.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. The members of Fairport-based rock band Vanity Strikes say most of their musical inspiration comes from life experiences. Judging by their ages, you'd think that those experiences would be fairly limited. .. .. Drummer Kenny Krieger is 19 years old, and lead guitarist Kevin Murphy is 17. Lead singer/guitarist Danny Case and bassist Rob Weston both are 18. Yet, despite that, the guys are starting to make a name for themselves by crafting a hard-hitting, mature rock sound influenced by such bands as Avenged Sevenfold and Breaking Benjamin. .. .. Murphy started Vanity Strikes in 2006, when he was 13. But it didn't get off the ground until recently, having gone through several lineups and musical styles. .. .. "I never really thought this would actually come to life," he says. "Now, it seems like things are exactly where I want them to be." Vanity Strikes' first in-studio recording, "Beneath The Skin," was released in January of 2009, produced by Rochester native Dave Fondiller at Time Bomb Studios in Boston. The band's current lineup was set this past October with the addition of Weston. .. .. "Hearing that song finished was inspiration for me," says Krieger. "I was actually really close to quitting. I just felt like we weren't getting anywhere. It was a boost." .. .. The band's positive outlook can best be summed up by its latest single, "No Regrets." The lyrics From the very bottom, tryin' to survive sacrifice/So much just to stay alive, but we have no regrets epitomize band members' willingness to fight for their dream of playing music for a living. .. .. Meanwhile, they plan to hit the studio again in April to record an EP. "With where we're at now, this entire year has been worth it," Krieger says. "I have no regrets about that now." .. .. Story by Troy Smith, credit to Katharine Sidelnik, Insider magazine .. .... .. PURCHASE US ON ITUNES!!! ..
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