NORTHERN ROCKS MAGAZINE: September 1st 2008

Cody Allen, former vocalist from the band State Of Sound, has settled back in North Bay for the summer after years of travelling, with the intention of pursuing his music career." This past winter I decided to stay in Northern Ontario for the summer and play as many shows & festivals as possible to get my name out there. I enjoy living up here, as my family and friends are still here." This is good news for fans and soon to become fans of this musician with a vocal sound that brings to mind Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace. His music has been described by many as "natural and vintage rock". His sound is well developed with rich vocals and the full ringing sound of his 12 string guitar. Allen started out strong with his first album "Little Things Mean So Much" released in 2006. Three songs, "Audacity"," 8 O'clock" and "The Way You Are" have all seen national airplay. "The response [to the first album] was excellent; I received a lot of radio airplay, great feedback from music directors, booking agents and fans from across the country. The first EP was a good step in the right direction."

In 2007 Allen joined the band "State Of Sound" and proceeded to participate in the band's first album which was produced by Shawn Moore and mastered by Nick Blagona ( Rush, Tea Party, The Police, Bryan Adams). After touring with the band he decided to take a break and continued on his own.

Early in 2008 it was back to the studio to record the new album "We Know How To Love" with producer Justin Koop (Silverstein, Billy Talent, Finger Eleven) Allen says he is "just finishing up the new album with Justin. The experience has been great, we work well as a team and he understands what my vision is for this record." This album will be released soon and will be followed by an east and west Canadian tour. They plan to "make sure to do as much touring as we can in 2009." The first single "Answers" with special guest Amberley Bagget from the band Surfacing, can be heard on his myspace. Allen explains the progression evident in the new album: "My first CD "Little Things Mean So Much" was written and recorded while in University. The biggest change I find is the maturity in my writing from the last album. I was 21, single and writing about girls, constantly. After the release of that album, I moved in with a girl for 2 ½ years. So my writing definitely changed and my outlook on life did a complete 180. Now I'm single again and I've drawn my focus on life experiences, war and society. The new record has a strong U.K. feel to it, I truly believe that fans are going to be surprised with the sound of this album – it is very mature and has a more up beat-tempo. I'm very proud of the songs which I've written, and I can't wait for old & new fans to hear my work."

Another reason for his return home is to work on improving the music scene and opportunities for bands in North Bay. Cody has joined forces with Hamilton's Symphony of Sound in order to do just this. The mission began because "last year our local summer festival (North Bay Heritage Festival) got cancelled by the city. Being from North Bay, I thought that having no music in the city was going to be a huge loss. I brought the festival proposal to Symphony of Sound, who I met a few months before through Southern Ontario bookings and asked if they were interested in bringing a music festival to Northern Ontario. I jumped on as the Northeast Promotions Rep. and have been working for Symphony of Sound ever since." Cody has done his part to remedy a problem many smaller towns have. He says "the issue that North Bay has is that there's no live original music venue…I think if we had a local venue that would book original music on a regular basis it would definitely be a step in the right direction, we need to keep live music alive in the North." Having experience with booking his own tours and doing all the leg work himself Cody knows how difficult it can be. "I do everything on my own and trust me it's a lot of work and at times it's overwhelming. Although [by doing it himself] things get done right away and there's no surprises.

I've had several offers from management teams from across the province, but nobody has offered me anything I can't do on my own. I have people that help me along the way but otherwise everything is done over the phone and computer. You really have to sell yourself on every level. I love playing music and I've now become a businessman, selling myself and my product. When they tell you making it in the music industry 'is a long road', it truly is. It takes a lot of hard work, ambition and determination. You better be prepared to get doors slammed in your face, because it does happen all the time, it's all about being persistent and not taking no for an answer.

 "My biggest accomplishment is that I've stuck it out in the music business and haven't given up. There have been times where I just wanted to quit playing completely. From getting band members not showing up to gigs, to not making any money at a show and having to borrow cash from family members just to make it home. The music business is such a cut throat industry and if you don't have wide shoulders, you'll never survive…I've now realized that I can't do anything else but play music. The fans are what keep me going. When people in the crowd sing your lyrics when you're playing and come up to you after your show and tell you how they can't stop listening to your music, it really makes you proud of what you do. I actually get to do what I love. The only thing I want to achieve is to get my music heard by as many people as possible and of course to be able to pay my bills playing music."

(www.myspace.com/codyoallen) Debbie Pyette