Drayter
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Drayter

Dallas, TX | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | INDIE | AFM

Dallas, TX | INDIE | AFM
Established on Jan, 2009
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"Yahoo Rising - Drayter"

"Drayter is a high-energy American pop/rock band from Dallas. Combining an infectious mash-up of pop angst, blues grit and rock swagger, the group takes modern pop-rock to stylish new heights."

- Wendy Gellar - Yahoo Music


"Tunecore: Drayter Marries Pop & Rock, Band & Brand"

Back in 2008, Cole Schwartz was doing what many music-obsessed teens his age were doing: starting a rock band. Drayter was formed in Dallas, TX, and in its 8-year existence developed a sound that draws equally from heavy metal and hard rock as it does pop and emo – a combination that the band has found appeals to a very wide audience of music fans.

It doesn’t hurt that Drayter brings a high-level of energy to their performances, sharing large venue and festival stages with the likes of Stone Sour, Chevelle, Flyleaf and Three Days Grace.

In early 2015, Liv Miner joined Schwartz and the band as a guitarist/vocalist, and they just released their first full length, Nine, in December (distributed via TuneCore). Liz and Cole weighed in on their experiences together so far, what kind of roles brands can play for independent artists, and what is was like to work with a couple of major producers on their latest album:

You both come from musically inclined families. How old were you each when you began playing and writing music?

LIV: My Mom and Dad have been professional musicians for longer than I’ve been alive, and consequently all of my siblings and I are very musically inclined. I started banging around on the piano as soon as I could reach it, I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, and I picked up the guitar and started writing songs at age 9.

COLE: My grandpa played music consistently all the way into his late 80’s, and my uncle is a working musician that plays guitar and sings. I started playing guitar when I was six, and recorded my first studio EP at 13 (and it was distributed on TuneCore).

Who were some of your earliest influences when it comes to making music, and what are you digging more recently?

LIV: Instrumentally I turned to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top as virtual mentors that helped shape my ability to create a full sound without a lot of extra musicians. Lately I am really into Adam Jones. Tool is one of my all-time favorite bands because each member is so gifted and the music they create leaves me feeling very emotional.

As a lyricist, Maynard is certainly someone special. I’m also really digging down-tempo music right now because the ambient and spacey grooves put me in such a mellow and relaxed place.

COLE: My first concert was Green Day, and that experience was indelible. The fast licks, the bright lights, and all the fun they were having on stage made me want to be a performing musician. As I got a little older I really gravitated towards Randy Rhoads, Jim Root, and Dimebag Darrell as the influences. All of them helped shape my style.

Currently I am into Deafheaven and Power Trip primarily because of their super washy guitar riffs intertwined with extremely precise blast beats. Lyrically I have always been a fan of Corey Taylor (both Slipknot and Stone Sour) because you can feel what he is feeling in every word he sings or speaks. Sharing a stage with him in 2014, I got to see it up close and it was very powerful to me.

You started Drayter awhile back. How has the band’s sound evolved over the years?

Cole: We were only 13 and we were very much into bands like Metallica, Marilyn Manson, and Van Halen. When we wrote our first songs they were simple and straight to the point hard rock with minimal studio refinement. Over the past five years we have matured as musicians, as human beings with life experiences, and have been afforded the opportunity to work with some Grammy-winning producers. So obviously our sound has evolved as well to a more refined and modern pop-rock vibe.

How did you and Cole link up? What was it about Drayter that appealed to you?

LIV: I met Cole a handful of times because Drayter opened for my last band on occasion. People always joked that we should get together and merge the bands. We were always friendly, but never really talked about working on a project together. In early 2015 I found out that Drayter was looking for a new lead singer and I reached out to Cole for an audition.

He was all for it, so I auditioned and here I am. As far as what appealed to me, I think it was several things. First and foremost, they were serious. They were very professional about everything, put on an awesome live show (seemed well rehearsed), had management, and their songs were really good. The music business is hard and you need to be 100% committed to have a chance. I liked my chances better with Drayter, and everything is going great.

How would each of you, in 5 words or less, describe your collaboration process?

LIV: Lyrically, emotionally, and instrumentally connected.

COLE: A comfortable but organized and systematic process.

With your latest release, Nine, what can fans (new and old) expect in terms of songwriting and genre intersection?

To help intersect two very different genres (pop and rock) for this album, we worked with two very different producers — Matt Squire, who has produced pop stars like Ariana Grande, Ke$ha and One Direction, and on the rock side we worked with Dave Fortman, who has won Grammy Awards producing hard rock bands like Godsmack, Evanescence, Slipknot.

