Ian Walsh

Wondering what I've been up to?

Wed, 04 May 2011 15:14:33 -0400

How did you guys all get together and eventually form Find Vienna?
Mark: We all started about 4 years ago as a three piece, consisting of Pat, Paul and myself (Mark). After multiple line up changes and constant shifting of members, we finally found the piece we had been searching for, in Ian Walsh last June. So we’ve really only been playing together in this current outfit for less than a year. We discovered a synergy that none of us had experienced before and the rest is pretty much history. What’s awesome is that each member really understands his role in the band, but everyone is a big part of composing and arranging songs, to coming up with merch ideas, promoting for shows, making videos…you name it. Every single person in this band busts his ass every day to make this thing happen.

Do you all have a specific role that you cover? One of you usually always works on booking shows, or merch, ect. Or is it a team effort for the most part?
Paul: I think for the most part we all do just about everything. I find myself handling the emails and booking shows, but every now and then Mark might go and take care of all of that instead.
Mark: The band is a team effort. In the end we all kind of have to help each other out.

You guys have such a unique sound, any certain influences you pull from when writing?
Patrick: Find Vienna tries to write songs that make us feel the same way our heros’ do. Not sure if that makes sense… So many times I find myself saying, “I wish I wrote that tune.” There is such a high pedestal for bands these days. There is no room for just good tunes. Every tune has to be something truly special. This band cycles through tunes the same way we cycle through bars. If a song seems half par, it doesn’t make the cut, it doesn’t even get a chance. Each member in the band has a voice. Every one always has something to say. If Paul, Mark or Ian, think an idea is lame they let me know.

As far as influences go, I would say we have a certain sound we focus on. It’s usually The Police or U2. However this band listens to everything. Bands like Radiohead, The National, Band of Horses, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, etc.. and they all rub off on us. It’s important to always listen to music. I pretty much owe every idea I ever came up with to something I have heard before. I think the rest of the guys would say the same.

There’s been a lot of talk about you guys being in the studio and getting some new stuff out there. How’s that been going?
Ian: Since last fall we have been sporadically in and out of the studio with different teams of people to put together our new songs. After many months of going back and forth from the musical drawing board, I can confidently say that all feelings about the new material are pretty positive. Especially because as a band and as writers we feel like we have grown a lot individually and together. Pat seems to be constantly spitting out these gorgeous tunes that are translating great in the band recording and writing process. It has certainly been a journey so far, which makes us that much more excited for everyone to hear what comes out of it.

Is there any set date or time frame when you expect to have some new material out?
Paul: Currently there isn’t. We have just been stock piling songs so when we do release something we can choose the best of the best. We are super stoked about what is coming out of the studio speakers that’s for damn sure.

You released your new song “Heartstrings” a few weeks ago. Have you guys been getting the response that you hoped you would?
Patrick: Heartstrings is a romantic song. It’s the type of song that screams red wine and candle lit dinners. It’s the one song this band has that really demonstrates the power of simplicity. I had a vision to write a song about the way I felt for someone. That feeling when you just keep wanting more and more. It was a challenge to write because I actually setup a mental wall. I was determined for once to settle for something simple and not allow myself to go beyond. So many times I try way too hard to be creative and unique. It’s a flaw of mine, to think that no melody is good enough. When I stumbled upon the three note melody in the hook it just seemed something special. I had the lyrics laid out in front of me and was dancing around my living room singing the hook. “My body needs the use of her heartstrings. My body needs the use her romance brings.”

When I showed the band the song they got the same idea. We were after something simple. Everyone’s parts aligned accordingly. I remember Mark playing the beat right away and knowing it was heading in the right direction. We just built it from there. Paul kept the bass on the roots, and Ian wrote a perfectly subtle sparkling part that complemented my vocals. At that point I remember having a really pop song that we were excited about. It’s tough for a band to deem the quality of a song, but we were set on keeping Heartstrings very pop. Our producer, Dustin Burnett, jumped right on board with the vision and pretty much nailed it right on the target.

