Hey guys! Time for another interview. This time I was lucky enough to interview US duo: Reasons Be. I love their music and on this interview you will fall in love with their personality! They talk about their inspirations and shared they would love to work with Kelly Clarkson, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, among others!!  Also  R.E.L. doesn't own an iPod! Who's buying him one? :P Just want to thank them again for being available for this interview!

First of all just want to say I LOVE your EP, Hands Up! What was your inspiration to write these amazing tracks? And how was the writing process?

Scotty: Thanks so much!  Each song had a different inspiration.  From love to loss, to the ups and downs of individuals and society; though the passion of a message, fulfilling our love of music, and making people happy through our art is the core of our inspiration. 

The writing process was a blast!  R.E.L and I work quickly and well together.  I usually put my efforts towards the lyrics and melody and he creates the musical blueprints.  We critique each other’s ideas and performances until we are both happy with the final product and we’re very open to one another’s opinions and ideas.  We find that the collaborative outcome is far better than one head and one opinion. 

What song means the most to you?

R.E.L.:  I would say “Carry Me Home.” I began writing the idea for it while traveling in South America with my Fiancé (now wife). I remember playing the guitar riff over and over and singing one of the main lyrical phrases. When I got back to the US, Scotty and I sat down and he locked into the vision fantastically. In fact, the song has gone through some major transformations and actually has a previously unreleased version, though the core of it has stayed the same.

Scotty: “Voice of Mount Mary.”  It is written for my Grandma, Laverne, who recently passed away.  Lyrically, I wrote the song from the perspective of my Uncle Jim, who dedicated his life to caring for his parents.  The relationship that he had with my Grandma is unlike any I’ve ever seen.  It really is the definition of true love, and with such emotion and meaning pouring into this song, we feel very fortunate to have such a great dedication to such an amazing woman.  This song exemplifies love and loss.  It touches my heart and touches the hearts of anyone who is lucky enough to have or have had a “Laverne” in their life.

How was it working with Lee Miles? Are you going to work with him again?

R.E.L.: Lee is awesome. While he is a very interesting character, his talent is undeniable. He would be my first choice when we go back in the studio. I think what I liked the most was his patience when we would turn down ideas that he may have been completely sold on but we didn’t like – His ability to listen to what we wanted made life real easy in the studio.

Scotty: Lee is AMAZING!!  We feel lucky to have this opportunity to work with such an accomplished and talented producer.  He brings a lot of creative genius to the table, but always “reserves the right to be wrong.”  He doesn’t have an ego that gets in the way of collaborative creativity, and behind the scenes he is very patient.  He gets great performances out of his artists by making them feel comfortable and confident.  YES, we will be working with Lee again as soon as we can.

What artists influenced you the most to pursue a music career and to adopt this style of music?

R.E.L.: My number one guy is Mr. Dave Matthews. My guitar playing is the way it is because of his music. I even remember being so fascinated by “Tripping Billies” that I spent an entire day just practicing that one song until I nailed it.

Honorable mentions are John Mayer and Jason Mraz. With those two it was about the vocal ability and pop progressions while still sounding different… But everything started with DMB.

Scotty: Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Simon and Garfunkel, Coldplay, and countless other bands that we’ve each listened to our whole lives that have made influences on our styles and musical soul even on an unconscious level.

With whom would you love to work with and why?             

R.E.L.: Give me Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat (not together and in no particular order). I love pop and I love people who can, effortlessly, do things that I wish I could do. Plus, these three people actually represent people I honestly believe I could collaborate with – for example, if he were still alive, Michael Jackson would be a really tempting option (being the king of pop and all) but I don’t think I would be a good fit for him, whereas the three mentioned above would be much closer stylistically to me.

Scotty: If I could work with anybody it would be Bob Marley.  He is my favorite artist in history.  But seeing that this option is not possible, I would pick either Dave Matthews, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Marc Cohn, Paul McCartney (because my parents would freak out!), Jimmy Buffett (because my brother would freak out), or Adam Levine (for his stage presence and personality). 

