Today we’d like to introduce you to If I’m Lucky .
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Ben: Hey! We’re If I’m Lucky, a pop punk band local to Central Florida made up of three dudes – me and my best friends Julian and Daxon.
Daxon: I started on momma’s farm in the dewy hills of war-torn Nebraska. I barely made it out of the winter of ’03 with a chicken in the roost. The coyotes got the rest. Poor birds never stood a chance. From then on, I devoted my life to theme parks and pop punk. I’m kidding; I’ve never even been to Nebraska.
Julian: I’ve been a musician my whole life. My mom was a choir director and started teaching me how to read music at the same age I learned to read and write. Some of my earliest memories are of writing songs in my car seat and having my stuffed animals perform them for my mom. I’ve been singing my whole life; I picked up the bass when I was 8, saxophone at 11, guitar at 14, and piano in college, and I learned my way around pretty much any instrument with strings during that time. I started getting into the technical side of things in high school, working as a live sound engineer in college and fell in love with it. That eventually got me into producing and mixing bands and working on the studio side of things. My whole life has been a love affair with music and audio.
Ben: I met Julian right before we started college, which set us on the paths we are on today. I got into music and performed pretty “late” in the game. It wasn’t until high school that I started to get serious about it. I picked up the guitar first in 9th grade and discovered I could sing after being cast as the lead in the school musical a year later. From there, I started writing songs for extra credit in math class, which eventually grew into a college degree in commercial music. After Julian and I combined our powers, we became an unstoppable force of songwriting and production power – and after moving to Orlando and adding Daxon? Well, now you can only come to our live shows. I’m kidding. We just really like hanging out and listening to our favorite bands.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
Ben: Choosing a career in making music is not for the faint of heart, but I also believe it can be done with a lot of hard work. I remember being told once got going this statistic of “less than 1% of people who set out toward a music career make it”. That’s scary, but I’m pushing as hard as possible to be in that 1% – I think all three of us are. Functionally, I remember Julian and me promising each other that we wouldn’t get “normal” (read stable, paying a living wage, instantly achieving societal respect) jobs until we had done everything we could to make it in the music industry. That’s looked a little different for each of us in our 10-year career. But I’m happy to report that we have both lived in the performance/production space for that entire duration.
Julian: My biggest struggle is finding the time to manage all my different lines of work. I’m completely smitten with all sides of music and production. I want to keep them up, so I often find myself working 40-50hrs as FOH each week, then going home to sit in the studio and track or mix for another few hours each day, then gig several times a month. It keeps me busy (I’m doing this interview while teaching a concert) and missing my bed, but it’s what I love doing, and as much as it’s hard work, it’s also how I unwind. I write most of the instrumentals for If I’m Lucky to add to the workload. I’m the bassist in the band. But I also write and record almost all of the guitar parts. And track all of our demos to send off to the guys before continuing the recording process. Once a song is fully written, I arrange and handle all the production and mix the tracks. It’s tough covering all those bases on my own, but I’m naturally drawn to it. I tell myself I’m going to take the day off, and the next thing I know, I’m out in the studio tracking the 15th guitar lead for some unreleased If I’m Lucky song and trying to incorporate new techniques into my writing process.
Ben: Julian makes it happen behind the curtain; give him some love.
Daxon: The digital age is a sword with two blades extending from each side of the handle and then an extra three spikes poking your hands when you hold it. It makes creating, sharing, promoting, and displaying easier than ever. But it’s also so easy to get lost in the shuffle of it all; it is discouraging to see how varied entertainment can be. It is eye-opening to realize that effort doesn’t necessarily correlate with popularity or success. The greatest challenge in life is accepting that you only have a certain amount of control over it, sometimes no control. Also – having a shellfish allergy in Florida is no walk in the park.
Ben: Same on the shellfish.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Daxon: I was always a vocalist in high school/early college, but there was always a desire to drive the music and have it hit the way I wanted it to, the way that I heard it in my head – and since I was learning how to drum on the side I took on a project as drummer/lead vocalist (easiest and most stress-free thing to do ever, said no one). I took a music sabbatical for around 5 years while Star Wars paid my bills, and when a global health crisis put a lot more free time into my life, I dove back into music, drumming, and the all-around creativity I had put on the back burner. I bounced around a few projects and landed into the snuggle-soft arms of one Benjamin Neil – who let me bring my pop-punk/metalcore sensibilities to the table. And thus, random of Mice & Men-style double bass blasts were combined with State Champs throw-down grooves, and If I’m Lucky was born.
Ben: Snuggle-soft arms? Yeah, I’m very grateful to Daxon for coming into my life as we held down the responsibilities of being paleo veterinarians to the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. What’s unique about a band like this is our relationships with each other and our community. As If I’m Lucky, we operate under the tagline “pop punk for the people” because we do believe we make this music because of our community and for our community. This project was born out of the three of us being thrown together for an emo tribute show, but once we saw the turnout and felt the response, we had to write and release this music – it feels like a duty to our scene. We love it.
Julian: On top of working with the If I’m Lucky guys, these days, I’m the front-of-house tech at a venue in South Florida. I pick up freelance audio work around the state and produce and mix bands. When I’m not behind a console, I’m gigging with If I’m Lucky and a few other acts with genres ranging from traditional Celtic music to 2000’s boy bands. My experience in the production side of things bleeds into my work onstage in a live show situation.
What matters most to you?
Julian: My wife. We met at 15 and immediately became best friends. We started dating at 16 but broke up after a month. We stayed best friends for 11 years before we decided to give it another shot, and now at 28, we’re getting ready to celebrate our third year of marriage. When we’re together, I feel present and refreshed in a way nothing else can offer.
Ben: Well, now Julian said his wife. I need to say the same all kidding aside, what matters most to me is the support from her and my family. She and my parents have stood by every musical endeavor of mine throughout my career. They’re the reason I can keep going. The other thing I have always believed in and strived to make my message is the idea that you are not alone. It’s powerful to tell someone through a song, an interaction, a text, or whatever it looks like; giving people a sense of belonging and connection is the most important thing any of us can do. I love that music is a place that does that for so many people, and I feel privileged to play a part in that.
Daxon: What matters most to me? So many of us are constantly tangled in the web of life’s trials and tribulations we forget that we’re all just here for a good time. Having a good time; life is meant to be enjoyed with friends, loved ones, and even strangers. Party for those who can’t while hoping everyone finds a way to enjoy their life – or that they get to enjoy the one they want.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://linktr.ee/ifimluckyfl
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ifimluckyfl
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ifimluckyfl
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ifimluckyfl
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9a7zMobrLj2Q-GGsJg3ag
Image Credits
Chris DeRoche, Zach Roy
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