My Amends

Last week I interviewed American rock band My Amends. My Amends are a band based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They have shared the stage with acts such as Poison The Well, Every Time I Die and Vanna. Though they are busy preparing for their upcoming tour, the band took time out to talk about their music and their love for tattoos!

The Interview....

Noel: A big hello from Singapore guys!!! First up I would like to say that I totally dig your music! Your song “Slave” totally rocks! Way a go!!!

Justin: Thank you so much Noel. For the interview and diggin what we do.

Noel: The pleasure is all mine! Alright, let’s talk about your music for a bit. What is the inspiration behind your full length album “Acceptions”?

Justin: I would have to say coming to terms with who we are over these past few years, our limitations and strong points as individuals, musicians and songwriters. It’s been a rough ride but we still seem to keep it together. This album definitely draws out every detail defining that rough ride, as well as, how we plan on smoothing it out.



Noel: I get where you are coming from. Well things are looking good now huh? The band is gonna start touring soon! You and the band are touring the United States this month right up till November. The first date sees My Amends perform at Sound Asylum in Middletown, New York, on the 16th of September. How pumped up are you guys?

Justin: Love the road man. Its almost like a connect-the-dots as you fixate on the lines on the road in between each destination, knowing you're mapping out your future with every single mile you drive. It is definitely not for the faint of heart at times, but we love it. Can't wait to get there in a few days.

Noel: Sweet!! Justin, you have a fair amount of tattoos. From the black and grey piece on your left bicep to the color tattoos on your lower arms, which is your favourite?

Justin: By far the microphone and broken piano-key piece on my right forearm. A good friend of ours, Dave Whittemore, hand drew this and then water-colored it on to a painting in a frame for me. I just knew I had to take it from there to my skin at that point. It’s a reminder to me that there are people out there who know, just as well as I do, that I NEED to be doing this and I can never quit.



Noel: Booya! Never ever quit! Ok...across your chest you have the word ‘Locals – South 2808’. What does this tattoo represent?

Justin: Dave did this piece as well. Funny story about it… I actually got jumped into a biker gang from Oklahoma who happened to be some of my best friends, only none have bikes. But we figure if we all got tattooed and beat each other up, then we'd have no choice but to follow through and get some nice bikes one day. Yeah…I'm still waiting on some real dough to get mine. Hahaha! We are a bunch of silly assholes I swear, but its all love.









Noel: Hahaha! That's funny Justin! Be sure to send me a picture when you get your bike. It'll be a beauty for sure! Are there plans for any more tattoos? If you do, what will the next tattoo be?

Justin: It’s not “if” it’s “when”! I’m pretty positive it’s gonna finally be my My Amends tribute piece to the band that saved me from myself. I’m just not sure of how I’m gonna do this thing yet but it is coming….

Noel: Sweet! I'm sure the tribute tattoo will rock!! Devin, how would you describe the tattoos on your left hand? I am loving the purple by the way. In my opinion, purple always looks good on skin.

Devin: It’s a lot of cluttered images, which is a look that I’ve always liked. A bunch of ideas that can be tied together, to make one, large, cohesive image. The tattoos on that arm range from family, to my first car, to the first album we released as a band. Purple was chosen by the artist Dave Whittemore because, he is the artist! Haha!! He suggested purple because it didn’t rub with a lot of the other colors going on.



Noel: Ahhh...Dave does your tattoos too. You have a geisha that’s tied up. What does that symbolize to you?

Devin: Majority of my tattoos hold a lot of meaning for me. This is one in particular that I would say was a gift from my friend John White. Him and Dave are the two artists that have done almost all of my work with the exception of maybe two or three. I liked the shape and the imagery more than anything and that, to me, is a huge part of tattoos, the aesthetics of each one. The geisha was something I had always wanted, and John made that happen for me, and I couldn’t be happier.



Noel: Is your right hand a work-in-progress? If yes, who is the artist behind the tattoos and how will the finish piece look like?

Devin: My right arm is definitely a work in progress, again, by John White. They are all wood carvings from the 11th through the 13th centuries, mostly of the Danse Macabre. The finished product is going to look as it looks now, a lot of line work with minimal shading. There is SO much more to be added, that the grouping of of it all will fill the skin in nicely!







Noel: Thanks Devin! I need to talk to Matt for a bit. Matt, I need to ask…that bird that you have tattooed on your hand, is that your favourite character or something?

