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Blast From The Sun
Blast From The Sun brings blues funk back home with their new award winning EP, ‘Blast In The Funk’. Growing radio exposure is creating a global fan base out of listeners intrigued by their original, tautly-composed tunes.

Canada may seem outwardly sedate to some - an environment little conducive to the plaintive or provocative modes of blues and funk - but you wouldn't know it by this Quebec-based band. 'Blast From the Sun' has all the surly energy of the Chili Peppers - and the staggering musicianship to go with it. Audit any of their songs (try 'News Flash') and you will be astonished at the almost geometric synchronicity of the group as it blazes through complex stops and tempo changes. They are tight in a way that only accrues to small, constantly performing outfits, and the result is a powerful reminder that better musicians make better music. It's hard to believe these guys have quite independently satisfied the tripartite major-label criteria of catchy composition, strong musicianship and competent production. This is one of the very best bands you'll hear in years - no exaggeration here - and they deserve a huge listenership among the discerning. Reporter Lily Clark recently caught up with the group's guitarist/singer Justin Guindon to learn more.

LILY: When When did you first discover your love of music?
JUSTIN: I've been playing music since the age of three. I was very fortunate that my mother put me in a musical day care at such an early age. I basically started out playing classical music for about three years. Later on when I was about six I left the daycare and just started playing at home. I was practicing piano until I was about twelve when I started to learn guitar. It wasn't really of huge significance to me for a few years, then I really decided to learn. All the music I previously practiced was of serious benefit at that point and it felt natural to me. From then on, music became my lifestyle.

LILY: Your song ‘Glanced In Your Eyes’ is receiving a strong listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard it played?
JUSTIN: Well, this wasn't the first time I’ve gotten air time. I was put on the local radio station for a song I wrote called ‘Institutional Rights’, which they placed in the instrumental section. I've also been on TV in Ottawa twice so far. Mind you I could have never done these things without the band.

LILY: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
JUSTIN: Well, we honestly didn’t know it was going to hit the radio. We don’t think that our EP fully represents what we can actually do.

LILY: Would you say that the mood of your other songs is in the same vein as ‘Glanced In Your Eyes’?
JUSTIN: Each song is its own entity. We really try to make them sound different, using different styles even. The more diverse your music is, the more diverse you are in turn. The average artist will normally stay in his/her domain, but we try to break free from that radius because there is truly no limit to what one can do.

LILY: How would you characterize yourself as an artist/musician?
JUSTIN: In this business you have to be down to earth, likable and optimistic. It's the only true way to thrive. The more you develop a presence, the more you get in audience reverberation - the basics of call and response behavior in humans.

LILY: Did you come from a musical background? Are there other musicians in your family?
JUSTIN: We believe that music is in all of us. Some find it a bit easier to practice and develop the part that eventually will define you if you let it. There are people in our families who have played, but also great listeners and that’s just as important.

LILY: What do you find most rewarding about being an artist? What do you find most challenging?
JUSTIN: The most rewarding aspect is the contribution you can make, not only to your own growth as a person, but also to the happiness of others. It’s a hard industry and a lot of people don’t know how to read contracts and get screwed over. Know your terms. The challenging part is what’s not there, what you can't see. It takes a true visionary to play the game.

LILY: Who are your role models in music?
JUSTIN: It's great to be influenced by others; it can create beautiful things. But taken too far it’s just a lack of confidence.

LILY: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
JUSTIN: It would probably be my first one - before our band even existed. It was in an auditorium for a talent show and I knew I had found myself in some way.

LILY: Do you have a music video for your hit single? If so, what can you tell us about it?
JUSTIN: Production costs money, and lately I hear from professionals in the industry that there’s no point making a huge video with a big budget if no one is going to watch it. Start small go big, be diverse.

LILY: Thank you Justin for your time. Wishing you continued success.

http://www.blastfromthesun.com


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