It was a great process and we feel combining two different producers, two different genres and two different emotional melodies we achieved a sound that is pretty modern and will appeal to a broad audience of people that enjoy both pop and rock bands. As far as songwriting, the themes are about life; what we’ve experienced and how we see the world.

We feel that the good and bad experiences are universal for everyone, and we hope that others connect and take away something from our music.

The production of Nine is pretty on-point! What was it like to work with Matt Squire and Dave Fortman?

Working with these two producers has been one of the high points for Drayter. For an independent band to be able to work with work with Grammy winning and nominated producers is a dream come true.

Dave Fortman has been one of our idols. He is the producer who helped shape and push one of the most successful female fronted bands, Evanescence. He also produced Slipknot’s most successful album, All Hope Is Gone, among other projects with bands like Godsmack. We were nervous before we met and began working, but he was the most down to earth, laid back Louisiana guy you’ll ever meet. Working with Dave was just a good time.

We primarily recorded at a small studio down in southern Louisiana, and only went to a bigger studio to track drums. The atmosphere with Dave is totally chill and all about music without time constraints. It truly feels like we are all just hanging out as friends, doing what we love. There are lots of laughs and no stress. That’s what makes the musical process with him so good that we can’t wait to work with him again.

But don’t let the relaxed vibe fool you. Dave is a perfectionist and will spend hours working with you to get exactly what the song needs. Also, he is a master mixer, which also helps the project stay well rounded.

Working with Matt Squire was a huge step for us. He is known for helping artists/bands find that special sound which is what we were wanting since merging with pop. Matt is on fire in the studio. He is open to every idea. In fact, I don’t think he turned down a single one. He seemed to see it all as part of the process and understood our need to draw in all the different elements. There was always a “happy” atmosphere while we were working with him. The entire experience was like something out of a Hollywood movie. It’s basically how you would picture the recording process to be for a multi-platinum selling artist/band. Obviously we are not that, so working with him was such an amazing and unforgettable experience.

We flew into L.A. and tracked drums at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood. Some of the greatest albums have been recorded there so we were honored to be able to walk down the halls and see all the plaques, not to mention the insane mountain of vintage gear lying around. The rest of the time we worked at Matt’s home studio in Calabasas. The musical process was exactly what we needed. Sometimes it was serious and other times it was a riot. We laughed our asses off! It was roller coaster ride from start to finish and we are ready to go again.

What advice do you have for duos when it comes to reaching out to additional musicians to record and tour?

Make sure that you work with people that are professional in everysince of the word. They should have the following attributes – music ability, a great attitude, and accessibility where and when you need them. If you waiver on any of these qualities, you might set yourself up for problems.

How does it feel to remain an indie group that is capable of acquiring brand sponsors and endorsements? What kind of role do you feel brands play in indie music in 2015?

Since the music business has changed so much, successful bands are not really independent anymore per se, they are entrepreneurial. Everything they do – from sound to image, branding to networking – has to be done like a start-up business. We felt that we could make high quality music, grow a fan base, and make an income if we had backing from sponsors.

We knew from our Facebook, Reverbnation, and website statistics that our fans were 14-24, and figured that advertisers/sponsors might want to have access to this age group. We made a grid of what companies might want to market to these groups and picked up the phone and started making calls. We got a lot of no’s, but we did get several yesses. For a small fee an advertiser can market to our fans (through us). It feels good having financial resources to do some things, but there’s always the hard work of convincing big companies (music and non-music related) that our band is worth their support. Yet we are passionate and authentic about what we deliver, so we stand by our brand.

The role brands play with indie groups is still developing. Many brands don’t know how to attach a value to a band, especially if it’s an up-and-coming band. Plus, bands aren’t really a safe investment because of the typical ‘creative personalities’ that are involved. But if the brand is willing to take a risk and do their homework on the band, they can significantly benefit from loyal consumers (fans) that have an affinity for that band. It can be an easy win/win.

The band wins because they generate income; the brand wins because they reach targeted consumers at a low price.

Similarly, how important is remaining independent to you? How has TuneCore played a role in that?

We want our music to reach as many people as possible and have a positive impact that resonates for a long time. Obviously having the support, distribution, resources of a major label would expedite that, but that’s not our reality right now. In the meantime we will continue to try to gain sponsors and grow our reach with what we can afford.

