Arjuna Baton Rouge, Louisiana http://www.myspace.com/arjunala  Interview with Brady from Arjuna Written By: The Realist from GreenlandLive.net GreenlandLive.net asks, Describe your band/duo/group. How did you come together? We are an eclectic mix of personalities, backgrounds, and musical tastes. If you checked through our iPods and CD’s, there would be a lot in common, but probably more differences than similarities. First and foremost, we are a group of good friends who share a great bond over the music we create, and we love sharing this passion with others.   The current lineup is a reincarnation of the first formation of Arjuna. After the band broke up, Josh moved to Baton Rouge where I was going to school. We hung out and jammed often and realized that we needed to resurrect the band. So, last summer, this became a reality. Steve, the original guitarist, decided to pursue his own musical endeavors, and Chris was brought back into the band on second guitar. After trying several bassists, my friend Casey enjoyed our jams so he is now handling the low end. Casey has a lot of ska and progressive influences, so his bass playing is really an exciting and adventurous addition to the overall new sound of the band. Since that time we have been writing, recording, and playing shows. The response has been amazing to the new sound, and we hope to have our 2nd full length CD finished for Fall of 2008. GreenlandLive.net asks, How did you come to be known as Arjuna? What’s funny is probably each member in the band has a different story, but the general consensus is that it’s a Chinese herb for healing the heart. We like to extend this meaning to our music being a source of healing and relaxation for all of us. Gary has a lot of influences from Eastern literature and myths, which is also evident in some of his lyrics. GreenlandLive.net asks, Who and what are your influences? As mentioned before, the influences are vast. But in general, it would be classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream, and Black Sabbath, and even old school rock like the Beatles. Modern bands would be 311, Incubus, Hopesfall, Saosin, GlassJaw, Circa Survive, and a lot others. We all have different favorites, so this definitely adds the sonic diversity present in the band. GreenlandLive.net asks, How would you describe your audience? Our audience is pretty expansive, which is amazing. We can play all ages venues, or 18+ venues, and do well in any setting. We might lose some of the younger listeners with the new material as it is much more mature than the first CD, but we are definitely gaining new listeners with the new songs. GreenlandLive.net asks, What are your goals as a group? Our goals don’t concern being signed or famous. We do music because it’s what we love, and it’s such a therapeutic outlet from our daily lives of school, work, and whatever else falls in between. The time that we get to spend practicing, writing, recording, and playing shows is just a group of 5 friends doing what we love. GreenlandLive.net asks, What drives your music? Our music is driven by who we are as people, and what we represent as individuals. We like to experiment a lot with dynamics and chord progressions that elicit an emotional response from the listener, along with pushing the boundaries of our musical abilities by delving into the world of effects and what we perceive as unique sounding. GreenlandLive.net asks, What message/s are you delivering to the world? I’m not sure if we are delivering any specific messages but more so sharing our passion with as many people as possible. Gary’s lyrics contain a lot of reflection on his life and personal experiences with both friends and in relationships, so this is more of a contemplative self-expression opposed to explicit communication of any major messages or ideas.   We let the music speak for itself, though. We have songs that range from really chill, beachy-ethereal type vibes to bang-your-head thrash riffs of cathartic explosions of the mind and soul…needless to say it spans the gamut of human emotions and each and every time we play it, we all experience this. GreenlandLive.net asks, What does your latest album portray? The album that we are working on is a more mature direction for us. We have consciously decided to slow the overall tempo down, compared to the first album. It’s portraying us as human beings, and how we are all growing up. But, we are individuals, and as such each person contributes their own style in their own form. GreenlandLive.net asks, What roles do each member of the band act out/play? - Josh is the percussionist. He is an amazing drummer and has a lot of jazz influences. He knows how to keep it busy, or how to totally chill out and set the vibe for the rest of the guys.   - Chris is the second guitarist. He and I trade off lead/rhythm parts and he comes up with a lot of interesting chord progressions. Chris and myself are the primary music writers of the band, and the music is normally shaped off of what we come up with.   - Casey plays bass. He is an amazing bassist, and also an awesome guitarist. He played bass with Samurai Deli, which was a progressive ska band from our hometown. They played Voodoo Music Festival one year and went on several tours, so he is definitely a seasoned musician.   - Gary is the vocalist of the band. Gary writes amazing lyrics in an almost poetic fashion, which is reassuring because during writing sessions we have no idea what he is working out in his head, but when it comes time for him to record vocals, he sings these amazing lyrics that bring the songs to a totally new level. Most of the listeners closely associate with the words and we are always asked where people can read the lyrics.   - I (Brady) play guitar. Guitar has been my passion for years now, and I love the music that Chris and I come up with. I’m working on bringing my theremin into some of the songs just so I can see people look at me playing it live and just be like…what the FUCK is that?!? I can’t wait for that moment. GreenlandLive.net asks, Describe a defining moment for your band. We played an awesome show with the Hanks from California at the High Ground in New Orleans, LA. Afterwards, when people were buying merch, we were asked to sign the shirts and CD’s. This is nothing huge, but it’s really humbling and flattering. It’s just like…someone wants me to sign my name on a shirt? I don’t understand why, but I do in a way because I love music and respect musicians myself, so I feel respected and that my art is appreciated. I don’t think that feeling will ever get old.