Matt: Ha, not quite a bird. It’s SPY VS SPY. It’s from a magazine back in the 1960's called MAD MAGAZINE. I grew up reading them and playing the video games and it just became one of my favorites. Basically, it’s two spies that are always trying to outwit the other with bombs, booby-traps etc. For most that know me, know I have had a rough past with addiction and it kinda plays on the whole ‘out to harm myself,’ setting myself up with booby-traps. Kinda hard one to put into words!



Noel: Sorry to hear about the addiction brother. And yeah, thanks for putting a name to that character. I knew I saw it somewhere. I love the rubix cube right above it. Are you a big fan of the mechanical puzzle?

Matt: Ehh not so much, it’s more of a childhood memory. I could never solve that damn thing!



Noel: Hahaha! Good to know that I ain't the only one that couldn't solve the rubix cube! Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, what does the scroll that’s across your left bicep signify?
\
Matt: It’s a memorial piece for my mother and stepfather. They passed away when I was real young.



Noel: Damn, I'm sorry to hear that. So Matt, do you have a tattoo artist you wanna give a shout out to?

Matt: Yes sir I do!! John White and Dave Whittemore!!

Noel: Alright guys, thank you for doing this interview. Is there anything you want to add or say before we wrap things up?

Justin: Thanks for wanting to get to know us personally Noel, and specially for feelin our music as well. We definitely gotta hang once we get over on that side of the big blue ball

Noel: For sure Justin! Would to hang and talk music, tattoos and the culture over here. Thanks again and good luck with the tour!

Visit the My Amends Official Facebook Page for tour updates, band information and more!
- www.noelboyd.com

My Amends are a band based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They have shared the stage with such acts as: Poison The Well, Every Time I Die and Vanna. The band took a little time to talk to us about the five members. For something to listen to as you read, check out their track “Slaves” from their newly released album, “Acceptions” here.

IS: For those who have not heard of My Amends, how would you describe your band and sound?
Devin: ‘Hard rock’ is definitely the best way we can describe it. We all have a wide range of influences, some rooted in metal and old hardcore, and they do shine a bit.
Matt: I would say, more on the edgier rock with a lot of melodic and raw emotion. Definitely trying to create a fresh, unique sound.
Justin: If you took Tool, Deftones, Thrice, Circa Survive, 36 Crazyfists and Glassjaw, made a baby with all them, and then injected that baby with steroids. That’s just about where we’re at.
Joe: I like what Justin said, lol.

IS: How did the band first start out?
Devin: Matt, Justin and I were in other projects before. As we were just sitting around playing acoustics, the material was good so we started looking for the rest of the pieces. It sort of just ‘happened’ really.
Matt: My Amends actually started out as an acoustic project called “2 of 3 equals” it was me (Matt) and Justin, then shortly after decided to make it a full live band. We missed playing music with our friends and there is nothing like the feeling of creating beautiful music with your BFFs.
Justin: Bunch of guys just throwin’ crap against a wall in the spare room of a house to see what sticks. Basically jammin’ and havin’ a good time turned serious.

IS: Has music always been something you wanted to work in?
Devin: I’ve been playing music for 18 years. I was obsessed the moment I figured out what music was, so yes. Ha ha
Matt: Me personally, yes. My father and most of my brothers were musicians and growing up it was always fascinating and a quite intriguing way of life. So when I could actually afford my first guitar working little jobs passing out flyers and helping neighbors clean their yard at the age of 12 I began my crazy journey.
Justin: Absolutely. I always told myself if it wasn’t gonna be “on stage,” it’s at least going to be “behind the scenes.” The music business is extremely tough and hard on the soul. But I can’t get away from it. It just consumes me and it’s all I think about.
Joe: Oh yeah, as long as I could remember. It’s all that’s in my mind all day every day stressing out about what’s going on. But at least with these guys, i don’t have to stress as much as I would with my past bands because everyone is putting in work.

IS: What exactly do you want to achieve from your music?
Devin: I’m always out to write songs that are as moving and grabbing as possible. I want people to be able to hear the fact that our songs are extremely honest and uncompromising.
Matt: I would say a long lasting career and being able to explore the world with my best friends, and sharing what I love to do with people that love to listen.
Justin: I think for me, it’s a sense of purpose. There has to be a reason why I’m consumed by making music. I want to think I’m supposed to be doing it. And if I wasn’t, I’d be wasting a very special gift that was given to me for good reason.
Joe: For me, honestly, the day a fan comes up to me and tells me that when he/she listens to our songs, or is at a show, they forget everything that is going on their lives for that moment in time. I remember telling someone that.

