Highwire Daze Interview

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in justincase, and how long the band has been together?
Justin Tosco: guitar/vocals
Nick Tosco: drums
Hannah Tosco: bass
We have been playing as a professional band for about four and a half years.

What is the music scene like in Charlotte, North Carolina?
In general, it's a good scene. It's been improving a lot lately, but like any music scene it's tough for a young band.

Describe your music to someone who has never heard it before.
It's a tough thing to describe our music, especially when we are trying to do our own thing. We think of our music as melodic rock with many influences. We take pride in how eclectic we are in our songwriting.

When I first heard of your band, it was in a spotlight for either Napster or mp3. Please remind me which one it was, and what kind of responses you received from it. And what is your opinion on the Napster debate?
It was on Napster. We were a featured band for two weeks. We got an incredible response from being on Napster. Our fan base all of a sudden was spread throughout the world. We were getting fifty e-mails a day that came anywhere from New York to Pakistan. Because Napster helped justincase so much, it's hard to be against it. It can be such a helpful tool for new artists and to completely throw it away would be a loss to the music world. Maybe there should only be a law against downloading established artists or those who request to be taken off Napster.

Producer Steven Haigler has an impressive list of credits including Skid Row, Quicksand, Samiam, and Oleander. How did you hook up with him and what did he bring to the band's sound?
We met up with Steve through Reflection Studios here in Charlotte. He brought the raw American rock to our sound. He came in and did not fluff us up or try to make us something we are not. He simply improved our sound. It was an awesome experience to work with him. It was like he knew what kind of sound we were going for and he took our music to the place we wanted it to be. He was the producer we wanted.

On your website, there are pictures of you hanging around backstage with Hanson. Did you do a show with them?
We didn't play with them but we have a lot of the same connections in the music industry and that's how we were able to hook up with them.

Where do you get the ideas for the lyrics?
Life! There is no greater therapy for life in our opinion than music and the lyrics are a large part of that. It's all from experience, whether it be personal or not.

Because of your ages, I assume that most of the members are in school. When do you find time to rehearse?
We sit down and work up a schedule to make sure we balance school work, band practice, and time to relax. It is not easy to say the least.

Is it difficult to work with your brother/sister in a band and do you guys ever have any major disagreements on anything?
The truth is that we are no better than most sibilings in terms of arguing, but when we are playing music we are not as bad because it is our common ground. Practices can get a little heated, but on stage there is nothing but concetration and love for the music. This band has always been good for us and brings us together.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened during a justincase show?
Wow! To narrow it down to one would be hard. Like any band we make mistakes on stage and those are usually the most embarrising.

Has there been any label interest in the band?
We've been very lucky with the interest we have gotten in the band. We played the EAT'M Conference in Las Vegas last year along with the Atlantis Music Conference in Atlanta, and a showcase in New York City. The culmination of all those shows brought on a great buzz about the band in the industry.

Justincase will be playing The Viper Room in West Hollywood on August 8th. How did you wind up on that show and will this be your first time playing LA?
Our attorney, Ken Abdo (Jonny Lang, Shannon Curfman) along with Jeff Rabhan (Michelle Branch, HITS Magazine) set up this showcase for us. It is being sponsored by HITS Magazine and ASCAP. It is our first time playing in LA.

What are a few of the favorite bands that each member of justincase listens to?
Justin: Marvelous 3, Foo Fighters, Bob Marley, Jonny Lang
Nick: Athenaeum, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Eat World
Hannah: Michelle Branch, Dixie Chicks, Save Ferris

We ask this of almost every band, so you will need to answer this crucial Highwire Daze magazine question too. So who's better anyway - Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera?
We are going to have to go with Christina Aguilera because we have played a festival with her.

If there was one thing you'd like a listener to get out of hearing your music, what would it be?
For them to walk away saying "Man...that was good!!!" And that happens when they make a connection. Somehow they connect to what we are doing.

Do you have any messages for people who might be interested in checking out your music?
It's the type of music that anyone can appreciate. It's not aimed at any one type of person or listener. You can check us out at www.justincasefans.com. You are the people that drive us to make our music. So see if we are something you might like, thanks for listening and rock on!!!