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

Brian Torres: Thank you. Realistically, I didn’t think so.  I don’t know if anyone does, unless you know you have a hit.  I knew I had a decent song, but I’m still trying to find my groove. All I really wanted was the review to see if I was heading in the right direction.

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

Brian Torres: The lyrics. They are simple, but effective. Which is what I believe hit home with a lot of listeners. Also I feel that I kind of had a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

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

Brian Torres: I have had a few from fans. Nothing from the industry yet.


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

Brian Torres: The response has been strong and consistent on its marketability and quality by both industry and fans.  Hopefully something can come of this.

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

Brian Torres: This is my first time so all I have to go on is my review.  However, I feel that it was a fair assessment of my song. It was broad, expansive, and detailed.  I like that.

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

Brian Torres: I love that because funny as it may be, what the industry thinks, isn’t always what the public thinks or wants.

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

Brian Torres: The review. The contest was a plus.

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

Brian Torres: As far as developing my sound, I guess I’ve always just stayed within my limits as a vocalist and what had influenced me. I mean I’m a true tenor, so pop songs always get my attention. Being exposed to Latino, and black R&B music from an early age certainly helped to develop my sound so to speak.  I’ve always been the primary writer of my songs, but have recently started collaborating as well.

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

Brian Torres: Vocally, my strongest influence is Luis Miguel. He’s the best. I have too many others to mention. Songwriters, just to name a few, would be Elton John, Armando Manzanero, Kike Santender, George Michael, etc, etc, etc.  People have said I’m comparable to George Michael, David Bisbal, and Luis Miguel.

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

Brian Torres: Wow, that’s tough.  There are so many factors that are taken into consideration by the public and the industry these days.  Sometimes it gets so blurred.  But for me, I would have to say that if it ever came to a point where I was a household name, I would want to still be very accessible to the public.  I feel I have that ability to maintain that connection with the public.  People seem to be able to identify with me easily.

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

Brian Torres: Oh man, how I miss performing. I haven’t been on stage performing since I moved out here.  Partly because I was burned out back home playing 4, 5 nights a week for years, but mainly because I wanted to concentrate on the writing, publishing, licensing aspects of the music industry. I wanted to get some new material together and try and get it into the right hands. I am always looking though for the right situation to start performing again, but I want to sing in Spanish as well and there aren’t that many venues here that are conducive to a bilingual act…. Well none that I know of.

MAS: Are you playing anywhere anytime soon?

Brian Torres: Not yet.

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

Brian Torres: This song is a part of my latest project, which will hopefully be finished by the year's end. Through my contacts and maybe here, I hope to shop it soon.  For my Spanish material, you can listen to it or buy it at briantorres.net

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

Brian Torres: I really want to just have a consistent career in this industry. I’m all about stability. It doesn’t have to get Madonna’esque for me. But if it were to come, I wouldn’t turn it down either. Being able to deliver my songs in two languages, gives me the opportunity to reach many people, so I’d love to travel to Latin America, Europe, and all over as well. 

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

Brian Torres: It’s looking better. When I see a Latin artist like Marc Anthony singing in Spanish on Jay Leno during prime time T.V. it says a lot about the direction I want to go. Which would be a bilingual career. I think if I can keep writing from the heart, it will show through in my work. I’ve also resigned myself in the fact that I don’t have to just be the artist in order to be successful.  I can work in a support capacity as well and be happy.

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

Brian Torres: Aerosmith!