ION INDIE MAGAZINE April 2015, Volume 11 | Page 14

Ricky: All the truly gifted musicians coming into today’s market. We have to push
ourselves harder than ever to be able to be placed into the same category as these
versatile artists.
George: That definitely has everything to do with getting your music to reach
everyone out there.
Justin: In today's music, there are so many talented players. It's amazing what some
of them can do. When I first wanted to pick up a guitar, I was listening to Carlos
Santana for the 1st time and I was just memorized by his playing and hearing how
the fans reacted to him. Immediately, I had in my head of what I wanted to do. And I
haven't looked back since.
David: The fact that we've got to keep up with the thousands upon thousands of
other artists trying to achieve the very same goal in a very limited market. The
competition is fun though. It drives us all to work harder and push ourselves further
than we thought we could ever go.
What do you think are your strengths…the same goes for weaknesses?
Wally: Our resolve. This journey has been an uphill battle from day one. However,
we are always resilient. Also, I would have to say, our Selmate family. When we feel
weak, they make us strong again.
Ricky: Our strength is that--when we get on that stage or in the studio or just
rehearsing--we are no longer five, we become one…and like that, we are
unstoppable. Our weaknesses? We sometimes think we know it all! LOL!
George: I don't spend time worrying about what I'm good at, and what I suck at. I do
what I like doing. LOL!
Justin: My strength I can say is my musical genes. I feel blessed with it. All on my
mother's side of the family are musicians. So most of the time I'll catch on to
something pretty quickly, be it a song I'm trying to learn or jamming with another
guitarist or sitting in for a song with a band. Another part of that strength for me is
phrasing. I can sit and play a solo over a song or jam track and never have to stop the
flow of playing to think of where to go next. And my weakness I can say, without a
doubt, is lyric writing. I may come up with an idea or a direction, but I'm not good at
that. I can write musically all day, but lyrics aren't my strong suit.