Reviews & Interviews

Greetings Friends, Family, & Fans, During the month of October 2006, we entered one of our draft demo songs into a worldwide, online, Indie band song contest at GarageBand.com, though we didn’t win the contest, and the song was in a non-finalized draft demo state, we felt it was strong enough to present as a sample of what the band is trying to do musically on short notice, and overwhelmingly, we received some very positive feedback from listeners who were willing enough to spend a few moments to tell us what they thought of our song “Waiting Time”. Please take a moment to read the excerpts from those reviews, and be sure to visit the bands website at www.JustynSayne.com to hear the song and tell us what YOU think about it too! Thanks! Justyn Sayne Song Title: Waiting Time Band: Justyn Sayne Genre: Indie Rock ( Sub-Category: Multi-Genre Indie Rock) Source: GarageBand.com Good Energy and Concept - This song should appeal to younger audiences. It has the youthful energy and self doubt that usually accompany this type of song. The track is in classic song style and it works. carstom from Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada Nice Song Structure - The vocals are well performed. The drums are fairly well played and it’s a nice beat. The guitar is good stuff. There is a really good melody here. Very solid song. spacekat from Athens, Tennessee Great Production! - Very fresh sound. Melodic with rich heavy guitar tones, really nice blend. Song structure was great, I like the arrangement. Jabberwocky_47 from Unspecified Good Job! - One thing is for sure is that you have a unique ear for melody. I think this song could definitely grow on me. It is growing on me. DevinDevin from Soggytown, Monkeyville Watch the vocals - Very unique song and mix. You guys remind me of Fountains of Wayne.... good song overall. rocknroller21 from Germany Mix - Driving drums...cool beat. This has a nice feel. It does have a good melody and potential. Good luck outlawcountry from Elkton, Maryland Blast Out Them Vocals - Guitars sound good...like they were recorded on an sm-57. Good arrangement for a radio type song. Bruce_leeroy from Detroit, Michigan Torintino - I could watch Samuel Jackson kill people to this tune, seems to fit. Guitar has a nice crunch to it and the drumming is very interesting. Singer fits the style and the sequence is cool. all around good track. Billron from Toronto, Canada Neat Little Pop Tune - The song structure here is basic, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, to a simple coda. But simple is a good thing. I could easily see this on a college station somewhere. The chorus melody stands out in my head 10 minutes after listening to it. Nice crisp vocals. The band is tight, the singer has a nice clear voice which is sometimes hard to find in this genre. cassiemacdonald from To, Ontario, Canada Cool - Cool music funky little riff good break down awesome song. spudtaihoa from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ... Is Ruling The Nation - Your singer isn't that bad. I love the vocal harmony with the backing vocals towards the end. I'm a real sucker for bands that can harmonize well. it just adds that certain oomph to it. I liked in the middle where it kinda traded off with a quick acoustic noodling thing, that was really nice. I wish you would have kept that up a bit longer since it added a nice dynamic to the garage band fuzz distortion. NewFlesh from California, Uber Alles, California Almost, Maybe... Some really snappy drums at the top, grabs the listener. I really hope this stuff helps you on your way to being a non-stop hit writing machine! Best of luck, fellers! curthines from Richmond, Virginia

NightShift The real stars of tonight’s gig are supporting act Justyn Sayne . They parade through their magnificently orchestrated set with all the pomp of returning emperors, swapping gear mid-song without a pause, fusing the raw, grumbling power of a twin bass assault onto the scouring guitars and drum burn. Purely indie rock originals, Justyn Sayne is like 4 well-oiled cogs in a musical machine that can dive from the heights of coruscating Indie Pop Punk-style electro malevolence into soporific, almost classical atmospherics at will, leaving deeply treaded tire tracks across your soul in the process. Everything they do is seamless, belying their meager 2 years together in the live arena, they have such a keen grasp of dynamics they could be designing spacecraft. And they look so damn cool too, everyone clad in basic black shirts and blue jean shorts, like the old school rock and roll collectives who once shaped this kind of soundscape. Multi-instrumentalists Kevin, Dwight, Ryan, and Jason pause before the last number, Look For