It seems that people get the idea. It’s always hard to determine how our fan reaction will be to new material. Sometimes it keeps me up at night just wondering. However something about Heartstrings seems undeniable. It seems like the type of song that keeps our fans wanting more. It’s one of the most honest songs this band has written, and I think that is obvious.

Any up coming shows everyone should be looking forward too for this summer?
Paul: Its difficult coming out of the studio. We have been so focused on making the best songs possible. In order to do that, we need to put so much of our energy and time into those songs. As a result, you sort of come out of the studio lost and forgot that time has been moving on and that your fans miss seeing you perform. We are finally coming out of the writing/recording stage now. And in turn haven’t had a chance to focus to make a ton of plans for the summer.

However, we have one huge show that we booked a while back we will be headlining World Cafe Live Downstairs again on July 23rd. We are just starting to build the bill now. Hopefully, we’ll be able to add some friends that all of our fans will enjoy. Additionally, given the success of the last one in December (Sold out). We are confident that everyone is going to want to come see this one as well. We also need to make sure we overdo ourselves and make it better than last time, which we will. We have a few surprises up our sleeves!

Any fun pre-show/practice rituals?
Patrick: Usually a Guinness or so… and a prayer that goes like this.. “The Lord is my Sheppard, there is nothing I shall want.”

Mark: Before every show we get together in a huddle and sing the 23rd Psalm “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”. It all started because Pat and Paul’s dad would sing it when we ate dinner together before the me
al during the corresponding church season. As for how we started doing it…that’s a mystery.

So if you guys were to be endorsed by say, Guinness you’d have no complaints?
Ian: Well, Guinness is not only fruitful in it’s smooth, creamy taste and flavor, it is also the inspiration for almost everything we do. It is a beer for the bold and bold is a great one word description of how Find Vienna lives. So yeah, no complaints.

A great interview with Find Vienna.

Wed, 04 May 2011 15:13:02 -0400

A great interview with Find Vienna.

Hey that's me!

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:07:37 -0400

Hey that's me!

Be generous with a few minutes of your time to lighten up your...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:44:25 -0400

Be generous with a few minutes of your time to lighten up your day with this montage of classic romance scenes acting out the story line to Find Vienna’s Hearstrings. With literally millions upon millions of different forms of an even greater number of content out there, it is an arduous and discouraging path seldom taken to strive to be unique and original. Please help us get our music out there, because if not for your help and constant support, not only Find Vienna, but all of your favorite bands and artists could very easily be no more. (So I’m not assuming FV is your favorite band, i’m just saying.. you get the point.)

Paul and Patrick Mencel put this video together to highlight the story in which takes place within the song. This is one of many new songs that we have written and recorded over the last few months; this is only a taste of what’s to come! Stay tuned and remember to always support your favorite bands and artists!

ian

emdeee: Hello, it’s me.

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:31:41 -0400

emdeee:

Hello, it’s me.

So i decided to pull a fast one on my girlfriend and show off my...

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:39:15 -0500

So i decided to pull a fast one on my girlfriend and show off my aviation skills by getting a running start to attempt a jovial heel-click. As I jumped, i put all of my weight on my right arm to hoist myself up on her bed post to start the technique, but as i jumped, i quickly realized i missed the post and was twisting sideways in the air. I completely airborne, disoriented beyond return, and i landed with a huge crunch on my left shoulder onto to floor. Worst pain of life. Poor Melissa had to drive me to ER, both of us agreeing that it was the stupidest way to break your arm.

The first picture is the back of my shoulder and the second one is the inside of my arm. I was going to load up my Xrays, but they wouldn’t load up on my computer. Its a pretty clean and wide fracture of the top of my arm, where the arm meets the shoulder. There are even bone fragments littered down my arm. This is not an injury that can be casted, so i’ve had in a sling that is a pain in my ass. —And i now know what pain truly is.

