Year 2010, we’re already into our second month, and though you’ve made your debut in partnership with a freezing cold front, I’d hope that in this decade our attitudes aren’t just as icy. So, thanks, but I’ll pass on the depressing lyrics prompting me to “cut my wrists and black my eyes.” Let us expose ourselves to some more positive vibes in music this year (though not too sunshiny, I’d like to be able to hold my lunch).
The poster child for this newfound desire for optimism is Central Florida-based band, Stria. Pulling lyrics based on human benevolence, this self-described “Christian alternative rock” trio of Daniel Chapman, Justin Janetzko and Doug Apolinario, is the next big thing on the local music scene.
What mainstream bands do you find your sound parallels most to?
Our fans tell us that we emulate the sounds of Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin and Red. We are hard rock, and our sound is pretty aggressive.
Your debut album, “Chimera,” was released in July. Describe the inspirations you used for your songs.
We find inspiration in our struggles as human beings. The term “chimera” is creature that is made up of two beings. We felt it was an appropriate name for the album because it details being torn in two. The album explores the choosing of which side you will go with, and where that may lead you too.
What messages do you hope to deliver through your music?
Because we are a Christian band, people automatically assume certain things about us. We want to make it clear that we aren’t playing in churches singing about Jesus. We really just want to get the message out to take care of one another. We’ve been in some pretty low places as individuals, and we don’t want people to feel alone when they are going through their own battles. We hope that people can find meaning in our lyrics and have fun at our shows.
What is the ultimate goal that you hope to achieve as a band?
Professionally, a milestone for us would be performing at Gator Growl someday. We love the Gators. We’ve gained a pretty big following in Orlando, North Carolina and Tennessee, but we are working on conquering Florida as a whole. We’d love to tour around the country and work towards becoming an international band. We’ve dedicated our lives to our music, and we hope to work as long and as hard at it as humanly possible.
Where can fans listen to your music?
Our myspace page, myspace.com/striamusic, contains most of our material. We also have songs available on YouTube, and we are on Facebook as well. We hope that prospective listeners dig our sound, but we love criticisms. We are hoping to break ourselves into the Gainesville music scene.
When will Stria be performing in Gainesville?
Come check us out [Friday] at The Backstage Lounge.