The Up: to announce that it was voted 12th best song of the year in Oxford in last month’s Nightshift, before quickly proving that really, it should have been scrapping it out for top spot. So, ladies and gentlemen, it’s another new year, and here are its first stars. The name of course is an inside joke, but Justyn Sayne is deadly serious. Artist: Justyn Sayne CD / EP: The Chicken Coop Chronicles Home: Hughesville, Maryland Style: Indie Rock Quotes: "Justyn Sayne will only bust purveyors of bad music.” “a new, and much needed refreshment, for your musical taste buds.” Source: Indie-Music.com There’s an unrequired tendency for some music critics to over-think rock and roll. Post-modern theory, Freudian analysis, and overly aggressive, deconstructive criticisms. Argh! Whatever happened to straight-forward rock? Does it even exist anymore? Well, folks, have yourself a listen to Justyn Sayne, the Hughesville, Maryland-based foursome that makes very pleasing, energetic rock and roll in the time-honored multi-genre tradition. Providing the attack on the front lines of the Indie music scene is Kevin Cross (guitar / vocals), Jason Greer (drums / vocals), Dwight Owens Jr. (bass / vocals), and Ryan Thompson (guitar / vocals) offering original compositions in the veins of indie pop-punk and acoustic rock flavors. Which is not to say they are derivative to their detriment. Not at all. The hooks in "Said Goodbye" and the lyrical content of the bands compositions are more infectious than SARS and I suspect more pleasant to catch. The lyrics cover everything from heartbreak, to the more time-tested rock themes of chaos, girls that cause trouble and longing for those same girls, and motivation to put you back on track. In a world where corporate music is almost entirely comprised of cliché, Justyn Sayne addresses the banality of this small talk. Justyn Sayne makes some very good -- and very uncommon -- points in the track, “Look For The Up“ As said many times before, It’s a never ending coverless story, Never quite less than a chore, The sun always rises, there’s your glory, So when you feel done, Think about what’s to come, Remember the rising sun, The song of victory is yours to hum, Refreshing...I wish more bands felt the same way when writing their lyrics! In the end, Justyn Sayne will only bust purveyors of bad music -- rock aficionados have nothing to fear from this fresh and exciting band. Be sure to visit the bands website at www.justynsayne.com to learn more about this up-and-coming group that’s sure to offer you a new, and much needed refreshment, for your musical taste buds. Why it is that these four lads have toiled in obscurity for so long releasing demo after demo of smoking’ Indie rock masterpieces on tiny, no name, independent labels is beyond comprehension. With The Chicken Coop Chronicles, though, currently on promotional marketing status with a major indie label, it seems that, indeed, the boys have finally broke out of a seemingly endless circle. The record starts off with a moderately paced, but quite grooving tune, with the non-typical sounds of acoustic pop punk guitar only hinting at the excitement that is yet to come. Lead singer and guitarist Kevin Cross leads the charge with his emotions rising. As the other members of the group Dwight on bass guitar, Ryan seconding in the guitar department, and Jason on drums creating the hard driving back bone for the group, steadily keeps pace with Kevins offerings awaiting his charge to the audiences ears. Is this the superstar first track? "I Still Have You" is the deadly serious life experience, but, contains humorously delivered lyrical content that lets the listener know that this is not going to be another exercise in burnt out, local band clichés, but, rather, a genuine work of sonic rebirth. As with many of the bands songs, the story boards are derived from true life experiences, however, the use of intelligent lyrical content offers the songs in a wittingly funny way. Perhaps it's the climate, or maybe just the water, in Justyn Sayne’s native Hughesville, Maryland that colors the proceedings so smoothly, but there hasn't been an Indie Pop Punk record this year that has combined the spunk of Justyn Sayne, the Exhilaration of a new musical experience and the raw, lyrical prowess of the band since someone decided to cut a new slice of talent from the loaf of local music bread. And that's saying something! If you're not familiar with this talented group of musicians yet, perhaps you've spent too much time in your own dark world. Do yourself a favor and spend your money freely on this record. It'll make your ears say "refreshing"!

Without warning, it's the Washington City Paper's superficially revealing inquiry into the musical mind.

