Brandon Wronski

I have posted Eye Alaska as one of my favorite bands of 2009 and now I have been fortunate enough to have an interview with the lead singer Brandon thanks to a good friend of mine, D’ette Bolton. After the interview I realized how deep these guys really are. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did and support them in anyway possible.

First of all what’s your full name and if you could live anywhere where would it be?

Brandon Wronski. If I could live anywhere, I’d want to live in the middle of nowhere.

Eye Alaska is a very unique name, where did you guys come up with it?

The name, in Aleutian, means ‘To look to those, that which the Sea breaks against.’

Your record Genesis Underground has a very special sound to it, how would you define your music or what type of genre would you put your music under?

I don’t think we really consider ourselves a band. We write whatever kind of songs we feel like and don’t confine ourselves to a box of a Genre. Eye Alaska is more like a music production group in that aspect. Bands don’t experiment anymore. Especially in the more underground, Warped Tour world. That world used to be a place for bands to try new things, and maybe stumble upon something great. Now mainstream radio is pushing more musical boundaries than that.

Who has influenced your music style?

Listening to everything around. Movie soundtracks, Country, Rap, Hip-Hop, Rock, Jazz, European Techno, Pop, World. There’s beauty and something that can be learned from everything. I’ve been working witha full orchestra doing a few songs and it sounds amazing. The power and emotion of those instruments alone is something powerful.

I was able to see you guys play in Palmdale at the veterans hall about 2 years ago, and even though it was not the greatest place for a show you guys gave it your all and put on a great show. What would you say, for you and the band, is your goal with your music?

Yea, that was awesome. We just set up on the floor and played.Ultimately, our goal is to use music as a platform to do bigger things inside, and outside the realm of the speakers. Music can provide a person with so many tools to help, and a stage to say whatever they want. And you’re telling me you’re using that gift to tell little girls poop jokes? That’s cool. People do what they do and I can respect that, and I’m happy that they get do something they love. Genesis Underground is a tiny, tiny, step in the direction of change. We still have a long way to go.

I know that life on tour is long, what helps keep you going?

Well being surrounded by people that you love makes it easy. When the guys and I, and Big Kevin, and Kid True are out on the road, it’s so much fun. That’s family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is one thing that you have learned from your music journey thus far?

You really, really, can’t listen to what people say. If you know something deep down in your heart, you do it. All through high school kids made fun of my singing. Looking back, yes I sounded horrible, but I knew what I was going to do with my life. I locked myself up 8 hours a day, every day after school and practiced for years till I got good. Now those kids work at Guitar Center.

How do you want to influence others through your music? What do you want your fans to take away from it?

I don’t think there is any one thing. Eye Alaska is music, and a mindset, and a lifestyle. I want people to take away whatever piece of us works with them. Again, music is a just a piece. Living life is an influence. Breathing is an influence. I wish I could make everybody understand how small the world really is. Everything is attainable. People have been directly conditioned to tell you what you can’t do.You can have anything you want if it’s in your soul and you work hard enough to get it.

For the most part your fans know about your backpack and you still don’t tell anyone what is in it. Would you consider it a comfort item for you to wear on stage? If so, why.

It started out as a comfort item, but lately it has been the cause of discomfort. I keep things in it that remind me of where I came from. Sometimes I want to wear it, sometimes I don’t, but you can’t just take your past off…

What is one thing that you would say to someone that is trying to pursue their dreams?

I think I’ve said it multiple times in this interview, but I really feel that if you are going to ‘make it’ you already know deep down. There’s no guess work.

www.writingground.com

www.myspace.com/eyealaska