Flipsyde may be a small-town band, but they’re fulfilling big dreams.
The members of Flipsyde, the four-member eclectic band from Oakland, California, were playing in small garages and basements until they got their big break.
Illustrious talent scout Martin Kierszenbaum ? who recently started his own personal music label, Cherrytree Records ? stumbled upon a musical gem. He spoke to Flipsyde’s manager on the day the band was already auditioning for Interscope competitor Warner Bros.. Not sure whether it was luck or coincidence, and not waiting to find out, Kierszenbaum signed Flipsyde on the spot.
They recorded their first album with Cherrytree/Interscope Records called “We the People,” an LP originally released in Summer 2005, but re-released when NBC’s Winter Olympic advertising team picked up their track “Someday,” and took it straight to the skating rink. NBC filmed the band’s music video for the single, which simultaneously showed off Flipsyde’s talent and showcased the Torino games.
Flipsyde had finally arrived and CD sales and media appearances reflected their newfound fame.
Flipside appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performed at the Winter X Games, and rubbed elbows with artists like Snoop Dog and Black Eyed Peas in a cross-Europe tour. The band’s hob-knobbing and quick rise to celebrity was not only a sign that good things were in the cards, but clearly spelled success.
?It?s beautiful thing, our fans love us,” says Piper, Flipsyde’s auspicious emcee. “We?ve been writing and coming up with stuff for a while. We were just lucky to get Jimmy Iovine to take interest in us.?
Flipsyde also received much of their popularity in Europe, with their “Happy Birthday” single charting well in Scandanavia, and rated the number three most downloaded song on iTunes in Sweden. “We the People” not only received attention from media moguls, but fans seemed to be hooked on Flipsyde’s unique sound. The album entered Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart at 43, in January.
It’s no wonder that listeners don’t want to change the dial; Flipsyde seems to have something that fans have been waiting for. With edgy lyrics and instrumentals, Flipsyde sings about real life experiences and political issues. The band takes a unique alternative covering social issues, drug abuse and poverty, making their music as diverse as their band members.
Piper rhymes with strong conviction and politically motivated lyrics. Steve Knight is the band’s lead singer who?s sandy and rough-edged vocals inspire music-lovers of all walk of life. Dave Lopez plucks acoustic and electric guitar strings with a sensual South American sound and Deejay D Sharp ties tracks together with solid record scratches and impeccable flair.
?Our music comes from the soul. We?re influenced by life. Our group is really diverse, I mean, Steve is a white boy from Alabama, and I?m half Brazilian. Our head guitarist is from Chile, D Sharp is a Oakland boy and a hip-hop head,? says Piper. “We’re all about breaking down the barriers out there, we’re not focussing on close-minded people. We do music for us.”
Lead singer, Steve Knight agrees. He believes that they stand out from other bands already in the industry. ?I think we?re a new kind of music. I call it Slash music. We?re rock, slash hip-hop, slash soul…we?ve got the best of all worlds,? says Knight. ?We do our own thing. We?re not worried about bling bling, we?re just trying to make our own music that our fans can relate to.”
Steve Knight puts his real-life experiences to sheet paper and wrote their breakout single.
He wrote “Someday” when he was at a low point in his life. He decided to use the song to motivate others.
“I was involved with drugs, I had no concrete future. I wrote that and it inspired me to make better for myself. We?re making music to open their minds and to make people think. People can educate themselves and realize that the world is bigger than they are. There are other issues out there,? says Knight.
Flipsyde is still reeling from their quick rise to fame, but the surrealness of it isn’t leaving them dazed or confused. Although the members of Flipsyde have received a lot of attention from major media players like NBC and others, they say their newfound celebrity won?t change their music.
?I?m gonna do what inspires me, and what inspires people. If mainstream success changes our music then it wouldn?t be real anymore,? says Knight.
Flipsyde’s rise to fame is far from over and the group has several projects and performances lined up. The band is talking about another album, and is focused on touring their home turf, the United States. They also plan to tour with funky hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas again and perform with the sensual female posse, The Pussycat Dolls, on the Honda Civic Tour in March.
“We can?t wait to see our fans. We get so much energy from them, the love is amazing,? says Piper.
For more information on Flipsyde, visit flipsyde.com or check out their MySpace profile.
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