Give us your name and what you do in the band?
Lucas: There are six of us. Ellen Story plays the fiddle. Drew Story is our lead guitarist. Jeff Kinsey plays the bass. Al Cleveland is our drummer. Evelyn Cortazio is our background vocalist and does some lead vocals as well and I’m Lucas Cortazio the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Tales of Olde.
How did you guys all meet and when did the band form?
Lucas: Well, we all met in Boston about three years ago. Drew, Ellen, Jeff and Al all attended Berklee College of Music and I worked in the area. We began to play together for a few projects and early last year, Tales of Olde was born.
What is your earliest recollection of listening to music at a young age?
Lucas: I remember listening to my Walkman at age 10. At that time I was probably listening to some Brazilian artist and I remember already losing myself in the music, specially on car rides.
How much has music affected or enhanced your lives up until this point?
Lucas: Music has had a huge effect on my life (in a very good way). It serves as a reminder of hope and beauty. It brings me peace or it can get me pumped up… You know, it really helps me to tell stories and listen to other people’s stories and we all have stories.
Take us through the writing process for your songs, where do you draw inspiration from?
Lucas: Well… up to this point I bring skeletons of songs to the band (lyrics, melody and a chord progression) and then each band member adds his or her own flavor to it. You know, Drew will add catchy guitar licks and Jeff adds a sick bass line. Ellen will add beautiful harmony lines on fiddle, and so will Evelyn with her voice. And then Al will add his mesmerizing rhythms which really take our sound to the next level!
Our songs are mostly inspired by the stories that Evelyn and I have lived through as a couple, as parents, as son and daughter and as friends. I write about things that we have gone through ourselves or we have seen friends and family go through. We draw inspiration from joys but also the struggles and pain we all experience.
What are some of your favorite songs that you've recorded together as a group and how that speaks to you personally?
Lucas: The two songs we have released as singles (Little Bird and This Place) are favorites because they have a lot of personal meaning. I wrote Little Bird thinking of Evelyn and I’s little baby girl (her name is Lana and she is turning 2 here in January). We call her Lana Bird and I already suffer from separation anxiety when it comes to her.. haha… You know, someday a handsome fella will come around and steal her from me and that will be tough to swallow. This Place is all about HOME! And Home means everything for me. Home is Evelyn and our 3 kids. Home is our friends and family. Home is good food and good beer and wine. Home is tough times but tough times we go through together. In the end home is all about people and that is what life is about.
What are some other acts that you guys frequently get compared to?
Lucas: Oh man, we have heard a lot of comparisons. From Mumford & Sons to Of Monsters and Men, The Head And The Heart to Andrew Bird. Mostly bands that live in that indie rock/folk sphere.
Besides making music, what do you like to do in your spare time to relax and unwind?
Lucas: I don’t know that it’s relaxing but I love watching and playing sports! I’m a huge Boston fan! Football is my favorite so watching the Pats and playing football with my boys (Lucca 7 and Levi 5) is one of my favorite things to do outside of music.
What can we expect next from you guys musically this year?
Lucas: Well, this is a huge year for us. Last year we were discovering our identity and purpose and this year is when we start to share that with the world. Our debut EP will come out in late March or early April and then the real fun begins! We hope to be playing shows all over the map and making friends wherever it is we find ourselves!
Lastly, what is your favorite thing about being in this group?
Lucas: This band has become a second family for Evelyn, the kids and I. My boys look up to Jeff, Drew and Al and I’m sure little Lana will look up to Ellen. It is not easy finding people to play music and it’s even harder to find people who share the same passions and hope that you do. We have hit the jackpot! This is a band that should stay together for a very, very long time if we can stay true to ourselves and if that happens I truly believe we can have a very positive impact in this crazy world we live in!
Thanks once again to Lucas for taking some time out of his ever busy schedule to do this interview. Being a musician and a parent at the same time isn't easy, but Lucas manages to balance the two and puts it all in perspective. For more information on Tales Of Olde, 'Like' them on Facebook here, follow them on Twitter here, and visit their official website here. Be on the lookout for their debut EP slated for release sometime in March/April, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for that!
