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When I got into the field of music journalism I wanted to make it a point to not only interview artists signed to major labels,
but I also wanted to spotlight those bands and artists I like to call "the great unsigned." The industry has no
shortage of musicians out there trying to make it. The work they have to put in and time they devote to their craft leaves
little time for anything else; and when it doesn't pay off it can be incredibly discouraging. So how does a young artist
stay motivated?
At the age of 15 Nathan Lazzara may have a little more incentive than other struggling musicians to stay focused and succeed
in the music business. After all, he does have an older sibling who has done a fairly decent job in the industry so far.
Having that kind of example to follow and parents who support you 100% is a formula for success. Rock on Request caught up
with Nate when he was opening for Hit the Lights, All Time Low, The Secret Handshake and Valencia. Here's what he had to
say:
ROCK ON REQUEST: Nathan I want to thank you for taking the time today to do this interview today.
NATHAN LAZZARA: Oh no, thank you.
ROR: You're 15, right?
NL: Yes maam.
ROR: How old were you when you realized that you wanted to be a musician?
NL: I kind of grew up around it, so maybe like 12 but I didn't take it up until I was 14.
ROR: Now, were you self-taught on the guitar or did you take lessons?
NL: Self-taught.
ROR: That's pretty awesome. You mentioned in other interviews that your brother has been your biggest inspiration.
Does he give you a lot of advice on getting into music and going into the business end of it?
NL: Yeah, both him and my dad give me a lot of advice on that. He wants me to be more diverse, but I can't do it.
ROR: That reminds me of your style, what would you say your musical influences are? I know you've said your brother,
and The Varsity.
NL: Well, Hit The Lights is a great band, of course, but just like, I've been listening to Damien Rice a lot; The Early
November is one of my favorites. I hate that they broke up.
ROR: Yeah, I hate when that happens. So how would you describe your sound to people, if you had to put yourself in a
genre?
NL: Oh man, just straight acoustic. I don't know, I mean, I sound like everybody else.
ROR: Being a young artist, do you think you'll branch out into other styles as your music grows and as you grow? Do
you have any desire to do any other types of music or just stick to acoustic?
NL: Well, yeah, anything I'm feeling at the time. Tonight I'm doing a folk song with my friend Luke. It's just the
guitars, no singing.
ROR: Right now you're a solo artist, but do you have any desire to go into fronting a band at some point?
NL: Yeah, I'm going into the studio in the next few weeks and there will be a full band then.
ROR: Oh really?
NL: Yeah.
ROR: How much time do you get to devote to your music career?
NL: Every day after school and all weekend, that's all I do.
ROR: Where school is concerned, how hard is it to balance your school, I mean you're in High School and you have friends,
social stuff, guitar, and homework. How do you do it?
NL: Most of the time I push off the homework. I have sucky grades, but I mean I realize I'm not getting anywhere with
school. With the friend thing, I have more friends out of school than in school.
ROR: Music friends, right?
NL: Yeah.
ROR: Now, do you think that's a jealousy thing because of who you are and what you do?
NL: I don't want to say it's jealousy because I don't want to be a jerk, but whatever.
ROR: It is what it is, right?
NL: Yeah.
ROR: Speaking of that, do you think that some people who are your friends, do you find that some people just suddenly
want to be your friend because of what you're doing, or maybe because of Adam?
NL: Oh yeah, all the time.
ROR: Do you have a hard time with that, trying to figure out if this or that guy is really cool or ...
NL: It's more now, and more on Myspace than it used to be.
ROR: People trying to hang on I'm sure. Let's talk about your career. How often are you playing shows?
NL: Every weekend pretty much. I played one last night in a place called Dobson.
ROR: You're playing tonight with Hit The Lights, All Time Low, Valencia and The Secret Handshake. These are some great
bands. Do you get excited when you're on the bill with all these amazing artists?
NL: Yeah, I played last month with a guy named Dave Melillo, he's on Drive Thru, and he's one of my all time favorite
acoustic acts. Just to play with him and meet him it was really cool. Then when I found out I had a chance to play this
show I was like, oh my God, I haven't stopped talking about it.
ROR: That's pretty exciting. So what's your career status right now? Have there been any labels keeping an eye on you?
Have you had talks with anybody?
NL: Oh no, I'm trying to make it as far I can without a label just to prove that I can do it without one.
ROR: That's a good idea. I know bands like Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, they did nothing but write and play shows for two
years before they signed with Virgin. They just built their fan base first before they even talked to anybody.
NL: Oh wow. That's interesting.
ROR: How close are you to putting out an EP or something like that?
NL: There should be one out in the summer, I'm hoping, planning.
ROR: If you someday decided that this whole music thing just was not working out, it's just not for you or you get out
there and decide that it's not what you thought, what other career would interest you?
NL: Touring with a band, helping, just anything with bands.
ROR: I'd like to do some fun questions to wrap up, is that cool?
NL: Yeah, definitely.
ROR: These are 'pick one' questions, so you have to pick only one, okay?
NL: Cool.
ROR: Here we go. Jessica Alba, Jessica Biehl, or Jessica Simpson? Which Jessica?
NL: Man, I'm not a big fan of any of them. I'll go with Jessica Simpson.
ROR: Which one, the new Fantastic Four movie or the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie?
NL: Oh, the TMNT movie, all the way.
ROR: Why does that not surprise me? Every time I ask about the Ninja Turtles guys just love them. Who's your favorite
turtle?
NL: Oh man, Leonardo.
ROR: Okay, cool. Who would you rather have dinner with? President Bush or Kurt Cobain and why?
NL: George Bush, so I can yell at him.
ROR: Good answer. Okay, this is the last one but it's a tough one. If you were stranded on a desert island and your
cell phone only had enough juice to make one more call, who would you call and what would you say?
NL: My girlfriend, and I would say, "I love you, find me."
ROR: That's great. Is there anything you would like to tell the readers of our magazine that I didn't ask?
NL: Um, no, just that I like making friends.
ROR: So they can find you on Myspace right?
NL: Yeah, www.myspace/nathanlazzara
ROR: Okay, great. Well Nate, have a great show. I appreciate your time.
NL: Thank you.
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