Cameron Burris
Arvada, Colorado, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Aurora based band 'Downtied' helped make last Friday night (oct.21) one of Iliff Park Saloons best turn outs ever. Downtied played with V.S., Element 5 Six and another Aurora based band Ransom, the show was put on by Big Q Productions. A total of 226 people, not including the bands, rocked out in an amazing show. Downtied, one of Denvers up and coming bands is en route to dominate the Denver music scene and the rest of the world. With three of the members going to the University of Colorado for music performance, this band is as serious as any other. Cameron Burris and Robert Jepsen first met in late 1996 at AuroraHills middle school. It wasn’t until September 2001 when they formed their first band, Oxygen Thieves. A year following, the rest of the band had left leaving Cameron and Robert playing as a guitarist and a drummer. In August 2003 Dustin Griboski joined the band as their new bass player. As a power trio, the three played many shows as an, "instra-metal" band including many bars and all three local theaters. In July 2005, after a tiresome search, Chuck Strickland joined the band as their singer. Now being a complete band, Downtied is on a path of world dominance, and willing to leave everything behind. Downtied is an entity to be reckoned with. The name defines how all human beings are, "tied down" to all aspects of human existence and society. Trying to identify their own human experiences and also their existence as a whole, humans are “tied down“ to basic emotions and feelings that are expressed in Downtied‘s thought provoking music. Staying true to their musical influences and harmonically functional music, like traditional genres (jazz and classical), Downtied has a sound of their own that challenges more than the local scene. For booking, shows and info go to downtied.com, and please check out downtied on myspace at myspace.com/downtied
- The Denver Posts Yourhub.com
Discography
Downtied created a self-titled EP which was never officially released, but a song from the EP was featured on our local rock station 106.7 KBPI (Program: Local Band Hang Out).
Downtied created a series of songs written for a video game pilot that was on the Spike & Mike's Twisted Festival of Animation. These songs were played throughout North America and parts of Europe.
The streaming music heard on my EPK (Songs: Entropy, Forcefit, Requiem, & Demise) are from my previous band Downtied's self-titled EP. These songs and others from the EP can be found on MySpace, Pure Volume and MP3.com
Photos
Bio
My major musical influences are: Pantera, Tool, Deftones, Sevendust, Slipknot, Chimaira, Aggressive Persuasion, Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Finger, Buster Jones, Joe Satriani, McCoy Tyner, Victor Wooten, Soundgarden, Tommy Bolin, Mudvayne's 1st 2 albums, Damage Plan, 311, Type O Negative, Buckethead, and Lamb of God. I love music from all genres. I am set apart from other acts in that I pull from many different styles but I don't try to copy or imitate what others do or have a formula to how I write. I try to let the music speak through me and therefore I'm very open musically. In short, music gives my soul a limb.
My story is that my love of all things music started early for me. I was surrounded by music and musicians all my life. My Father owned various studios and part of a local record label in Denver. (He is known for recording/producing & engineering Big Head Todd and The Monsters 1st two albums). As a child I knew I wanted to be a musician and I thought a drummer. Unfortunately, I had severe burns / injuries to my left hand but this was a blessing in disguise because doctors encouraged me to pick up a stringed instrument to keep my hand healthy, and that's when I began playing guitar. In my teenage years I was in many garage bands. In my early 20's, I was in a metal band called Downtied. We enjoyed local success and some minor national exposure. Like most young people, I had a dream to make it big and thought going to school for a degree in Music Performance and my band Downtied was the ticket. This dream was shattered in 2006 when my Mom died in a car accident and a couple months later my now wife became pregnant with our first child. I no longer had the financial support to continue in school, so I had to give up music and school for the time being and sell off most of my gear to make ends meet to take care of my new family.
The band fell apart, school had to be put on hold - but I never gave up hope that I would someday get the opportunity to finish my music degree and have a career in the industry; whether as a player or otherwise. I've had many supporters, but I've also had many people tell me to pack up and move on, but I refuse to let it go. Overcoming obstacles has enriched me and broadened my scope for a greater appreciation for the role music has played in my life to get me through tough times and also as a songwriter and musician. I'm resilient and I know that this is my chance - my opportunity to make music my career path and I'm excited for it!
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