We both spend quality time together and share something we love
Worhol
It was a pleasure to Interview Worhol, the symphonic metal band from Katy, Texas. The Lead singer Ashley was amazing, not only she is beautiful, she is so lovely in the heart and it was a pleasure to know more about the band and the things they do, Enjoy reading the Interview and drop a line to them, they would surely love it.
Worhol are:
Ashley Worhol- Vocalist, Keyboardist, Co-Composer, Lyricist
Larry Worhol- Guitarist, Orchestration, Co-Composer
Craig Malinowski- Bassist, Visual Artist
Marty Naul- Drummer
Greetings from Metal On Loud! Our readers are from around the world and they would be happy to know about Worhol, would you please introduce yourself and the band?
Ashley: Sure! We are so excited to have the opportunity to reach out to your readers! I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is Ashley Worhol and I am the lead singer/pianist and co-composer of our group Worhol! I am so fortunate to have such talented musicians on stage with me, so let me introduce them to you and give them the credit they deserve. Our guitarist is Larry Worhol, and I’m sure you recognize we have the same last name. That is because I get to share my dream with my father! Not only does he play guitar, he is also the co-composer and orchestrates all of our music. Next up we have our drummer, Marty Naul. Marty has his degree in music along with my father and myself so with all of our background knowledge we really do make up the perfect team. Last but not least, our bassist, Craig Malinowski. Craig is also our artist in the group. He designs all of our merchandise, posters, and if you have seen a hard copy of our album, “The Awakening” he designed the cover as well as the inserts!
Can you tell us about the album “The Awakening” how successful was the album?
Ashley: Our album, “The Awakening” has received amazing reviews! From fans, to press, listeners have expressed how every song can stand on its own. Overall, our album was very successful and it has left listeners curious to what we will do next.
One review we had was from Crimson Moon Zine and they stated this:
“Such a beautiful album that is packed with delicious rhythms and creative textures that build the bands reputation to being an all-out winner! The music washes over the body but embraces it in a warm endeavor which makes listening all the more exciting. It twists and turns majestically and yet fueled by a darker underbelly that captivates and allows images to be created. From elegant melodies to more hearty and extravagant moments there is so much to enjoy within each track!”
When recording “The Awakening”, we were honored to work with well-known names in the industry. The majority of the tracks were recorded by John LeCompt, former member of ‘Evanescence’. When the opportunity arose for us to record with John we knew he would be the perfect fit because he knew our style first hand. Also on the album we were able to work with Stephen Bogle, former member of ‘The Hunger’. Stephen knew exactly the sound we were going for and was able to bring our imagination to life! Finally, we were also able to work with Mark Andes former member of ‘Heart’. Mark drove down to Houston to record the bass track for our song, “The Darkness”. Being able to work in the presence of such talent was truly remarkable!
Can you tell us how Worhol was started and why you wanted to have the name “Worhol”?
Ashley: Worhol began on a day I came home from college and heard my dad playing the guitar. Over the years I knew my father as a pianist and never knew he had this hidden talent. I remember walking through the doors and hearing this amazing lead and thought my dad just had music blaring so when I walked in and saw him wailing on the guitar I was in shock! I believe my exact words were, “Dad, why didn’t you tell me you played guitar?! We could have been in a band already!” From that day we started making history and the band formed into what it is today! When choosing the name “Worhol” we decided we wanted to keep our last name as a main focal point because not only were we proud to be in a group together but our last name is already well known globally because of our relation to Andy Warhol. Our last name is actually supposed to be spelt with an “A” but fortunately enough for us my Grandfather spelt his with an “O” (he was the only brother who did this) and now that simple letter change has allowed us to have our own story and career.
How did the father and daughter theory worked out?
Ashley: I am very close to both of my parents so being able to share my dream with my father is something words can’t quite express. Growing up he was my role model. I use to sit in his lap or sneak under the piano while he was practicing because music soothed me. There has always been that bond and music has connected us even more. Not only are we a sarcastic family but the members of the group are also sarcastic so there can be times when we might pick at each other a little too far but in the end we all enjoy each other’s company. Some of my favorite moments are when we are in practice and dad likes to change things such as leads to see if anyone is paying attention and every time he does this I turn and give him the death stare and he looks the other way with a huge smirk on his face. It’s safe to say there is never a dull moment!
Larry: It’s a wonderful experience, especially being a parent. We both spend quality time together and share something we love together. Not all parents get to do that with their children after they reach a certain age. Sometimes we have our moments, but that is when our
love for each other as father and daughter comes into play. Together we can combine our musical thoughts and ideas and produce the best musical composition to the best of our skills. It’s great. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better business partner or daughter.
Have you guys signed contract with any recording company?
Ashley: Recently, this past January we signed with Extreme Management Group. They are currently shopping labels and have had a few offers so now it’s all about finding the right fit and seeking all options!
What are your plans to make “Worhol” a global success?