How did you guys all meet and when did the band form?
Lucas: Well, we all met in Boston about three years ago. Drew, Ellen, Jeff and Al all attended Berklee College of Music and I worked in the area. We began to play together for a few projects and early last year, Tales of Olde was born.
What is your earliest recollection of listening to music at a young age?
Lucas: I remember listening to my Walkman at age 10. At that time I was probably listening to some Brazilian artist and I remember already losing myself in the music, specially on car rides.
How much has music affected or enhanced your lives up until this point?
Lucas: Music has had a huge effect on my life (in a very good way). It serves as a reminder of hope and beauty. It brings me peace or it can get me pumped up… You know, it really helps me to tell stories and listen to other people’s stories and we all have stories.
Take us through the writing process for your songs, where do you draw inspiration from?
Lucas: Well… up to this point I bring skeletons of songs to the band (lyrics, melody and a chord progression) and then each band member adds his or her own flavor to it. You know, Drew will add catchy guitar licks and Jeff adds a sick bass line. Ellen will add beautiful harmony lines on fiddle, and so will Evelyn with her voice. And then Al will add his mesmerizing rhythms which really take our sound to the next level!
Our songs are mostly inspired by the stories that Evelyn and I have lived through as a couple, as parents, as son and daughter and as friends. I write about things that we have gone through ourselves or we have seen friends and family go through. We draw inspiration from joys but also the struggles and pain we all experience.
What are some of your favorite songs that you've recorded together as a group and how that speaks to you personally?
Lucas: The two songs we have released as singles (Little Bird and This Place) are favorites because they have a lot of personal meaning. I wrote Little Bird thinking of Evelyn and I’s little baby girl (her name is Lana and she is turning 2 here in January). We call her Lana Bird and I already suffer from separation anxiety when it comes to her.. haha… You know, someday a handsome fella will come around and steal her from me and that will be tough to swallow. This Place is all about HOME! And Home means everything for me. Home is Evelyn and our 3 kids. Home is our friends and family. Home is good food and good beer and wine. Home is tough times but tough times we go through together. In the end home is all about people and that is what life is about.
What are some other acts that you guys frequently get compared to?
Lucas: Oh man, we have heard a lot of comparisons. From Mumford & Sons to Of Monsters and Men, The Head And The Heart to Andrew Bird. Mostly bands that live in that indie rock/folk sphere.
Besides making music, what do you like to do in your spare time to relax and unwind?
Lucas: I don’t know that it’s relaxing but I love watching and playing sports! I’m a huge Boston fan! Football is my favorite so watching the Pats and playing football with my boys (Lucca 7 and Levi 5) is one of my favorite things to do outside of music.
What can we expect next from you guys musically this year?
Lucas: Well, this is a huge year for us. Last year we were discovering our identity and purpose and this year is when we start to share that with the world. Our debut EP will come out in late March or early April and then the real fun begins! We hope to be playing shows all over the map and making friends wherever it is we find ourselves!
Lastly, what is your favorite thing about being in this group?
Lucas: This band has become a second family for Evelyn, the kids and I. My boys look up to Jeff, Drew and Al and I’m sure little Lana will look up to Ellen. It is not easy finding people to play music and it’s even harder to find people who share the same passions and hope that you do. We have hit the jackpot! This is a band that should stay together for a very, very long time if we can stay true to ourselves and if that happens I truly believe we can have a very positive impact in this crazy world we live in!
Thanks once again to Lucas for taking some time out of his ever busy schedule to do this interview. Being a musician and a parent at the same time isn't easy, but Lucas manages to balance the two and puts it all in perspective. For more information on Tales Of Olde, 'Like' them on Facebook here, follow them on Twitter here, and visit their official website here. Be on the lookout for their debut EP slated for release sometime in March/April, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for that!
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