The concept of Justyn Sayne was born out of an idea first developed by Dwight. The idea was to form a group of talented, dedicated, musicians who all had the same goals and desires, to offer the audiences a new sound and musical experience, and to offer the musicians of the group a break from the old, worn out, cliche, cover tunes that have been the standard for so many years in local music scenes. The goal of the Justyn Sayne project is to present new music, never before heard, through the routes of the members' original compositions and multi-genre diversity.

What equipment do you use and what's your favorite smoke? JS: We will pretty much use whatever equipment we can get our hands on, we are living this thing called life, complete with bills, payments, and the fighting for the American dream. Basically, we drive junk cars and live in small houses, and eat at other peoples houses, the reason is so that we can afford really nice equipment, plus have a few bucks left over for a case of Mountain Dew. Since Kevin doesn't like cigs, and Jason doesn't smoke, they leave all that up to Dwight, so it's either Basic Methol Lights 100's or whatever is menthol, he burns up more than he smokes anyway, so he just as well light the money on fire. What kind of drums do you play and what pets do you own? JS: We play Pearl, pots, pans, Tama, and have the rubber drums too, a borrowed set of Yamaha DXT Express electronic drums we use for rehearsals, they are practical, but, limited as well. However, they work great when Jason decides to use his rubber chicken drumstick. Justyn The Rubber Chicken. Seriously. He's something of a mascot. With the craziness this bands presents and the fact that our studio was a former chicken coop, he just sorta fits the mold of what the band is all about, fun, humor, and serious music, all we have a passion for. What's your favorite D.C. hangout and your favorite automobile? JS: Well, we can't get to D.C., Our Yugo just won't get us all there. What's the worst place you've crashed and your worst haircut? JS: Well, probably the time Jason was driving us around in the No-Go Yugo, basically he ran over the rubber chicken, which in turn flipped the Yugo over and then we sorta slid right into the wall of the studio, which we have dubbed "The Super Coop", but, we were all ok since we landed on the rubber drums, and the walls are padded with about 12" of carpet and insulation so it was really nothing to worry about. We don't really get into conversations much about our hair, at our age, the hair thing is not a good subject for general conversation, it usually just brings up memories of when it used to be long, and perfect, Kevin still sports perfect hair though, you can see the Candid Photo Album on our website, there's a really nice picture there of Kevin while he is exposing his perfect hair to the world. Worst roommate and best audience? JS: We had this pet deer once that used to stop by and make some really strange blowing and grunting noises, Dwight was able to converse with this insane creature and explain to him that if he didn't stop fowling up the live recordings, then we'd have to apply the Bass Rifle to his hind quarters, there's a picture of Dwight taking a shot at said deer in the Candid Photo Album too, that's a real hoot. Our best audience is none other than Justyn. He does little more than hang from the ceiling, never complains, never rushes the stage, never gets in our way, fills in as the drum tech, and also provides his services as a spare drum stick (no pun intended). And best of all, while we're working on new material, Justyn never yells "FREEBIRD", for fear of being molested I guess. Explain your band name and define your sound. JS: We thought, "If we can give the audience a song similar to classic rock and earlier rock and roll styles, and then in the next song, throw a sound similar to current rock styles at them, it pleases everyone in the audience and bridges the musical genre and generation gaps found in todays audiences. That would be "just insane"... Thus, the band's name was born, through a simple twist of spelling and the desire to conduct a very diverse experiment. Keeping to the primary objective of making the bands "sound", one an individualistic flavor, the band attempts to offer the sound to their audiences stated as Elvis did to the receptionist of Sun Records... "I don't sound like anyone Ma'am" The band has compiled many original music compositions over the years and we had the idea of taking those original compositions and fine tuning them into something of a work of art, but, at the same time, offering those compositions as "plain good music with a simplistic feel". Their compositions, together combined with their extremely diverse genre experiences, allows the overall sound of Justyn Sayne to offer somewhat of a system allowing the audience to experience music styles ranging from 50's pop to current rock-n-roll. What clothes do you like to wear on stage and what do you eat on the road? JS: Well, we keep the G strings on the guitars and basically wear what's comfortable, though we don't go on stage looking like a bunch of bums. It's usually a clean shirt and jeans, depends on what side we have to wear, in case we spill some Mountain Dew or something on them, thankfully clothes have two sides. We only eat on the road if we've forgotten our paper plates at the