BAND TO WATCH – BURDEN OF PROOF
By Suzanne Philips and Linda Torres
Burden of Proof photo gallery on CFM
Formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this 4-piece group is currently based out of Los Angeles, CA. Now on their third album, Burden of Proof infuses their own style of rock music with shades of blues and funk and influences such as Smashing Pumpkins and the Beatles.
The lineup is:
Neil Gall – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Chris Theil – Lead Guitar
Dan Cascio – Bass
Nathan Gall – Drums/Backing Vocals
The music is good, the guys are really easy on the eyes and, more importantly, some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. We sat down with them in the studio to get the 411 on the band, their music, and their feelings about their fans.
CFM: Is music something you always wanted to do?
Neil: For me, it’s been ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved music, it’s something I’ve wanted to do.
Nate: At first, I really wasn’t into it, I was into sports and then later on…I always liked to listen to music and our dad was like, hey do you guys want guitars? And then when we started playing I knew that is what I wanted to do.
Dan: I have always wanted to play music. I started with the guitar and keyboard and then with this band, bass. I was influenced by a lot of classic rock to begin with, the Beatles for sure. I’ve transitioned to just about every genre of music.
Chris: I’ve always been really big into music; I’ve always loved it. I always wanted to be a rock star. By age 5, I was already a professional air guitarist, I was all over that. In front of the mirror, I would run around the basement and rock it out a little bit, in my imaginary world. I was a very hyperactive kid. I was always dancing. I was the naked kid running around. My next-door neighbor was into the hair bands in the 80’s and used to play drums so I used to go over and hang out with him.
CFM: Who is the most high maintenance out of all of you? Who takes the longest time getting ready to go anywhere?
Neil: That’s a good question. I think the drummer, Nathan.
Chris: He does look good though. You gotta give it to him.
CFM: Do you guys get nervous before you go onstage?
Nate: I’d say earlier I used to. But as we’ve gotten a couple beers, some booze, not wasted but…we had a House of Blues show which was the biggest audience we had legitimately played for, when I was younger I used to get nervous but I really wasn’t nervous for that show.
CFM: Who do you think you sound the most like:
Neil: People say we sound like Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Live – I mean not as a whole but people say certain things remind them of those groups.
Dan: It depends on how long the set is that we are doing too. If we are doing a half hour set, it will sounds more mainstream. With a longer set, you start seeing the bigger picture of who we are, the different avenues we explore.
CFM: Let’s talk about your fans for a moment. How do you communicate with them? Do you have a street team, do a lot of emails….?
Neil: Mostly our fans in the L.A. area are our friends. We hang out with them, we work with some of them. For the new fans that have picked up a record and listened to it, it’s mostly emails. We don’t have a street team, we want to get one going though. We have been drawing very well the last 2 or 3 months in the community hanging out with other bands. Going to each other’s shows. It’s been going really well.
Chris: MySpace is pretty cool too. When you are touring a lot, you don’t really get to see people all the time and MySpace is a database to stay in touch with people.
Nate: We just did 2 shows in Arizona and met some people after. We don’t like to treat them as fans, I mean they are fans of the music, but we like to be friends with them on a more personal level.
CFM: What’s one thing you would want your fans to know about you?
Chris: I think one thing I would like them to know if they just grabbed our CD and not know who we are, we are like friendly guys. We’re fun and we want to hang out and stuff. We’re not too good for anybody, we know our place.
Nate: That’s a good point, cause if you listen to our music it sounds almost serious but if you look at us, you wouldn’t think our music sounds like that. The music is serious; the songs are actually about something. And they hang out with us, and they would never assume we are like this.
CFM: If you could learn how to do anything you couldn’t do, what would it be?
Neil: Play the piano
Chris: Other than fly a jet plane, I would say the piano part cause it is such a key instrument. But actually what I would like to learn how to do is be really good at booking, advertising, merchandising, all the management aspects of music.
Dan: Well if we are making dreams come true…
Neil: gotta stay PG
Dan: well if we are staying PG then no…..actually I would like to make a movie, direct it.
Nate: I would like to learn how to record, be an engineer.
CFM: How are you adjusting to Los Angeles:
Neil: We think it has hardened us as musicians. L.A. audiences are listening to every little thing, as opposed to just enjoying the music that is going on onstage. In Michigan, they are not overrun with live music. I mean look at how many venues there are out here to hear live music. It’s definitely made me a stronger person. I like the weather. If I could say something to the crowds here it would be have fun, enjoy life, relax, you don’t always have to be the hippest person in the room.
If you are in the Northern California area, be sure to check out Burden of Proof live at the end of March!