Detroit, Michigan rockers Bloodline Riot are on a mission to set the world on fire with their unique brand of catchy progressive rock music which is also heavily influenced by several other metal and alternative genres. Led by guitarist Jason Caine and bassist Amber Cat, the band has the sound and more than enough talent to back up the mission at hand. Beyond their unique sound and obvious talent, the two band leaders also possess a strong work ethic and a business model to match their top notch musicianship. Simply put, the pair appears to have all areas covered to reach that goal of rock stardom that has been so elusive to many bands before.
So what could be left to add to this equation and provide a shot of adrenaline the band needs to get over the last step of the mountain to rock stardom? It could just be one small piece of the puzzle that creates an element of additional uniqueness. With that, enter the band’s newest member; the young female phenom vocalist that goes by the simple, yet memorable name of Sarai. When we say new, we mean new! Put it this way, RockRevolt™ learned of this newest band development literally hours before our scheduled sit down with the stunning and quite candid bassist Amber Cat.
Interview with Amber Cat of Bloodline Riot
Rick/RR: Amber, great to chat with you. How’s it going?
Amber/BR: Hi Rick, I’m good how are you? Shoot away – whatever you want to ask me. I’m probably the most candid person in the band so you might have to do a lot of editing! (Laughs)
Rick/RR: I look forward to saying in a year or two from now that I have had the honor of interviewing you before you blew up as a band!
Amber/BR: (Laughs)! You are too sweet! Thank you for the interest. I truly appreciate it.
Rick/RR: The band has accomplished a lot and gained a ton of momentum in a short period of time since forming as a super unit if you will of various Detroit metro bands.
Amber/BR: Yeah, we kind of pooled talent together from a couple of different bands. That was sort of the intent from the get go. I think there are a lot of great musicians here (Detroit metro), but we wanted to at least pool people that were the best of their band, you know what I mean? Not just to throw some names together or anything like that, but different influences, the people who were serious about music as well as devoted to it.
With that, I don’t know if you know or not about all of our recent developments? We have a big change that just happened in our band.
Rick/RR: I just got wind of what I think you are going to talk about actually a few hours ago! (Laughs) This could put a whole tailspin on what we are going to talk about tonight it looks like.
Amber/BR: (Laughs) I know! We just announced we have a new singer in the band and it is a big transition for us. It is a lady instead of a guy and she has a way different background and a completely different style. I am curious; I don’t even know exactly where it is going right now in the material and all the cool things that are happening for us. She has an amazing voice and I am really excited about it. Our first show is on January 19th and it will be Sarai’s premier show and we are really excited about it. We are going to do a lot of the same material from the EP Keys and Clockwork. We also have a lot of new material and we want to get back into the studio with her. We really just want to keep things moving forward and not lose any momentum.
Rick/RR: Please introduce our readers to your newest singer.
Amber/BR: Well, her name is Sarai and she has a really strong voice with some great bluesy influences. She can scream and be heavy, but she can be softer too. We are excited about that; there aren’t a lot of rock bands that have two girls in them. She and I get along great and the chemistry is there so I’m really looking forward to working with her. The song writing has just been flowing naturally as is the material as it is originating. Jason (guitar/vox) starts out with the song structure and hands it off to the rest of us and we write our own parts. I really like how everything is coming together with the new sound. She has a lot to bring to the table. She’s young, but has a strong background and has been onstage with other bands.
We had previously auditioned our original singer (Micahel Hughes) less than two years ago. In that short period, I think our third show ever was the contest that we won to play Rockstar Uproar last year. The first year, we got nominated for six Detroit music awards which is just unheard of. We didn’t win any of them, but just to be nominated in so many different categories was great. We are just trying to keep everything going and fresh. Stay on the verge with what is going on with rock music as it is evolving seemingly every minute.
Rick/RR: Is there any awkwardness or things of that nature right now for the band?
