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More Amor goes
Hollywood!!!

Updated: 09/20/08

by Kenneth Morton

Featuring Tom Oakes (ex-The Higher) and Kyle Lobeck (ex-Youinseries), the duo making up new project More Amor decided it was time to leave Las Vegas and relocate to Hollywood. With a new CD about to be released on Itunes and word of mouth beginning to happen, Highwire Daze decided to speak with Tom Oakes about his new project, leaving The Higher, and going Hollywood!!! …

First of all, what made you decide to leave The Higher – a band you had been with for a very long time?
I think there just comes a point – I was writing tons and tons of songs on my own. I was really expressing a lot of things that meant a lot to me – and I was singing on all the demos. I was really finding my writing style and who I wanted to be as an artist. It just became more apparent to me that I wanted to try and voice these things myself. And being with this band, I’ve seen so many things come around. I could no longer keep writing songs and say “Hey I want you guys to do this” and “Hey Seth, I want you to sing this.” I didn’t really feel like I could express myself and be completely 100 percent passionate about the way things were going. I felt like I had the talent and abilities to take the shot by myself and control the things that I want to have control of musically and creatively. As time went on, I just wasn’t passionate, and you could feel the vibe within the band. It just wasn’t clicking for me anymore and I had to get out of there and do my own thing. I love those guys to death – they’re still some of my best friends – but it was just time for me to go off and paint my own picture of myself.

What made you decide to have Kyle (formerly of Youinseries) join up with you on this project?
He has been my best friend for a long time. I loved what he did. When we were home in Vegas together, me and him were the only ones who hung out. He just broke off his band. It was just one of those things – it just fit and it all came together. And it’s been working on perfect – just the two of us that decide on everything. It’s a very great experience and we thought it would be. It’s a very calm process and that’s what it needs to be in my mind.

What made you and Kyle decide to move away from Vegas and into the Los Angeles/Hollywood area?
Vegas is like a trap. There’s really nothing going on with the booming casino industry. We grew up there and it’s unmotivating at times. We wanted to start over and get away from everything that we were used to in the home life. We both lived with our parents at home too – so we both just wanted to get out and really take this adventure and go on it. Get out of town and move to the city where if you’re going to try and make it in the music industry, this is a good city to be in. It was time to get out of the fucking 12,000-degree heat of Las Vegas and come to sunny Southern California. Our families are still there and a lot of our best friends are still there. But we had to get away.

Where did you get the ideas to the lyrics for the song Young Hollywood?
You know, it’s funny. I wrote the chorus to that song two years ago. I go through having kinda Young Hollywood crushes. I’ve had crushes on like Hillary Duff or something – and I’d be like, “Man, I’d like to be a part of Young Hollywood and go out.” It’s kind of ridiculous. I would love to go to some party and meet some really cute Young Hollywood girl. That sounds so stupid actually, but it’s just a song – and what do songs mean? It’s just about that life in a way – living in Los Angeles – everyone is here trying to make it and be part of Young Hollywood. It’s about everything that exists in Young Hollywood in my mind and how we think we could make it.

Where do you get the ideas for some of the other lyrics that you’ve written so far?
Everything – everything that has happened in my life for the past couple of years. All the love songs aspects through an actual girl that I met and had a good time with. And a lot of it is about my relationship I had with The Higher. Anything that intrigued my mind. I’ve been writing so much and I still have so much more to say and I can’t wait.

How close are you guys to releasing a CD, and have you had any label interest at all?
We’re going to come out in a month on Itunes. We’re just going to release it independently. We’re going to give it a go by taking the fans that we had from our previous bands and just kind of do it a whole new way. Now we’re on our own. I’ve dealt with a couple of labels – and I think it’s coming to a point now where you don’t necessarily need a label. You can definitely make things happen. It definitely takes a lot of legwork to release a record independently but there is a way for it to be done and to get kid’s attention. And we’re just going to try and give it a go and just try to reach as many kids as possible and just get it out there! Just riding our bikes and selling it out of trunks.

Have you ever had any reactions from fans who were surprised or upset that you left The Higher?
No, not really. I’ve definitely had a lot of interest. People know what it’s like to move on and try and take a different path. A lot of people thought it was an admirable move that I left a thing that was good. The Higher is doing really well and they plan on doing very well. To go off on your own and kind of start over – I think a lot of people thought it was a cool thing to do – and they respect you for going out there and trying to make it – and throwing myself on the line. It’s not like The Higher was buying me a Range Rover or a mansion in the Hollywood Hills anytime soon. It’s definitely a change to go from a touring band to making my own jams now. I think kids are excited about it. I hope to pay more attention to what’s happening and I can get all the kids who were interested in my part in The Higher to come over and check out what I’m doing now.

Do you have any messages for The Higher fans or for people checking out More Amor music for the first time?
Listen to both bands. They’re both great. Definitely check out what I’m doing. More Amor – it’s coming. This is the record that means more than anything I’ve ever done.

Updated: 09/20/08

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