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Music
Miss May I sets the record straight on its name and image
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By Madeline Bush,
Staff Writer
4:40 PM Thursday, August 13, 2009
Today’s music scene is bombarded with all sorts of different tastes.
“I think where music is going now is fantastic,” said Levi Benton, lead singer of hardcore metal band Miss May I of Troy. “It doesn’t feel like every person and their brother is in a band ... and sounds exactly the same.”
Before hitting the road for a series of national tour dates, Miss May I will perform Friday, Aug. 14, at The Attic, 2852 Wilmington Pike, Kettering.
The band formed in 2006, playing mostly local shows and steadily gathering a loyal fan base. Late last year, the band signed with Rise Records (the label of other local acts At the Throne of Judgment, The Devil Wears Prada). The band includes Benton (vocals), Jerod Boyd (drums), BJ Stead (guitar), Justin Aufdenkampe (guitar) and Ryan Neff (bass/vocals). The band released “Apologies Are For the Weak” this year.
What Benton has to say about the band’s image, sound and more:
Q Where does your name Miss May I come from?
A We just came up with it because it wasn’t something like the typical (kill, death, blood) name and was very different even because it ended in “I” — which really stood out like we wanted. But after we had the name we heard a lot of rumors it came from Mother May I, the old children’s game, which we never even heard of. So we just sometimes say it’s from that (laughs). And after learning what it is about, we would like to have our name be about respect and having the crowd listen to our word like the game is played — listening to instructions.
Q What image do you think your music conveys?
A Well, we have been asked a lot if we are a Christian band due to our lyrics. And the answer to that is no, but some of us are Christians and others are not. But myself as a Christian, I try and not put the wrong negative message out in our lyrics. Most of what we stand for is just a band that plays for the fans. Nothing special; just to have the crowd be happy and love what we are doing as much as we do.
Q From the creation of Miss May I to the band you are today, what would you say has been your biggest improvement?
A I could honestly say our sound has matured, and we have strived for that. We have put more singing in our music and more melodic stuff in part of the music hoping to bring more passion to what we create. Also, we like to mix the styles to get more crowd response and reach a larger audience.
Since this first tour, and going from playing three straight weekends from high school to a U.S. tour playing 45 days straight, we have improved on all of our instruments so much. Basically by the end of the tour, we knew the set front to back, side to side, could do it without a sweat and were like basically robots built to play. Touring has been a lifelong dream, so this first tour was a dream come true.
Q What are your long-term career goals as a band?
A Well, our goal is to just have a long, healthy career with this music. We all plan to continue college either online or on time off while we tour to make sure we have a backup as they say. ... It feels like we jumped on at the perfect time to see times change and to see this kind of music reach the top, which it has for a long time. We hope to continue touring for years to come and keep building a great fan base like the one we are building today.
Q What would you say is the greatest musical highlight of this year?
A This year’s musical highlight would be either meeting and signing with our management company/booking agent in New York City with 3,000 fans screaming, sold out (shows) two nights straight with another local, The Devil Wears Prada (Guitar-Chris Rubey-manager), or either seeing our CD and T-shirt in stores for the first time and selling out in states we have never even been to. The Oregon show sold out, and we had 400 kids knowing every lyric. Miami blew our mind because we have never even been there in our lives. This whole year has just been a highlight of a lifetime.
Q What do you think the scene needs most right now?
A I think the scene needs more venues and just more kids coming out to shows. They aren’t open to the world of local music and where it all begins. I am not one to talk, coming from a kid that never went to a local show until his own band played, but still, when all the kids that love music as much as they say come out to shows and start to support local and underground music, then the scene will get the exposure it deserves and a whole new world will open up.
How to go
What: Miss May I with Bellum Victoria, Wake the Wounded, A Shallow Resting, Ludlow Falls
Where: The Attic, 2852 Wilmington Pike, Kettering
When: Saturday, Aug. 14. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door
For more information: theatticclub.org, (937) 297-9634 or email theman@the atticclub.org.
Artist information: www.my space.com/missmayi
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