WestChesterBuzz.com

Some bands are content to steer away from the spotlight, while others like West Chester trio Farehaven crave it. Guitarist and lead singer David Sizemore formed the band in high school, then revived the group with a new lineup consisting of drummer Dan Durrant and bassist Rob Jamison in 2010 (Corey Glass replaced Jamison last summer). They released their debut record, “Upside Down,” in January 2011 featuring grunge-y, classic rock-inspired tracks designed for Top 40 airplay. Metromix spoke to Sizemore about getting his songs critiqued and his aspiration to conquer the world with his music.

What was the earlier incarnation of Farehaven like?

It was a few of my friends from high school and it just didn’t work out because they weren’t as serious about it as I was. I had written a few songs and recorded some stuff under that name, but this has been the most active, serious version that we’ve had of the group.

What’s the dynamic of the band? Or who brings what to the table?

We bring our own ideas into it. Everybody brings their own sound to the table and just making the whole band a team. I composed a lot of the music and wrote a lot of the music myself. But then, as a band, we refined it and they brought to the table what they had to bring. That’s pretty much how it works. We have a good lineup, too. Everbody’s dedicated to sticking with it and we all work hard. That’s one of the crucial things that I always thought: to find the band that would be serious and dedicated and stick with it for a long time.

You worked with Don Grierson on your songwriting. What kind of tips did he give you?

He gave me consulting because he has a really good ear for music, and he worked at Capitol and he had been responsible for finding some really successful artists and songs for the artists. He found songs that he’d say go number one and then they did. He just knew what the mass audience would want to hear. He could listen to something and tell you if it was going to sell or go number one, or whatever. Basically what I did with him, I would write little pieces of something and I would send it to him, and he would say ‘Hey, you need to be more melodic,’ or ‘this is too predictable.’ He would say you need to structure this like a pop song or sound more commercial. He’d critique everything. (more…)