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www.stemm.net
Joe
Cafarella: Guitar/Vocals
Angel:
How was
the collaboration with Mark
Hunter arranged? What was it
like working with him?
STEMM:
We've known the Chimaira guys
for years now and have always
supported them. They are
one of the hardest working bands
out there!! We recorded our
first demo at Spider Studios in
Strongsville, OH (Chimaira's
hometown) and approached Mark
about the idea. He adds a
dark guest vocal in our song "13
Years". He came right in and had
ideas ready to go and pretty
much nailed what we were looking
for in the song right away. Chimaira has
said this in an interview and it
sums it up pretty well.
"We
got signed by bands helping us
out so we believe that it's only
right to do the same"
Angel:
What type
of band promotion has worked for
you the most?
STEMM:
TALKING to your fans....TALKING
to other bands...getting out
there in the crowd and listening
to the stories people want to
tell you and making friends.
We've always worked hard to make
real connections with our fans.
And they are DIE HARD! (Check
out our STEMM tattoo collection
on
www.myspace.com/stemmstreetteam)
Of course, the Internet has
given lots of power to bands.
There's a lot of great sites and
tools for independent bands to
use out there...you just have to
be willing to spend the time
researching and applying what
you find.
Angel:
Of all the bands you have shared
a stage with, who was the most
memorable?
STEMM:
Performance wise...we recently
opened for Stone Sour on the
Jager Music Tour in front of a
sold out crowd! The crowd
was so amazing and were starting
waves of people chanting
"STEMM...STEMM" over and over
again. It was AWESOME!
As far as most memorable show,
though...we had the privilege of
opening for Damage Plan on Dec
7th 2004. It was the first
time any of us had gotten to
share the stage with Dimebag or
Vinnie so it was a great night
even before it started!
Dime came in and watched the set
from the side and was rockin'
out and playing air guitar. This
story is a whole interview in
itself, really. Obviously our
"HIGH" from that night came
crashing down (with the rest of
the metal world) the next
day....but it was a show none of
us will ever forget and we were
SO LUCKY to have that
opportunity.
Angel:
What do you hope to see in
Stemm's future?
STEMM:
I
think all of just really want to
be able to say or "day job" is
MUSIC and spend our lives making
music and touring. Any
success that comes after that is
a bonus!
Angel:
What has
made you so successful?
STEMM:
Hours and hours or relentless
work!! It really does take
it's toll on family life and
friendships...but you have to
stay focused and be willing to
do what it takes to move just an
inch further to your goal.
Everyone is extremely dedicated
to the band and the music and it
really is the center of all of
our lives. There's no
other way, really. We're always
open minded and learn as much as
we can from bands that we admire
and who are successful
themselves. Bands such as
CHIMAIRA have been amazing to us
and shared advice and given us
opportunities to tour and gain
exposure. (GO BUY THEIR NEW DISC
"Resurrection" !!!
www.chimaira.com
)
We also keep ourselves
humble...which is something many
bands forget over time, I think.
Some bands sell a few records
and then are too busy to come
off of their bus to shake hands
and sign autographs. Take
Dimebag, for example. If ANYONE
could claim "Rockstar" status
and hide away on his bus it
would be him! But yet he
made it a point to come out and
watch the set of a "baby band"
like us. (and many others) You
have to remember it's the FANS
that provide you with the
lifestyle you get to live while
touring, etc. and you're no
better than anyone...you just
get to hop on stage for 45
minutes a night and do what you
love to do.
Additional Comments?
We have to mention the Ultimate
Fighting Championship. Our
song "Face The Pain" is the
theme/intro music for the UFC
and they use our music
throughout all of their pay per
view events as well. With
the popularity of Mixed Martial
Arts growing so fast right now
we have gotten a lot of exposure
and gained so many fans all over
the world thanks to them!!
STEMM is also the Official Voice
of "The Fight Network" in
Toronto Canada. They are
huge supporters of the band and
it ties in really well with The
UFC fans we have.
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