Substantive lyrics and shake your ass Funk are not mutually exclusive. Listen to any Elevaters song for proof. Their debut LP Rising is a collection of thought provoking verses, and make you sweat Soul-ed out tracks.

In this final installment of The LA2DAY two-part interview with innovative music outfit Elevaters, the band members bare their soul about the messages in their music, and how they manage true brotherhood.

Cazembe Abena (LA2DAY) - "I've noticed that many of the lyrics to your songs are egalitarian. Is that a conscious choice?"

David Noily - "Absolutely. Some of our songs are about having fun, but then a lot of them are about egalitarian values, reconciling differences between men and women, or overcoming your own personal demons. Initially, I was telling the guys that I wanted to write political songs. But then Sam said something very important to me which was that I was obviously having a revolution inside of me, and THAT would have to be resolved before I could preach to people. That moved me in a powerful way. I realized that this is about the revolution of the self. A lot of Elevaters' music is about overcoming your own demons and being the best person that you can be. People are more drawn to hearing about a personal experience than someone preaching to them. Sometimes the personal experience is more important than the revolution."

Cazembe - "Yes, because revolutions start with individuals first."

Miles Gregley - "...and will not be televised."

LAUGHTER

Sam Golzari - "The music reflects who we are on a day-to-day basis. We're not hard... we may try to get sexy sometimes, but we're not hard..."

LAUGHTER

David - "Lyrically I think we offer a different perspective that people can move to."

Ben Hall - "We used to get together (Sam, Dave and I) on Dave's back porch and rap, sing, and vibe to music. Invariably what would come out lyrically were personal struggles that we were having."

‘In Silence', the last song on Rising, was written at a time when Sam, Ben, and Dave were all experiencing personal difficulties. They believe that this is why the track is particularly poignant.

Sam - "We wrote that song that day. I normally don't write that quickly."

David - "Benny's lyric in that song is, "You must be still before you can dance, ‘cause from silence you'll be able to hear the music." The idea is that it's alright to be still because when those exciting moments come you're going to be moving, and breathing, and feeling good. And it's OK because you know where you've been."

Ben - "While we write from our own experiences it's not our intention to be self-indulgent. We're hoping that these topics we deal with touch someone to lift their space and help them. There's enough madness in the world. We hope that when we play a show someone can walk away feeling better."

Cazembe - "And what do you want people to walk away with from your show?"

Ben - "Empowerment."

David - "Yeah, empowerment of self. That we are all in the same struggle. ‘The One' is all about being at peace with oneself and bringing it all together.

Cazembe - "I noticed on one song in particular the lyrics are very raw and honest."

David - "Yeah, that's ‘Let's Get Real'.

Cazembe - "I really appreciate that song. It's vulnerable and real."

Andre - "You just touched on something. When you're vulnerable like these guys are with their lyrics it's about strength and you're saying, "I don't care what you think." You can do that when you're comfortable with yourself."

Sam - "In acting that's your biggest tool. You have to be able to be vulnerable. Ben, Miles and I studied acting so we enjoy being able to share that."

Itai - "I have to say that before I met these guys I was shy and timid, but now after being around these guys I've learned to just let it hang out and be silly...

LAUGHTER

Marlon Ray (LA2DAY) - "I think that's really what keeping it real is all about, not taking yourself so seriously all of the time. Prince even incorporated comedy on his last tour in his after-hours shows and people loved it because it reads as authentic and connects you to the audience."

Cazembe - "Are there ever any creative conflicts?"

All the Elevaters - "YES!"

LAUGHTER

David - "I guess I'm the cynic of the group. When Itai joined as another guitarist I felt threatened because sometimes he would offer things that I would never think of. Finally, I had to realize that he's my brother and he's here with me. From that day on things changed for me. "

Marlon - "It's really great that you can be open like that. It says a lot."

David - "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Sam - "See, originally the music of the band was all David. He came up with a lot of great music by himself. And then as we grew as a band, things changed. It was beautiful to see. I think David and I argue the most, but it always comes to a point where we come back together and forget about it, shake hands, and hug. I think the type of music we make reflects that."

Marlon - "As a fan in the audience I realize that all of you guys stand out in your own right. Each of you has your own thing. This was confirmed for me when a friend of mine who saw your show said the same thing."

Sam - " We try to let everyone get theirs on stage. I think we're like the musical Wu-Tang Clan. There are no solo acts with us; we are a band, a group. We bring that element of community in Hip-Hop and bring it to other genres."

Ben - "I hope that one of the draws for people to come and see Elevaters is that they see we are a band, a community."

David - "Sometimes we play with a member or two missing, but we still represent them on stage in their absence. We're one unit.

Marlon - "With the recent collapse of the corporate music structure, the folding of record companies, record stores, etc. what is your strategy on getting exposure and getting your albums out there?"

David - "If we could sign with an Indie label that has experience with taking a group to notoriety, I would be excited about signing with a label like that."

Itai - "Our approach now is do it yourself with our merchandise and marketing until we align ourselves with a heavy hitter."

Sam - "The band is our baby. It sustains itself right now, but we want to take it as far as it can go."

Ben - "I think the way we would be able to thrive in the industry today is to tour non-stop for the next however many years. I don't think any of us want to be international Pop stars, but we do want to be able to tour and support ourselves and our family with our music."

Andre - "You got to hit these cities and play like a presidential candidate."

Itai - "Ozomatli is a prime example of what we're talking about. They have families, toured for years, and now they have a solid following where they can support themselves."

Andre - "311 is another example. 311 are the bomb because they've got a nice vibe and they tour and play with a great fan base.

Cazembe - "What's in the future for Elevaters?"

David - "We're looking to take what we've created here in Los Angeles to the rest of the world."

The rest of the world is ready and waiting... hungry, even. I think the recording industry reached its saturation point of four-letter expletives, vapid subject matter, and uninspired musicology years ago.

If you haven't seen Elevaters in concert you're missing a life-affirming experience. But, don't despair - they're touring constantly. See them at a venue near you...

You can thank me later...

By Cazembe Abena

***The Elevater video "Grandma's Hands"(featured here) won FIRST PLACE in The 4^th Annual Elevate Film & Music Festival at The Kodak Theater this year. The star-studded contest featured several Grammy winning artists including India.Arie and Alanis Morissette. Congrats to the video's director, Hamed Mosadegh and editor, James McCook who dominated the field taking best video, best director and best editing! This is only the beginning for the Elevaters people!

Elevaters

Genre(s): Urban Alternative, Soul, Pop, Hip-Hop, Funk, Rock

Members:
David Noily - Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals
Sam Golzari - Vocals, MC, Keyboards,
Ben Hall - Vocals, MC, Percussion
Miles Gregley- MC, Backing Vocals
Itai Shapira - Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Andre Morton - Drums, Backing Vocals

Country: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Album Highlights: ‘Ivory Tower', ‘Let's Get Real', ‘The One', ‘Don't Sleep', ‘Dangerous', ‘Patience', ‘Ladylove'. ‘Walken'

Discography:
Rising (LP) 2007 (Independently Released)
Elevaters (EP) 2006 (Independently Released)

F.L.O. (For Lovers Of): Ozomatli, 311, Incubus, Groove Collective, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce

myspace.com/elevaters

ALSO READ PART 1 OF THE ELEVATERS INTERVIEW