ION INDIE MAGAZINE November 2015, Volume 18 | Page 61
Every so often, there is music that is so profound--so momentous--that it
virtually denes a generation. We've seen it with THE BEATLES, JIMI
HENDRIX and ELVIS. HAVEN is not looking to reinvent Rock ‘n’ Roll…they are
looking to save it.
Haven is two men on one mission--to bring back Rock ‘n’ Roll. Their sound
would not be out of place on 90's Alternative Rock radio.
They have a great guitar sound with catchy vocals and infectious harmonies.
They are from Poughkeepsie, NY, and while lming a video for “She's A
Warrior”, I caught up with them (MARCUS DIMARCO and NICHOLAS
CRISPI) at PAUL MCCARTNEY’S favorite club in the states, THE CHANCE.
JP: Tell the readers of ION INDIE MAGAZINE about HAVEN:
Marcus: Well, whenever we introduce ourselves, we always say, “HAVEN is
two men and one mission: bring back Rock ‘n’ Roll.” It’s kinda weird--being
just the two of us--but honestly, it’s really liberating. Over the years, we’ve
had so much conict both internally and externally, and being a two-piece
has really cut a lot of the stress out of the picture. HAVEN goes beyond just
music. Don’t get me wrong--we love good old Rock as much as the next--but
to us, music is far more than just the songs or the melodies; it’s about this
intense, intimate connection between you and your audience. You know,
STEVIE WONDER once said, “Music is a world within itself, in a language we
all understand.” I don’t think it gets any clearer than that. Music is true art; it
has meaning to each and every person out there, whether it's your own or
someone else’s. Music has the power to take a person who’s facing their
darkest demons and lift them up above it all, and there is nothing more
fullling in this world than being able to share that bond with your audience.
JP: Your sound is reminiscent of 90's Alternative Rock; nice groove and
catchy chorus. Who are some of your inuences?
Nicholas: When I was younger, KISS was a household name. It still is,
honestly. My dad’s a bassist and he was in a band of his own, so I got a lot of
JUDAS PRIEST, RUSH, IRON MAIDEN--and a bunch of the real Rock legends
through him. On the other hand, my mom always listened to a lot of Pop and
Gospel, since she and my grandmother were always involved in our local
church. As I got older, I just kind of found everything in between and latched
on to the local music scene. In middle school, I would nd yers for all of the
local bands, you know, and I would just think, “Damn, man…these guys are
actually doing things.” Even if they were only playing to like, thirty
people…I was just hooked. There was so much energy, so much passion, and
it was just so therapeutic for me. That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with
music in general; it’s hard to nd a release like that in anything else.