TuneCore has helped this process of being independent and entrepreneurial by giving us a platform to distribute our music, to report on sales and other metrics, and to collect royalties. Also, TuneCore has assisted with making connections to other industry resources they offer like website development, mastering, and publishing administration.

With over 30K followers on social media, how do you use different channels to engage and communicate with your fans in creative ways?

That really depends on what information we are putting out there. Some of our channels like Instagram respond better to short videos, while others like Facebook and Twitter respond better to pictures and random musings. We reach out to fans via social media whenever we have a show in their area and try to support other artists and venues through social channels.

Since we started so young, we came of age with social media and understand the power of it. We realized that a band can market to thousands if not millions of potential fans virtually for free through social media. If you use different channels, and post regularly, you can really develop a super engaged fan base. - TuneCore


"Heavy at times, and most assuredly danceable in all the right places"

I was first turned onto DRAYTER back in 2014 when they opened for POP EVIL and absolutely floored me from beginning to end of their set. A few lineup changes and sound tweaks later and the result is more pop/rock than before, but members Cole Schwartz (guitars) and Liv Miner (vocals/guitars) wear it well. Over the course of eight songs on just-released debut album Nine (Platinum Jack Entertainment) the duo consistently makes music that is emotional, heavy at times, and most assuredly danceable in all the right places.

Right from the get-go “Criminal” and “Not Alone” were the favorites. The former has such a hook it’s hard not to feel like a bass fish being reeled in, and the latter is an anti-bullying song, something all of us at A&GS stand firmly behind. Not only that, when it takes off it does so at warp speed, taking you along for the ride. It’s pretty hard not to get swept up in this one. On the more pop side of things opener “Run” sounds like something PARAMORE would write today, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The guitars on “So What” mesh perfectly with Miner’s lilting vocal, and the combo makes for a fun listen. “Best I Had” is one of the heavier, edgier tunes, and another album standout. Things slow down and get real deep for “Mother Says”. I think a lot of you will be affected by this one, especially if you don’t/didn’t have the greatest relationship with the parents. I’m very lucky in that I did, but I can feel the angst in Miner’s voice, and Schwartz applies the appropriate pressure to the wounds that will no doubt be opened and hopefully healed by this number.

“Unchained Love” ramps up the heavy once again, which only cements the fact that these two are out to make both the pop AND rock fans love them. Pretty smart if you ask me. Closing things out is “Still Here”, the last of my four favorites. The guitars lure you in and seduce your ears, while the lyrics and vocal delivery are both pretty venomous. All told DRAYTER really did a great job on this debut album Nine, and I think that quite possibly the sky’s the limit for this band.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Still Here”, “Criminal”, “Not Alone”, “Best I Had” - Amps and Green Screens


"The album kicks off with the rampant fun pop bounce of 'Run,' and..."

For those not in the know, Drayter - Liv Miner and Cole Schwartz - are a high-energy pop/rock duo from Dallas, who have just released their debut studio album NINE this past December 18th, 2015 via Platinum Jack Entertainment. Recorded in Los Angeles, California and Mandeville, Louisiana, the album was produced by heavyweight producers Matt Squire (One Direction, Ariana Grande, Good Charlotte, Selena Gomez, Panic! At The Disco) and Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Godsmack, Slipknot).

The one thing I like about new bands is that theyknow they have to stand out in a crowd. So it's what they do to encompass that into their release that defines them. One and all. Here on Nine, Drayter bring us an album that consists of, wait for it, eight (8) brand new studio tracks - and yet they named their album, yep, Nine! I love that, and yes, it had me hooked immediately, as now I wanted to know the meaning behind it.

For the record, no pun intended, the album’s title Nine is actually based around a topographical puzzle, whereby the puzzle is an intellectual challenge to connect dots by drawing four straight, continuous lines that pass through each of the nine dots, and never lifting the pencil from the paper. The puzzle is easily resolved, but only by drawing the lines outside the confines of the square area defined by the nine dots themselves. The phrase “thinking outside the box” is a restatement of the solution strategy. [See, you wouldn't have got anywhere close to that album title reasoning, now would ya?!]

