Love Drive-By by Damien

It is not only a sincere expression of the layers of his personality but also an exciting example of pop rock at its best. But is difficult to separate the art from the artist. "I initially do my art for self exploration. I get a pinch inside of myself to write, I see something or feel something that personally affects me" he says. Ask him about the influences in his life and on his music and the answer will range from Arthur Rimbaud, Ginsberg, and Chagal to Jean Cocteau and Michael Stipe.

His musical style draws on contemporaries like Radiohead, 3rd Eye Blind, R.E.M., The Verve, and New Order. Listening you can feel the urgency and depth of Damien's character. There is something very honest in the catchy hooks, insightful lyrics, and unique vocals. The electronic and organic textures of the music blend with his versatile voice that is at times haunting, straight forward, sexy, brooding, and enigmatic. A reflection of the performer himself. And whether writing, producing or collaborating with other artists, his creative signature remains visible and authentic.

Damien's music touches on a broad field of artistic ideas and covers a lot of ground. Part of his appeal is that he offers something new to discover every time one listens to him. Everything feels familiar and constantly new at the same time.

So, what is it about this self declared downtown punk boy that brings all of this together and turns it into a remarkable and exciting artistic experience? After sitting down with him or experiencing one of his performances the answer becomes clear.

Damien's personality, his artistic expression, his stage presence seem to flow from the same impatient center. "For me, writing, singing, being on stage is like sharing a story. "Hopefully a sound, a riff, or a lyric will provoke something inside. At that point the song isn't mine anymore. The audience's own experiences claim the song. That is the communication that I am always looking to achieve."

He has been courted by Major Labels and has performed throughout the tri-state area at clubs like Webster Hall Main Stage, Irving Plaza, The China Club, Avalon, and CBGB's. A New Yorker-by-choice he decided early on, he wanted to set the tone. And he is making his impression on the New Music scene as a promising, hard working young artist.

Not surprisingly, Damien is hard to keep up with. As an independent, up and coming composer, lyricist, and singer he is gigging the downtown clubs with his band. His songs have reached top ten on CMJ, has been featured artist on E-zines, and remixes have often been heard in the infamous New York night clubs The Limelight and The Tunnel.

What are his plans for the immediate future? Live performances, promoting his CD, producing his music, remixing his songs, and of course writing more music. Where does all this restless energy come from? "When we crawled out of the cave we left a story on the walls. Today we have access to so many different mediums and forms but essentially aren't we still writing on our cave walls, aren't we all story tellers?"

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