at practice one day. She may not still hold that grudge, but she still feels the truth in those emotions that rang out so loud that day. So the message? Truth, respect, power.
Q: Who are your biggest influences?
A: All of us grew up listening to different bands and singers. Maria's greatest influence as a performer is her mother. She taught Maria to sing and perform from a very young age. There are so many influences to name that it's tough to even begin. David and Wyatt are huge fans of progressive rock and metal, such artists as Dream Theater and Queensryche. Doug counts Steve Harris and Geezer Butler as two of his biggest influences, and Jason tends toward the heavier side of things like Opeth and even ranging back to old Moody Blues.
Wounded Soul as a band, however, desires to bring worldly tones and beats to the power that is hard rock with the talent of an actual singer and performer. We pride ourselves on being even better live than we are on our CD. We want to bring the entire world into our music in many different ways. Influences? Our past, present, and dreams of what could be.
Q: What is some of your favorite art, books (please include authors), & movies, if any?
A: WOW How long of an article is this going to be?.. haha
Q: When will WOUNDED SOUL be touring? Is there an American tour planned?
A: Unfortunately we do not have the financial backing to tour currently, but we are working on it. We have some scheduled dates across the east coast for 2008 with some great festivals later this year in New Orleans. Most likely when we do tour we will start with a European tour due to the fan support and response...but hey we're game for anything!
Q: In general, what has WOUNDED SOUL been up to lately?
A: Writing, Writing, Writing and booking. We're working on new photos and recording some more. We've had a couple of magazine spots recently and are working off of that momentum to really pull things together.
Q: What do you think of BurnJam.Com and the offerings to the artists? What’s your favorite BurnJam.Com feature? ;)
A: We think it's great! There are so few quality websites out there devoted to unsigned artists and local talent. BurnJam.com's best feature is that it's free and gives the ability to network with other musicians and fans, and fully customize your own band's page.
Q: How do you categorize WOUNDED SOUL’s sound ?
A: A mixture of hard in-your-face rock, honest lyrics, spiritual overtones and ethnic accents. thats about as close as I can get...
Q: Any WOUNDED SOUL members from other bands, or currently working on other projects?
A: Our Lead Guitarist Wyatt is a prodigy child. At just 16, his talent is unbelievable! He plays around locally with a cover band as well as filling in as a lead player for highly respected local musicians. We support him completely to help him gain the experience he needs, and the exposure he deserves.
Q: Any plans for the next CD yet, or are you still working on supporting the current release?
A: We are absolutely getting ready to record a new CD. We have been writing as well as bringing in some of our favorite songs that haven't been recorded yet. We are looking into artwork and photography for the album and marketing options, of course.
Q: Besides WOUNDED SOUL, what are the various band members into when not, touring, rehearsing, recording music?
A: Wyatt goes to high school and plays guitar, that's his life and he loves it. Jason, Maria, and David all work in the IT field by day. Jason is a ref for the Carolina Roller Girls and has a blast doing that. David is a gamer and is highly anticipating the release of Rock Band for PS3. Maria is a crossword puzzle freak and enjoys dabbling in photography. She loves experimenting with cooking, sitting out on the back porch under the stars, and chatting with good friends. Doug is our Terminator, and loves playing with his dogs and riding his Harley.
Q: How would you describe a WOUNDED SOUL fan?
A: Our typical fan is any hard rock or metal fan who loves great headbanging music and a hot chick lead singer who can sing her **** off.
Q: Any big shows or events around the corner?
A: We will be opening for a national act coming through Raleigh Nov. 16th at the Lincoln Theatre. The contract is not yet signed so we can't release the name of the national act, but we'll announce it as soon as we can. Should be in the next few days.
Q: Can your fans pick up WOUNDED SOUL merchandise and where?
A: Yes! Our CD can be purchased through cdbaby.com. Our individual tracks can be downloaded from sites like Digstation, iTunes, Napster, and Rhapsody, or downloaded as ringtones through Verizon, Sprint, and most other cell providers. Our stickers and shirts can only be purchased at shows currently, but we're working on that too!
Q: What can WOUNDED SOUL fans do to help promote the band?
A: WORD OF MOUTH, talk about us, refer us, bring their friends out to shows, call the radio stations and request out music!
Q: What is your opinion on the current state of the world? (terror, the war in Iraq, and so on…)
A: Oh hell, wow better not go there...There's 5 of us in this band and you'd probably get 5 different answers!
Q: Anything I left out that you want to say?
A: "Never underestimate the power of the short!" -Maria Ward
|
