Introducing BEAT100 Ultimate Musician Award Winners, Ekko Park

(March 16, 2013)

(PRWEB) March 16, 2013

BEAT100's news team caught up with Ekko Parks front-man, Joe Walsh, this week to find out what the band have been up to and what their plans are in the future, after receiving the highly contested BEAT100 Ultimate Musician accolade. Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, the hugely energetic four-piece rock outfit have already become one of the hottest new rock bands in their homeland. Debut single, 'You Said', was quickly followed by their second release, 'Let The Games Begin', and the bands third single release, 'Simpatico', went to number one in the iTunes Rock Charts, whilst getting extensive airplay on numerous media outlets including The Rock FM, Radio Hauraki and Juice TV.

The band expects to be back in the studio in April as they work towards a possible 2013 album and, if what they have released so far is anything of an insight in to what the finished album might sound like, then rock fans everywhere could be in for a real treat. The official video for latest single, 'Becoming The Enemy', was uploaded to the BEAT100 Music Video Network recently and already it's being shared furiously throughout the social networking world. If viewers are lucky enough to have a large HD TV, with a good sound system and can access the internet through it, then snap to it and afterwards, they will no doubt be covered in virtual beer and sweat with their ears ringing as if they've actually just been to one of their sell out gigs. Amazing sound, very well produced and filmed in a live setting, the video really does the band the justice they deserve and leaves you wanting to experience the real thing.

The video for 'Enemy' was shot at 121 Combat Boxing Gym in Auckland, explained Joe. Myself and Joel, lead guitar, are members there and one day I was hitting the bag and just thought, damn this would be a wicked video location. I have always been a huge fan of the live music TV show 'Later with Jools Holland' and I love the way the audience stands around the band and are almost part of the performance. So we thought, let's set our gear up, facing in to each other like we would at a rehearsal and get a large ring of friends and fans around us to create that 'Jools' vibe with our own Ekko personality on it. So we got reams of blackout curtains, four blinder lights, two hi-def cameras, fifty friends and 1 large bottle of Jagermeister and away we went! We basically played an intimate show of maybe 12 songs whilst also playing 'Enemy' maybe six times, in order to get lots of cool camera angles and also to capture the band and audience for the rock music video. It was a really great night, telling stories about our songs, playing loud in a hot sweaty room and capturing it all on video

After uploading the video on to BEAT100.com, the band were shocked with the overwhelming response from users from all over the world. We signed up to BEAT100 and all of a sudden we had this whole new platform to share our music, so we uploaded our video, said Joe. It is massively important to us as an emerging band. It is such a great tool and platform for bands and artists. It's amazing to me that we are getting fans from all over the world messaging us who have seen our video on there.

With the landscape constantly changing as society adapts to the new digital world of both buying and listening to music, many bands and artists find it difficult to accept it and some never will. Others will find a way of playing the new system and see positives in it and this is the camp where you will find Joe Walsh and Ekko Park happily roasting their marshmallows in the campfire. Some people are disgruntled at the amount of music there is available now, but I'm not disgruntled at all, explains Joe. I think it now means you have to be amazing live to succeed, as live is where bands make their money nowadays. Internet and smart-phones are now where bands can make their name, so that is where we have to hit with our songs and music videos. Then its up to us to excite people on a different level in the live setting. Its a balancing act that we love to play.

In a parting breath of fresh air, Joe was keen to stress the importance of valuing the support from fans and support in general, adding, We would like to say thanks to BEAT100 for their support and to their members for helping to spread the word about Ekko Park and for the Ultimate Musician Award. I think its important for bands to appreciate and think about the people who do see and hear your songs, instead of worrying about the people who aren't yet seeing and hearing you.

It is this kind of attitude, work ethic and blindingly obvious talent, that will see Ekko Park rise to be one the best rock bands of all-time. Remember the name and check out the official video for their track, 'Becoming The Enemy', on BEAT100.com.

BE SEEN BE HEARD BE REWARDED

By Alan Devon

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/3/prweb10535650.htm.

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