Starring in their Own Disney Movie
OneSideZero tempers on-stage angst with a humble attitude.
2002-02-07
The guys from OneSideZero are relaxing in the back of their own tour bus outside
the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. They are giving an interview. For a band
that at one point in its career was once almost about to throw in the towel,
giving an interview is about the coolest thing around. That is of course, besides
playing music. Four parts of the emo-metal quintet gathered around and told
The Synthesis what it's like being on the road with Incubus.
"It's been warm responses everywhere we go," says Jason Radford (vocals).
"We haven't had anything negative happen yet - crowd-wise, it's been great,"
chimes Rob Basile (drums). The Los Angeles natives who got started just a few
short years ago, are practically reeling from all their good fortune. Having
just finished two small tours with 311 and then Sevendust, OneSideZero then
picked up the coveted opening spot on Incubus' big tour in support of their
latest album, the band is gaining steam for worldwide domination…or so
it would seem. Getting these few big tours under their belt and then releasing
their debut album on Maverick Records Is This Room Getting Smaller, the
lads in OneSideZero have high hopes for its public introduction.
"It's honesty," explains Radford "what we sing about is honesty.
We're hoping people get a little bit of that, and get into the band…because
we're not like the passing fancy."
"The thing is," continues Basile "We weren't that band that
was looking for a record deal, trying to get signed because we grew up around
the industry (in Los Angeles) and we knew nobody gets signed."
"There were so many bands in the scene, and it's all very jaded."
says Brett Kane (guitar). Which isn't to say the band doesn't exude humility
at this point in their career. Frankly, they do so much it's almost sickening.
"We've been given such a gift." Radford states as the other members
agree. They return the favor they've received by keeping all the CDs people
hand them so they might find another diamond in the rough, much in the way they
were discovered just a short time ago. Little more than a few years ago as they
were about to give up the band they decided to make a short demo just for their
fans in L.A. This demo got passed to a few people and those people made copies
of it and put in on the Internet. After a while, industry types got a hold of
it and came knocking. Theirs was a totally passive entry into the music industry.
So when kids come up to them at shows and hand them demos, the band always takes
care to listen to it. Some are good, and some are bad, they say. One thing is
for sure, OneSideZero is keeping the good ones in a special place for possible
future use. One never knows about fate.
"We've been given such a gift." Basile goes on " If the record
comes out and it does a nose dive, it doesn't really matter because we're already
here and we got to live out childhood dreams and nobody gets that."
I comment that it sounds like a Disney movie and this observation cracks everyone
up.
"The reality is, that's really the truth." Radford says earnestly
"The fact that we're sitting in the back of our own tour bus that we've
been on for this past four months, giving interviews…where would you think
this is possible? You dream about it. You think about it. But where would you
actually think that it's going to happen unless someone gives you the opportunity
we've been given? So we go out there and do our job 100%. This thing is so overwhelming…the
fact that we can remember the first autographs we gave on our first tour is
unbelievable. We asked the kids for their autographs."
Levon Sultanian, [guitar] perks up, "We were thanking them for asking."
The band's humble beginning leads them into this touring lifestyle with such
a good outlook it's hard to imagine them doing anything but well. They are armed
with a great attitude that they aren't any better or different than anyone else,
especially all the kids that come to see them.
"You still want to be that kid in the front row," says Radford "I
think that's the only reason I jump into the crowd a lot of times, it's because
I want to be that kid in the front row. I want to see what these guys are doing
because they fucking kick ass."