MakeaStar.com: Welcome to the finals! Did you ever think you would get this far?

Ceiling Zero: It was more a matter of hoping than thinking. We felt we had a good song, and hoped that people would like it as much as we do.

MAS: What do you think it is about your song that it has gotten into the finals?

CZ: We believe it has a good melody, as well as a theme that most people can relate to. Most people have known someone in their lives (like "Heather") who, despite whatever troubles might be going on, seem to still live life to the fullest and never sweat the little stuff. It's nice to have a friend like that because their optimism can be contagious.

MAS: Have you been getting any e-mail from Fans? The Industry?

CZ: We have. It's a very exciting, yet humbling feeling to hear from people that really like "Heather's Song". One fan even said she had it on her desktop so she could click and hear anytime she wanted to. We've also heard from fellow musicians, which is a real treat. When a peer in music likes what you've done, you're doing something right.

MAS: What is the response to your song and your sound in general?

CZ: We've gotten requests for our album, as well as more MP3's from fans, so I guess the response has been enthusiastic curiosity. We believe our sound is a little different from what's out there today, and we view that as a plus.

MAS: What do you think about MakeaStar.com's Industry review service?

CZ: It's a wonderful resource and really, a good gut check. You're always going to have friends and family tell you your tune is great, even if it stinks. To put it up for someone in the biz to judge, you know you're getting an honest opinion from someone who knows.

MAS: What about the equal voting power being given to Fans and the Industry in the contests?

CZ: It's important. It helps the song writer/band who may just be starting out and may not have as big a fan base as a more established songwriter/band. It makes the song itself more important, as opposed to who has the bigger mailing list they can turn to for votes. Plus, it's informative to see how the industry voted.

MAS: Was getting into the contest your primary goal or were you more interested in the industry review?

CZ: We'd be lying if we said we were just interested in the review. Of course the review is important and extremely helpful. That said, if you make the contest you have a chance to be heard by a bunch of people as well as the industry, and that exposure is valuable.

MAS: How did you develop your sound? Is there a primary songwriter? Is it collaborative?

CZ: We can't say we ever consciously tried to, or thought about, "developing" our sound. Tom is our primary songwriter. He'll just sit and come up with something. If he likes it, it comes to the rest of the band. If it gets a positive reaction we then all work on it. Tom may write the words/music, but each member is free to add their own stamp or improve upon what Tom brings in, so it's collaborative in that sense. Alan writes his own guitar solos and fills, Jim drums what he believes should be drummed, Jon may add lyrics, strings, organ, etc...and hopefully by the end of the day, we've created something good.

MAS: Any influences you care to mention? What have other people compared you to?

CZ: Since we have members from NY, LA, and NC, we all have a number of different influences. What's exciting for us is the chance to blend them to form our sound. We've been compared to a bunch of people/groups. Our MakeaStar.com review said our sound was "reminiscent of The Beatles, but not imitative, which makes it sound like you", We'll take that!

MAS: What do you think may set you apart from other Artists in your genre?

CZ: To be honest, we're not even sure what genre we might be in. We believe our genre is music, plain and simple. We have songs that range from harder rock to soft pop with some stops in between. We're not interested in labeling ourselves by being stuck in a certain genre.

MAS: It's obvious that your recorded material is great, how about the your shows?

CZ: We come out in suits and ties, play all originals with the exception of one cover, and have a blast. We enjoying interacting with the audience, and bouncing that positive vibe back and forth with them. Go to one and let us know what you think!

MAS: Are you playing anywhere anytime soon?

CZ: We'll be playing March 29th in Salisbury, NC where it all began for us. We're doing a little surprise "refresher" gig. That is also the same day the winner of the finals is announced.

MAS: Have you released your music already? If so how, where and when? If not, do you plan to in the near future?

CZ: We have one CD out, "Twice as Far In Half The Time", which contains "Heather's Song" among others. We did everything on it ourselves from producing, cover art/photos, etc, and then sent them away to an independent company to press/reproduce them. We did what most bands do and gave them away to anyone who would take one from Radio stations to people on the street. We told people that even if they didn't like the music, the CD made a great coaster.

MAS: Where would you like to see your music take you?

CZ: We'd like to be in a position where as many people can hear our music as possible, and it touches them in a positive way.

MAS: How realistic is that goal in terms of the immediate future?

CZ: That's not entirely up to us, unfortunately. We, or any artist could write a modern masterpiece, and if someone in the industry doesn't hear it/believe in it/take a chance on it, there's not much you can do. We'll keep trying, and hopefully catch someone's "ear" who can help us with our goal.

MAS: What one band would you like to follow in the footsteps of down the road to success?

CZ: While we could answer that we would like to have a career like X band or Y band, really for us it's not so much a matter of following anyone. We'd rather carve out our own path and hope it leads somewhere.

MAS: Any inspiration behind your band name or was it pretty much a straight forward thing?

CZ: Tom is a huge James Cagney fan, and wanted to name the group after one of his movies. His favorite Cagney flick is "Public Enemy", but Chuck D and Flav got there first so that wouldn't work. "Angels with Dirty Faces" sounded like an 80's glam metal band, and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" doesn't seem too Rock 'N Roll, does it? So, a 1936 film "Ceiling Zero" seemed to fit, and there you have it. Rent it today at your local video store!