Hey Everyone!
Just a quick update on the latest happenings in the His Lament world - Matt and I have been writing some new material which will make our upcoming E.P. The songs are coming together extremely well so be on the lookout for the sound of His Lament 2.0 as well as new updates! Seems like everyone wants us to do our take on Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" as it's leading in the poll! There is still time to vote!
Thank you all for keeping up to date with H.L. We won't let you down.
-Nick
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Interview with His Lament guitarist/keyboardist Matthew Makowski - By: Farahnaz Mohammed
A very special thanks to Farahnaz Mohammed for conducting this interview!
The man and the band we all know and love relocated to sunny Florida to get bigger, better and louder than ever. And on March 20, 2010, we all heard that he'd done just that when HisLament welcomed Matt Makowski to the group. Until now, however, Mr. Makowski has remained mostly unknown to HisLament fans. Today, I get the opportunity to shed some light on this mysterious Matt and ask him about his music, his influences and if he's been infected with Bieber fever.
Of course, the most basic first. Where are you from? What's your instrument/s? How long have you been playing it/them? What is your opinion of Justin Bieber?
Matt: I am originally from Detroit, Michigan. I lived there for 12 years, moved a bit west where it was safer and more fit for a person of my age and influence then to Florida where i have resided for 3 years now. My weapon of choice is the electric guitar! I was in middle school band and wanted to do drums, i was told no by both parents and teacher, so i said "ok, guitar then," but that was also a negative. Eventually, my dad got me a cheap guitar to mess with and i never really picked up the guitar with sincere determination until i was about 19.
I didn't know Justin Boober existed until a couple weeks ago when he was featured on the cover of 'People' magazine and i just made fun of his face.
How did you get involved with the HisLament project?
Matt: I was growing tired of the band I was in, I originally wanted a project with someone who shared my ideals and i could not find these in the characteristics of the people i was already playing with. It began with a simple prayer and a trip to the mall where i saw the ad with Nick's interesting photo on it. I thought "oh another jamaican" But after talking with him on the phone right away i knew i'd like him. After having a preliminary meeting of the sort; I turned out to be right on with my instincts that he was an awesome guy and we would work together well. We share the same ideals and I feel as if my prayer was answered so I decided to stick to it.
Who are your major influences?
Matt: My major influences are of great range musically. I began making techno/trance music at 15 because of ATB, Tiesto, Oakenfold, etc... but to the power of the guitar and musical arrangement my biggest influences were Mike Patton and John Petrucci/Satriani/ and also Paul Gilbert. OH and last but not least, Dave Mustaine. Right now I have been listening to a lot of metal/Metalcore like Sylosis, Becoming the Archetype and A Day to Remember. I've always loved Deftones as well.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Matt: I have thought about this many times. I think it keeps changing, but after cooking homemade teriyaki chicken stirfry with pineapple/vegetables/mushrooms the other day, i think i can live with that and Green tea. Pomegranate is my favorite fruit so if i was stuck on an island I would hope for a pomegranate tree.
Why did you want to become a musician? What kind of message do you hope to send with your music?
Matt: I wanted to become a musician to kill time, but then i slowly developed a passion for it. I say slowly because I never knew what i really wanted until I hit my niche. I didn't find it, i hit it. So, I wanted to be like... famous? But then i became a christian and my mindset changed so I wanted to ultimately play for Him. Not necessarily a worship band, but the message definitely i wanted to be /for/ God not against God.
What influence do you feel you've had on HisLament's sound? Where's the common ground between you and Nick? What do you think your biggest differences are?
Matt:I guess asking others that have heard the differences to better answer that in more detail. It is hard for me to objectively observe my own playing let alone in comparison with what was and is for HL. I definitely developed my own playing style and mixing that personality with Nick really went well. I guess you can say i brought it more "out of the box"? Not sure... heavier too also. I like to live on the heavy side but also keep it passionate, melodic and cheerful--much like A Day to Remember and Killswitch Engage.
Our *common* ground? There is already a lot and more to discover! I feel awesome to be joined with Nick! As for differences? I think a few musical interests, but they are very minimal i.e. Lady Gaga *cough*.
