Discovering New in the Old

Last night, a fan came up to me while I was out with some friends. She said she loved the song, "End of Summer," and she played it all the time. But she wondered if I ever got tired of playing it. If it ever started to sound stale to me on the radio, or on stage.
The great thing about music, I told her, is that no song is ever the same, so no song ever gets old. You could play it a million times, each time strumming a single chord differently. Singing a note higher, or lower. You have to let the music take you away. Sasha has come up with some pretty rocking stuff in the middle of some of his guitar solos. Stuff I never would've thought of. You just have to feel the music, and allow yourself to be creative, and spontaneous. It's OK to not know where a song, or a riff, is going. As long as you follow it all the way there. I think you'll find it takes you exciting new places in music you once thought were old and overplayed.

My interview with Amy Brittain

Roman Arkhipov has a new name, "Troy Harley," and a new American rock-and-roll lifestyle to match.

 

The Russian native, who achieved pop fame through the reality music T.V. show "Star Factory," has relocated to the sunny shores of Los Angeles, California. In L.A., he's traded in his winter coat for a surf board and ditched the boy band image that was tough to shed back home. 

 

The raspy-voiced singer, with his trademark long, wavy blond hair, even earned a spot last summer on The Van Warped Tour, a multi-city rock festival that winds through the United States each year. He also signed a deal with J.K. Music Group, an independent record label, and recorded several tracks with Randy Jackson, the well-known American Idol judge and producer who's worked with rock band Journey and R&B icon Mariah Carey.

Now he's in pursuit of the ultimate American dream: true rock n' roll stardom, the type of fame that could make him a household name in the United States.

 

But Harley's own musical journey started back in Moscow, where he was a university student studying international relations. In his free time, he played in a band.

 

"For me, it was a kind of dream," he said of his musical aspirations. "I thought it was impossible."

 

Then, he auditioned for Star Factory. The first two attempts were unsuccessful, but, as he says, "The third time was good for me."

 

After competing on the show, Harley, following the instruction of the show's producer, joined a boy band called Chelsea.

 

"I had no choice," he said. "I tried not to lose myself. I still tried to keep my rock style. That's why I had skulls on my outfit, with silver rings and crosses. It was pretty funny because we were a boy band with black ties and suits."

 

After completing his recording contract, he decided to leave Russia for the United States. He thought America, unlike Russia, would be more accepting of his desire to perform rock music.

 

The cultural challenges haven't been too difficult, he said. Learning to sing in English was pretty easy, and, as Harley adds, his raspy voice helps cover up his accent. His voice becomes even raspier after a night of partying in L.A., which, of course, is typical for an aspiring rock star.
.

"Moscow is crazier. It's 24/7 nonstop. It's open until 6 a.m.," he said. "I can party really hard, but now I'm trying to concentrate on what I'm doing."

  

One of his favorite stops on the Van Warped Tour was Orlando, Florida, where Harley and his friends ended up on an epic pub crawl that stretched into the early morning hours. He also enjoyed his time in Chicago, where he filmed his music video, "End of the Summer."

 

The song, an ode to the fading days of summer's glory, serves as a type of theme song for Harley's time on the Warped Tour. The music video chronicles that journey, showing behind-the-scenes shots from backstage and the tour bus.

After the summer, he returned to Russia to play an opening gig for the U.S. rock band, Nickelback. He was nervous to hear the fans' reactions to his new music, but hopeful that his home country would support his change to rock music.

"I used to be a pop guy in a pop band. The fans in Russia don't really like switching between genres," he said. "I was really nervous because it was really important for me. The crowd was really positive, and I read a lot of good stuff on the internet. I was really surprised because I was ready for bad comments, but people were very kind."

 

Back in the U.S., Harley is eager to continue his collaboration with producer Randy Jackson, who's widely popular in the States because of his genuine personality and no-nonsense advice on "American Idol."

