Exposed Vocals Interviews Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining)

Silver Lining is a Pop/Punk band from Winnipeg , Manitoba. The band consists of 4 members, Jessie Gesualdo, Zane Zinkiewicz, Matt Lavergne and Weston Walker. They have been in the music scene for 2 years now, and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Playing shows at large venues in Winnipeg such as the Park Theatre, as well as local nightclubs, Silver Lining is looking at taking it to the next level. They have been described as sounding like Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan. Look for their next full length album in 2017.

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

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining) : I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ever since I can remember, I have loved music. My uncle was a guitar player, and was big into classic rock and hair metal, so that’s the direction I was heading. As I got older, I was exposed to various types of music, from bands like Simple Plan, KISS, Slaughter, Our Lady Peace, and the list goes on. I knew one day this was something I wanted to pursue as a career, so I found a group of guys that shared the same passion as I did.

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

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining) : Coming up with the band name was actually easier than expected. A whole whack of different ideas came into play, but nothing really stuck with any of us. One day we were all just sitting around in my basement studio tracking the acoustic guitar for our Christmas EP, and our bass player Matt came up with the idea “Silver Lining” and we really dug it!

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

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining): We have given our music out for free in the past. Before our new EP made it onto iTunes, it was sent to SoundCloud. We also were giving away our Christmas EP after we sold what we could. Right now, we are just looking to gain exposure around the globe. We wanted people to want to listen to us. We want them to enjoy us. We work hard to create music and do want to be re-paid for our work, but the best payment we could ever receive is the smiles on people’s faces when they hear us!

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?

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining): We are still starting up ourselves, but my best advice is to never give up. I have been told that the band won’t make it, and that pursuing music as a career is a long shot, but you can’t listen to criticism like that. Negativity like that shouldn’t stop you from chasing your dream. Use that as the fuel to your fire. If you believe you can achieve something, then go for it.

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

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining): I don’t make mistakes, but our other guitarist Zane does… Just kidding. No, we all make mistakes, its life! The only way you can get past it is to play through it. Chances are, nobody will even notice that you made one. But, try not show it on your face that you made a mistake. Think to yourself, “Ya, I meant to do that” and play on.

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

Jessie Gesualdo (Silver Lining): We do not currently do any touring, but we would really like to head that route!

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

JG: My inspiration usually comes from real life experiences. That doesn’t necessarily mean it happened to me, but most of the songs I write are about things that have happened to myself or someone close to me. My process is pretty simple. Acoustic guitar, pen, and paper. I usually have an idea in my head already and just let the ideas flow onto the paper. Once I have the lyrics down, I then start writing the music to it on the acoustic. Some songs take 10 minutes to write. Others take days. Just depends on how into the music I am.

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

JG: We are working on a website right now actually. Our main platforms are Facebook and Twitter. I run the Twitter account, Matt runs the Instagram, and then we both share the Facebook page.

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

JG: One in a Million by Hannah Montana. I don’t even care, it’s a great tune haha. I wanted to convert it into a punk song one day but never got around to doing so.

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

JG: Honestly, you would find me in Disneyworld. My absolute favorite place in this whole world. Fricken love Disney.

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

JG: We got rid of most of our studio equipment at this point. We recorded our new EP at Studio 11 here in Winnipeg and absolutely loved working with our producer Jason Gordon. He was awesome and helped make this EP great. We are hoping to head back to see him in the new year! Also planning on working with our buddy Brady Klotz on some new tracks as well in his basement studio.

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

JG: I send out our links to everyone. Twitter is a great tool for promotion. Any time I get the chance to send out anything, whether that’s photos or videos or links to our music on iTunes, I will do so.

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

JG: I think the band would love to play a festival like Download. This way we wouldn’t have to only play alongside with only 1 band. Steel Panther would be fun to open for one day.

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

JG: nothing major as of right now. We are taking a break for a few weeks, but hope to have something big planned for 2017.

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

JG: I would probably be doing something Promotional wise for companies. I love creating promos for my hockey team and for the band. It’s really fun.

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

JG: My first album that I ever bought on my own was KISS: The Millennium Collection. I was a huge KISS fan when I first started creating music. I used to do drum covers all the time of their songs, and I have always tried to sneak a cover into our set lists when we play live. I remember saying to myself, “I could totally do this one day. One day, this will be me”.

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

JG: Definitely difficult, and tiring. But we get the job done. As much as I want to put the band first, I have my responsibilities at my job so once its quitting time, my head is with the band.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016? 

JG: Expect a full length album by the end of the year or early next year! Hopefully we can come out to a city near you!