What are your hopes and goals for HisLament?
Matt: My hopes and goals can not be put out with specifics, only determination. I just know that whatever happens, it is for a reason and that we won't have anything in vain. I guess for now our biggest goal is to get everyone we need on board!
The man and the band we all know and love relocated to sunny Florida to get bigger, better and louder than ever. And on March 20, 2010, we all heard that he'd done just that when HisLament welcomed Matt Makowski to the group. Until now, however, Mr. Makowski has remained mostly unknown to HisLament fans. Today, I get the opportunity to shed some light on this mysterious Matt and ask him about his music, his influences and if he's been infected with Bieber fever.
Of course, the most basic first. Where are you from? What's your instrument/s? How long have you been playing it/them? What is your opinion of Justin Bieber?
Matt: I am originally from Detroit, Michigan. I lived there for 12 years, moved a bit west where it was safer and more fit for a person of my age and influence then to Florida where i have resided for 3 years now. My weapon of choice is the electric guitar! I was in middle school band and wanted to do drums, i was told no by both parents and teacher, so i said "ok, guitar then," but that was also a negative. Eventually, my dad got me a cheap guitar to mess with and i never really picked up the guitar with sincere determination until i was about 19.
I didn't know Justin Boober existed until a couple weeks ago when he was featured on the cover of 'People' magazine and i just made fun of his face.
How did you get involved with the HisLament project?
Matt: I was growing tired of the band I was in, I originally wanted a project with someone who shared my ideals and i could not find these in the characteristics of the people i was already playing with. It began with a simple prayer and a trip to the mall where i saw the ad with Nick's interesting photo on it. I thought "oh another jamaican" But after talking with him on the phone right away i knew i'd like him. After having a preliminary meeting of the sort; I turned out to be right on with my instincts that he was an awesome guy and we would work together well. We share the same ideals and I feel as if my prayer was answered so I decided to stick to it.
Who are your major influences?
Matt: My major influences are of great range musically. I began making techno/trance music at 15 because of ATB, Tiesto, Oakenfold, etc... but to the power of the guitar and musical arrangement my biggest influences were Mike Patton and John Petrucci/Satriani/ and also Paul Gilbert. OH and last but not least, Dave Mustaine. Right now I have been listening to a lot of metal/Metalcore like Sylosis, Becoming the Archetype and A Day to Remember. I've always loved Deftones as well.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Matt: I have thought about this many times. I think it keeps changing, but after cooking homemade teriyaki chicken stirfry with pineapple/vegetables/mushrooms the other day, i think i can live with that and Green tea. Pomegranate is my favorite fruit so if i was stuck on an island I would hope for a pomegranate tree.
Why did you want to become a musician? What kind of message do you hope to send with your music?
Matt: I wanted to become a musician to kill time, but then i slowly developed a passion for it. I say slowly because I never knew what i really wanted until I hit my niche. I didn't find it, i hit it. So, I wanted to be like... famous? But then i became a christian and my mindset changed so I wanted to ultimately play for Him. Not necessarily a worship band, but the message definitely i wanted to be /for/ God not against God.
What influence do you feel you've had on HisLament's sound? Where's the common ground between you and Nick? What do you think your biggest differences are?
Matt:I guess asking others that have heard the differences to better answer that in more detail. It is hard for me to objectively observe my own playing let alone in comparison with what was and is for HL. I definitely developed my own playing style and mixing that personality with Nick really went well. I guess you can say i brought it more "out of the box"? Not sure... heavier too also. I like to live on the heavy side but also keep it passionate, melodic and cheerful--much like A Day to Remember and Killswitch Engage.
Our *common* ground? There is already a lot and more to discover! I feel awesome to be joined with Nick! As for differences? I think a few musical interests, but they are very minimal i.e. Lady Gaga *cough*.
What are your hopes and goals for HisLament?
Matt: My hopes and goals can not be put out with specifics, only determination. I just know that whatever happens, it is for a reason and that we won't have anything in vain. I guess for now our biggest goal is to get everyone we need on board!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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