Its such a bummer not being able to play guitar and it scares me how easily and quickly you can screw the next few months of your life up by being silly.

My Interview with STITCHED SOUND. READ IT!

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:05:01 -0400

Here is a cool interview that i did with this rad magazine called Stitched sound. I got really into it and would appreciate if you read the whole thing!

To get the full issue, go to http://stitchedsound.com/issues and click on the Chiodos Issue. Its all of your favorite scene bands……. and me. Whoopee.

IAN WALSH Interview by Cynthia Lam

Who were your biggest inspirations musically growing up?

Would you say that they have influenced your music style?

How?

There were so many people and bands that inspired me

throughout my years growing up and also my development into

a songwriter. Besides The Beatles, I would say that my Father,

who is a guitarist, was always the one keeping me interested in

music. He was always shedding wisdom and showing me right

from wrong when it came to taste.

What would you say makes you different from other artists

out there?

What (I hope) makes me different is that I’m always trying to

find different ways to pass emotion through a song. Most

artists know the formulas and the paths set by other artists and

stick to them, but where is the originality in that? I try to be

honest and take as many back roads as I can to get to the

same destination. Whether I am successful or not is up to the

listener, I guess.

Do you have to be in a specific mood, or place to write

music?

With each song comes a different mood and place. The only

constant setting is the fall. I love writing songs in the fall and I

like recording them even more. I know this might sound “emo”

to some, but I assure you I am NOT “emo”.

Looking back to three years ago would you expect to be

where you are now?

“Where I am now” is still in transit. I would love to be where

I want to be, but I’m not there yet. But the beauty is in

the journey. Three years ago I just graduated high

school and had no idea what I was doing, where I

was going, what I wanted, and that never

changed. The only major paradigm shift that

occurred was when I dropped out of Berklee

College of Music, decided to stop screwing

around, and really have a go at it. But to answer

the question: I totally had no idea!

What is your writing process for songs like?

Is there anything specific that seems to inspire

you lyrically?

My writing process is an ever-changing machine.

All of my songs came about in different ways, whether

it have been from all different situations or from different

instruments. Lyrically I try to be myself, which is difficult

sometimes. Half the time you start singing something and say

is this really me or am I just trying to sound smart and it is

making me sound stupid? Or Am I really going to want to sing

these lyrics for the rest of my life if this song is the big one?

When you are truly honest to yourself with your lyrics instead

of just telling people what you think they want to hear at that

specific time, you will get tired of it pretty quick. I try to stick

to the John Lennon method of “Just fucking say it” instead

of dancing around it.

Is there a message that you are trying to send through

music?

I have just recently begun to try out putting a message into my

music. My two newest songs “Are They Every Going To know”

and “Beyond Explanation” have very strong messages inside.

All positive things like not giving up on love or peace and

blowing off what others think about you. Its just what I was

feeling at the time though, I’m really not into preachy music.

What advice would you give to kids who are starting to take

their journey into the music industry?

My advice would be to have open arms to change. Your band

members will leave, new band members will join, your situation

will change, your look will change, your sound will change, and

your life will change. This is called growth and it is positive. Try

your best to keep your head up in one of the most

discouraging businesses of all and march ahead. Have real

lawyers read over anything before you sign it and make the

changes they suggest. Don’t wait for anyone else to do

anything, you should go out and get it done yourself. And also,

the pop-punk thing is way over done, stay away from that.

Every one of those bands does the EXACT same thing it

seems. If you sound anything like any other band out there,

scrap your ideas and start over. (it doesn’t matter if the girls like

you while you are singing your All Time Low cover, ATL already

has that down, find your own style and make it work)

Is there anything that you regret doing, and/or wish you

could turn back time doing?

I regret letting other people tell me to be somebody different and

me listening to them. That was an awful point in my life. There is

a difference between being unique and mediocre. Just because

the crowd doesn’t fully understand now doesn’t mean they

won’t ever. Keep your confidence and keep doing your thing.

What do you think is the most overrated thing in the

entertainment and/or music industry these days?

We live in a world of smoke and mirrors. Show biz is one

big illusion. It’s hard to decipher what’s real and what’s

not. Music has become so aided by technology that not

even people on the inside of things can truly tell who is

actually great or not. Some people are so shameless that

they take the obvious routes, but does that make them

overrated? This is a confusing issue to me. Being overrated

can really only apply to artists that truly take themselves

seriously. I just honestly can’t say that many

people can take themselves seriously

knowing all of the technological

crutches they use both in the studio

and on stage. If they do. well then

it’s the end of the world as we

know it. If I had to give an answer

I would say that most of today’s

artists are overrated by the

public. (this is only my opinion of

course)

What does music mean to

you?

Music is my meaning of life. I

was made for this. Corny, but

true!

Do you have any plans for

the future?

I plan to release a bunch

of songs from my solo

career over the course of

the year and my band Find

Vienna will also be chugging

along. I’m excited for what

is to come.

Here it is! The cover to my new single “Are they ever...

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:50:56 -0400

Here it is! The cover to my new single “Are they ever gonna know?” coming out within the week. The design is by my friend at Chan Tran Designs. I’m not sure why i picked the picture, but it looked very natural.. even though i was trying to shoo my dog lulu out of the photoshoot. Details for the release will be posted tomorrow. Please spread the word!

Catch up on your reading: Find Vienna

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:27:09 -0400

Catch up on your reading: Find Vienna

If garage rock and more importantly early 60’s pop (such...

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:20:26 -0400

If garage rock and more importantly early 60’s pop (such as the Beatles) tickles your fancy, then you will love some of Japan’s late 60’s Beatles imitators. The guitar playing is twangy, the suits are all matching, the coiff’s are shaggy, and it’s all that you love about pop rock’n’roll from the early 1960’s, except it’s all in Japanese.

It’s always interesting to see another country’s take on the popular styles and trends of your own, or in this case, Europe’s. Although When the Tigers were debuting their hit Seaside Bound, The Beatles were either about to or just had released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Japan may have been ahead of Europe in technology at the time, but goddamnit if Europe wasn’t ahead of everyone else with musical nirvana.

In the two pictures we see the Tigers debut and an early picture of The Spyders. The Songs of both bands are so close to tunes from Please Please Me, that it seems that the Japanese Record industry took the same songs but had the local pop stars of the time sing different melodies in their native language over top. Now that’s a song we can all sing and dance to! —-Thats what people do today! On the radio, in each genre there are probably really only 3 different songs. But people just keep singing slightly different melodies over slight (and i mean really only slight) variations of the three. With (only sometimes) different lyrics. *Earth to consumer*

But if you love foreign novelties, check it out. The music is really rad!

Ian

The Tigers’ hit single in Japan, Seaside Bound. Kind of...

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:02:48 -0400

The Tigers’ hit single in Japan, Seaside Bound. Kind of Reminiscent of the Beatles early appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Here we have The Tigers’ Beautiful Concert. Some of the...

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:59:34 -0400

Here we have The Tigers’ Beautiful Concert. Some of the songs sound so similar to early Beatles tunes that It makes me think that this was just the Japanese shameless imitation of the Liverpool Lads. Make sure to see the scene where the camera crew manages to find the one young girl who doesn’t seem that amused. The guitar playing is great in the end.

Santana sucks. Listen to the enlightened one.

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:01:52 -0400

Santana sucks.

Listen to the enlightened one.

“Everyday I write the book” - Elvis...

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:04:54 -0400

“Everyday I write the book”

- Elvis Costello

(Thats a real one by the way. It’s way older than i am and was purchased and personally brought overseas from its native lands of Europe. Hint: put it on the Brilliant channel, crank it, and plug it straight into a Strat or a Gretsch)

Check out my band Find Vienna’s first EP “In your...

