Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Defiance (Pride): One half of our group, aka Josh Ryan, actually did an interview with the website back about a year ago! So here we are!
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Defiance (Josh): We both have very different backgrounds but I think thats what adds to the dynamic of our sound. I grew up in Indianapolis. The area I grew up was rough but it molded me to who I am today. Pride was actually born in Birmingham, AL again, a rough area to be raised in but it molded him as well. Pride has been rapping since he was younger while I was interested in bands and metal. I actually am fluent in many musical instruments including recording and making electronic music (beats). Most of our beats come from my musical brain. Pride and I met at a job that we both had together. The funny part is that I was actually his manager. Haha! Eventually we decided that we should start making music together. From there we dropped our first track together, “Fuck a Hook”. The song was released as a solo song as Josh Ryan featuring Pride. We are both coming up from the gutters for sure. Ready for the top!
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Defiance (Pride): We came up with the name after thinking for a decent amount of weeks. Finally we came to the agreement that we fuckin hate rules and the things we have to deal with and hear from people everyday. Truth is, we dont care, we are defiant. Fuck the rules, we make our own. Our goal is to do us, make music we love, scream “fuck the cops”, make a hell of a lot of noise in the midwest, get our money up, and make our style hard to follow. Everything we do and claim is defiant. Hence the name Defiance. #staylit
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Defiance (Josh): I love online sharing! It makes the potential huge for dudes like us that have lives and families to reach people that, without the internet, we would never reach. I believe that to build a fanbase sometimes you need to give back. For rap music we have SoundCloud and DatPiff. We will continue to make music that will further Defiance as business and hook our fans up with what we can, any chance we can! We love our fans and we have to show love for their support.
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?
Defiance: Do what you do! Obviously this is a business, so handle it like a business. That mindset alone will help so much. But overall, do what you love and get peoples attention while you’re trying to be heard. Be loud, be defiant as fuck to the norms, and make mistakes.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Defiance(Josh): We actually have yet to perform. Still a new project in start up mode! Im sure there will be mistakes once we get out and start playing though!
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Defiance (Pride): We plan to play anywhere and everywhere our budget will allow. Support us, rep us, tell your friends, post to social media about us, and lets make Defiance huge, then in a year I’ll come back and re-answer this question! Haha! Hold me to it!
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Defiance (Josh): Every song starts with a fat ass blunt. Then I start on a beat. My goal is be be different, make things that we consider to be defiant to the norms. Once thats solid we set up in the studio and brainstorm together until we have come up with something that pops and record it. #staylit is the motto!
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Defiance (Pride): We have a few places we have our music, the 3 we use daily are SoundCloud, Youtube, and Facebook. We use any outlet on social media to reach new fans and make our music heard for the masses! We love having new fans!
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Defiance (Josh): Unfortunately some people out there may have some very old songs before Pride and I had mastered our craft. If you have those keep them for blackmail in the future! 😉
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Defiance: Buy a small place in Cali on the beach, invite the plug, have the people we love there and just relax and be with the people I love!
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Defiance (Josh): Im currently using a very small set up for our recording and production. The DAW I use to create the instrumentals and track vocals into is Logic Pro X. Im using a Novation LaunchPad as my MIDI controller. An AKG P120 Condenser Mic and a Focusrite Scarlett Interface. Live we will be using Ableton Live with the LaunchPad for the instrumentals. All fantastic products that I love and cherish!
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Defiance (Josh): Nothing will ever trump old school marketing. Word of mouth and foot trafficking to promote are always the best ways to get yourself heard, especially in your local area. Social media helps a lot with gaining international fans. PLAY SHOWS!!!!! Shows give you sooooo much exposure if you play the right shows with the right people and work to promote and marekt those shows well. Be sure to not over saturate areas with your music, however. People hate to be annoyed and too much of a good thing can always be a bad thing!
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Defiance (Pride): We absolutely cannot wait to play shows! If you have bars and a following we want to play shows with you! No hate on this side!
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Defiance: We are currently working on a few singles with local talent to build u some hype for our upcoming debut album titled “Stay Lit”! Its gonna be aggressive and defiant as hell. The midwest will have no idea what hit them! Keep an eye out!
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Defiance: Without music we basically have nothing but our family and friends. Its unfortunate that the industry has made our lives that way but we hustle while we can, take care of our families, and hopefully one day that full time hustle is touring and making music.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Defiance: (Josh)….. This is embarrassing…. Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” HA!
(Pride) I had that Carter 1! I was late to the Carter game!
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Defiance: Shit is unbelievably stressful! We manage but its rough at the moment. Trying to get the start up to turn into the come up takes a little time. Soon things will be easy at the top.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Defiance (Josh): More of us in general. Debut everything! Album(s), shows, collabs, shows, shit maybe even some new Defiance folks! Expect to see Defiance and the famm everywhere! No stopping til we reach the top!