Amber/BR: No, we are good. I can tell you our previous singer is doing stuff with his old band and my guess
is he is trying to develop that into a little more. I think he just wanted a little bit of a different direction then what we wanted and where our sights were aimed. I guess I should say that there can be weirdness with a split and stuff; I’m not going to lie. I think everyone still wants to be involved in music and as long as everyone still gets credit for what they’ve done I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Rick/RR: With all the momentum, heavy internet and other radio play you are receiving, as well as the other accolades you’ve obtained in a short period of time; are you fearful that that momentum will slow down to where you need to take two steps backwards to move forward?
Amber/BR: I think the fact that we have a new singer, and our singer is very different from our original singer will only add to the momentum. I think it would have been very difficult to bring in another singer that sounded the same and try to put a new name or face on the front. I think that would have been harder actually. We do have a lot of loyal fans that like the sound and song-writing, that love the feel behind what we are doing, and I think and hope that they will just roll with it. We won’t know until we try. I can’t imagine it being anything but good. We are very prevalent and active here in the music scene, and not just when we are playing ourselves. I am curious to hear what people have to say one way or another.
Rick/RR: There’s no harm in trying something new, especially right now where there is so much music available at fan’s finger tips, which makes it that much harder to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Amber/BR: Yeah, exactly. Because anyone can record something in their home or basement and throw something out. There are a lot of original ideas and tunes, but a lot of it does sound the same. I have to say from the get go, and with no compromise, is that everything is of quality. I don’t care if it’s the pictures, the artwork – whatever. Everything we record is in the studio. We don’t record in our basement. We are doing it professionally because when you send your music to radio, I don’t care if it is an internet radio station or one of the main stations in a metro market nationally, you want to make sure it is quality and the best that you can be. It is worth spending the extra time and money and is something we’ve always been huge believers in. Some bands make the mistake of trying to record themselves, but to put out a quality finished product is everything.
Rick/RR: I would like to thank you for that as a fan myself. When I spend my hard earned dollar on music, I expect the highest, professional quality possible. When I go to a show, I also want the band to look like “the band” and put on a rock show. Not just some random fool walking out of the crowd and onto the stage!
Amber/BR: I hear what you are saying; fully understand and agree! You don’t want to go see a band that looks like they got on stage in their pajamas or don’t care. You don’t have to go over the top as it was in the 80’s, but you have got to realize live music is a performance, it is entertainment. As a band, you are there to put on a show. That is something that we definitely value a lot. I go to see live music myself and I want to see something for my dollar. If not, I might as well just listen to the CD at home. There is always an element of surprise with live music and a performance, but that is the beauty of it. I know myself, and Jason as well, thoroughly enjoy being on stage. We have a ball and just come to life there. We take a lot of pride and enjoyment in that and I think it shows. That is where we bring our craft to the fullest; in the interacting with people.
Rick/RR: Your current single “Burn” is tearing up several internet radio and mainstream stations in several markets as we speak.
Amber/BR: With that single, it has been great. Above and beyond all the others, we wanted to get that song done first. Once we finished the EP as a whole, a couple of the other songs have also been well received. But the fans and radio have really taken to that particular song and we are proud of it. I love the songs we’ve recorded so far and they are near and dear to my heart, but now we need to record more.
[reverb type=’solosong’ aid=’1375536′ sid=’9171292′ photo=’1′]
Rick/RR: “Burn” is on your EP entitled Keys and Clockwork, which was produced by Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Trust Company, Saving Abel). What will you be able to take away from that experience that will be helpful going forward?
Amber/BR: Just continuing to practice your butt off and having your parts as finalized as possible without getting too attached to them as everything evolves in the studio. The songs really comes to life in the studio, where you have to have an open mind and be patient while in the process. It can be grueling; you do things over and over with a lot of stop and start. You have to let any ego go, develop a thick skin, take criticism well and be open to all kinds of ideas. Also, having a producer who knows how to produce, not just record, is very important so we will continue with that.
Rick/RR: Is there anything else relating to being in a rock band that someone on the outside wouldn’t realize beyond the glitter and stardom most folks think about or would be surprised with?
