The Shore a sure thing for Maverick Records By John Fox Staff Reporter jtfls3@psu.edu Maverick Records' The Shore hail from sunny California and push out an even blend of psychedelic rock reminiscent of the legendary Brit-rockers Oasis. Frontman Ben Ashley took time between touring to talk with The Capital Times. Ashley, 27, was born in San Francisco and raised in Philadelphia. Music was prominent in his house growing up and there were always records lying around. His personal relationship with music began at age 16. He played different instruments in many of his friends' bands. Like most young bands, they practiced anywhere they could: attics, garages, and basements. Ashley said it wasn't until five years ago that he started writing songs of his own. The Shore is the first band he has ever fronted. "I never really played out until The Shore," said Ashley. "It's the first band that I really wrote the songs for and sang for. This is the first band I ever fronted and ran the show." Being a Los Angeles transplant, Ashley talks about the bi-coastal contrast. "L.A.'s way more laid back," said Ashley. "It kinda suits me better 'cuz you can get away to the ocean or the mountains. The east coast definitely formed a lot of the personality in me." Ashley said he has already begun writing material for their second Maverick release. The Shore has not yet had the chance to tour outside of the States. Ashley said he is looking forward to international touring and is interested in seeing how the band will be appreciated in other countries. Many bands struaole their entire 'owe shapes future business leaders at PS By Charlotte Spector Staff Reporter cspector@psu.edu Cindy Rowe-Taylor, founder and president of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass, spoke to over 50 students at the 6 1 h annual Career Forum in the Gallery Lounge at noon on Wednesday, March 16. The event was co-sponsored by Alpha Sigma Lambda, the adult honor society, and the Office of Career Services. A registered nurse, Rowe spoke first about her decision to enter Seafood-laden menu drives Sophia's success SOPHIA cont'd from 9 For the diner who prefers something other than seafood, try Fettuccine di Mamma Antonietta ($l5), a favorite dish of Isernia's father, fettuccine dressed in tomato sauce and enlivened with capers and black olives. Gnocchi al Pesto ($l6), rolled potato and herb "dumplings", are made with arugula in place of basil, and are a subtly modern take on this classic. If you must stay on the safe side, order fresh veal Parmesan ($l6), but keep in mind that trying something new is not risky at Sophia- it's delightful. A cannoli, tiramisu, or special dessert of the day are wonderful when paired with espresso, which as you sip and look at the mural of Pozzuoli, you may wonder if you haven't traveled to the Mediterranean and not feel the least bit shy about humming along to the lovely Italian songs. We are told in life to stop and careers chasing major labels. Ashley talks about the band's relationship with Maverick. "It's been a learning experience," said Ashley. "They're really cool in the sense that they allowed us to make the record that we wanted to make with no interference They didn't tell us what to do, which is something most people would think a major label would do to you. It's been a long struggle for them to realize `cuz we don't sound like any other artist on Maverick. They're kinda a pop label and were more of an introspective psychedelic band " Ashley said that the band's relationship with Maverick is great and that the only point of contention is getting out on bigger tours. He also said the band draws from a lot of late 1960 s folk bands for their musical inspiration. He lists older artists like Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young as top influences as well as newer bands such as My Bloody Valentine and The Verve. As far as personal favorites, Ashley reveals what you might find among his CD collection. "I've been listening to a lot of folk stuff like The Fairport Convention and Tim Harding," that profession. As the middle child of 5, whose parents were a doctor and a nurse, she saw it as a good choice for a woman in the 19605, when choices seemed limited. But after a number of years, Rowe decided she wanted to be her own boss. Following up on an advertisement about the windshield repair business, Rowe underwent training and went into business for herself. Making "cold calls" to businesses that had fleets of vehicles, she knew she had a good product and could provide smell the roses, to treat others as we wish to be treated, and to remember that you can't take it with you. In true Italian style, invite someone (or two, or three, or more) to dinner, sit and enjoy an exquisite meal at your leisure, and have a hearty laugh. It works for Sophia, and it will certainly work for you. SOPHIA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 403 WALNUT STREET HARRISBURG, PA 17101 (717) 236-3980 HOURS: M-F: 11:30AM-2PM T-SAT: SPM-10PM RESERVATIONS RECCOMMENDED CREDIT CARDS: ALL MAJOR HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE NON-SMOKING BYOB OWNER/CHEF: ADRIANO ISERNIA said Ashley. "I'm also a huge fan of The Beach Boys late 60s and early 70s stuff." Ashley said that the band's songs are about love, loss, and the search for redemption. "Not necessarily in