studio. The road can be an unsanitary place to dine. Bugs and other forms of fatally injured wildlife is not the best of dining partners. What's the worst stage you've played and your best payday? JS: Quite possibly the worst stage we've played is the one in our own studio, see, the floor has this 4.32 degree slant to the South, so, if you're not concentrating on the floor the whole time, it's possible for us to cause serious injuries to our equipment, and to each other. The best thing we have found to curb this problem is to have a slight MGD buzz, then we basically can conform to the 100% vertical incline requirement. So, far... there has not been one for us, however, the music stores and other places we buy our equipment from has been having the best payday of their lives. Besides, we play for the fun, love, and self satisfaction, of being able to do something that entertains others, we don't look for monetary rewards for what we do, it's never a money issue with us, except when we can't afford to buy something we need, and it's always the same question every time, "What's the going bid for a rubber chicken on eBay"? What are your influences and worst equipment experience? JS: The bands influences are everywhere, life, humor, annoying neighbors, women we love to hate, the ones that won't go away, hard times, depression, sickness, life lessons, hard ship, trying times, low income, everything that sucks really. The point is we take all these things and find a way to make it better for everyone, we can turn things around for the better and let everyone who understands our songs, and the meaning behind them know that better things are out there, just go get it. Kevin acoustic guitar. It's got this pre-amp problem where the sound keeps cutting in and out on him, it only does it when we're trying to play a song. It's a real hemoroid because the rest of the band has no idea when to stop and start. What are your songs about and what's your favorite drink? JS: Our songs are "real", we write material based on real, true, life events and stories that we have lived through, there's no fantasy or fiction dialogs in our music, we come from where everyone else comes from and we believe that's why our songs appear to be so popular, we see it as everyone else has at one time or another, sometimes we see it together. Mountain Dew, MGD, Henry McKenna, and that liquid gold called Evian. You know people are really "NAIVE" to buy water for that price. What's your favorite tour memory and worst band squabble? JS: Well our favorite tour memory has to be the time we all decided to meet at the Super Coop for rehearsal, we have more fun and get so much enjoyment out of being together and working on material together and collaborating new stuff together, we could play in front of a million people, but, probably not have the memories we have now of what it's like to work together as a unit. We don't do squabble. We flat out have a knock down, drag out argument, kicking, screaming, yelling, hair pulling, the whole thing, it's like a hockey fight but the only players on the team are two wasted teenage girls who want the same guy. Then after about 2 and half minutes, we have totally forgotten what we did 2 and half minutes ago. Honestly, we don't really argue, we all have respect for each others comments and suggestions and we respect each others thoughts and feelings, we try everything first, then maturely decide on the right idea, the best for the band. Other bands never last due to a lack of maturity, we don't play kiddie games here, we present the band as it is "just insane", but, we have to be dead serious musicians behind the scenes to make the project work. What are your current projects and political thoughts? JS: Goal number one is to get the bands album finished and record a demo EP for various forms of airplay. It's been a long time coming and the vehicle finally has all the wheels to make the project roll, so we are currently working on that right now, and the album should be ready for public release by the Fall of this year. Everyone in the band has different views and beliefs on politics, and other subjects, however, the band would rather concentrate on the subjects at hand... The Music... and who brings the beer next time! What's the stupidest move your singer ever pulled? JS: Well, Kevin has this thing about saying the "S" word alot while we're trying to run through new material, it's got to be tough trying to play guitar and sing the lyrics to a new song for anyone, but, if we hear the word "sorry" much more, then we may have to rethink our vocals position. Copyright © 2006 Washington Free Weekly Inc. WCP PopQuiz Interviews Archive L.A.’s Rock Newspaper RCN: What type of band are you? JS: We are an Originals Indie Pop Punk / Acoustic Rock group with a flair of everything in the middle, plus a pinch of salt. RCN: Tell us the brief history of your band. JS: The Justyn Sayne Band was founded in the summer of 2004. Currently, the group consists of four full-time members; Kevin Cross (vocals/guitar), Dwight Owens (bass guitar/vocals), Ryan Thompson (guitar/vocals), and Jason Greer (drums/vocals) with over-whelming professionalism and dedication to the music produced by the group. The group has played many venues in the Southern Maryland and surrounding regions and has acquired a strong fan base, and has received favorable