The album kicks off with the rampant fun pop bounce of 'Run,' and backs that up with both the emotionally charged anthem 'Criminal' and the hard edged power rock of 'Not Alone.' A song bringing forth the real life topic of bullying and acceptance therein, 'So What' is next and is followed in turn by the powerhaus 'Best I Had.' Containing a soundscape of topics ranging from songs about perseverance and overcoming personal tragedy, such as the (at first) mellow guitar play of 'Mother Says,' the album closes out with the acoustic guitar work (at first) of 'Unchained Love' and then, finally, the very old school No Doubtesque 'Still Here.' - CD Reviews


"Kill The Music"

by Jordan Mohler

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

* Liv Miner – lead vocals, guitar

* Cole Schwartz – lead guitar

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Drayter?

Cole – when I was 13 when I founded Drayter, so it was and still is my first band.

Liv – I was in a band for 5 years with my brother called Liv and the Drummer.

How long has the band been around?

Since 2009.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We were 13 when we started the band; it was originally named Broken Spine. Since Broken Spine was pretty lame, we came up with our current name – but with a different spelling. As we got a little older we decided to change the spelling but keep the name.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

We write our songs and we’ve also worked with a very talented writer. The entire process depends on what the goals are. Sometimes we play around with lots of ideas and we let things grow naturally. Other times, if there is a specific goal, we like to hone in on it and the process becomes more systematic and organized. We feel that our themes are universal life problems or situations. As artists, we like to deal with our own experiences by creating music that represents the way we see things. The world is not a perfect place and we feel you have to take it as it comes. However, you can choose to be what you believe. A very important lesson for us has been learning how to deal with the negatives by finding the positive. Anyone can bash someone on a song but it takes more to channel it in a positive way. Again, we want to accept the world and all of its elements on its terms, but we can define how we deal with it and move on. For example, “Not Alone” deals with the negatives of bullying, not being accepted, neglect, yet we do not focus on those words. Instead we focus on the statement, “You are not alone.” We talk about support, reaching out to others, and understanding that even the people who seem to have it all might be feeling the exact same way you do. It’s about finding the solution instead of focusing on the problem. We think that artists grow over time, so topics will as well. Evolving is a good thing and as long as there are current events and we are growing as humans, so will our music.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Well, we like to channel ourselves through our art. That being said, there are bands/artists that inspire us to jam, write, move. Here are a few:

Liv:

Tool – Specifically, Maynard. He is lyrically inspiring for me because he gets so real, deep, and sometimes, dark. As a whole, this band inspires me.

Yelawolf – He is inspiring to me because he does what he wants and his talent is undeniable.

Avenged Sevenfold – They make me want to jam! Every single one of them is extremely talented and the best at what they do. I’ve been hooked since I was 15.

Cole:

Deafheaven – The overall atmosphere and songwriting, especially on their 2013 album, Sunbather.

The Devil Wears Prada – As a guitarist, I really like the guitar tone and almost percussive sound and style.

Maroon 5 – I really like their songwriting. They seem to be getting better and better with every album. I like the funk and groove they’re blending in.

Kendrick Lamar – He has a unique sound, a blend of hip-hop, rock, and jazz.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Liv – My parents were my inspiration – they are musicians and were always touring with a band. I always knew it was exactly what I wanted to do and I’m so thankful that they exposed me to what would become my dream. And then when I saw Switchfoot in 2004 and I knew I wanted to be a professional musician.

Cole – A defining moment for me was at the age of 8, at a Green Day concert. I knew it’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After the fuse was lit, I started to get into a lot of other bands that inspired me to start my own band, like Metallica and Pantera.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc.?

Liv - My absolute musts are rest, tons of water, and vocal warm ups. After I warm up my voice, I coat it with “Musician’s Friend” throat spray and mix some honey with hot tea. Backstage I like to listen to music that gets me in the mood. Steve Aoki, Yelawolf, and Eminem or whatever else I’m feeling in the moment. Right before the show starts I connect with my band in a huddle and we say weird, funny stuff to laugh and remind ourselves to have a good time! Finally, I say a prayer and steady my breathing.

Cole - I like to get in a good workout because it gets me in the mindset to perform and keeps me pumped. After sound check, I start drinking tons of water and I eat a protein bar or shake – nothing too heavy. About an hour before our set I start warming up my hands by playing to Slipknot, Slayer, The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying, and Chelsea Grin. This gets my hands and fingers super warmed-up, and gets my mind and body ready to put on a high-energy show

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

We started at a young age, and we have been extremely fortunate on so many levels. But probably some of the biggest highlights are playing with Stone Sour throughout Texas and getting to know Corey Taylor, playing big (but very select) festivals, working with our producer, Dave Fortman, who has produced bands we look up to like Slipknot, Godsmack, and Evanescence, and lastly recording our new album at NRG Studios where legends like Jimi Hendrix (Electric Ladyland), Linkin Park, Tom Petty, NAS, and Stone Temple Pilots have recorded.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

