Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Carrillo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I joined The Fallen Electric back in 2016. I had been playing in other bands prior to that and was very aware of who they were in the scene. I became friendly with Jimmy and their then drummer, Travis, and was definitely a fan of their music up to that point. They had been a band for five years as a three-piece band and when I was invited to go over for a jam session, I was cautiously optimistic because they were doing good work as a three-piece band so I didn’t want to do anything to disrupt their vibe. Lucky for me, it didn’t take long at all to gel with them and after the session had gone so well, I was invited to continue to join them in rehearsals and shortly thereafter, I found myself joining them onstage officially as the 4th band member.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like a lot of musical groups, there are differences that need to be hashed out and The Fallen Electric has no shortage of that, but we’ve been fortunate, for the most part, to find common ground rather quickly and continue moving forward. Aside from the revolving door of drummers over the years, many of the struggles have been external. Dealing with the business side of the entertainment industry can be demoralizing, frustrating, and often confusing, but we just figure it’s the cost of getting to do what we love.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Being the guy who took them from a three-piece to a four-piece, I always felt like I had to do whatever I could to earn my keep. It’s an attitude I maintain still to this day and it’s hard to dim down the enthusiasm I have for pushing this band forward. The songwriting process is extremely collaborative and I enjoy steering the brainstorm session to produce results. There’s nothing like being in the room when an idea for a riff is introduced to seeing it become a finished song we can all put our stamp of approval on to make me proud of what we’ve accomplished.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think it’s important for other artists to know that even if you don’t consider yourself to be fearless, nobody will be able to tell or care one way or another. Ask questions, be respectful, and be ready to show off your value. Networking doesn’t have to be a forced and daunting task as long as you stay curious and remain approachable.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: thefallenelectric.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/thefallenelectric
- Facebook: Facebook.com/thefallenelectric
- Youtube: YouTube.com/thefallenelectric
Image Credits
Heather Bejar & Hilary Peters
