MakeaStar.com: Welcome back to the finals. Did you think it would be possible to get this far again? 

Magnifier: Yes, since I am not going solo on this one.  Having three extraordinary musicians brings such a better dimension to our music.  They took my talent and magnified it 10 fold.

MAS: As a previous contest Champion, how do you think you will fare this time? 

Magnifier: We think our music is good, even when others didn’t.  If you aren’t confident in your music, then you don’t belong in the music industry. “Light on the other side” may not be as strong as “falling for you”, but it uses the same simplistic melodies and lyric content. We firmly believe that being too descriptive is a bad thing.  Allow the listener to enjoy instead of think. 

MAS: From your repertoire of songs what compelled you to submit “Light on the other side”? 

Magnifier: It’s a different angle. We thought about bringing in some harder songs, but we felt they might not fare as well.  Also, we come to MakeAStar.com, not for the contest, but for the review.

MAS: What do you think about MakeaStar.com's Industry review of this song?

Magnifier: They are always honest, and sometimes brutally honest. But we feel that the reviewers are trying to help, which is all that artists should ask for. You can’t come out of the gate and track hit after hit.

MAS: How do you feel about the equal voting power being given to Fans and the Industry in the contests?

Magnifier: It’s always better to level the playing field, so that songs can advance without having a HUGE following. We have a nice fan base, but we would rather a song worthy of beating us, beat us.

MAS: Have you been getting any e-mail from Fans? Any contacts from the Industry?

Magnifier: Well we haven’t received any e-mails by new fans or industry reps, but we are pleased to announce that dynatone records – www.dynatonerecords.com has picked us up.

MAS: Have the reviews from MakeaStar.com’s helped you improve your material? 

Magnifier: That is why we submit our music.  Having honest reviews from professionals always help us improve our music.  It’s hard to go to other reviewing sites, when average people with no professional background review your music. If they have a problem with a song, they just aren’t able to give you helpful advice.  It seems that your reviewing staff gets right to the point and tries to give you a solution which is helpful.  Sometimes we disagree and don’t take the advice, but most of the time, we use it for our new material.

MAS: How were you inspired when you wrote this song? 

Magnifier: Actually Bobby Valenz wrote the lyrics to this song when he was having a tough time with his ex-girlfriend.  Usually when you feel down and uneasy is when good lyrics come out.  So I guess this song is all about trying to find that light to get you out of your slump.

MAS: Is there a specific subject matter that you won’t write or sing about?

Magnifier: Never! If you are an artist, then everything goes.  Once you limit yourself, you will never grow. There are many things we haven’t wrote about, but that’s because we haven’t got there yet.

MAS:  This song is a great recorded material; but how is the response when you play this live?

Magnifier: Our fans and industry tells us that we blow them away live.  We have an energy that can never be recorded.  We feel that we should cut a live album someday.

MAS: How have the Artists who influenced you shaped the way you approach your music?

Magnifier: I am a brit rock fanatic. From the Stones to Ride, the British musicians seem to concentrate on melodies instead of being the best technical musicians.  Being technical can sometimes destroy any “mood” of the music.  We are all about energy and mood.  If we can’t feel it, then we don’t want it. Sorry YES fans… Don’t get us wrong.  These guys made millions on being technical, but it’s not for us.

MAS: How do you intend to maintain your musical niche in your genre? 

Magnifier: It’s always nice when people say they can’t say who you sound like.  That gives us confidence that we are paving a new road.  It’s so hard these days not to sound like someone else.  Even now, our music has changed from this recording and we are molding into a nice niche.  I guess I would like to say we have a “classic rock” with a “modern rock” mold.

MAS: Where/When can your fans see you live?

Magnifier: If you live in the L.A. area, then you can watch us play.  We play venues like Viper Room, Troubadour, The Derby, etc.  And then we play some local shows in our hometown of Lancaster, California.

MAS: What is the most important reason that you do what you do as an Artist?

Magnifier: We’re here to express ourselves.  We don’t give a f*^k what people think of our music in terms of “the flavor of the day”, but try and think about how we can better our music.  We have played in front of hundreds of people to just a few and it doesn’t matter to us.  If we knock you down, one fan at a time, then we’ll do it.  We are not in it for the money cause we would have been out a long ass time ago.

MAS: What do you feel is your biggest strength as an Artist/Songwriter?

Magnifier: We can write, write and write. Our band has made over 30 songs in only a year’s time.  It seems to flow right out of us. We know each other and we love to play live.  When I walk on stage, I never get butterflies.  Instead, I get pumped and want to hurry and rock the house!