Mixed Green's Artist: Free Rob G
How did the band's name come about? Was it a group effort or an epiphany?
When the members of the band first came together and played as a group we were all very excited and looking forward to both writing and playing our music for people. That weekend however, there was a court date set for a pervious legal issue that the bass player, rob, had. After showing up to the court empty handed and with a pitiful excuse, the judge order Mr. Green to jail. This put the band's plans on hold until his release and the remaining members wanted the OC courts to Free Rob G.
Did you get into music for the art of it or was it all because of the groupies (Male and Female)?
Our coming together was a very organic experience. We found each other through mutual freinds and started jamming only to find out we had similar musical tastes. After a few jam sessions the band was formed and things went from there. Groupies are great but its definitely all about the music
How do you feel about being a part of Mixed Greens?
We are extremely excited to be a part of this projected. We are all fans of an extremely wide range of music and always make an effort to support a diverse array of artists. After working with Mr. Reali Robinson on Friday Night Mics, a musically diverse concert series held in Westwood, we look forward to any opportunity to work with him.
How about the personalities of the group? Who's the wild one, who's the business one, who's not paying attention?
We all play different roles at different times. I (Gary Shlifer) am the business minded one of the bunch and handle most of the PR. The singer, Z, is definitely the wild one as can be seen by his stage antics. Bert is the techy guy and handles most of our recording and technical needs. he is generally timid but gets drunk and can be a handful. James is the physicists. Yes he is working on his PhD in String theory from UCLA. He acts as the mediator and backbone of the group.
Who's your idol or inspiration for your music?
I suppose each of us has a different idol. But we are inspired by all music that is prganic. That is, music that is made to be good music not just to sell records. Writing a good pop song takes talent and can be truly artistic. But many of todays band are cookie cutter molds of terrible music made to sell to the mindless masses and forgotten immediately afterwards. We are inspired to make rock music that can sell but that also has heart and a uniqueness that is our own.
Where do you feel music is going in the next couple of years?
I like to hope there will be some good bands coming but i haven't seen a truly honest band make it big in years. Wolfmother might be the only exception i can think of lately. They rock and are original and can sitll sell. But these fall out boy/panic at the disco Emo crap needs to go.
How often do you write songs & how do you come up with your song concepts?
We wrtie all the time. Songs come about from every different place. Sometimes a really awesome guitar riff will lead to a song or a bass riff. Sometimes Z will write a chorus melody line with soem lyrics and we go from there. It can even be as simple as a single chord that strikes and emotion in us and we build from there. We write as a group and then go home work on pieces come back together and keep piecing things together until we have something we all love.
Mixed Greens is a Blended Musical Compilation how do you describe your music?
We are rock. we dont fit a particular genre since we incorporate metal, jazz, reggea, and anything else we love into our songs. People say we sound like we should be in the 90s which i love to hear. Cause bands from today suck mostly and back then there was a wealth of amazing bands; STP, Nirvana, RHCP, blind melon, Green Day, Pearl jam....the list goes on. That was a great time for rock music and i love that we echo that sound.
Whats the best part about creating your own music?
The best part is watching people sing the songs back to you on stage. Walking into a friends house and hearing our songs playing on there cd player or in there car. To create something that makes others happy is the greatest pleasure.
What was the name of the first song? Could you please write down a couple of bars of that song?
The song is called 'Confession". We dont play it much now but every not and then we jam on it.
"your confession, begs the questions, of wether you were ever here at all/ and though i might say so sincerely, you hate but you love so dearly, you nearly let him live"