Check out our interview with the trio of brothers who blend a fresh sound of Country/Pop/ Rock and R&B and have opened for acts like Logan Mize, O-Town and Sammy Adams.
Holiday State’s just released the new “Where I Wanna Be” single today!
Where I Wanna Be” was co-written by Holiday State member Brandon with Brett DeLaura and Andria Farrell and produced by Tyler Cain (Big & Rich, Darius Rucker, Billy Currington).
Follow Holiday State @holidaystate
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Hi guys, please tell us a little about you?
Hi…We’re a Country/Pop group of 3 brothers from Orange County, CA. Our names are Brandon, Brett, and Bryan DeLaura.
We’ve released 4 singles and have played shows all throughout the country.
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
We started singing back in high school and had been a part of different bands and groups along the way. We basically just started writing and recording music, practicing in our garage and reaching out to promoters and performing in backyards and small shows. When the time came, we started putting music out, played a lot of larger local shows, networked as much as possible and it just grew from there.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Current, relatable, catchy.
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
Our parents were always playing music around the house when we were kids. We were really influenced by Pop and R&B music early on, which is what sparked our interest in singing and performing. We come from a long line of dancers/singers/musicians. Our grandmother was a professional hula dancer along with her 6 sisters back in Hawaii. Artists that influenced us early on were Lionel Ritchie, Janet Jackson, Dolly Parton, Luther Vandross, The Gap Band, Michael Bolton, Kenny Rogers and Boyz 2 men to name a few.
Do any of you play any instruments on stage or off?
We all play some guitar, sometimes one of us will pick up the guitar while on stage. We also have an awesome 5-piece backing band, so we let them take the reins on stage.
Tell us about your new single “Where I Wanna Be?”
“Where I Wanna Be” is the fifth single we’re releasing, and it comes out November 13th. We’ll also be releasing a music video in conjunction, so keep your eyes out for that.
When we wrote it, we knew we wanted to write a song that had a good vibe, something you could sing along to, that had meaning and was relatable. We had no idea what was coming up, and never could have anticipated how the world was about to change. It ended up being kind of perfect for what’s going on right now, since for the past 8 months or so, most people haven’t been able to see their loved ones and most travel has come to a halt.
Due to that, the lyrics, “…Anywhere next to you is where I wanna be…” have taken on a whole new meaning.
We think everyone can relate to the feeling that it doesn’t matter where we are, but as long as we’re together, we can do this.
Being reminded of the importance of being next to those we love is probably the only good thing that has come out of the Pandemic. It’s been the ultimate reminder not to take things for granted.
What’s the story behind the song?
The song took many different turns, like most songs do. At one point we had a whole different song written. A different title, different melodies and lyrics. Once our producer Tyler Cain got his hands on it, it totally changed the dynamic and vision for the song. We gave it some time to resonate, and the song took on a life of its own. It’s all about real life experiences and memories and we think the song definitely paints a picture. We recorded it at a studio in North Hollywood and since Tyler was in town for a few days, we booked a room and tracked the vocals and he engineered the whole session. The song was written by Brandon, Bryan and Andria Farrell.
Did you have plans/concerts planned and cancelled because of COVID? If so have you done any online concerts or interaction with your fans?
Absolutely, we had a 20 city tour planned that got cancelled. We haven’t done any online concerts during this pandemic, but we engage with our fans as much as possible on social media. Most of our time has been spent writing and recording demos, making zoom calls, and going on Instagram live.
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
Being creative and doing what you’re passionate about feels incredible and performing is such a thrill for us. We love meeting people and traveling the world. Seeing and meeting fans, just making people happy and entertaining is the best part of it. The downside is sometimes you can put your blood sweat and tears into a project, and people may never hear it. There’s a lot of politics involved, and at times we don’t see our family and friends as much as we’d like to.
What’s next for Holiday State in the last months of 2020?
We’re trying to end 2020 on a high note, so we’ll be heading out to Nashville to record some new music, hop in on some co-writes, try to catch up with some friends, take some meetings, keeping fingers crossed and hopefully booking some shows, and obviously the release of “Where I Wanna Be.”
Any loves other than music?
For sure, we grew up playing sports, so that’ll forever be a love of ours, especially basketball and baseball.
We enjoy off-roading, boating, snowboarding, watching movies, hanging with the fam and our pets.
Best advice ever given?
Never stop following your dreams.
How’s a typical day in your life right now?
Our lives are extremely exciting and complex during Covid, just like everyone else’s. You know the typical wake up, coffee, jump on the computer, coffee, send out emails, coffee, learn cover songs, write new music, record, and social media. Our goal throughout has been to not waste a day or lose time to focus on our goals, as difficult as it may be. Luckily we have each other to stay motivated, and keep the momentum going when we’re feeling uninspired.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
We enjoy being social, so we like to make the most of our Sundays. Brunch by the beach with friends or maybe a bike ride. Catch an Angels or Dodgers game whenever we can, hit up a nice restaurant for dinner, and maybe some drinks and some line dancing to end the night.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
Brett: Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Bryan: Morgan Wallen “Chasin You”
Brandon: O-Town “All or Nothing”
What is your own definition of happiness?
Waking up everyday and getting to do what we love. Now that is freedom.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Brandon: Tuna lettuce wraps with tomato and avocado.
Brett: Smoothies
Bry: In N’ Out (Lol!!)
And your favorite cheat food?
Buffalo wings with bleu cheese and fries, Mexican food, In N’ Out.
What would be a deal breaker on a first date?
If she can’t hold a conversation, rudeness, abrasiveness. We’re pretty easy going, we like to have a good time, but we were also raised right. Mutual respect is a big deal for us.
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
It’s pretty crazy to think ahead 5 years, because it seems far away, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s really not. Playing music and touring the world are the ultimate goals. We also hope to have 2 full length albums under our belt, living on a ranch just outside of Nashville with families of our own.
What do you think of Social Media?
Social Media is a necessity as an Indie musician. It’s the best way for us to market ourselves, to build our fan base, get our music heard, and it has definitely helped. We feel frustrated by it at times, because we put a lot into everything we do, including what we post online. At the same time, we know that what we post isn’t reaching even a portion of our followers, never mind potential fans who would be into our music.
To be honest, if we weren’t doing music, we probably wouldn’t use it much, or even at all.
At times we find it distracting, we know it’s a must, but as musicians, we want to make music, not worry about taking pictures of us creating music as it can take away from the process and pull you out of the zone. The emphasis that “if it’s not posted on social media, it didn’t happen” has become too prominent in our opinion, and we find that it takes people away from actually enjoying the moment.
Where can we follow you?