IS: If someone was to come to their first My Amends show, how would you describe your live performance?
Devin: We’re not the craziest band to ever happen, but I’d like to think that we do everything we can to better the songs from recording for the live application. It always has to be better live!
Matt: Intense, wild, mellow, raw, emotional, the list goes on. Definitely a one-of-a-kind experience.
Justin: From what I hear most, “It sounds exactly like the CD!” So I guess that means we are pretty tight and in tune hahaha. I mean, we don’t exactly run around swinging our guitars and mics and have seizures while doing back-flips like a lot of bands do these days honestly, mainly because we’re so focused on bringing out all the audible layers our music has to offer. We want the music to be your focus, not our ugly and out-of shape asses
Joe: Lots of energy, not like stupid “crabcore” bands, and that it sounds just like the CD (so we’re told).

IS: If you had to recommend one song to a new fan that ‘sells’ or ‘sums up’ your band, what song would you pick and why?
Devin: I am way too indecisive for something like that! haha So I would say “Taste the Truth” and “Agora.” I could never just say one!
Matt: Would have to be “Same Day Conversation.” It’s got all the elements of our sound and it’s such a strong and powerful song but at the same time it’s really straight forward and simple.
Justin: I would say the last track on ACCEPTIONS called “Who WE ARE”. It’s got all the elements that can best describe My Amends.
Joe: I would have to say “Who we Are” off of “Acceptions.” It might not be the most popular song but, it just has all that raw emotion, musical layering, and on top of it, in the chorus in the song says “know who we are.”

IS: Who are your musical influences/ favorite bands?
Devin: The ones that have the biggest impact on my writing/playing would be Machine Head, ‘cause they set the bar for tonality and attack. Neurosis is a band that has definitely molded what feeling I set out to get across.
Matt: I grew up listening to early Metallica, Slayer. But more my strong influence would have to be Deftones, Alexisonfire, Alice in Chains
Justin: I’d say Zeppelin, The Doors, Alice in Chains, earlier Incubus, earlier Glassjaw. Man … I could be here all day hahaha.
Joe: I grew up listening to more of the classic stuff like Pink Floyd, Journey, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Thin Lizzy, Ozzy. Then later discovered the heavy stuff like Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, In Flames, Lamb of God. But I do listen to a wide variety from STP, to Every Time I Die, to John Mayer. But lately I’ve been jamming out to bands like The Contortionist and Periphery.

IS: Instead of just learning about your music, everyone seems to have a defining record and/or gig from growing up. What would you consider that defining point and why?
Devin: Hands down, the moment I heard ‘Far Beyond Driven’ from Pantera, everything changed. Immediately.
Matt: I would have to say when I saw Megadeth in 1998. It was my first show. It wasn’t the music/bands that inspired me at that show but how crazy it was experiencing that for the first time and seeing how much people loved music as much as I did. Was kind of a turning point, I wanted to be up there making people go nuts.
Justin: I think it was the first time we played for a big crowd. Their reaction kind of solidified our reasons for doing what we do. And it was the way they kept coming up to us afterward with nothing but great things to say about what we did on that stage, and how it made them feel.
Joe: For me it was the “Jukebox hero” effect. It was at Ozzfest when i first saw Ozzy and Zakk Wylde. Man, when I saw Zakk play, it was like watching God play haha. As soon as I got home, I picked up that guitar, determined to learn “Crazy Train.”

IS: Is there anything coming up that you’re looking forward to band-wise and people should watch out for?
Devin: Touring. We are gonna be doing everything within our power to stay on the road this year and go everywhere that we can.
Matt: TOUR TOUR TOUR!! We have a three-week east coast tour mid-September to early October with Victorian Halls and The Venetia Fair! Super stoked about that!
Justin: We have two more songs that are going to be released very soon that are not on ACCEPTIONS. I think we are gonna get a lot of good feedback from them since they are a little left of center from the sound of the album, and the fact that they will be FREE Be on the lookout for “City On The Move” and “Fall In.”
Joe: TOOOUUUURRRR!!!!!! And a couple exclusive tracks that show a slightly different side of us. Oh yeah, they’re going to be free!