Where would you most like to perform?

R.E.L.: Red Rocks, Colorado because it is gorgeous and the Greek Theater in Los Angeles because it’s walking distance from my place.

Scotty: Central Park, The Gorge, and Alpine Valley (Near my home town).

If you were given the chance to pick one band to tour with which one would it be and why?

R.E.L.: Jason Mraz PERIOD!

Scotty: Dave Matthews Band.  Compatible music, incredible respect for them as artists and longevity of their successful career.  I can’t imagine how much fun it would be learning from such a legend and cool person.  I was able to meet him and he couldn’t have been any nicer.  A person’s attitude and how they treat others is what defines them most in my eyes.

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

R.E.L.: What a loaded question… In short: Give yourself enough time (as in years), find people who want the same end result as you, be open to compromise creatively and DON’T compromise on talent – you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Scotty: Understand that it is not going to come easy.  You have to work your ass off not only on the creating end, but the business end.  Having great music is important but will never reach it’s potential unless people hear it and stay continually interested.  Build a team around you that you can trust, and who truly believes in you as a band.  And above all, don’t give up!  You’re gonna take punches and not everybody is gonna tell you how great you are.  So keep on keepin‘ on. 

What’s next for Reasons Be? Touring? Full album?

R.E.L.: Touring for sure, people gotta know of the BE! But I leave that stuff to Mr. PR and Mr. Manager… I just play guitar… and sing… and write… and make awesome Schnitzel.

Scotty: Touring is a must!  We’ll start with shows in the LA area and progress to what we would love to be a consistent touring schedule.  As we grow and, God willing, get more placements and funding, we’ll be in the studio working towards our full-length album. 

What artist are you listening to on your iPod?

R.E.L.:  What if I don’t have an iPod? Is this a trick question? No really, I don’t have one.

Scotty: Reasons Be consumes most of my time on my iPod! Ha.  I’m always studying our songs and working on the tiny things that are barely noticeable.  Otherwise, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, Simon and Garfunkel, The Postal Service, Jason Mraz, Zach Brown Band, Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, Big Wu, Rusted Root, Jack Johnson, etc.

If you weren't singing, what would you be doing?

R.E.L.: I have no idea. Been trying to figure that one out for a while.

Scotty: Acting. 

If you could only listen to one artist the rest of your life, who would it be?

R.E.L.: You’re killing me! Errr…. Jason Mraz with an honorable mention to Dave Matthews. Actually, DMB might actually get the nod for this one because they have more CDs.

Scotty: Dave Matthews because of his insane variety of incredible songs or Jack Johnson because his music never gets old to me. It’s so chill!

What are the five things you can’t live without?

R.E.L.: I peaked at Scotty’s answers for this one:
1.My Wife
2. My fingers 
3.Family/friends 
4. Internet 
5.Some random ever-changing favorite food (currently Sushi)

Scotty: Easy?!  ha. 
1. Family 
2. Beer (sorry friends...)
3. Friends 
4. Music  
5. Long, emotional, dramatic, repetitive phone calls with girlfriends.

Would you rather have super strength or super intelligence? Why?

R.E.L.: This is a no brainer. Intelligence please, that way I could build something to give me super strength.

Scotty: Super intelligence because then I could figure out how to get super strong.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the ONE thing you would miss the most?

R.E.L.: I am gonna be all mushy and say my wife.

Scotty: People... or long, emotional, dramatic, repetitive phone calls with girlfriends.

Ten years from now you will be….

Scotty: Touring the world with Reasons Be, sending R.E.L’s kids condoms from Uncle Scotty over in Thailand... just to be sure they’re staying safe.

R.E.L.: Whatever Scotty said minus the condoms… Come on man! They aren’t even gonna hit puberty yet!