ENTREVISTA A STE (3 de Enero 2004)
INTERVIEW TO STE (3rd January 2004)

1. What was the last song BBMak wrote and recorded together? Lisa
The last song we recorded together was Get You Through The Night.

2. When you were recording with BBMak, how did you decide who would sing which parts of a song? Tracy
Deciding how to divide up a song was actually more simple than you might imagine. It depended on which voice suited the part. We would go through a song a couple of times, figure out when a certain type of sound was required, and give it to that person. We were fortunate in that our voices mixed well, but they all were different enough that you knew who was singing.

3. What will you miss most about being in BBMak, and what will you miss least? Claire
Without doubt I'll miss the companionship & laughs we had while working and touring together. We still see each other every month or so and have a good time when we're together. Mark sent me some funny text messages over Christmas. And the idea of NOT having to work while we are together is enjoyable, so we can actually hang out as mates.

What I'll miss the least are some of the obvious things with living with others on the road: the bad habits they each have, the constant mess they seemed to make on the bus, and sitting around in the hotel lobby as they were running late as usual.

4. Is this really the end for BBMak? Rachel
For now it is, though I've learned to never say never. We learned a lot of things about ourselves, each other, the world, and most of all the music business during our seven or so years together, and if we never work together again as a group, I know that a lot of what I learned during our time together will be with me when I'm in the studio.

5. How will your experiences with BBMak in the last few years influence your decision making as a solo artist? Emily
Again, the learning experience was extremely valuable. I hope that all the things I know about the music business, both the good and the bad, which I have become more familiar with, will benefit me in the long run. You need to take care of the business side of things as much as the artistic side. In a perfect world I'd do whatever I want musically and it would be a success, but I hope to be at least a bit more in charge of my career in the future. I know I can write on my own or with others, and it's my decision to do so.

6. What made you decide to become the musician you are today? Vanessa
Two things really made me want to become a musician. The first was the musicians I grew up listening to: The Beatles, Hendrix, Clapton, The Who, and so on. These were the ones who did it and made it. You can see a load of local bands play shows at pubs and clubs downtown most nights, and either it's an after-work fun job that's not really serious, or they put everything into it and just don't move up to that next level. The musicians I mentioned are obviously the ones who made it. They showed me you can succeed and make a career out of this business.

The second thing that made me want to become a musician was that I wanted to see the world. And I can say that I've seen quite a lot of it by now. There aren't many 25 year olds who can say they've been around the world, including the US & Canada, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and other places in Asia, South Africa, and most of Europe. And, on top of that, I had a good time doing it all. I met up with you [Mike] and Paula loads of times, and met some of our American cousins. And I made some good friendships with people I would never have met. There aren't many jobs you can do that have all this travel as a general requirement. My next travel ambition is Australia since we've got more family down there and it's a place I'd love to visit.

7. With your solo career about to kick off, what aspect of it are you most looking forward to? Leah
I'm looking forward to some of the things I had while in BBMak: the fan loyalty, and seeing which fans will be there to see me again. I'm hoping they all do, and want them to do the same if and when Mark & Christian get back on the road again. But this time it will be strictly my music without any influence from the others.

8. What type of sound should us fans expect to hear from your solo material? Maria
My new stuff sounds quite close in style to the later BBMak songs. If you enjoyed the sound of the songs on Into Your Head, then you'll probably like my new stuff. Musically I haven't gone into new territory as yet. I've stayed with what I know best, which is solid pop with a bit of a rock feel to it. I've enjoyed writing & recording it all, and hope the fans enjoy it when they hear it all. From the feedback I've gotten so far about the clip of Let It All Out, there's a lot of people who like my work, and I hope that continues.

9. Having read about your musical influences in the past, will the types of music you've mentioned be prominent in your work? Marie
Yes, in the fact that the style of music I like to listen to is the same as what I like to write and perform. So anything I write usually has a certain feel to it, mostly the rock-pop sound that BBMak fans are familiar with. But hopefully my new material will still have that Ste McNally sound to it, though the songs will be influenced by certain styles of music.

10. When writing where do you take your inspiration from? Ashley
Most songs come from life experiences, something happening at the moment, or even old lyrics I wrote that didn't seem to fit with what I was writing at the time. A song could even starts its development based on what food is in the cupboard and what I decide to eat. Inspiration can come at any time, so you just have to go with the flow and see where it takes you. If it works, you have a good song, and if not you can work on it some more, or start over again.

11. When choosing album tracks, how do you decide which ones make the cut? Matt
There are several ways the album tracks are chosen. First, I'll have them ready for friends in the business to listen to, and get feedback from them. If somebody has something obvious to say about a certain song, whether good or bad, I'll take that information and compare it to what others have to say. I also choose the ones I feel best about, as well as songs that I enjoy performing live. If I think the fans will like it, and can sing along to in the car or wherever, or at a show, then it has a better chance of making the cut.

12. Do you enjoy listening to your own music? Ashley
I like listening to my own music in the early stages, especially when I'm writing new material. I listen to my demos more than anything else, as they are relatively fresh and new. I have the chance to make changes, improvements, take the song in a different direction if I want. Once a song has been recorded and the album is done, I try not to listen to it too much, simply because I'll be performing it live for months on end so I want to stay fresh for the live show. At times playing live sounds completely different to how the songs sounds on a recorded album. I also like to avoid my own music when it's turned into an album because I'm looking for new ideas and songs. Listening to older material can sometimes be less inspirational as I'm going over territory that I've covered before.

13. Of all the songs you've recorded so far, which is your fave and why? Diane
Of the BBMak material a couple that stick out are Out Of My Heart and Back Here. They were both great to perform live. Someday I might do them again while touring, but for now I'll leave the older stuff alone. As for the new songs, I have close to 40 songs written, as well as a few more that I'm working on at the moment. Most I wrote alone, though I do have about a dozen that I wrote, or am currently writing, with other people. I've written several new songs with the Real People, who co-wrote some of the tracks from Into Your Head. Of my collection to date, the ones that stand out for me are Let It All Out, Alive, Catch Me If You Can, Time Is Running Out and Let Go. Some of these will probably make the next album, though most of the newer songs I've recorded will sit on the shelf until a second solo album is in the works. Alive is probably my favourite choice to be the first single I release.

14. Did you ever get star-struck? And if so, who was it? Maria
I never really got star-struck when meeting anybody, in part because I didn't meet anybody who I considered really famous, or a person I looked up to professionally until I'd been working in the business for a couple of years. But I have had the chance to meet quite a few celebrities, including dozens I met up with while touring and doing a show together. The ones that stand out who BBMak were not doing a concert with include Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Michael J. Fox, Henry Winkler (you can't beat the Fonz!), and Jay Leno. He always made us feel so welcome on his show, and I'd love to meet up with him again and perform some new stuff on the Tonight Show.

15. Apart from the usual fanatics asking 'will you marry me..?' What has been the funniest experience you've encountered/had with a fan..? (So Ste.... will you marry me?! :P) Maria
Aside from those who travelled long distances to see us, the BBMak 'Charlie's Angels' spoof video that some fans made stands out as something different. There are also some famous people who were at a show or an event and wanted to come meet us. Howie from Backstreet Boys, Donatella Versace, and Pamela Anderson are just a few I remember.

16. When will we see you out on the road? Sarah
I want to be out on the road again as soon as possible. Once the album is finished I can't wait to put the guitar over my shoulder and get back onstage again. It will be great to be playing again and see all the fans out there singing along to the new songs. I hope to see you all later this year!!

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