a religious sense but in a soulful sense," Maverick Records' The Shore hail from sunny California. Frontman Ben Ashley says their songs 'are about love, loss, and the search for redemption.' said Ashley. "They're about how you can overcome the pain or the joy that's going on in you all the time. That whole gentle violence topic." service consistency. She learned not to take rejections personally as she grew her business and plowed her profits back into it. David Taylor, her husband, joined her in the business in the late 1980 s and the two of them "did it all" until they finally were able to hire a general manager and a CPA. The expounded on five qualities that business now has 10 locations, encompass her tips for success, He says that the band's DID YOU KNOW? Cindy Rowe was a registered nurse be- fore founding Cindy Entertainment introspective lyrics can relate to anyone and acknowledges the similarity between The Shore's sound and that of Oasis. "They're (Oasis) one of the great bands of the last ten years or so," said Ashley. "We have the same big guitar driven sound. I think we use some of the same gear as far as guitars and amps." The Shore toured the United States throughout 2004 and has been continuing that drive into 2005. Ashley said he likes life with over 80 employees, and has expanded to include auto glass replacement and paint less dent repair. Rowe Auto Glass Photo courtesy of www.synthesis.net Rowe said she always had faith that her business would succeed and considered each step she took as a base to build on for the next one. She on the road and that the band's success seems to grow with each gig they play. "We've been having a lot of fun," said Ashley." It's really cool to meet people who know our record. Each time we go out more and more people have heard it and its like moved them and changed them. And, as a band we all get along so it's been a pleasant experience." Ashley said it is hard to explain the feeling of looking out in the crowd and seeing fans sing along to the songs he has poured his heart into writing. "It started happening last fall and I was just kinda in shock. It's like wow,`you really know the words I wrote?' It's very unreal, very kind." He remembered a euphoric on-stage moment. "We were in Minneapolis and we played in the freezing cold," said Ashley. "It was 20 degrees below zero and we played to a packed house. Everyone was singing along to the words and all of a sudden it wasn't so cold out. It was warm, sweet, uplifting, and cool." Being on a major label definitely has its perks. Bands on a major label are much more likely to become a commercial success than are independent bands. Ashley talked about the which seemed to summarize her business philosophy. The areas include: people (treating them well), communication, flexibility, balanced outlook, and passion. Regarding the last, she said, "Do what you love and love what you do." Although Rowe keeps up with her nursing by volunteering weekly on a mobile health van in Baltimore, she spoke to the issue of changing careers by emphasizing that what you choose to do in your 20s may not be what you want to do 10 years The Capital Times, April 4, 2005 potential of The Shore becoming a commercial success. "I don't really think about it on that level," said Ashley. "I'd like to be able to pay my bills. It's important that people who want to listen to music like ours can. I just want to be able to keep on making music and changing and interacting with people who understand it. When you look at the whole picture, just getting the music out to people is really what's important. (It's important) that they can hear something that you worked so hard to make sense come to life." The Shore's video for The Hard Road was in rotation on MTV and the song is on the playlist of modern rock format FM stations across the country. Ashley said that he hasn't seen the video yet and laughed when giving his explanation why. "I don't have cable," said Ashley. "I'm actually the only one in the band who hasn't heard it on the radio so it's kinda funny that I'm the last to know. It's exciting and really cool. People are letting us know they're thrilled to see it." Ashley doesn't mix politics and music. He said that there are social issues that he feels strongly about but chooses not to use the band as a soapbox to voice his convictions. He said that Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Haruki Murakami are among his favorite authors and that he has recently read a lot of works by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Ashley is excited about the band's future and said he is thankful for the amount of success they have achieved so far. You can check out The Shore on their website at www. theshoremusic.com or drop them a line on MySpace at www. myspace.com/theshore. later. She related how she had to take a nursing refresher course to reactivate her license and that she was a more serious student the second time around. One of her biggest challenges was to learn to delegate responsibility after having to do it all herself for so many years. And while she no longer has to take such a hands-on approach to all tasks, she stated unequivocally that she makes sure to read all the response cards that come to the company giving feedback on their work.
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