You can check out My Amends on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/myamendsmusic - indulge-sound.com

Artist Name: My Amends
Album Name: Acceptions
Year: 2011
Genre: Rock/Post-Hardcore
Label: Ingenious Records

I really enjoyed my recent interview with My Amends; it was just felt extremely candid and real. These guys didn’t sugar-coat or spin some PR bull in an attempt to fool us, like some artists do. Naturally, I hoped that their album, Acceptions, would be much of the same.

What I do discover is that Acceptions is made up of four factors: honesty, passion, unpredictability and rawness. Justin Dailey’s vocals, for instance, feel so unrestrained, emotion-fuelled and barely controllable (you never know if he’s going to pull out a scream or sing regularly), which further adds to the texture of unpredictability in My Amends’ sound (throw in some unexpected changeovers and sections into this equation, too). This unrestrained vocal method shines mainly due to the solid foundation of a tight rhythm section, which is a combination of two genres: hard rock and post-hardcore.

The blend of these two genres allows for the band to experiment a bit. Sometimes, they throw it all together like on ‘Dead and Gone,’ whilst other times songs, such as ‘Slaves’ and ‘I-Me,’ are more riff-driven, hard rock exclusives, and tracks like ‘Open Soars’ and ‘Chemical Burns’ are more outlets into the roots of post-hardcore. That said, my favourite track off the album, ‘Do Over,’ is probably the simplest and most formulaic rock track, but is unmatched in passion and emotive qualities (bringing us back to the honesty and passion mentioned earlier).

The overall rawness of this release might put off the people who prefer polished rock – but I doubt that’s My Amends’ target audience in the first place. All things considered, Acceptions is a pretty strong debut release from the Florida natives.

Best Tracks: ‘Do Over,’ ‘I-Me,’ and ‘Who We Are’ - Music Reviews (South Africa)

My Amends are relative newcomers to the rock scene, but they’ve been lighting the fire and bringing the pain. Vocalist Justin Dailey, guitarist Matt Ruffini and drummer Joey Calero share their thoughts on social media killing the rock star, the truth about piracy, and having their music used by the WWE.



MusicReview: My Amends haven’t been around for too long, yet you’ve shared the stage with The Sleeping, Poison the Well, Every Time I Die and Vanna already. Did you guys leapfrog the whole play for 5 people in a dodgy bar period of your career?

Justin: Actually, we’ve played for a bar owner, bartender, and promoter – literally, only those 3 people – before on more than one occasion. It was our first time out on the road in support of our previous EP, That of a Lion, and, believe me, it was a humbling experience. My Amends, in itself as an entity, is young, but the people in it have more than paid their dues and continue to do so.

Matt: Even though we are a young band, we have definitely worked hard playing lots and lots of local shows in front of very little people, but either if there’s 1 or 100, we still give it our all and really just enjoy playing music.

Joey: Certainly not. We’ve played shows where the audience consists of one other band and the sound guy. We’ve been very fortunate to have shared the stage with these and other bands, but we’ve worked really hard and given up a lot to be where we are.

MusicReview: The band seem to be very interactive with fans on their social networks. Do you believe social media, like Facebook and Twitter, have taken away the mystique of rock stars, or is that very notion of a rock star already dead?

Justin: In my opinion, there’s the business, and there’s the fame. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and all that changed the way the business aspect had to be approached. It saturated the market, while leveling the playing field all at the same time. Fame is still a reachable goal, if that’s what you are aiming for, but now it’s more in control of the people and the fans to make that happen, versus the big record execs and the marketing outlets they monopolized 30 and 40 years ago. Fame isn’t dead; there are just different levels of it now.

Joey: Ironically, I think privacy being so limited and valuable nowadays because of social media has driven the “rock star” ideal underground. I hear stories about current musicians that sound like they’re right out of the 70s/80s. The difference is in these days the stories are much more hush-hush.



MusicReview: Your debut full-length album is called Acceptions. Give us a good reason why people should buy your album and not download it illegally.

Matt: That’s a tough one. I would honestly say that it has to be one of the most raw and honest records I have been a part of. We for sure don’t sell short on Acceptions, and I personally know fans will be in awe when they hear it!