Amber/BR: Yeah, I would say that 90% of our time is spent on the business side of it, not on the song writing or live performance part of it. It ranges from putting our website together, building business plans together, making reservations, whatever needs to be done. We are really our own secretaries so just even trying to keeping up with each other via text or email can be a challenge, just like any other business. It takes a lot of the mystique out of being in a band, but it is true. One of the great things about the internet is it makes things a lot more available, but you have to work hard before you even start to get noticed. A label or a manager isn’t going to pick you up nowadays unless they can see that you can do the work yourself. I don’t think people realize how much work goes into the business end of it. If you don’t love it, don’t do it as it is a true labor of love! (Laughs)
Rick/RR: The band has earned the respect from within the industry as you’ve gained sponsorships with Krank Amps and for you specifically with Zon Guitars, so that hard work seems to be paying off to some level so far.
Amber/BR: A couple of the endorsements for Jason and I carry over from our previous band, but Krank and Sennheiser are probably the newest. Krank is a great company and quality sound. It wasn’t like we were just looking for endorsements, but to align with the products we love and already use. What sounds great? For me, Zon on the bass is some of the highest quality product you can buy in the world. I went to NAMM a couple of years ago and they were sold out on the first day from international buyers. My Zon was handmade and took about nine months to get. It is the best instrument I have ever played. I am always taking things off the wall at stores and trying them out. Nothing sounds as good to me. Sennheiser too, for all the wireless stuff we use. We’ve gone through a couple of other brands and they just didn’t stand the test of time. It is important that when you are playing live, regardless if it is the corner bar or a large venue that your stuff doesn’t fail. It is great to have the support and the immediate help if needed. It is really a duel branding that should help everyone.
Rick/RR: What was the major influence for you to pick up the bass initially?
Amber/BR: It happened by accident! (Laughs) I grew up haphazardly with instruments myself. My first instrument was a violin when I was 7-8 years old and then I started taking piano. That was probably the best thing my mom could have ever done for me was to send me to piano lessons, as it gave me my roots and foundation. Not that I have to read or write music now, but I can if I need to. It did really give me structure that translates to everything musically. I didn’t pick up another instrument until college, which was an acoustic guitar. I traded that in for an electric guitar. I took that into the shop for repair and picked up a bass. From the first time I picked up a bass I haven’t played a guitar since. I just love it so much and wouldn’t change it.
Watch Bloodline Riot playing “Element” live!
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Rick/RR: What drew you to rock music?
Amber/BR: My first influences in rock during junior and high school were classic rock with Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Doors and stuff like that. Then, I quickly evolved into more of an industrial sound with 
Ministry and Skinny Puppy and groups like that. I got more into techno stuff too, but rock is dirty and it has rhythms that just hit you in the gut. I just love it. I played in Commission Fit and we did pop/punk for a number of years and had some decent success with that. It was fun, but it wasn’t serious or dirty enough for me. Rock really just makes you want to drive really fast and run into things – I don’t know! (Laughs) I want to play rock as long as I can.
Rick/RR: You are currently in a competition that could offer the band an opportunity to play multiple shows in Russia, talk about that.
Amber/BR: We are in the voting phase right now that goes until the end of January. It would be an actual min-tour in March of this year in five major cities in Russia. I guess there were over 5,000 bands that originally submitted through ReverbNation. There were 100 bands from that chosen and now it is to the online voting phase. If I’m not mistaken, it is a combination of fan votes/promotion and judges. I am curious to see how that goes. On the one hand, you never know how it is going to go with contests, but with that we’ve already won a few. I’ve never been over there and think it would be great to go, so I obviously hope we win! (Laughs)
CLICK ON THE PIC TO VOTE! A new window will open, scroll down to find Bloodline Riot and click on the Facebook
icon under their name to the left! BAM! Do it…do it now! Thanks!
Rick/RR: Amber, it has been a pleasure and an amazing conversation. Is there anything you’d like to add before we say goodbye?
Amber/BR: Thank you so much for your support and interest, we appreciate it! A huge thank you to all of our fans! We love you! Be sure to check us out and stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, our website and check out our EP Keys and Clockwork on iTunes and CD Baby. We hope to see you out on the road this year at a show! Thanks again!
Rick Lindner, Journalist – RockRevolt™Magazine
Photos Provided by PR – Photo Credit to A Shuttered Life Photography (where applicable)
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