SOCIAL MEDIA

What’s your favourite moment with your fans?

During live performances we have an audience participation portion during “Comb From The Back.” Hearing the crowd yell back during the “Whoas” is a fun experience for all the guys on the stage and seems to be for the fans as well.

How did your band form? And how did you decide what type of music you were going to play?

BackBlast started in Dan’s basement with Chris and Dan’s neighbor Marcos. We were just having fun, figuring out how to put some music together, suffering through the recording/mixing process with no intention of getting serious. After creating a five song EP we got the itch for more. At the time we were playing what is best described as hard rock but in all honesty it sounded like poppy radio rock. Marcos moved to England but we wanted to keep playing so we enlisted Adam’s services which caused an immediate change to metal. Since then we added a new bass player, Wilsen, and Jake on guitar which has created a much more evolved sound to BackBlast.

How do you handle mistakes during your performance?

Mistakes are going to happen during a live performance and we usually laugh them off. Most if the time nobody other than the band members even notice. We tend to be hard on ourselves after the set when a mistake occurs but no one truly remembers or even picked up on it.

Where do you see your band sound in the future, are you looking for a similar sound or are you going to go in a different direction?

This is an interesting question because we aren’t very sure yet. We have a new song that we will be debuting this weekend in Sparrows Point, MD which is definitely different from any tracks off of “The Ringmaster” EP. With the addition of Jake Ford on guitar we have many doors to open and sounds to explore.

What challenges have you overcome as a band?

I don’t think there is a band out there that hasn’t had their share of challenges. All five of us are hard working guys and have multiple commitments in front of us on a daily basis so being in a band in itself is a challenge. There are always going to be schedules hurdles to overcome, traveling arrangements when touring, financing (studio time, touring funds, gear upgrades, merch) and any other issues that can pop up when five strong personalities are together in a room.

What type of music have you listened to growing up?

Having five members of the band makes this a loaded question with a long answer. A few of us are very familiar with Motown, Elvis and other oldies. We all love classic rock like The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, CCR and early metal such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Dio and Metallica. We were not limited to just rock and metal though as we also grew up listening to jazz (Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius), reggae (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh Jimmy Cliff), R&B and pop (Michael Jackson, Prince, Ray Charles).

What was your experience like the first time you played on stage?

We had an interesting experience in northern PA for our first show. We played at a biker bar with a bunch of hard looking guys that stood there with their arms folded waiting to be impressed. I don’t think we impressed too many of them that night. The headlining band was not the nicest group of guys either so that didn’t help.

What is the most unusual spot you’ve played a gig?

We played at a gentleman’s club in Jersey last summer which was definitely unusual. There was a pole front and center on the stage which was fantastic but also challenging for Dan since he likes to control the stage during a set. It’s difficult to control the stage when a woman is up there doing her thing where your mic stand is usually located.

Are you signed with any record labels? If yes who?

We came very close to signing a deal around two years ago. The best decision we had made to date is not signing that deal. We are a capable group and know what we want more than anyone else does. And the current landscape for musicians doesn’t leave too much room for having to pay someone else to handle tasks for you. With some motivation, proper planning and a group united to execute those plans, a band can go far on their own.

What is your favourite way to pass time while touring?

We love to play corn hole and had boards made with the band logo on them. These boards tend to travel with us. We also created a game called “splat frogs” which may or may not be in the next summer Olympics.

Do you have any upcoming gigs?

We will be in Sparrows Point, MD this Saturday at Sparta Inn. Next month on May 19th we will be participating in the MAYhem Festival at MJ’s Pub in Martinsburg, WV which will be epic. June 16th we have a local show at L&Bs Sports Bar in Woodbridge, VA and on August 11th we will proudly join the Inn It For the Kids VI Benefit show at Café 611 in Frederick, MD.

Do you have any CDs/merchandise for sale and where can your fans buy it?

We have new shirts available on our site https://www.backblastmetal.com/ as well as our recent EP “The Ringmaster.