Justin: I can tell you not to steal music because it’s wrong, until I’m blue in the face, and, the fact is, people are still going to do it. So, I’m going to give you a more simple, direct, and detailed example of just how much it actually hurts the bands and hinders them from creating more music for you. Bands are broke. As a matter of fact, they are in debt. Most of them are still in debt even after 3 or 4 albums into their career. They make their money on the road through merchandise sales and playing shows. Now, first things first: nine times out of ten, the reason someone starts a record label is because they have the means (money) to do it. So, the label puts up the money to get this band moving in the right direction with an album and promotion and sets them up to be a well-oiled machine, enter the cost of recording, duplication and distribution. Recording an album does not have to be as expensive as it used to be, but the demand in quality has risen. Even if you have your own recording equipment and think you know what you’re doing, chances are it is nowhere near the recording you need to have to make it in this business. You will still need money to create a good sounding record. So, the label puts up the cash, pays for the duplication and distribution as well. Guess who is expected to pay this back? That’s right, the band. So they get to work, making their 75-100 dollars a show, which immediately goes to their rickety van for gas. If they are good enough to sell some T-shirts and stickers, they’re eating that night. Again, this is just when they are starting out, but it’s the real story. Now the label has been selling MP3s and some albums to people that actually buy them and don’t steal, but have not nearly made the money they spent in making the record, so it’s either more promotion, or get these guys more live exposure. Enter the tour buy-on. Now that the label is financially bound to the band’s only means of income, they deserve a percentage – this doesn’t make them assholes, it’s just business 101. Again, the label has the initial money, and since the band needs to keep touring just to stay above water, they agree to do the tour(s). Soon, if not already, the label realizes they are losing more and more sales to online pirating. Once the band does a few tours and ends their cycle for that album, the overall numbers are most likely staggering. It is now up to the label if they feel it’s smart to keep investing in their band, let it run its course, or cut the cord. The band is more than likely still broke at this point, but may or may not have gained some notoriety. Fans are begging this band to tour internationally, make a new record, do another video, all of which are costly investments. So where is the money coming from? How the hell are they going to pull this off without any income, band and label? Fact is labels are not money trees or the US Treasury. They can’t just grow or print money. And just like a normal company, they sure as hell can’t keep their employees employed without any income coming in. And since the band is still broke, even if they were to try it on their own, they don’t have the tens of thousands of dollars to get that wonderful music they make into your hands. Even if they somehow managed to get a recording done for free and just put it up online, the chances of them making any money from it to get back out on the road, since their fans don’t feel they have to pay for it, are slim to none. They are officially dead in the water. Music will always be music. No one can take that universal language away from us. But the means to be able to share it with the world, that opportunity is slipping away at an incredible rate. So, you decide.

Joey: I’m unbelievably proud of this album. I feel honored to even be a part of it. All of these songs really hit home on personal levels with all of us. Trials and tribulations are documented in these songs and I know they’ve personally helped me get through some tough times. I hope that if these songs touch people the way they’ve touched me, they’ll want to support what we’re doing in order for us to continue creating music for them and for us.

MusicReview: Obviously you plan on touring the new album. Tell us some of your plans. Any international tour plans, as of yet?

Justin: We have an East Coast US tour booked with Victorian Halls (Victory Records) and The Venetia Fair (Red Blue Records) for mid-September through to the beginning of October. The dates and venues will be posted sometime this week. Also planning for a Midwest to West Coast run to finish out 2011. As far as internationally, expect to keep an eye out for us on some summer festivals in Europe for 2012, if things go according to plan.



MusicReview: Your biography says that My Amends’ music has been used for ESPN and a WWE action figures web campaign. Recently, WWE Superstar CM Punk debuted a new entrance theme, which was Living Colour’s ‘Cult of Personality, and almost instantaneously the iTunes sales for that single skyrocketed right afterwards. Would you guys be open to letting a WWE Superstar use one of your tracks as an entrance theme?

Matt: I would be ecstatic for that opportunity!

Justin: Hell yes! iTunes sales aside, that’s just an awesome thing to have happen in the first place.

Joey: Sure, why not? An audience is an audience. We’d welcome the opportunity with open arms.

MusicReview: A music video has already been shot for ‘Slaves’. Have you guys chosen the next single that you’ll be filming a video for?

Matt: As of right now, we have not picked a single for a new video, but if I’d have my pick it would probably be ‘I-Me’.

Justin: There is a buddy of ours here in Florida that really wants to work with us, and we are more or less trying to find the right time to get it done at this point. So, yes, another video is coming real soon, just not sure for which song yet.

Joey: We haven’t decided on a song for sure, but we’ve definitely been going over a lot of crazy ideas. Either way, we’re very excited to do another! - Music Review (South Africa)

Hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 5-piece rock band My Amends caught our attention with their passionate and honest full-length album, Acceptions. Appreciating the unpredictability and rawness of the release, we couldn’t resist chatting to the guys, who gave us one of the most candid and real interviews in a long time.

Despite only being around for a short period of time, My Amends is a group of accomplished musicians, who were part of bands like Remembering Never, Hiatus, Aeons Apart, Beauty to the Moon, and Razorblade Romance. Having already shared the stage with acts such as The Sleeping, Poison the Well, Every Time I Die and Vanna, the Florida outfit’s relative success is testament to their perseverance and hunger. - Music Review (South Africa)

In the first few seconds of Acceptions I thought I’d accidentally put in my old Trapt self-titled record instead. That is, until the vocals, drums, and second guitar came cascading in. My Amends came out of nowhere and knocked me off my feet with this one. If you are a fan of good ol’ rock and roll with a hardcore influence, then keep reading. If you aren’t a fan, then I recommend you become one.

What’s great about this album is the mix of, dare I say, more “radio friendly” songs, and heavier tracks like “Dead and Gone”, which it littered with a rough vocal delivery and thundering drums. To clarify what I mean by radio friendly: songs like, “Do Over”, “Agora”, or their single “Slaves”, could see airtime on any hard rock radio station that still exists. These guys put a lot of distance between themselves and the potential “sell out” label. Their music is rough, but not sloppy. “Wait For It” is a perfect example of this. There’s a moment when it all mellows out with soft guitars that carry on for almost two minutes, then boom into heavily intricate and intertwined riffs, leaving vocals completely out of the equation. They let the music speak for itself, and with the right musicians, the instruments can carry their weight.

My Amends really is a breath of fresh air for the genre. They may be a fairly new band, but they write as though they’ve played together their whole lives. Acceptions doesn’t come out until August 9th, but I highly suggest you keep that date written down somewhere. This is an album you want.


Review by Alisha Kirby - likeZEBRA.com

My Amends
Acceptions
Ingenious Records

With driving guitars and an emotionally charged delivery unseen since Bitterness the Star -era 36 Crazyfists, South Florida’s My Amends are primed to make an immediate impact on the scene with their intense and gritty debut, Acceptions.

The heavy-hitting “Do Over” opens Acceptions with ardent aplomb, as these Floridians are quick to showcase they mean business via fierce and towering hooks, though the album really begins to hit its stride with the brilliant single “Slaves,” which combines all of My Amends strongest attributes – roaring guitar riffing and gruff, passionate vocals that join forces to create some of the best melodies you’ve never heard in the rock game. The torrid momentum of Acceptions is so steady that even when the band tosses in an instrumental midway (“Wait for It”), that momentary break from the albums normal onslaught doesn’t derail the albums hard-charging ebb and flow, something not many other bands can hang their hat on. In fact, the subsequent tracks “Agora” and “Open Soars” effectively return listeners to the middle of the sonic battlefield, dropping them directly in the crossfire of blazing riffs and crashing waves of sound. Acceptions isn’t an album content on riding off quietly into the sunset either, as My Amends saves some of their snottiest, most pissed work for the albums latter stages, most notably the rock radio (in a good way, not like a Shinedown way) ready “I-Me” and the fire-breathing penultimate tune “Chemical Burns.”

Frontman Justin Dailey’s (ex-Remembering Never) vocal performance is commanding, spitting game close to that of 36 Crazyfists’ bearded leader Brock Lindow. Dailey comes up huge with a mic in hand at every turn, contributions that go a long way to making Acceptions as good as it is.

The most notable, and perhaps scariest, thing about Acceptions, is that they only seem to be scratching the surface. If My Amends only gets better from here on in – all other rock bands need take heed. You’ve been put on notice.

Grade: B+
Go Download: “I-Me” - getexposedmusic.com

myamendsinstudio2
Justin Dailey and Matt Ruffini of the local band My Amends, stopped by the Buzz Junior Studios this past Sunday to debute the first release “Slaves” off of their new album Acceptions, in stores August 9th! The guys answered a few questions from Spano and talked a bit about themselves, the band, and their new album. If you happened to miss the interview, don’t worry just log on to your facebook and check out the Buzz Junior page! (… and “like” it while you’re there ) The audio will be posted there at any moment! For now just enjoy these few in studio pictures and this music video! My Amends is represented by the independant label, Ingenious Records.

http://youtu.be/y6innOqIwtU



Read more: [Photos:] My Amends Stop By The Buzz Junior Studios http://buzz103.radio.com/2011/06/23/photos-my-amends-stop-by-the-buzz-junior-studios/#photo-1#ixzz1QnAc86zg - buzz103

Hard rock is known for unmistakable electric guitar effects, driving rhythms, and its mind blowing volume—communicating, unbridled freedom, among other things. For these reasons, it is all the more poignant that the Florida-based band My Amends has lent their strident volume and vocals to a group of people without freedom and without voice.

My Amends, which formed in 2008, includes Devin Estep, Justin Dailey, Jon Burt, Joe Calero, and Matt Ruffini. Impressively, the Ingenious Records artists have shared a stage with acts like Poison the Well, Vanna, and Straight Line Stitch.

A human rights group organizing an alternate torch relay approached the band during the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games. The South Florida Human Rights Torch Relay organizers requested the band to submit an acoustic song to bring awareness of the genocide against Falun Gong practitioners in China. My Amends gladly accepted and was then chosen to perform live at the event.

I spoke with Justin Dailey, the band’s 30-year-old singer and predominant songwriter, about the band and this compelling and uncharacteristic song. He was a bit groggy at first, kindly squeezing in the interview immediately after a gig, but the conversation soon picked up conveying his sincere and spirited nature.

“I read up on it (the genocide in China), and I became increasingly invested in what was going on,” Dailey said. “I got deep into the stuff—pretty outlandish stuff. I thought, no way this is happening.”

Dailey is referring to his reaction after learning that there was proof of forced vital organ harvesting of unwilling live Falun Gong prisoners of conscience in mainland China.

“We wanted media attention, but we would have liked to know what was going on—it blew me away,” he confessed. Although they had initially written the song in part for exposure for their band, their intension soon turned to genuine outrage, compassion, and concern.

“A lot of this was new to us—a culture shock,” said Dailey. “People weren’t seeing it for what it is.”

After extensive research on the Internet, Dailey wrote a song to respond to the seeming lack of connection, to the grim reality of the genocide. “I wanted to see if I could go more direct in the message, the lyrics were very blunt and direct.”

The result, “I’d like You to See,” which they performed live at the event.

“When it was done, we didn’t know where it came from,” he recalls of the creative process for a hard rock band to create an acoustic song.

“It was a little scary to perform,” admits the singer who is used to their aggressive hard rock with distorted guitars and pounding drums. “With acoustic all you have is the strings and your voice; it doesn’t get any more real and intimate than that.”

Dailey makes it a point to affirm that his band is never offensive but rather they use the medium of hard rock to espouse peace, prosperity, and unity.

Dailey expresses that My Amends identifies with the struggles and angst of their audience—always giving 110 percent of passion to what they do.

The band, whose members have struggled with their own demons, have learned to focus their energy towards their goal without becoming obsessed. The hardest and perhaps most important lesson, understands Dailey now an expectant dad, “It’s about finding balance.”

“If you are given the gift, it is a disgrace to waist it,” Dailey affirms regarding the responsibility of their privileged position as touring musicians.

While working on their album “That of a Lion” and with support from their production team, My Amends decided to record “I’d like You to See” and allow fans to download the song for free.

To download the song and learn more about My Amends, please visit:
http://www.reverbnation.com/myamends#/artist/artist_songs/432951
and
http://www.myspace.com/myamendsmusic - The Epoch Times

My Amends @ Culture Room 11/8/2010

My Amends opened up for Every Time I Die Monday night at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale . I first checked these guys out at O’Malley’s Pub in Margate playing the Halloween party show. I remember the energy of their show, and more importantly, how aggressive their fans were; how they sang along and knew the songs. I knew I had been missing out on something good and I wanted in. I heard that the band had secured the opening slot for the ETID show and I got tickets and made it a point to check out the show.

