Mindsight consist of:

Aaron Graunke a.k.a. “The Golden boy”– lyrics/vocals/artwork

Brian weathers a.k.a. “B” – drums/public relations

Tony Biseglie a.k.a. “The Maestro” – percussion/keys/booking

Danni Schaper a.k.a. “Billy”– guitar/promotions

Marquette Fricot a.k.a. “Q” – bass/mediator

Angel: What type of success did you already have as a band to begin opening for major acts? How did it feel the first time you did open for top bands?

Mindsight: I think that’s the point where you notice where people like to place you.  When you start opening for national acts.  They start asking what you sound like and try placing you in a category.  Receiving the opportunity to play with these bands came from knocking on a lot of doors.  Tony books most of our shows and he did in the past with his other bands.  So a lot of the leg work was done prior to me joining.  We started opening up for P.O.D. and Soulfly within a few months after the band was formed.  Passing out demos we recorded on the weekends began to really work in our favor.  We played tons of shows and built a lot of live experience.  Local bands began working together with us and the scene became stronger.  The live demos and studio ep’s began to work in our favor.  Radio play, parties, and the MySpace generation, helped to get Mindsight into the ears of Chicago.  We received a few more shows with national acts…we played with Dark New Day, the Funk Junkies, and Powerman 5000.  Then we hit the Jagermeister Music Tour with Staind, 3 days grace, and hurt.  Getting that show was by pure luck, right place, at the right time.  One of our friends happened to run into Staind, handed them a demo and exchanged contacts.  We were already sponsored by Jagermeister at that point.  It was just a matter of time for the stars to align.  I started to see where we belonged, but also wanted to dig deeper into the roots of our souls.  Doing acoustic unplugged shows in a sweaty Mexican restaurant and planning our indie tour to Hollywood made us see our diversity in what we could do and where we could play.  That’s when we really started meshing together as a band.  A lot of the writing began after the tour.  The writing, the comfort zones, and the brotherhood mentality was strong and tested often.  I think everyone needs to find that something that keeps them evolving in a positive direction.  Mindsight is just that, we have so many influences and so many strong opinions about what keeps our blood pumping.  We are a democracy when we write.  Trying to express your ideas to a table with 4 others can be challenging, but the head butting to hammer out songs didn’t exist.  It just came easy, like it was already in existence and we just had to find it from our mind, through our body, and out to you.  When you can express that to others, see that people embrace it, and know you’re playing on a platform with bands of professional caliber…it makes you feel like this could go somewhere.  It gives you faith in the unknown, and hope in the mysterious.  I started this because it was an escape from my everyday life.  No feeling can take the place of playing live in front of a packed house.  So when we play, it feels so surreal at every moment.  It always goes by so fast, so much work up till then, and then bang! It’s gone!  We are on to the next fix.  Like Bob Marley says, “One good thing about music is when it hits you -- you feel no pain.” 

Angel: What is in store for Mindsight this year?

Mindsight:Anything and everything!  First and foremost our first full-length studio album will be released this year (see answer to question #4 for more album information).  We have a new website that is sexy as hell! (www.mindsightmusic.com) 

We have a few big shows coming up.  Jagermeister Music Tour @ the HOB and back at the Metro with one of our favorite bands ever STATE RADIO (see tour dates below).  We have focused our touring more regionally than ever before.  Playing in our surrounding states has become really important to us, especially when we notice people starving for music.  So, we are booking a lot more out of state shows.  So eat up!

Angel: What are your expectations for the release of your first full length album?

Mindsight: We have spent a lot of time, money, and hard work on this.  It’s like a first born child—still nameless though!  So with that being said, we are not holding anything back.  We have songs on the new album that will be soft, lost, subtle, and dizzy.  We also have some of the heaviest material we have ever wrote.  Its dark, it's murky, it’s vivid, and it’s the persecution of life.  It definitely capitalizes on our demons.  Exposing the tip of the horns that supports the halo above, and reveals our guardian.  We wanted a balance of dynamics and song styles.  Lyrical content stretches real life into the unknown.  The songs as a whole are a book, singling them out would make them chapters then.  There is a surprise ending, but the real order is found in the artwork packed in the CD liner notes.  Underlying messages, hidden doorways, Gregorian chants, falsetto swooning, warlock time signatures, funeral symphonies, and above and beyond anything we have ever created.  It a labyrinth of music that keeps you lost.  Stay tune for its release.

Angel: Additional Comments?

Mindsight: Hi mom!

www.mindsightmusic.com