×
×
homepage logo

Bryce O’Laughlin In the Middle of Arockalypse

By Staff | Jun 20, 2008

By Tamar Alexia Fleishman

Oftentimes, we in “the biz” shake our heads sadly at the imagined future of rock ‘n’ roll and other music. As pageant queens and reality show winners run off with record industry awards, it seems that all it takes to sell records is a Pepsodent smile and a tight relationship with the powers that be at Wal-Mart. If attitude is any indication, though, we’ll still be in good shape with young performers like Buckhannon’s Bryce O’Laughlin. He plays the harmonica, guitar, piano, mandolin and sings in his band. Here’s someone who has the confidence to not be confined to one genre or another. If grassroots support is one indication, Bryce has it all sewn up: a quick glance at his fan site shows that he is getting some interesting offers, befitting any rock star. For more info, check out http://arockalypse.awardspace.com/main.php.

 

Graffiti: What are your latest projects?

O’Laughlin: I’m currently working on a solo album. It will consist of refurbished versions of the best songs I wrote in high school. Some were originally released on the Arockalypse album.

Graffiti: Describe your brand of rock.

O’Laughlin: Heavy folk rock, with influences of surf, metal and Reggae.

Graffiti: How long have you been in this band?

O’Laughlin: Three years, including our days under other names.

Graffiti: Where do you live?

O’Laughlin: I live in Buckhannon, currently, and I’ll be moving to New Orleans, La., in August.

Graffiti: How old are you?

O’Laughlin: 18.

Graffiti: Your Web site speaks of Nickleback as being possessed by demons. Why do you think the state of music on the radio these days is the way it is?

O’Laughlin: Because it’s not about the artist any more. A good producer could take any shitty band off the street and make them sound polished. It’s too easy to get famous.

Graffiti: How old were you when you first got into music?

O’Laughlin: I didn’t start caring about music at all until I was 17. I didn’t own a single CD.

Graffiti: Do you come from a musical family?

O’Laughlin: My dad is a songwriter. I was never remotely interested in it as a child though. It wasn’t until I started to get into it myself that I realized my dad had written songs.

Graffiti: Who are your musical influences?

O’Laughlin: A lot of different things, varying from folksingers like Bob Dylan and Cory Branan to rock bands like Guns ‘N Roses and Led Zeppelin.

Graffiti: What CDs are you listening to lately?

O’Laughlin: I’ve been listening to a lot of Sublime and The Foxhunt, another band from West Virginia. It’s a good combination.

Graffiti: Where in West Virginia do you play?

O’Laughlin: So far just in Buckhannon. I think I sang at Holly River Campsite when I was 10.

Contact Tamar at tfleishman@graffitiwv.com