I got to meet up with a few of the guys before the show. Bassist Jonathan Burt admitted he was a bit nervous as he always seems to get before a show, but once he takes the stage that all washes away. He got some liquid courage from local band Dissever front man Eddy Torres in the Culture Room parking lot. There was peer pressure involved, but it didn’t take much for John to relent and chug it down. Drummer Joey Calero followed suit, helping empty a bottle of Crown Royal in rock star fashion. As we kicked around in the parking lot I explained to John what So Tattooed is all about and he explained to me that he’s the only guy in the band without any tattoos whatsoever, and that he feels he’s too hairy to get any. We need some help changing this dude’s mind. The guys took their leave of us to get to the 7:40 back line call and we all gathered inside for the show.



The band took the stage at roughly 7:50 and set it off with “So I Let Go” a song very obviously about the loss of someone close. Vocalist Justin Dailey explains that the song is about the passing of his grandfather who was taken by cancer. The band’s writing style is quite vivid, the lyrics literally paint the songs intent on your skull. The poignant line “A mug of whiskey-that you always kept half full- now sits half empty- as my vision blurs” says so much with so few words.

The set was early; the second two bands on the lineup were bands that no one I knew had heard of, so it was looking like a lot of the hardcore ETID fans were taking their sweet time getting there. That didn’t stop the My Amends fans from enjoying every second of their set. I could see cats in every direction white knuckled, eyes closed, screaming their hearts out to the words of every song as Justin wailed at the very edge of the stage.



When all is said and done, these guys pack a high energy show, awesome music and if you’re lucky enough to catch up with them before or after the show, they’re the sort of cats that would definitely slam back a few cold ones with their fans.

When asked how felt the show went singer Justin Dailey told us “I think the show went well. Not our best performance, but by far not our worst. Yeah we had played there [Culture Room] a few times before the show. We always enjoy playing the Culture Room. Me personally, not to boast but have in fact been a fan of ETID since “The Burial Plot Bidding War” release back about 9-10 years ago. Some albums I favor more than others, but all in all I respect the hell out of that band and they are, by far, one of the loudest high energy hardcore bands still out there that tour their ass off constantly. Without a doubt, we feel privileged for sure to have shared the stage with a band of that caliber.”

If you are reading this and you haven’t checked out My Amends, do yourself a favor and give them a listen. You can check out their music on their ReverbNation page. - SoTattooed.com

My Amends will team up once again with long time friend and producer Adrian Morales-Demori to start working on their sophomore album 'Acceptions', set for release mid-spring 2011 and will be distributed by Ingenious Records.

With a couple of summer tours under their belt, sharing the stage with national acts like: Every Time I Die and The Sleeping, and picking endorsements by Clayton USA, Lashbrook Guitars and Silverfox drum sticks, these under-the-radar rockers from South Florida are more than ready to turn heads in 2011.

For more information, please visit: www.myspace.com/myamendsmusic.
- puregrainaudio.com

My Amends debut EP "That Of A Lion" is an "..Intense, Powerful, Strong with Hoarse emotions, intense riffs and radiant melodies.... Very Good Composition.... rate 8/10.." - InannaNaked Webmazine

My Amends makes no amends for their hard-driving, intensely-emotional sound and brutally honest lyrics. They were born out of a desire to push boundaries, said lead singer/lyricist Justin Dailey.

The guys recently wrapped their first music video, a paranoia-fueled flick where Dailey gets buried alive by his four band mates. The group spent 12 hours in the cold Central Florida woods last month at a makeshift grave acting out Get Help, a track from their debut EP dubbed That of a Lion.

The video's premiere on Saturday will be held at the next Auteur Explosion, a monthly series at Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The disc and accompanying video are the latest efforts by the indie rockers, who began performing in late 2008. Joining Dailey are guitarists Matt Ruffini and Devin Estep, bassist Jon Burt and drummer Joe Calero.

"Most of us are from lower income neighborhoods," Dailey said. "Nothing was handed to us. Up to this point, I truly feel that every one of us has been selling ourselves short. It's time to be heard and not hold anything back."

The band is the creative outlet for their pent-up aggression. The musicians take their inner pain and turn it around.

"It's about looking inside for strength, doing what you love and staying true to yourself, no matter what the odds," Dailey said.

The band performs tonight at O'Malley's Sports Bar & Grill, 1388 N. State Road 7, Margate.; myspace.com/omalleybar or 954-979-8540.

The band's on the bill with local rockers Dear Dad Yours Truly and solo singer Adi at Auteur Explosion, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale. The event, "Lucky 13," also features an art show, short films, modern burlesque show and comedy troupe. Call 954-525-3456.

Also, check out myamendsmusic.com.
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel