Shiny Toy Guns

Shiny Toy Guns- The Basics

LTK: How did the group meet and start playing together?

JD: We met because friends and people who were working on other projects put a few of us in situations where we noticed others in their situations. We talked, then we were alone for the first time and it was amazing. Like when you know this is who you want to be with.

LTK: How long have you been together?

JD: We started playing music with each other about two and a half years ago.

LTK: What music artists do you like to listen to in your spare time?

JD: Usually a combination of new things we are fortunate enough to get ahold of quickly from friends and the music that each of us held close during our teenage years... very diverse i-pods in this bus for sure. Blue October has a new record that has several amazing songs on there.

LTK: Which do you prefer- live shows or studio work?

JD: I prefer whichever is more public. Public means we get to interact with more people which is truly our end-of-the-day goal with music. Studio work is like being naked, it's something that's really personal with us; its construction and work which needs to be done but it's not as exciting as making someone else feel something they deserve to feel that they didn't feel seconds before.

The Tao of Shiny Toy Guns

LTK: Your sound seems to embrace technology- how has technology changed the music business in your opinion?

JD: Technology has been coloring the sound of music for decades now as far as the things you see and the things you hear. But outside of the sensual aspect of receiving music, technology has made one massive, colossal change: You(the listener) are now in control. And no one, nowhere, will ever be able to take that away from you.

LTK: Do you see major changes ahead?

JD: I see major changes next week. And then the week after that. Each time a new generation of wide eyes peeks around the corner towards the sound of music, they always bring their own arsenal of ideas and technology. This coupled with future-forward music spawns another race towards the sky; leaving behind old methodology and tired hands.

LTK: You are very popular on Myspace- how has that helped your career (if at all)?

JD: In theory, MySpace has helped everyone, but it's a little tricky as to who is able to take "credit for popularity" if these are the right words in context. See, the only reason you have heard of us is because a lot of people really care about our music and about us as people. The reason why those people are concerned/involved with us is because they first listened or were shown our music; and then second they found out that we actually care about who they are and what they are doing in life. Probably more than their friends do. Probably more than their parents do. Now, did Myspace do this? Not exactly. But they built the bridge, they opened the doors. It's amazing how this is possible: now when things burn and tears run down your face instead of running to your room or to your car to blast the music that calms your heart into your ears, you can now speak into the lives of the people who made the music you cherish and rely on for life. And if you chose us to be that music for you, we speak right back.

LTK: Your music and lyrics are much more substantial than what we hear on Top 20 radio (or Myspace, for that matter). Do manufactured pop stars bother you or affect your struggles in the business at all?

JD: No, they are just people who are very talented in the aspect of performance and they are part of a sub-system of music that is built around a sexual sheep-herding style of marketing and distribution. At the end of the day the people or "stars" themselves actually listen to the same good music you or I listen to and dream of how they would rather be doing something they truly love or something closer to that. They are a lot nicer and more interesting people than anyone gives them credit for in a stereotypical sense. And none of this has anything to do with us at all, it's absolutely grey, neither pain nor gain.

LTK: Have you even had many struggles in the business?

JD: An unimaginable amount.

LTK: Perhaps you have some sage wisdom to share with young, would-be musicians?

JD: The thing I tell our friends every single day is this: just write music. write 20 songs a week, or 5, whatever you can do. It's a thousand times more important to learn to make music and sounds and write thoughts and words that move people than it is to be able to perform these sounds and sights live and perfect on a stage. The stage is ALWAYS second. If you put it first, you will join the tens of thousands of bands out there who have a ceiling above them that they just ram their heads into every day, unable to penetrate to get to the next level because the priorities were not set from day one.

Looking To The Future

LTK: What are you striving to accomplish with Shiny Toy Guns' career?

JD: We are just answering a call to help other people change things. First with life stuff. Then with the sound of music globally.

LTK: Would you prefer to remain a somewhat indie band or do you like the idea of regular MTV rotation?

JD: Regular anything rotating doesn't affect whether or not you are an independent thinker or an independent writer or artist. We will remain exactly who we are, just like we were 2 years ago, just like we will be 30 years from now. Promise.

LTK: Does having an attractive female vocalist mean you have to overcome more preconceptions about the band?

JD: Unfortunately, we do have to be careful. The American media marketing system trains people to look immediately at the outer shell of something thrown in their direction, and Carah just happens to be a very beautiful person inside and out; and it's a bit hard to not focus on that longer than one of our bass guitars or something. Preconceptions will be replaced with actual grasping of our vision once someone digs even a few inches deeper with us, so it's not an actual problem, just something we do have to think about as we make decisions and move forward.

LTK: Have you even considered that or do you think it has helped your career?

JD: Some people, because of things that have tainted their life or events that have scarred them, tend to refuse to look any deeper than face value on the outer shell of what they are looking at. These people would probably have never been acquainted with us had they not noticed Carah first, then the music second. This isn't necessarily a bad thing.

LTK: How is touring the UK different from the US?

JD: It is quite different. Two completely different worlds. Worlds apart for sure.

LTK: Are the audiences noticeably different?

JD: From some of our past experiences touring there in other bands(Shinys are touring England for the first time this July) we found the crowds to not be different at all... but with England and so many of the other countries in Europe, there is a difference. Take yourself, you who are reading this, and all of your friends. You and your friends go to shows, listen to amazing music, have a collection that mirrors a record store possibly. And you consider yourself different from the person walking down the street who may only listen to CHR "hit" radio and manufactured pop music. Right? Overseas, the people walking down the street listening to pop music are just as open-minded and hyper-critical as you are and love just as amazing music as you do. It's a world where people are logically open-minded and they think differently, they think from face value to origin, instead of only what they can see right in front of their face or hear right in front of their ears. Of course so many of you are exactly like this, but the majority of life over there follows this pattern where America is still working to get to that point.

LTK: Do you have any favorite opening acts you'd like to give attention to?

JD: Absolutely. We just finished a 4 month America/Canada tour with Clear Static and Kill Hannah, two bands who stand alone in their sound and are the most amazing people ever. The adventures we had, wow. We truly miss them right now.

LTK: Who should we be checking out (other than Shiny Toy Guns, of course)?

JD: White Rose Movement. Absolutely amazing, and Mew. Oh and this band: take T.A.T.U. and Fiona Apple and mix that up, then take The Used, Fire Bert and replace him with that mixture you just made. Stir, then enter Flyleaf, a band from Temple, Texas that WILL be the next massive rock band ever. A post-hardcore/melodic rock band fronted by a beautiful little girl who will absolutely kick your ass and screams harder than anyone with a penis.

Shiny Links

• Shiny Toy Guns- Official Site
• Shiny Toys Guns on Myspace- Find updated band news, lyrics to all the songs on Radio Fire, and meet other fans
• CD Baby- Buy their album here, direct