Interview with Chris Puckett of Vogue In The Movement

(click the title to download this episode)

From Bakersfield, California comes the Indie Pop Rock sensation, Vogue In The Movement.
Vogue came to be when our guitarists and drummer decided to take the band into a “pop” direction.
“They were playing heavier stuff back then. Our bassist joined a couple months before me. They asked me to sing for the band after seeing me in a musical theatre production,” said Chris Puckett, lead singer.
Back in July, VITM was on the “Fire on the Dance Floor” tour.
“It went really well! We made new fans, and got to show off some new material,” Puckett said.
According to Myspace and iTune sales, VITM popularity is soaring and part of their success is touring and being on stage when ever they can.
“I guess we can never really tell if the spotlight is on us. All we can do is write songs and play to the best of our abilities. Tour is the best way of getting your music heard by people who wouldn't have heard it otherwise,” Puckett said.
More recently was a contest called, “I Want My Music On MTV” and VITM was really pushing their fans to vote them in. Even with all of the VITM fans and supporters, they were beat out by the band, Sparks The Rescue.
“We've pushed this really hard. It's been all of our dreams to see ourselves rocking MTV. It’s not the end of the world. This has been a wonderful experience, and great exposure.”
One of latest performances was on Oct 10 when VITM played for Sugarcult’s Marko DeSantis event at Whiskey Richards in Santa Barbara, Calif. Puckett spoke of his experience with lead singer, Tim Pagnotta, and lead guitarist, Marko DeSantis.
“We actually just played a place that Marko (guitarist of Sugarcult) DJ’ed. We recorded Fire On The Dance Floor with Tim Pagnotta, so we got to know the Sugarcult guys pretty well. They are great dudes,” Puckett said.
Puckett also spoke of a contest that the band won, called “Open up for Fall Out Boy”.
“We got to meet the Fall Out Boy guys when we won the,” said Puckett. “It was crazy seeing them in person, rather than on the cover of a magazine. They were nice guys.”

During the interview, I asked a few more questions about Chris’s influences and motivations for getting into music:

From the music industry, who is your major influences?
My personal influences are The Beatles, Prince, and Depeche Mode. Those bands set a pedestal for me.

Are they the reasons why you got into music?
They definitely had a lot to do with it. I just remember stealing my parent's CDs and wishing I could write music that could make people feel good like that.

Do you like working for yourselves as an independent band?
DIY(Do it yourself) is a method that can't go wrong, if you stick to your guns. Hopefully one day we can find a label that's a good home for us.

Do you think you work harder to get recognition and sell your music?
We work pretty damn hard. It's worth it at the end of the day to read a fan comment on our Myspace. That is so humbling.

What kind of challenges have you had?
One challenge is letting people get into your head. At the end of the day, you can only rely on yourself.

Ok, to some not so serious questions. What do you guys like to do when you’re not writing music or practicing?
We like to play video games, hang out with friends/ girl friends, and go to shows!

What were your favorite movies of the summer or did you even see any?
I saw so many, I can't even remember all of them. I saw Zombie land recently, and Loved it!

It’s amazing that there are a lot of adult males that watch, True Blood. Do you guys have any favorite TV shows?
Ha-ha! I think almost everyone in our band is an avid True Blood fan. I know that everyone in my band loves Dexter as well.

So, tell me. What is the future of Vogue in the Moment? Do you have any tour dates for the winter?
We have some tour dates that we will announce soon. As for the future of Vogue, we are going to write, tour, and record as much as possible. Hopefully we can make some new fans from it.

Are you working on any new songs?We have a number of songs in the works! We will record them soon. In the meantime, you can see a few new ones at a show. We'll keep everyone posted about anything Vogue related on our myspace. Check it out at inthemovement.com

Check out a 4-track preview of Vogue in the Moment hosted by Michael J and Chris Puckett, go to: The Great Unknowns Presents. You can also purchase music on iTunes and Amazon.com