Interview: Tunnels End

BAND MEMBERS:  JORDAN FRANK (LEAD VOCALS), IAN MOORE (GUITAR), GARY LUCIANI (GUITAR), JACOB TATE (BASS), DANIEL ISENBERG (DRUMS)

The band hangs its hat on being a 90s to today cover band with a focus on the pop/punk niche. The band brings an edgy punch to their sound with an energy that keeps everyone engaged for the entire show.  

The band's passion and work ethic to bring unmatched showmanship and musicianship to the stage every show has made them a rising star in the region.  Band Vision: Entertain every patron, music must be exceptional, never stop working, never stop growing, and build a fun, high energy musical experience no one will forget.

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? 

Each member of Tunnels End has had an extensive musical background that varies greatly, not only in experiences, but also genre.  The eclectic background of the members has created what we consider to be a unique and hard to find chemistry.  We love our product, we are close like brothers, and we love sharing the same stage together.  This comes through in the music we play and is transparent on and off the stage.  

Each member is uniquely established in other communities of interest that are the daily support mechanisms affording us the opportunity to perfect what we love.  Daniel, a policy analyst for the Government, Jordan an Educator of Chemistry, Gary a full-time mentor and teacher of music, Jake a national corporate support rep, and Ian, the smartest, a computer programmer.   Will talent and hard work lead us, the band, to a common path of becoming successful in music?  Who knows, but we all are committed to attempt the journey.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Sleep. JK, well not really.  We all spend time watching other bands, learning from others, and a few of us are also audio engineers on the side for venues.  We participate in activities that tend to improve ourselves individually and as a band.  We look for what others do well and what we can do to consistently make ourselves better musicians.

How long has music been your career?

Tunnels End was established in 2018, however, the current membership, and longest-term members, have been playing together for 2 years.  Individually each member has varying years of musical experience.  Suffice to say, most of the members all began playing music early in their childhoods.  Tunnels End became an LLC this year and we look forward to the future potentially offering us the opportunity to make this our full-time job.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are currently based out of the Northern Virginia area. As a cover band we are heavily influenced by the demographic we play for, 20-30 somethings.  Our genre of choice is the pop/rock punk niche.  We stick to the edgier/musically difficult side of this niche to bring something unique to the region and separate ourselves from others in the same musical lane.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

Our best show had to be this past Halloween. We had a great production team (Sound, “FWEZ Audio” and Lighting, “50 Lights LLC”).  The crowd was fantastic, and we all seemed to relish in the moment.  We costumed up for the show as Pirates of the Caribbean.   The entire night was a great success and musically was one of our best shows!

Our worst show was our fault.  As an artist it is sometimes easy to get caught up partying with the crowd. Alcohol abuse and the difficulty of our show don’t mix.  As a band we learned from this, and as a band we agreed it could never happen again.  We believe every show is critical to our fans and the venues, thus they deserve our very best, EVERY time! Save the partying for the post-show antics if you must.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

After a few years of finally getting an audition and getting the chance to prove ourselves we made it to the top rotation for the venue, The Renegade in Arlington, VA.  This venue is amazing.  The owner Patrick Crump is a fantastic Chef, food is as good as the music. He built a live music venue, then built his bar around it.  There is no doubt about his adoration of music and the musicians who get the opportunity to play there.

Venues we feel worthy of playing at now but have not had the opportunity to play at might include:  Champs in State College, PA; Seacrets in Ocean City, MD; Cork and Bottle in Dewey Beach, DE; Amos’ Southend in Charlotte, NC just to name a few.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

That’s tough….how about; Foo Fighters, Metallica, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and All Time Low  We love them all and so many others.  We will run concessions for an opportunity to just have a conversation with any of them. LOL

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?

Never be afraid to set goals that others may tell you are too lofty.  Be willing to work every spare moment on your craft musically and learn the business.  Too many musicians lose their way because they don’t understand the business.  Most of all, be willing to listen to the venue GM’s, the Promoters, your fans.  When criticism comes your way embrace it, fix it, and use it to improve.  Ego will be your downfall.  Confidence yes, Ego driven, no.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

Enjoy the journey.   Don’t let fame be the defining factor in a great musical career.  Enjoy every performance, every road trip, and somehow figure out how to enjoy accounting, LOL.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

Since the band has not begun the process of recording original material at this point, we don’t have a per se favorite meaningful song to our name.  We, the band members, each have songs we play written by other artists that have great meaning in our lives.  We hope we provide the emotion and energy they intended for their message when we play them.  Our intent is to always honor the original artist's work and creativity.

Which songs are your favorite to play, and which get requested the most?

To pick a favorite song would be difficult as each of us has different styles we love.  Being evasive of the question, we would say the band loves any song that gets the crowd jumping up and down and singing back to you so loud you can barely hear yourself in your In Ear Monitors.  That raw energy in your face is the greatest high and you work hard to maintain it.

Most requested song, well in Northern Virginia if you are playing in the clubs and you don’t come prepared to play “Scotty Doesn’t Know” by Lustra, you won’t become a fan favorite.  Why they love this song so much, who knows.  We know we have always had it in our setlist when playing this region.

What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?

As a cover band we have a process that holds each other accountable to bring your very best to a rehearsal.  Rehearsals are not for practice.  We practice individually.  Rehearsal is for fusion and getting songs ready for performances.   We are sure we will come up with a professional approach to recording and ensure we value each other’s time and creativity when we get into the studio.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We are all imperfect and face challenges.  It’s ok to be you.  Let’s rock!

Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?

We love like brothers, and we fight like brothers. There is always one of us who knows exactly what to say or do in any situation to diffuse the problem.  We all value others with such regard that it just never gets to a point where we can’t recover.  The chemistry is an amazing ‘band of brothers,’ to steal a phrase.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We are taking steps to constantly challenge ourselves.  First it was to get to the bigger venues in our region, now it's to establish ourselves along the east coast, and next it will be to release our first EP.  This is the first year we are leaving the nest and starting to travel.  We want to provide absolute quality in performance and show so we don’t try to rush things too much.  Our ultimate goal is to watch and listen to crowds sing back to us the songs we have written. Catch a show and come meet us, https://TunnelsEndBand.com/Tour.