In the few months since they arrived in Austin, January May performed Austin’s Trail of Lights Fest, showcased on four stages during SXSW, won Belk’s Southern Musician Showcase, and was selected for Full Sail University’s 3300+ artist development program.
2015 was a great year for the trio. After being selected as one of 40 in 4000 applicants for Belk's Southern Musician Showcase, the band traveled to North Carolina to compete in the finale, with the results revealing January May was among the 7 winners. It is with this win that the band receives the opportunity to play festivals and events throughout the nation. Overwhelmed by the support of their fans and the connecting power of music, January May anticipates more reveries to turn into reality.
Get to know the trio a bit better in this Q&A, and make sure you check out the music video of their awesome song "Ropes" below.
Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence.
January May's sound is immediately identifiable by their shape-shifting soundscapes, heart-pounding percussion and dreamy vocal harmonies.
What's your earliest music-related memory growing up?
As a band one our first memories was getting little sleep to vote every hour for ArtistSignal. A competition we were involved with that awarded $10,000 to the winner. Luckily our sleepless nights paid off and we won!
What was the first tune(s) you learned?
One of the first tunes we ever learned was 'Always Remember Me' by Ry Cuming feat. Sara Bareilles.
Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
Yes, we write/compose all our original songs. It's a semi-competitive process for our songs to make it the finish line. We put every song through a vigorous tournament style battle to see if they are good enough to be released to the public.
Do all three of you take part in the writing process? Does one focus more on lyrics while another on arrangement/production, etc?
We all have our role when it comes to songwriting. Matthew generally starts the songs with a melody and chord structure. Kg handles the lyrics and story telling. Adam puts the cherry on top with drums, bass, and final production.
Adam - "Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots because I like hybrid drumming (mixing real drum sounds with triggered samples)" Kg - "Battle Studies by John Mayer. I'd want to add some electro pop flare to it." Matthew - "Going Somewhere by Colin Hay because it's the most comfortably honest album I've ever heard."
What was the highlight of 2015, either for you personally or for the band? What was the low point?
2015 was an incredible year for us as a band. One of the high points was our hometown concert. Each year we hold a concert in our hometown of Union, MO and this past year we were lucky enough to perform with Andrew Belle. So many of our friends, family, and fans came out to support us. The low point of 2015 was the drive back to Texas from that concert. :)
What is 2016 looking like for you? Upcoming projects? Can you give us a little hint, on what we can expect for this year?
This year will be huge for us. We have recently finalized our plans to start releasing new music in preparation for a new album. We are even more excited to annouce that we will be touring Fall of 2016.
Where do you guys plan on touring?
Along the east coast.
Any embarrassing on stage moments you'd like to share? C’mon, don’t be shy.
Many... far too many to share. A general embarrassing moment happens at each show when Matthew decides to change the lyrics. It usually ends with Kg saving the day with some improv lyrics that actually make some sense.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music? Does your hobby rejuvenate their creativity?
We all have many hobbies outside of music. Some of which include sand volleyball, playing Far Cry 2, climbing trees, collecting Yanni cds, and having dance-offs.
I'm not familiar with Yanni. Can you elaborate?
Yanni is a Greek composer and pianist. His music is very inspirational. Give him a quick google search and be enlightened.
What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
Radio Airplay shows us as a band immediately when we make a connection with a fan. One of the most valuable assets for us as band is knowing who our fans are and how to reach out to them.