1.08.2009

it's THE PAXTONS baby!

ALRIGHT so I don't know which one of them says that, but its said in every song, and quite catchy.. MOVING ALONG...

(Dave on the left & Chris on the right)

THE PAXTONS! as stated on their twitter page (click to follow them, they're cool guys) "Good Rappers. Good Producers. Good Guys. Making Good Music. In a word, H.A.N.D.S. (If you're not familiar with that acronym, just ask.)" now, dont ask me what H.A.N.D.S. standsd for, cuz I never asked, lol.

check out their current stuff:

MEMBERS ONLY MIXTAPE
&
The Paxtons - Free My Mind _09.mp3
&
they have a track called "Japanese Denim" on the Hype Club Mixtape

in my personal experience, I wrote them off in the beginning, like yeah, womp womp, everyone and their mama talking about they make good music, well ladies & gents, these guys actually deliver. AND lucky for you people out there in the innahnetsz world, I got a chance to see how they work in the studio... AND I got an interview. So I, being the generous and giving person I am, have decided to share it with you!
[oh, and I'm really not about to write up their whole bio, but please direct yourself to www.paxtonavenue.com
]

Diti: With all the Lil ___________'s out there, and Soulja womp womp's, etc and so forth, why the Paxtons? What's in a name?

Chris: The Paxtons is an ode to Paxton Avenue, the block in Chicago where we both grew up.
Dave: When we were in St. Louis, we hosted and promoted parties. We had this running joke that your porn name is your middle name and the block you grew up on... thus our promo alias was The Paxtons.

Diti: So you guys originally hail from Chicago, How did you end up in DC?

Dave: After we both finished school in St. Louis, it was time to get that "good ass job", so DC was pretty much a no-brainer with the vibrant culture and motivated people.
Chris: We both managed to get good jobs at an organization that shall remain nameless (ha!)

Diti: What kind of background do you have with music? Mom and Dad had you listening to the good stuff? Got into it on your own?

Chris: My background is in audio engineering, so I mean the love for music was always there.
Dave: I started as a DJ in the midwest. Obviously as a DJ you have to have true passion for music.

Diti: Who inspires The Paxtons? And who do The Paxtons want to inspire?

Chris: Our inspiration comes from the 90's "backpack era", New Jack Swing and of course the Chi's House Scene.
Dave: As of late, Leon Ware who a lot of people may not know, from a production aesthetic. Leon Ware wrote and produced Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" album, "Where You Are" for The Jacksons, and so on.

Diti: The Paxtons, of course, are a duo, who has what strengths? In what areas does Chris really hold the group? Dave? Or are you guys just that dope, and a complete powerhouse?

Chris: We are just that fuckin good! Nah, I'm joking. I pretty much focus on the engineering end.
Dave: I'm on the graphic design end. Shameless plug: www.david-kenneth.net. No, but seriously, we both contribute equally.
Chris: Yeah, we are not opposed to writing or filling in a line for each other. We are more focused on creating quality material as opposed to who gets songwriting credits.
Dave: You know, a true partnership.

Diti: What happens when you two have creative differences?

Dave: That's when the ear for good music has to take over. We pride ourselves on the "no emotion" way of viewing our music. If it ain't right, scrap it.
Chris: Honestly though, it rarely happens. Since we grew up together, for the most part, we are in the same place creatively. Nothing forced.

Diti: What's been the biggest challenge since The Paxtons started?

Chris: We face pretty much the same challenge that most independent artists face. You know, trying to create the best quality material with limited resources.
Dave: Also, figuring out a way to get our music out to the masses without some name or institution co-signing us. But that's been a gift and a curse.
Diti: Besides The Paxtons (Chris & Dave) who's been fighting for your success the hardest? Can you even credit that to one person?

Dave: We definitely can't credit that to one person. There's been numerous people who are doing what they can to help us live out this dream.
Chris: I mean if we had to, Team Paxtons holds us down in terms of fighting to see us be successful.

Diti: What has been The Paxton's biggest accomplishment thus far?

Chris: I think our biggest success has been being able to reach and perform in five markets: DC, Chicago, NY, North Carolina and Philly. I mean, we just picked up full steam in April of 2008. That tells us we are doing something right.
Dave: We've done it our way. No compromises. And people are genuinely feeling our music. But not just the music. People have responded to our personality and vision, which is important when you have so many manufactured artists nowadays.

Diti: What can we expect from The Paxton's in 2009?

Dave: 2009 is going to be a huge year for us. I mean we are putting all on the line this year. We have another mixtape coming in the first quarter with DJ Jerome Baker III of Commonwealth DC fame. We will be launching our podcast "Calhoun Tubbs Radio w/ The Paxtons" in January with Trackstar the DJ from the Smoking Section, which you can expect to be pure ignorance.
Chris: We want to grow our fanbase through different and innovative ways. With all of the artists now moving to the digital age and viral marketing, we want to carve out our lane and cut through the clutter. Oh, and the album will be a monster. We are taking our time on the album to make sure it shows the full spectrum of our artistry. We want to be one of the greats.
Dave: Thanks Diti, for the love.


AND, they have a project dropping JAN 20TH, so please be on the lookout for that!

and as I promised their manager DG, shout out to their recording family at DEPTH CHARGE STUDIOS (click the link)

& a special thanks to Yummie D for letting me guest write.

2 comments:

Kimmiepooh said...

Dope interview, Diti. Not the same boring questions. I'm always looking fore REAL good music, so I'll have to check 'em out!

just lex said...

Great interview chicky :) *goes to listen to music riiiiight now*