Interview With 'The Scared Crows'

Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?

Cool! My name is Tyler Forrest. I’m writing from Republic of Pie in North Hollywood, the best coffee shop in the coolest neighborhood in the world. It’s because of this neighborhood the band was started. NoHo is such an inspiring place filled with musicians, dancers, artists, actors, and filmmakers. It all started from playing music in people’s living rooms and hosting jams in various venues. On a local level, The Scared Crows is somewhat of a collective. We’re always bringing in new folks to jam and perform with us so the experience is always changing and fresh. But, the core remains a trio, which provides the palette and sound of TSC. Me on guitar and vocals, Adrian Hires on bass, Andre Mohring on drums. We found each other over time. It’s kind of like a romantic relationship - when you know, you know. For real, though, these guys are my favorite players in LA. They have such a unique and expressive voice and when put together, musical magic happens.

What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?

Music has always been the path. I’ve been writing songs since I was a teenager and have developed quite a large repertoire of original songs. I’ve had bands since high school, one that took me through my early twenties. I did stay out of the music game for a couple years while exploring acting and film making, which is what moved me to LA. That was awesome and taught me so much about other forms of art, but music was still my passion. Through those couple years away from performing and promoting a band, I collected songs. I wrote three albums and two musicals. I truly found my voice. When I decided to get back into music full time, I had all this new experience and energy to put into it. More than ever, I know this is my calling and there is no turning back. As someone told me last night, if you have a gift, share it.

Tell us about your latest release and why our readers should check it out.

We don’t have an official album out quite yet. But, you can head over to Spotify and check out a handful of demos that will be on our first album titled 'Electric Suicide'. That is the next step for the band, to produce the album commercially and market the hell out of it. Probably the top of 2019. In today’s music market, everyone has the ability to produce commercial sounding music from their bedroom, which has led to an over saturated market of the same stuff and sounds. If you enjoy expressive music and crave something fresh with a truly original sound, you won’t be disappointed. To us, it’s all about honesty and evoking a sentiment in the listener. Happy songs, sad songs, angry songs, funny songs. And we’re not limited to one genre. We enjoy making all styles of music and even blending them.

Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?

Yeah, our band members. Here’s a cool story. We had a show at the legendary Rainbow Room on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. At the time we had a fill in bassist. Something we love doing is opening up the stage after our set for an improv jam to take us the rest of the night. It’s a great atmosphere for discovering new talent and good fun all around. Once we wrapped up, this kid jumps up immediately with his bass and starts grooving. Every band member came up to me and said “Are you seeing this?”. I was definitely awestruck. At that moment I knew the Crows were complete. We’ve been thriving together ever since.

If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect?

Fun. Pure music. Passion. Whaling guitars, pianos, drum solos, bass solos. No bullshit. Leave your inhibitions at the door because we’re all getting down. We don’t use backing tracks or click tracks so you never know what can happen next. Within our sets we leave room for jamming. A three minute song might turn into ten minute song. We feed of each other and the audiences energy and like to keep you on your feet. Our shows are community get togethers where you can expect to make new friends while seeing familiar faces. It’s all about just being happy and sharing the love of music.

If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?

I have such a deep respect for songwriters and bands who have really discovered and refined their own sound. It would be cool to tour with someone with more experience and wisdom. Could definitely learn a thing or two. Someone like 1975. I think they’re doing it right. They hit a wide audience and have crafted their own sound while staying true to their passion and message. They’re the real stuff.

You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?

Johnny Cash. A prolific songwriter with a no bullshit attitude. I would really love to just sit back on a porch with some whiskey and guitars, share songs and talk about life and the stories behind the songs. I feel like we’d have a lot in common. His music has always moved me.

And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Don’t know. Haven’t seen it! But, I just asked my buddy and he said yeah. I’ll take his word for it and put it at the top of my Christmas movie watch list.

Website - www.thescaredcrows.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheScaredCrows/