Interview with David Sirianni of The Pass Outs
Conducted by Dave Smiles
David Sirianni is the singer songwriter, guitarist and founding member of The Pass Outs. An independent band from Melbourne who are currently celebrating their tenth year as a band. Although there has been a revolving door of musicians during the past decade, Sirianni has always stuck to his guns and followed his love of music. Performing honest, well written, hard rock songs.
Sirianni took some time out to discuss, among other things, his band, gear and some of the advantages and difficulties of financing an independent band.
For someone who hasn’t heard The Pass Outs, how would you describe your band?
The Pass Outs are a three piece 70’s/90’s Melodic Rock band. Think Incubus, Live, Pearl Jam, Neil Young.
When did you first discover music and what does it mean to you?
I grew up in a very Musical house. My mum was a guitar teacher, and I sang from a very early age. I was in all the choirs and Musicals all through High school, and played original music from age 16. It’s always been a huge part of my life. As for most people, music really started to mean more to me as a teenager, and now as a High School Music Teacher, I can see how music affects people from an early age.
What inspired you to write your own music?
It’s something that didn’t come easy to me. I wrote some songs in high school, but mostly did covers, I only really got into serious song writing in my 20’s. I started off in a cover band, but got tired of performing other people’s music, so that really drove me to write my own.
You have an interesting guitar tone. Are there any secret weapons in your set up?
YES! I play through a Vintage Marshall JCM 800 Combo amp from the 80’s. It’s a 100 Watt amp, but it’s wired to 50 Watts, which means I can raise the pre amp and get a grunty tone, without having to raise the volume to a ridiculous level to get a nice distorted sound. I also run two pedals, a “Swollen Pickle” which is a fuzz pedal, and a 90’s Cry Baby Wah pedal. I’ve played around with other pedals in the past, but I’ve found I’m more comfortable with those three specific sounds. And it’s always fun to just run both pedals at once through the natural distortion of the amp!
How did you guys come together as The Pass Outs?
I founded The Pass Outs in 2005. This year marks our 10th Anniversary as a band. However, The Pass Outs have had a revolving cast of members in that time, we’ve been a full 5 piece band, and a two piece acoustic duo, and everything in between. Our most current line-up has been around for about a year. As an Independent original band, it’s always been difficult to maintain a steady line up of Musician’s, but that has never stopped me playing music under the banner “The Pass Outs”
Your album Dead Technology was recorded over a three year period. Was it hard to stay focused on the project over such a long period of time?
No. Even though it was a long process, I never lost focus. During that time I would work on the songs in whatever form they were currently in, whether it be figuring out harmonies, or working on lead breaks, when you have a lot of time between studio sessions, you have the ability to really nut out each song, so you can be happy with the end result.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being self-managed and self-booked, and is there a reason for taking this route?
The advantages are you can carve out your own career path. If we want to book a show, I simply send through our information, gather up some likeminded bands, and put on a show. The disadvantages are that without the support from larger associations, an independent band has to work really hard to get noticed.
Is there a preferred way the band like to write songs and does self-managing and self-promoting sometimes get in the way of maintaining your creative inspiration?
I will come up with a song idea, then the lads and I will figure out the form of the song in the rehearsal room.The time it takes to book shows, organise bands to play with, hire sound people, create poster art, and update social media definitely takes time away from the creative process. However, all of these tools are out there for artists to get their music to an audience. It may be a smaller audience than what artists with a major record label would get the attention of, but it’s an audience none the less.
How diverse are the collective musical influences within the band and how much of this is responsible for The Pass Outs’ sound?
The album is really a show casing of where the band was at that time; a four piece. As a band, we are currently writing to our strengths as a three piece. That fact alone has changed the way we are writing. As far as musical influences goes, we all share a common genre under the huge umbrella that is rock.
Is it a good time for young bands to be playing gigs in Melbourne at the moment? Have you seen an increase of punters coming out to see live music?
It depends on so many factors. If the bands you are playing with have a following, if it’s a week end gig, or mid-week, if the venue has walk in traffic, or if it’s a “bring your own crowd” venue, if it’s free or if there is a door charge. Any night at any venue has the potential to be a good night, you just never know in Melbourne, I mean if it’s a cold, wet night, people stay at home, If it’s warm, the people are everywhere. As far as an increase in punters, no, Melbourne’s live music scene hasn’t changed much in the last 10 years from what I’ve seen. Now if we were back in the 80’s? That would be a completely different story! There are so many forms of entertainment these days, unless you are a music fan, it’s unlikely you’re going to see an independent band. Is it a bleak outlook? I don’t think so, music will always play a large role in people’s lives; it’s how we access it that’s changing.
A lot of Australian bands are packing up and moving overseas. It seems our bands get a lot more support abroad then they get here. Is relocating something The Pass Outs would consider in the future?
No. We all love living here. It’s a dream to do an overseas tour, but as far as permanently moving overseas, it’s unlikely.
What difficulties have you encountered in relation to financing your band? What sacrifices have you had to make?
A lot! The band only makes so much from doing gigs. So I personally pay for many things the band has. For example, the merchandise. I don’t know of any other independently financed bands that have: CD’s, Vinyl’s, Posters, Stickers, T-Shirts and Skateboards. Hell, I don’t know many major acts that have either! The hope is that you’ll get the money back, but that’s not the reason to press Vinyl, or get skateboards made, you do it, because you want to. Because you love creating something that’s yours.
On a similar note, are there any plans to record any new music soon and how does the band finance recording sessions?
This year is about celebrating our 10th anniversary, so most of our energy will be put into playing live, and organising special events. We have some songs in the bag, and we’re working on others. So our recording plans aren’t in the forefront of our minds right now. As far as financing recording sessions, we gig a lot, and are slowing building up a bank roll, to use for more recording in the future.
What would you consider to be the next level for The Pass Outs, and what will it take to get there?
The Pass Outs is a band that have outlasted so many original bands in Melbourne. You only have to look through the pages of the street press to see the names of the bands change every week. There’s one thing I’ve learnt in my time playing original music, there are no guarantees in the music business. Sure we’d like to land a support slot for a major touring act, we’d love to be added to the line-up of a huge music festival. How to do those things? That has eluded me, so if you know the magic answer, please let me know! I feel our music speaks for itself, it may not be a genre that’s “hip” right now, but I don’t care. The next level for me is to keep doing what we’re doing, if 15 people show up or 1,000 people show up, I’m still going to put on a good show. Success for me is getting to play my own original music on any stage no matter the size.
Further information about The Pass Outs is available from the follow sites.
www.twitter.com/thepassoutsband
Instagram: @thepassoutsband
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/Whats-Hot/rock/dead-technology/571832/
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/Whats-Hot/rock/dead-technology-vinyl/571836/
The Pass Outs debut album “Dead Technology” is also available on I-tunes and Google Play.