I’ve heard a number of times from different people online the urban legend that if you work at Harmonix, you are required to be in a band.  While not exactly a requirement, it definitely is one of the more musician-friendly employers around.  Giant Target, when not punching faces and kissing foreheads on stage (in a musical sense), makes the most of the musical opportunities presented to them, as all four members of  the band have experience working at Harmonix.  Aaron Price, Caleb Wheeler, Daniel Chace, and Phill Hunt comprise Giant Target, and if you haven’t had a chance to check out their two songs on the RBN, “In Memories” and “Signs,” go listen on their Myspace page now and then come back… don’t worry, we’ll wait… Pretty good stuff, right?  They describe themselves as “Punk?” on their Facebook page, but I hear their music as a healthy mix of punk, alternative, and indie rock, with a solid modern rock vocal sound brining it all together.

I got a chance to ask Aaron and the fellas a few questions about themselves, their music, and their relationship with Rock Band.  Check it out inside…

RockBandAide: Tell us about Giant Target and the members of the band.

Aaron Price: Giant Target is a music band that plays multiple styles of music that all really get at the same thing: Music. There are four members of Giant Target, all of whom play music in the band.  I’m on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Caleb Wheeler handles drums and vocals, Daniel Chace takes care of bass and vocals, and Phill Hunt finishes up with lead guitar and being British.

RBA: How did you end up deciding on the name “Giant Target” for your band?

AP: Giant Target is used in the lyrics of one of our songs called “Blood & Guts.” While the meaning of the name does have some connection to the meaning of the lyrics used in that song, it also means other things, and can mean anything that you want it to. It can also mean nothing at all and can be taken strictly phonetically. Go wild.

RBA: How would you describe your music to people who have never heard it?

AP: Eclectic and entertaining…hopefully.

RBA: What are some of your musical influences?

AP: Call it cliché, but we’re influenced by everything. Still, here’s a list of some important ones: NOFX, Bayside, Alkaline Trio, Mozart, Cannibal Corpse, Bob Marley, Mr. Rogers.

RBA: I’m always intrigued about the song writing process for musicians. What’s more fun for you to write, the lyrics or the music? And when you create a song, which comes first?

AP: It totally depends on the song, and the answer is often “both.” Sometimes we have a great set of lyrics that we put to music, sometimes we have some tasty riffs that we write lyrics for, and sometimes the music and words pop into existence already hanging out together. As far as what’s more fun, the answer is none of it. It’s all a terrible chore and we hate every minute of it.

RBA: Where do you find inspiration for your songs? What has been the oddest source of inspiration?

AP: Hot dogs.

RBA: Which one of your songs has the most meaning to you?

AP: That one that you like. You know, the one about the stuff? Yeah. That one.

RBA: How often do you perform live?

AP: About once a month, but hopefully more as we become increasingly famous.  [Two shows this month... check out dates and venues at the bottom!!!]

RBA: What is your favorite song to perform live (originals or covers)?

AP: After discussing this question, we couldn’t pick a single favorite. Different songs are fun to play for different reasons. “Silent Alarm (Glow In The Dark)” is a hoot to play because it brings the metal, “Swimmin’ With Efficiency” because of all the changes within the song, and “My name is Aaron (I’m so awesome (I know a power chord (This is a power chord)))” because it’s so simple that we can just let go and concentrate on the energy.

RBA: Where do you envision yourself 10 years from now, musically?

AP: Does “exceedingly wealthy” count as a musical attribute?

RBA: What has been your favorite memory as a band thus far?

AP: The December 10th show at The Cantab Lounge was very special.

RBA: Is there any aspect of your musical history that you would change? Any advice for aspiring artists?

AP: Nope. Everything leading up to this point was necessary to get us where we are now. To aspiring artists out there, just write and play what seems good to you, no matter what. Oh, and get organized.

RBA: Correct me if I’m wrong, but every member of the band has had experience working at Harmonix. What impact do you think this has on your music (if any)?

AP: I’m not sure that it’s impacted our music, but it’s certainly affected our experience as a band. Harmonix is a very supportive community, so we’ve had good crowds at most of our shows. We also have a practice space that we get to use weekly for free. Many bands have to earn even the smallest crowds and have to pay for a practice space. We’re very grateful for everything that working at HMX has given us.

RBA: On the flipside, tell us about some of the impacts being a musician has had on working at Harmonix.

AP: We’d like to think that our musical backgrounds have contributed to HMX creating fun, authentic games.

RBA: I’ve heard from friends who are musicians and expert Rock Band players say that some songs are honestly harder in game than on a real guitar. Do you find this to be true in any instances?

AP: Yes. Not only is the physical experience of playing plastic Rock Band instruments different than playing a real instrument, the measure of success is also different. When playing a song on an electric guitar, for example, you can get away with little mistakes. Sometimes they even add character to the performance. Rock Band, on the other hand, uses a hit-or-miss metric, so even small errors affect your performance negatively.

RBA: Do you feel that games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have an impact on a player’s interest in playing a real instrument at some point?

AP: In some cases, yes. Music rhythm games such as Rock Band are capable of creating the feeling of musical performance in musicians and non-musicians alike. I think it’s reasonable that after experiencing a simulation of performing music, one might develop a hankering for the real thing. On the other hand, some people are satisfied with the game experience and have no want or need to try real instruments.

RBA: How soon after hearing about the Rock Band Network did you decide to make your music available?

AP: Immediately.

RBA: How did you decide on what songs you wanted to make available for Rock Band? Was it a long process, or a simple decision?

AP: We talked about it as a band and picked three of the best, most substantial (i.e. over a minute long) songs that we had at the time. However, it’s a non-trivial amount of work to get a song all the way through the RBN pipeline, and many months have passed. As a result, the first batch of songs that we chose for RBN don’t entirely represent what we’re about anymore. But never fear. We’ll churn out newer songs as fast as we can.

RBA: What are some of the differences between making your tracks available for Rock Band versus more traditional music marketing?

AP: We’ve never done traditional music marketing, so I don’t know!

RBA: Is there anything that you would like the Rock Band community to know about you before you debut on the Rock Band Network?

AP: We love you. We’re real people, and we hope you love us. Here’s a poem:

Hello world.
The future is now.
Then?
Don’t fly away, little fellow.
We can have cherry cake.
For lunch AND breakfast.
Ok?

RBA: Couldn’t have said it better myself.  Thanks, Aaron!

For more info on Giant Target, check out their official website, Facebook, and Twitter pages!  They have two songs currently available on the RBN, “In Memories” and “Signs,” so check them out on the RBN Store in Rock Band 2, or purchase and download the songs via the links.

And if you are in the Boston area, check them out performing LIVE on March 11th at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge and March 29th and O’Brien’s Pub in Allston! Here’s a little bit of what you can expect to see…

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