The Glass Ceiling Interview

The Glass Ceiling Interview

It has taken just 10 months for The Glass Ceiling to establish themselves as one of Sydney’s newest and most dynamic indie rock acts, climbing out of obscurity and propelling themselves onto a national stage.

Recent runners-up in the Toohey’s *Uncharted* contest, The Glass Ceiling took their silver trophy and ran straight to Studio 301 to work with edgy and elusive producer Tim Carr. The result of those sessions is their debut EP */Reparations,/* due for release in September, followed by an east coast tour in support.

The Glass Ceiling is: James Vandyke (guitar, bass, piano), Craig Richmond (guitar) and Cj Morello (guitar), Jack Preston (vocals) and Matt Alexander (drums).

Cj Morello who plays the guitar in The Glass Ceiling answered all our questions. Cj Morello previously played in the band Nebuchadnezza. For all gig information regarding The Glass Ceiling check out the What’s On page.

How did it feel to hear your song played all over the airwaves?

CJ Morello: Pretty damn good. We were given the opportunity to play live on MTV earlier this year and watching that at home on cable TV was a great feeling, almost as good as the gig itself..... Almost!


Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

CJ Morello: We've been in and around the industry for a while now, so no real surprises. The thing that I like the most is how supportive and friendly the other bands are. We've made some great friends from some amazing bands around the country which makes the long, hard road that little bit easier.


Do you write your own songs?

CJ Morello: Yeah, of course. We write heaps (around 10 or so new song ideas each week) which we think are really important.


What or who is your inspiration?

CJ Morello: Jack writes a lot of his lyrics about people or stories that we see going on around us. Whether it be friends going through tough times or other stories that touch us. I guess the music is written in a similar fashion, which can make for some dark songs from time to time..... But nothing wrong with that. =)


Do you prefer performing live or recording?

CJ Morello: Tough question. Playing our music live is some of the most fun we can possibly have, especially when it's a full room and everyone is having a good time dancing around. But getting the opportunity to craft songs in a studio is always a really rewarding experience, plus hanging out in the studio with a crazy group of guys like the rest of the boys from theeiling, never a dull moment!


What is your top pick-me-up trick?

CJ Morello: We all listen to "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. No matter how tired we are, once we hear that song we are pumped and ready to go!


Whose music do you admire most?

CJ Morello: Me personally, Bloc Party.


What do you do to relax?

CJ Morello: Relax, what's that? When we get a night off James and I tend to go to our favorite club and dance like idiots till 3am. That's the best possible way to unwind.


What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

CJ Morello: We've just released our Debut EP REPARATIONS which you can either buy on iTunes or through our myspace page. Now for the rest of the year we plan on doing shows around the country and playing as much as we can.


What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

CJ Morello: Right now, Bloc Party, Van She, Queens Of The Stone Age, Muse, The Killers, Hard-Fi the list goes on and on!


What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

CJ Morello: Fitting in music and your personal life is easily the hardest thing to do. We have a lot of loved ones who support us in what we are trying to do. If we didn't have that then we'd have no hope.


What has been your favorite part of becoming a music artist?

CJ Morello: Meeting heaps of new people all the time and being given the opportunity to be constantly creative. Playing live to people who love live music is also something that we will never get bored of.


If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

CJ Morello: It sounds strange, but I've always wanted to do a rock/hip hop track, so maybe Kanye West or Pharrell from NERD.