That’s a tough one, there are so many! For starters, we have to say that touring with the classic rock/metal/80’s bands during those eras, like Zeppelin, Metallica, The Eagles, Guns N’ Roses, would be an honor! They were pioneers and many bands grew from their styles. Also, it would be killer to tour with incredible blues musicians like SRV, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters. The older blues musicians paved the way for the British rock bands that we love. For our current ‘wish list’ tour, we would jump at the chance to tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Maroon 5, Tool, Green Day, or the Foo Fighters…just to name a few:) - Unsigned Spotlight - Drayter


"Review - Drayter "NINE""

Having only seen these guys once in concert a few years ago, I had become unfamiliar with their sound but thought it to be good old rock-n-roll. Through the years (and a few lineup changes) has morphed into a more pop than rock band but that seems to suit them just fine. Even though the end result is a little different, they still display great musicianship and new vocalist Liv Miner has a fantastic voice. Working with two producers who could not be any more different, Matt Squire of Ke$ha, Ariana Grande and Panic! At the Disco fame and Dave Fortman that has worked with Evanescence, Godsmack and even Slipknot, Drayter has come up with a nice mix of pop, soft rock and ballads that should satisfy all of their fans.

The first single,” Run”, is a danceable little pop tune that will have you moving about rather quickly. “Criminal” starts off with some great drum work by Brandon Pertzborn and shows off Liv’s voice quite a bit. The pop producing background of Matt Squire is in full effect on the tunes “Not Alone” and “So What”. The upbeat rock portion of the disc starts with “Best I Had” as all four of the band members get the juices flowing with some bundled up energy, especially the bass lines by Mat West. The sweet & slow beginning of “Mother” again treats us to Liv’s fantastic voice and the intricate guitar playing of both Liv and Cole Schwartz throughout culminates in quite a powerful ballad. The highs and lows of this sweet song will have your emotions going every which way and this should be a hit song for them in the near future. Pop rock styles abound in “Unchained Love” and the disc closing “Still Here” with catchy tunes and catchier lyrics with a definite edge. - Music Blend Online


"Relatable and Hard Hitting"

Drayter's new album, Nine has been a long time in the making. Not only are the emotionally charged songs on this release relatable and hard-hitting for fans, but they also mean quite a bit to the band, as well. After the release of Nine, Drayter chose to donate their album sales to support education on bullying awareness and prevention, which comes as no surprise after listening to the emotional track, "Not Alone," from the new album. Starting 2016 on the heels of their successful release, Drayter can only go up from here.

We recently had the chance to chat with founding member and guitarist Cole Schwartz about Nine, Drayter's growth and much more. Read the entire interview and listen to "Not Alone" below!

You ended 2015 with the release of your full-length album, Nine. Was there anything you really wanted to be able to accomplish with this release?

Cole Schwartz: The completion and release of the album was a huge accomplishment all on its own. Although we began planning this album a year ago, we’ve been writing and performing some of these songs for much longer. So we are thrilled for people to hear some new songs from us and hope to gain visibility in a broader market and expand our fan base. And of course, we are ready to get on the road.

There are some emotionally heavy songs on Nine - lyrically, what inspired this album?

Nine definitely has some heavy moments, but there are light ones as well. Throughout the album there are themes dealing with a wide range of emotions and the lyrics communicate these messages. We draw inspiration for lyrics through what our statement is for that particular song. For example, on "Mother Says," we are addressing a topic that is personal for many people. We wanted to lyrically convey the statement and then follow through with a message of hope in how you can deal with it. Another example is the song "Not Alone." Here we clearly address the emotional breakdown from bullying, being victimized, hiding your true self, living in fear, etc. However, instead of lyrically focusing on the bad side of it, we focus on how to deal with it. We focus on the idea that you are not alone, and if you reach out you’ll realize that there are others around you going through the same emotional turmoil. Through our pain, we find connection with others and learn that there is beauty in the world.

I know Nine is also about thinking outside of the box. How do you feel you accomplished that with this release?

We chose to write some pop tracks and we also wrote rock. We commissioned two very different producers that are heavy hitters in their genre. Half of Nine is more poppy and the other half is more rock. However, there is continuity throughout as we like to blend our signature sounds into each song. We don’t think it’s common for an album to open with a pop/dance track and end with a solid rock tune, so thinking outside the box definitely fits.