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:57:33 -0400

Check out my band Find Vienna’s first EP “In your favorite colors”

Although I wasn’t in the band when they recorded this, I am very honored and proud to be part of the band that is out representing this record. It captures an atmosphere I haven’t really heard much of before. If you dig my solo records i promise that you will dig this even more! Go to the link http://www.purevolume.com/FindVienna and be sure to download two of the records shining tracks Chemistry and City of Flowers for free. Don’t think, just do.

ian

Okay, so i know i have only two posts from months ago saying...

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 15:33:33 -0400

Okay, so i know i have only two posts from months ago saying that i would utilize my blog more, but this is finally going to happen now. My trusty side-kick and also my good buddy Tim use this site to it’s fullest potential and they make it look a lot more exciting and interesting than facebook.

Just wanted to put out there that i have two brand new solo songs coming out within the next month or so. I need you all to spread the word! Recently I got some pictures taken by a good buddy Greg Styer and I’ve been going back and forth with a local Philadelphian record designer building the artwork for this A & B side litte number and when i finally get the single cover finalized, i will put it up on my blog for you to lover or hate.

There has also been talk about a possible reunion show in the Connecticut area. But even though there is the will to do so within the band members, it will be a strange subject between all of the line ups i’ve had playing with me. There are certain line-ups that most likely won’t work.. I know it seems stupid to the fans, but there really is a good reason why some bands stop playing together. But with that said, I was excited about the idea.. so i’ll let you know if any progress is made!

Please spread the word about the two new songs and also check out this rad 80’s flick Rock’n’roll Nightmare in the picture above. It’s a rare gem.

ian

The "Bring Me Home" tour 2010

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:32:00 -0400

I am completely determined to start using my blog to it’s fullest extent from now on. I have slacked so hard for the last few months! This is only my second post..

WELL, this week has felt like a dream. Spring has sprung (fingers crossed), and it almost feels the same as it did last summer when i was getting ready to go on my first tour (The End of the World as we know it tour 2009). I am so excited to be out on tour with the first tour package i ever went out on the road with. It almost feels like time travel or something crazy like that! The only difference is that with the departure of my good friends and band mates Wiley Esten, Jamie Orlando, and Cam Tyler, I have added two new guys for this tour whom were previously in a band called The Morning Light. And of course i have my man Jesse Devine rocking on the bass.

I can’t believe i’m working with these guys! I have known about The Morning Light for years now, and it is both an honor and a dream come true to have Nick Baxter on drums and Bobby Garver on guitar. The songs are sounding better than ever!

I will be posting dates on my tumblr soon, so i hope you will come out and support Sparks The Rescue, The Morning Of, We Are the Incrowd, and us on the Bring Me Home tour that starts tomorrow in New Jersey!

Please feel free to hit me up on facebook or twitter with any questions about dates or anything in general. I promise my blog page will get a LOT for interesting as of now!

peace & love, for always and forever

ian

Hi.

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:40:55 -0500

So, i’m still trying to figure out how to use this tumblr nonsense, but i thought i might start blogging instead of having to stick within the 140 character on twitter.

If you don’t know who I am, my name is Ian Walsh, and i play music. I play with a band behind me and tour the country playing for lots of fans and have a lot of good times.

I just recently played the Jingle My Bells festival in Hartford, Connecticut with A Rocket to the Moon, Hit the Lights, NeverShoutNever, Valencia, Stereo Skyline, Sparks the Rescue, The Bigger Lights, and Weatherstar (Just to name a few) and it was a blast.. I was truly impressed by Christopher Drew and is act (NeverShoutNever). He held the entire room with positive vibes and for once, well (self) written unique music. I hope to work with him again in the future. I love playing in Connecticut .. So many of the best people live there. I hope to see you soon.

To conclude my first post, Happy Holidays everyone.

love, Ian Walsh