Park Lane Finds Open Road

04/19/2009 - Rants and Raves

Park Lane

Maybe it has something to do with the sunshine or the pacific ocean air, but it never seems to fail that west coast Indie bands exhibit the characteristics of professionalism. Park Lane, from the California Bay Area, is one band that has every reason to rise to the top.

We spoke with Mike Keller, Park Lane guitarist, in hopes of getting some insight into the California fever. From his first comment onward his authority and confidence was evident. He wasn't cocky or arrogant; simply a humble guy who had a firm grasp of the right attitude.

Mike actually started Park Lane back in 2006 and as most dedicated musicians do, he went through some growing pains reaching their current line up. Appears he's done a great job by the quality of music and solid performances coming out of this band.

After solidifying the line up and polishing their material they headed for San Diego with Duane Reed of Destroy the Runner to cut a four track demo at Sushi Fish Studios. The project was then mixed and mastered by Matty Reynolds who obviously deserves more press himself. These are four fantastic tracks that are very well recorded, clean and tight.

Park Lane has racked up some very serious MySpace plays in about six months. Mike says they average about 800-1000 plays every single day. Woe! We liked it because it was good music with top shelf recordings but we had to ask about their marketing. With no special efforts to report Mike said they just work at putting themselves in uncomfortable positions and excel when the opportunities arise.

Mike and Grayson Hurd, guitars, are both college students while singer Calvin Calloway and bassist Joe Calderon hold down day jobs; all in their 20s. Drummer Cameron Stucky, who plays as if he has years of seasoned experience is still in high school.

The music shows some influences but honestly comes across as purely original. That would be due in large part to everyone's participation in the writing process. While they have a very distinct 'Park Lane' sound, the song styles vary. Their willingness to experiment is as obvious as their ability to execute.

All of this might sound like hype from one lonely writer, but in their six months Park Lane has managed to make some impressive inroads. Currently they are looking forward to a European Tour in 2010 while they sharpen their skills playing Tom Fest with As I Lay Dying and Haste The Day. Mike says they are getting some airplay on College Radio and expect to hear their music on Live 105 in the Bay.

These guys love to meet people and take an active approach to earning fans and making new inroads. Their success is in large part due to their solid music and great recordings, but it is also very obvious that they have the right attitude about their business.

Mike's encouraging words for other Indie artists are to "Work hard". "It's a learning process," he says. "The faster you learn the easier it is to progress."

Keep your eyes on these guys as they gear up for regional tours, east, west, north and south. They are worth every penny of their ticket price. Chances are good that if you make it a point to meet them, they will treat you more like a friend than a fan.

While the odds in this industry are stacked against them, our bet is that Park Lane will soon find solid success. They are certainly on our top ten list of "Most Likely to Succeed".