support and reviews from local and national related printed media publications and television shows associated with self produced material and "indie" label record company associates. RCN: Who are your musical and non-musical influences? JS: That’s a question that has more answers than we could ever hope to give. The members of this band come from many diverse ranges and music genres and the influences presented by each member is what makes Justyn Sayne more widely accepted than most local acts. Our non-musical influence would have to Justyn, he’s the reason we keep doing what we’re doing, he’s a constant reminder that this project is based on the idea of having fun. RCN: What are your dreams and goals? JS: It would be fair to say that everyone in the band has the same dreams and goal with the project. Whether we make it big or not is not totally the issue, we just want to have fun and make all the friends we can and hope that someone out there likes what we’re throwing at them. If it leads to world tours, then take it a s compliment and enjoy the ride. RCN: Who writes the songs, what are they about? JS: The majority of the groups material has been written by Kevin, his material is what really started the whole thing rolling, though the rest of the band does offer what they have, regardless of who puts in what, it’s still a “group” effort. Our material is written based on true life experiences and not just the average made up fantasy story, we relate to audiences because we have all been there in similar situations. RCN: How do you promote your band and shows? JS: We have developed many routes for promotion and we take advantage of the resources that most all other bands overlook, promotion is free and easy, almost works on it’s own, though our resources are secrets, we’ll just move on. RCN: Describe your show, visual and musically JS: Justyn Sayne is not really a lot different than other bands in the same class, however, based on the region we’re native to, and it’s average local music scene, compared to other music acts, we have a few things to offer that other bands just cannot provide, a few examples is the use of multi-instrumentalists, which we can offer different music styles on different instruments giving the effect that there is more than one band on the stage, our material is multi-genre and spans a wide range of ages, so there’s truly something for everyone in the audience. We’ve also learned how to broaden the scope of our performance venues, so rarely do we perform in the horrible local bar atmosphere, we’ve learned ways to attract audiences outside of that scene, and that’s why we have aquired such a strong fan base, most audiences don’t want to be in the “bar scene”. RCN: What do you think about downloading music online? JS: That’s a tough one, given the technology of today’s electronics marvels. Times have changed and with computer technology comes a down fall in musicians payroll. There was a time when musicians counted on record sales to fill the bank, but, now the musicians had better start counting the shows and merchandise to make bank. If the band is much like ourselves, the money does not matter anyway, as long as the bands income can be self supportive for equipment purchases, then we’re good. It’s also a safe bet that free music will bring more fans, and with that said, they ensure the future of the band. RCN: What's your outlook on the record industry today? JS: Record Industry? That’s a dying breed of industry, with the onset of internet file sharing and music downloads, like the above question, the record industry is going to be non-existent in a matter of years, if it’s not already going out. With the additional resources of home recording studios and equipment, musicians can self produce their own material, engineer it, and market it all from the comfort of their own homes and studios, the record industry is certainly not what it was and just as we present ourselves as an “indie” group, it is what is it is, a do-it-yourself program, completely independent. RCN: What inspires you to do what you do? JS: Justyn Sayne’s inspiration to make the bands future goals come alive varies from different angles. We want to show who we are as musicians and not spend the entire time presenting ourselves as a cover band does, showing the audiences who you can pretend to be. We also, do it for self gratification, it’s not an ego issue by any means, but, if we can get one person to say, “I really like that song”, then we know we have done our part at offering someone else an experience they get from nowhere else but us. It’s a lot about fun and working together as a band, and as friends, something we all do together that ends with great results is pleasing to us, and hopefully a lot of other people. RCN: What are some current goals for the band? JS: Our current primary objective is to get the bands debut album released and promote it every way we know how. We have also set aside some dates for album release parties, we saved the release dates for the summer months so that we can attract more crowds in an outdoor atmosphere and not be inclined to the indoor bar scene. We will be booking multi-band gigs and doing some self produced concerts, and doing some acoustic sets in the near future, all while preparing material for the bands second cd release, based on the outcome of the debut’s directions.