30 Seconds To Mars Interview Shannon Leto 2010
Check out my backstage interview with 30 Seconds To Mars drummer Shannon Leto 30 Seconds To Mars is an alternative rock band formed by brothers Jared and Shannon Leto. While initially the band received most of their attention due to Jared Leto’s already prominent career as an actor, 30 Seconds To Mars has emerged as a powerful entity unto itself. To date the band has released three best selling albums and sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide. Their music videos (often turned into short films) have been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube alone, and they have racked up another 40 million hits on MySpace. And while these numbers would impress any music executive, perhaps the band’s biggest accomplishment is their ability to push boundaries both musically and politically. 30 Seconds To Mars was the first American band to shoot a music video for From Yesterday in the People’s Republic of China. Soon after they traveled 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle to shoot their next music video for A Beautiful Lie. That album (which also featured The Kill) was later certified Platinum. In 2008 Virgin Records filed a million lawsuit against the band, claiming breach of contract. This bitter battle between label and artist nearly tore the band apart, and overshadowed much of their work for the album This Is War. In 2009 however the two sides settled, and work resumed on finishing the album. To better involve their fans (aka The Echelon) the band hosted summits all …
The heavy metal/rock group Hammersmith formed in the early ’70s, members coming together from the death of other groups like Painter and Shades of Blond. Hammersmith’s lineup included lead singer Dorn Beattie, bassist Royden Morice, guitarist Dan Lowe, drummer Bob Ego, and a confusing mixture of other artists, who might or might not have been official members. Hammersmith recorded its self-titled debut album in 1974 and released it under the Mercury Records label. Two years later there was a sophomore recording, It’s for You. That second album was the last for Hammersmith as in 1977 the band lost its contract with Mercury. The loss proved to be a catastrophic blow for the gathering. After the formal disbanding, most of the members stayed in the music world, simply moving on to other groups. Some of the tunes by the group are “Under the Sea,” “Be a Star,” “When I Was Young,” “Dancin’ Fools,” and “Hello, It’s for You.”
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