Let's start at the beginning - in what
year did the band form??
I am sure each member has their own
artists that inspire or influence them,
but as a band what are the groups that
inspire Bayonics as a whole?
The band started back in 2001.
Our inspirations range from Sly and The
Family Stone, Tower of Power, Santana,
Funkadelic, James Brown, Too Short, Steel
Pulse, The Wailers and Stevie Wonder.
Putting a band together is a challenge
and even harder to keep together, so
who or what was the catalyst that gave
birth to Bayonics?
How does San Francisco influence the
music that the band creates?
The catalyst was our salsa band called Mala
Fama. We met & formed at San Francisco
State. A few core members of Mala Fama
would stay after rehearsals to compose
original music that blended our varied
influences.
We are based out of the Mission district which
is historic for a Latin fusion sound, and of
course different neighborhoods have their own
specific sound when it comes to funk, soul and
hip-hop. Where we are from has a heavy
influence on the concept and direction of our
music.
Was it always the intention to do the
mixture of genres that you perform, the
Latin, Reggae, Hip-Hop blend?
Are the lyrics of a song a collaborative
effort from all band members or are
they're key members who write more of
the material?
From the beginning we intended to create
music that represented our multi-cultural
region of the Bay Area. Latin, Funk, Reggae
and anything that has a dirty and funky sound
to it. Our new direction however has been just
Latin/Reggae.
The writing process usually starts with a
few band members who build a skeleton of
a song, then bring it into the rehearsal
studio. From there, we start arranging as a
collective.
Has having so many songs with very
different sounds effect how the band is
received by the industry, if not some of
the audience?
Does the band keep a rigorous
rehearsal schedule?
Our musical genres vary and so does our
appeal. On the positive side, we reach a lot of
different types of people, and almost anyone
can find something they identify with in our
music. But, it can be a challenge to market
ourselves. PR agencies, talent buyers, and
booking agencies sometimes don't know how
to position us. The industry has an easier time
when you fit neatly into a category.
We've been rehearsing every Tuesday night for
the last 15 years. We also rehearse Wednesday
nights as a rhythm section. Usually after
rehearsals the lead singer and one of the
producers will stay late to record and develop
our ideas.
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THE CONE - ISSUE #8 - WINTER 2016