Exposed Vocals interviews Shore Drive

Shore Drive consists of singer-songwriter Anthony Terlizzi who resides in New York. Anthony wrote, recorded, and produced Shore Drive’s debut album, Color Blind. The album consists of a range of genres including grunge, acoustic, and instrumentals. Since the album’s release, Anthony has recruited band members and the band is currently working on their Sophmore effort.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Shore Drive: I grew up in Brewster, NY and have been playing the guitar since age 10.  I became so infatuated with music growing up, and it became a dream of mine to be a musician and write my own music.  I didn’t really start writing music until I was in high school.  I formed a band in college called Fake Empire, which was a real life-changing experience for me.  I graduated in 2010, and the band disbanded.  My debut album, “Color Blind,” was mostly about my experiences trying to start over.  It was certainly a challenge writing music and recording it all by myself.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Shore Drive: It is actually the street name where I grew up.  I tend to write about the sea, water, etc. a lot so it feels like a good fit.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Shore Drive: I don’t mind it and I have given tracks away for free.  Right now, I am not concerned about making money from my music.  I just want people to hear it!

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Shore Drive: Start small.  Show up at open mics for some practice. When you feel ready, book a show at a local dive bar.  Playing live has a lot to do with networking, you never know who you can meet at an open mic or a local show!  There is also ways to get airplay online, you just have to do some research.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Shore Drive: Everyone makes mistakes, but that just means you have to practice more.  It is important to make sure that you are fully confident in your ability to play live before you book a show.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

Shore Drive: I have not been on tour and I probably won’t until my next album is out.  Writing and recording has been my focus lately.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Shore Drive: I usually gather song inspiration from music that I am currently listening to.  I also find inspiration from real life experiences and nature.  I am always writing lyrics down, but I usually have a melody in place before I write lyrics.  Everyone has their own process!

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Shore Drive: I do not currently have a website yet, Soundcloud and Bandcamp are the platforms that I use the most.

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Shore Drive: I’ve been digging the Michael Jackson song from “Free Willy” lately.  I believe the song is called “Will You Be There.”

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Shore Drive: I would buy all new equipment and build my own professional studio!

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Shore Drive: I recently gained access to an incredible state-of-the-art studio, which is a huge upgrade for me considering my debut album was all recorded through a USB microphone!

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Shore Drive: I try and use social media as much as possible!

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Shore Drive: Nirvana has always been my biggest influence.  I would also love to perform anywhere with The Frames because I have seen them numerous times and I am convinced that they are one of the best live bands around!

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Shore Drive: Since the release of my debut album, I have recruited band members and am currently working on the next LP.  Our sound has evolved a bit, and I’m excited for people to hear it!

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Shore Drive: I currently work full time in Online Marketing, so if music doesn’t eventually become a career I will continue doing that.

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Shore Drive: The first album that I ever bought was “Astro Lounge” by Smash Mouth.  It was a really fun record to get into as a kid!

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Shore Drive: I always have to push myself.  I watched a documentary on The White Stripes and Jack White talks about this.  Even when I am tired and just want to relax, I have to push myself to practice or work on a song I am writing.  I still have a lot of work to do on the new LP but the last thing I want to do is rush that process.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?

Shore Drive: I will be releasing a new LP in 2015 with the band.  I also plan to play a lot of shows in the Tri-State Area and NYC.