Posted on: February 5, 2018 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Today, we are speaking with Collins and Streiss. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music?

From early childhood, we both loved music and wanted to play and sing. For both of us, at the age of eight, Anton started on piano and Mark got his first guitar. Anton was encouraged to take lessons because of his natural musical ability. Mark heard the Beatles “She Loves You” and sung it as a toddler.

Later, he saw the Beatles performance on Ed Sullivan and he was hooked on guitar. Both of us were inspired by older siblings and their musical influences. As teenagers, Mark formed bands and started playing at clubs as an under-aged player, and Anton was on the scene doing the exact same thing but in different bands in the same neighborhood.

What sort of work have you put into the recording and creative processes for your music?

Collaborative song-writing is our first priority where we set out to discover the most natural, organic sound and lyric for each song. Every song is its own entity, requiring experimentation to discover its potential.  We try different instruments and arrangement ideas. Some songs go through various configurations before we decide on the final arrangement. In the final stage, we may bring in additional musicians to complete the mix.

What does your recording set up look like (what do you use to record, what are your favorite tools)?

Anton built a professional studio back in 1990, so we are able to access a multitude of state of the art recording equipment. Currently, we can access both analog and digital sound through outboard gear and computer technology. We record on Q-Bass, Nuendo and UAD converters. We also use Focusrite, SSL, Lexicon, Neumann, AKG and much more. Anton likes to play his Kawai grand piano, Oberheim, Moog and Prophet synthesizers, and of course, the classic B-3 and Wurlitzer. Mark likes his Martin and Taylor acoustics. Electric guitars include Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker guitars and basses. Small Fender amps are always used.

Tell us a bit more about Free and Carleen. How do each of these tracks provide listeners with information about yourselves that had not been given on earlier singles?

Free is actually one of our first songs that got arranged and recorded later. It needed time to mature, unlike some other songs that were written and arranged relatively quickly. The song Free comes from two sources—Anton jamming on an acoustic guitar and a line from a poster that read “Be Proud of Who You Are!” Anton saw this poster at his school. Carleen comes from both of our nostalgic experiences growing up in northern Ontario cottage country during summertime. Both of us knew the Balm Beach location but not each other yet!

Which artists are the greatest influences for you and your music? Is there a dream lineup of performers that you would like to perform with if given the chance?

The Beatles, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, CSN&Y, Pink Floyd, Styx, The Doors, Wings, Genesis, Yes, April Wine, Bachman Turner Overdrive, The Guess Who, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones, The Pretenders, The Police, The Beach Boys, Rush, Tom Petty, ELO, Deep Purple, Mamas and the Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Seals and Crofts, Chuck Berry, Elton John, Billy Joel, Rare Earth, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Elvis Presley, CCR, Tommy James, Neil Diamond, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, BB King, Robert Cray, Oscar Peterson, Trooper, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong, Heart, America, Doobie Brothers, Queen, Harlequin, Max Webster, Triumph, Kiss, Badfinger, Grass Roots, Foot in Coldwater, Lighthouse, The Ugly Ducklings, The Jam, Mike and the Mechanics, The Bangles, Boston, Kansas, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Harry Chapin, Blue Oyster Cult, Pagliaro, Dream Theatre, IQ, Chicago, Tower of Power, Eagles, Joe Walsh, James Gang, The Cars, AC/DC, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Monkees, Spencer Davis Group, Eric Clapton, Cream, Blind Faith, Traffic, Santana, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Allman Brothers, Lynard Skynard, Joni Mitchell, Alan Parsons, Supertramp, The Carpenters, Jim Croche, Cat Stevens, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Commodores, Tears for Fears, Grand Funk Railroad, The Moody Blues (not necessarily in that order)….and more!

Which sort of social media websites have you had the best successes with? What about these online services are different from the traditional face to face meeting and performances that musicians utilize?

Reverbnation is our primary outlet, then Facebook, Spotify, and Twitter. These offer 24/7 global exposure, so while we’re asleep, people are listening and responding to our releases.

What should listeners expect from your music in the future? How can interested NeuFutur readers locate samples of your music? How has the radio/Pandora/Spotify/other online response been for your music?

Listeners can expect more variety since each song is its own creation. We have several songs in the works which will be released in the coming months. We don’t want to rush but ensure that the integrity and quality are consistent, if not improving. We are very happy with the support and response from various stations and outlets. We hope it continues to grow.

What does 2018 hold for your music?

Continued creativity, enjoyment and quest for excellence

Thank you so much for your time. Finally, do you have any additional thoughts about life and the universe for our readers?

May we all live in harmony with the universe and each other. We are all created to be creative in our own unique way. You are never too young or too old to realize your potential.

 

 

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