Ashley: I am a firm believer in hard work and taking pride in your work. From day one we knew we wanted to view this as a business and we wanted to present ourselves in a professional manner. On a daily basis I am trying to think outside the box on how we can both visually and musically impact people. Not only is your presence on stage important but how you are off stage also matters. We are very fortunate to be able to have a personal relationships with our fans. We want to take the time to get to know them and communicate with them. All of us in the group are very easy to get a hold of and we love it when people reach out to us. So for me, my plan in making us a global success is to stay true to who we are, remember where we came from, stay humble, stay professional, stay available for fans and never forget those who helped us reach our success.
Craig: We plan on continuing with the image that we have now. With that being said, we plan on adding more to our live set and give our fans things that they will always remember. We will continue to build onto our sound and stage to the highest level that we can. We push the limits within ourselves and to each other to bring the best out.
Marty: I’d say that my personal plans for Worhol’s are to keep improving myself as a drummer, and be the best team player I can be. I look at drumming the same way an architect looks at a building. The first thing you need is a strong, solid foundation. If you have that, then everything else can be built on top of that. I see my playing as the foundation that the others build on. It’s my responsibility to give them something strong and solid. To keep improving myself as the foundation for the team is my plan for success!
Do you currently have any plans for touring outside the US?
Ashley: On a previous tour we traveled to the UK and Wales and ever since that tour we want to go back. We are hoping this year we will be able to tour overseas again. There has been some communication of the possibility of us touring Canada so we have our fingers crossed!
Larry: We are presently looking into another UK tour. We really enjoyed our first tour in the
UK. We would love to tour Canada, Austria, Scotland, Germany, Japan and the list could go
on and on. Where we are wanted, we would love to perform there. Our next tour will probably
be to Canada.
How is your success in your home state and in your country?
Larry: Every event we perform at we draw new fans. Being still a new group out there, we are working on increasing our fan base. It just takes time and exposure. Currently for the time we have been together as a group, I think we are doing great. Ashley is doing such a great job with the Social Media. I don’t know what we would do without her.
Craig: I’d like to think that most in our area have heard of us. Our home city is very large and there are a lot of venues and a lot of bands. We have been in a number of press in our area in which we are grateful for to help push our image and let everyone know who and what we are. We are currently pushing further out in our massive state of Texas and booking shows until our next tour to venture elsewhere.
How do Worhol look into the future? What are your plans?
Ashley: We are always thinking of our next step, whether it is writing new music, planning a tour, or creating a storyboard for our next music video. Our minds never stop turning and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Currently, we are in the process of writing new music and our show schedule is filling up fast! We also are in the process of designing future stage shows. We have our castle theme now but we always like to change the visual aspects of our show so it keeps our fans curious.
Are you guys currently on the studio, do you have any plans for 2016?
Ashley: Currently, we are writing new material for our second album. So far, what we have now I think will end up being a pleasant surprise to our listeners. This album will be jammed packed with heart felt melodies and every song will sound different from the previous one. My dad is also in the process of orchestrating each song and this has led us to even composing a song for the album that will give off the impression of a rock opera. We are opening our minds when it comes to creativity and we are beyond excited to see our vision come forth.
What is the one Country in the world that you die to perform?
Ashley: I love to travel so touring to another country in general just makes me excited. I really loved the U.K but we would love to tour in any country that would have us. I have to agree with Marty, I have always wanted to tour Australia. I also have a huge interest in Japan, our music has been very popular over there. I also would love to tour Canada, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Greece and Scotland. So you can obviously see I don’t have just one country I want to perform in! (haha) There are so many others I would love to tour as well but the list would go on and on!
Craig: Thats a pretty hard question. I haven’t been to very many places outside of the U.S. and have only toured into the United Kingdom. I would have to say that I’d love to tour where the more hardcore fans are. We’ve had many messages and comments from Japan, and Latin America. I think reaching out to these areas would be amazing let alone meet the fans. I think I’m more excited to see them and visit them in their country. I love to meet new people and even more so from other cultures.
Marty: Hmmmm, I think it would be a tie between Australia or the UK. I’d love to tour in either place, but I’m into history, and the U.K. In particular is rich in history. Plus, I have made many online friends in the UK, and I’d love to have the opportunity to meet some of them!
Do you have a message for the fans and the readers?
Ashley: First and foremost I want to thank Metalonloud for having us! We really enjoyed answering your questions and hope your readers and fans feel like they got to know us better! Anyone who is interested in reaching out to us, please do! We can’t thank you enough for the support and for helping us achieve our dreams! In regards to a message, recently, my father made this statement and I want to share it. Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and there was no music. There is such an importance for music. We could play in front of an audience who doesn’t even speak our language but they would be able to understand us in a different way, they would be able to feel what we were trying to say just through our expressions and passion that is present. Music brings people together and it can be used for healing as well. Music is the art of expression and no matter what style of music you listen to, we all have our message.
Craig: We love you all! without our fans we are just jamming on a stage to no one. Our fans and support is what keeps us going. We each love playing our music but its the fans that give us the drive to do what we do. We encourage all our fans and readers to reach out to us, message us, come talk to us, and even come take a picture with us!
Social Media Links:
www.facebook.com/worhol.productions
www.twitter.com/worholtheband
www.instagram.com/worholtheband
www.cdbaby.com/cd/worhol
www.worhol.net