The Balloon Room A cosy chat with Dan, lead guitarist with The Balloon Room. Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself, and your band. Dan: I have grown up in Eugene, Oregon. I enjoy the area a lot and could definitely see myself living here for many years. As far as my band, it started 6 years ago when I went on a camping trip with some friends.  I met a guy there (Joe), who played guitar, through a mutual friend and we hit it off!  We jammed on acoustic guitars pretty much that whole weekend and did little else. LB: How did you start out making music? Dan: When I was a senior in high school, I was at a friend's house and he had a Washburn electric guitar just chillin' out in the corner.  On a lark, I asked if I could borrow it; he agreed and I didn't ever want to let it go after that! I got some books and CDs and began to teach myself and learn from friends. It eventually just became a lifestyle. LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Dan: My earliest memories of music were a couple old Beach Boys cassettes that my parents owned. I remember my brothers and I loved to sing along to "Surfin' USA," "I Get Around," and "Little Deuce Coupe." I just loved the overall fun vibe that they put out as well as the many different moods within their music.  That's been the biggest influence in my own music writing. LB: Tell us about your latest release. Dan: Our latest release, "Elysium," is an interesting story... Shortly after Joe and I met, we started writing songs. We were both in college and I took a music recording class. We had access to really high quality equipment for that term. So we made the most of the opportunity and recorded all of our songs even though we lacked a drummer. We finished the project in 12 weeks, but never did get any drums recorded. Now, six years later, we have a full 4-piece band and a studio, so we decided to reconstruct that entire album.  We stayed as true to the original material as possible on the reconstruction of that project. LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Dan: Indeed we do get out and play our music live! Our music is a blend of rock, punk, ska and acoustic tunes. The thing I've been told by fans is that they don't know what to expect from us because our songs are very different from each other. As well, we throw out a bunch of balloons for some added fun and entertainment! LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Dan: I really love connecting with an audience when I play live. Whether they dance and sing or just relax and listen, I want the audience to have a good time! As far as recording, I enjoy the creative side of it a lot! Just taking a simple song idea and letting the other band members put their musical input is great! It always becomes something better than I would have thought of on my own! LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Dan: Our band website, CD Baby, Facebook and MySpace… and soon to be on iTunes and Amazon.com (links below). www.BalloonRoomMusic.com www.cdbaby.com/cd/BalloonRoom www.facebook.com/pages/The-Balloon-Room/244305890156 www.myspace.com/theballoonroom