"I'm really proud that he works with me," Harley said. "He has a great sense of humor. He's real, and he's honest. If he doesn't like something, he will say let's work on it a little bit more. He's really interested in this project. He likes it. That's why he's honest with me in every question I ask him."

Harley's latest music video, for the catchy song "Someone Like Me," has nearly 90,000 views on YouTube. He's hoping for it to gain popularity on U.S. radio, and he's prepared for the crazy lifestyle that may come in the future if he reaches greater fame.

"It's a part of this type of living. There are people who try to do something strange with you. They might say, "Umm can you sign this?" I'll say, "Sure no problem."

"But when they say, "Can you kiss me?" I say, "Umm no," he said, laughing during a recent phone interview.

Now, he's waiting for his guitar player to come to the United States, and he's eager to get back into the recording studio and see where this career will lead.

" I know that I want to die on the stage. Not when I'm young though," he said. "I want to have some normal life someday, with children, but I still want to be on tour all of my life."

We are all cells in the human body. Each unique and with different purposes, different strengths and different weaknesses. Some cells get along better than others. Some cells are tough, some cells are soft, some cells are quick, some cells are slow. On its own, a cell cannot survive. If removed from the human body, it will wither and die. A cell needs other cells. It needs a body. Quick cells need slow cells and tough cells need soft cells. It's the most complex band, with millions of pieces. Each playing an individual tune. And yet somehow, it all comes together. The body moves. Cells reproduce. And even in death, they're satisfied knowing they were part of something bigger than themselves. We call it "life."

Check out my live performance of "Perfect Lie" in St. Petersburg! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq3nR1Eidsc

Today, someone asked me what it's like to make music. And I said it was fun, and I was living my dream, but it wasn't until later that I really started to think about the question.
What is it like to make music? When I think back on some of my fondest memories, I find there's always a song playing nearby. My first kiss, first concert, the first CD I ever bought, the first time I had my heart broken -- the list goes on and on.
So now that I've had time to think, I think I'd give a different answer. What's it like to make music? It's a chance to give someone else a memory, and live on beyond the band, beyond even me. It's a powerful thing, to be able to make music. And with power, must come passion.

Less Should Be More

So how's that New Year's resolution coming along? Have you hit the snooze button and overslept the gym yet? Have you splurged on chocolate because you really, really 'deserved it'?
Guess what -- you're not perfect. Nobody is. And anybody who pretends to be is simply trying to compensate for something else. But I say yes to imperfection! Yes to our innate flaws! They make us human. Unique. Not all of us are as 'well-rounded' as others. But face it -- circles are boring. Octagons. Hexagons. Now they're much more interesting.
So maybe instead of focusing on what you shouldn't be doing, and your vices and habits, focus on what you're good at. What makes you... you. Do MORE of something. Don't eat less. Eat healthy MORE. Don't watch less TV. Listen to MORE music. Good music. The classics, like Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd.
New Year's resolutions ingrain in us this idea that there are things we are and are not capable of. Things we should and should not do.
I say, forget that. We're capable of anything.
And you're capable of much, much more than you give yourself credit for.

Resolutions

With the holidays over and the New Year just days away, I've started to think about resolutions. More specifically -- if I've ever actually kept one. Sure, there are the one to two month stretches where I've actually gone without eating junk food, exercised daily and all that. But then real life snaps back like a vengeful rubber band. I settle back into bad habits. I stop going to the gym as much as I should. And there's always some justification. "I'm too busy. It's too rainy. I've been good."
Sound familiar?
This New Year's eve, I think my resolution will be a bit different. I want 2013 to be the year of continuous effort. Never quitting. Even if I slip up or get stuck in those same old ruts again, I want to keep trying. Hit the reset button and keep working. Keep believing in myself. I won't let failure shake me. I'll embrace uncertainty, and never let it scare me. I'll keep on living. Keep on trying to better myself.
I look back on 2012 as a year of adventure, and not missed goals. I hope you can do the same.
Happy almost New Year.