What was the most challenging part about creating Nine? On the flip side, what was the most rewarding part?

There is so much that goes into making an album, and as an independent band the most challenging part of doing a project like this is funding. With Grammy winning/nominated producers, mixers, and engineers, combined with travel, it’s very expensive to make an album like Nine. We are very lucky to have sponsors that have supported us, and we think the music and production speaks for itself.

Funding and expenses aside, the entire process, from writing to pre-pro, to travel, to recording, and finally mixing and mastering, is a super rewarding process. And then listening to the finished product and finally getting to open up that first CD is awesome. However, nothing beats knowing that one person has been positively impacted by a song of ours. There are times when you feel beat down, but when you see that kind of response from people it makes it all worth it. Pushing through and getting past the hard times can really prove to yourself just how bad you want it. We think that the journey will continue to be rewarding as we move forward.

What would you like listeners to be able to take away from your music or live performances?

Music is art, and so it’s up to the listener to hear it and interpret it as they want. We hope that a song like "Mother Says" gives someone the clarity and understanding they were searching for. We hope that a song like "Not Alone" saves someone from the grips of despair and gives them inner strength to stand tall. We hope that "Run" entices someone to get out of their chair in the middle of the office and begin dancing because it’s Friday! All together, we hope that the person who comes across this interview or stumbles across the album puts it on and turns it up, because we think there’s something for everyone on it.

Our live shows are all about ENERGY! We like to leave the audience feeling exhausted after our set. We go out there and leave everything we have on the stage, so when we exit, we’re like, “follow that!” Haha! As an unknown band on stage, we have one goal in mind, and that is to win every single person over in the audience. We put on one heck of a show! If you find out we’re in your area, come out and see for yourself!

Having been creating music since 2008, how do you feel that you’ve grown, both as people and musicians over the years, or even just with the release of Nine?

Speaking for myself, I started the band when I was 12. As you can imagine, there’s been a little growth since then…ha ha.! Liv was playing shows in the Dallas circuit all this time as well, so she has grown a lot, too. The roots of our favorite music will always remain the same, but over the years we’ve fallen in love with many different genres. It’s all there - classic rock, metal, punk, blues, R&B, pop, funk, house, downtempo, and much more. Our love for many genres may play a part in why we had so much fun playing with pop and rock on Nine. We’ve grown to respect goals as they are not boundaries, but more like stepping stones to guide us to success. We still have so much growing to do and are excited about what the future brings.

How do you feel that your hometown of Dallas has shaped you as musicians? What has been the best part about growing up or playing music there?

The Dallas scene has been very accepting to our rock ‘n’ roll roots. Experience is the best teacher and we both got a lot of it playing around Dallas for several years. We also learned how to tweak our live shows and over time noticed the difference in crowd response. Together, our shows are pretty explosive and we have Dallas music fans to thank for the experience!

What would you like to be able to bring to your local scene?

We would love to make Dallas proud! We have grown up in the music scene in this city and we would love to give back by succeeding. There are some amazing artists that have come out of the DFW region and we hope to be next!

Now that the album is out and the New Year has started, are there any big plans in the works for Drayter?

Our amazing team is working on some awesome stuff for the 2016 tour season and we are keeping busy with promoting Nine. 2016 will be full of great times and great music from us.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for taking the time to interview us, and thank you for the great questions! We appreciate the opportunity you have given us to allow people to have some insight on who we are. Thank you! - prelude Press


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Drayter is a  modern mélange of pop/rock with a refined edge. 

When we started out in 2009 we were young, just kids having a good time playing cover songs. As time went along, our tastes and talent started to evolve so we starting writing our own music. Initially our style was traditional rock and metal, but it wasn't long before we started to head down a more 'modern rock' path and blend musical genres -- stitching together inspirations from both pop and traditional rock ‘n’ roll.  Merging influences rewarded us with the opportunity to connect musically with people from all walks of life, driven by a wide variety of musical tastes. We made an album, titled “NINE,” that we are immensely proud of and that we feel captures the sound and spirit of the band.

We have performed for many types of audiences and had the privilege to share the stage with several globally recognized bands.  But above it all, we appreciate the opportunity to create music that people enjoy.

We have provided touring support for: Stone Sour, Pop Evil, Three Days Grace, Adelita's Way, Buckcherry, Flyleaf, Chevelle, and others.

Band Members