A Dirty Dozen with THE STAGE OF DREAMS – January 2025

According to a recent press release: “Emerging from the shadows of western Pennsylvania’s rustbelt, The Stage of Dreams stands as a testament to the transformative power of music. Their musical roots are intertwined with traditional power metal, progressive metal, and atmospheric storytelling – resulting in a sound that is both ethereal and invigorating. The interplay of dual vocalists, Daniel Butch & Janelle Lawless, crafts an experience that’s hauntingly melodic, yet fiercely powerful. Their dual vocal harmonies, often a rarity in the metal domain, finds its backbone in the virtuosic strings of guitarists Dion Pomponio and Jim Carsone. The rhythmic undercurrents are punctuated by bassist Chris Marriotti and the percussive mastery of drummer Shaun McConnell. The Stage of Dreams has unleashed The Duality Conflict upon the world! This heavy-metal concept album not only defines their musical journey, but also establishes their indomitable spirit and commitment to the craft. With every chord, beat, and lyric – The Stage of Dreams is a band that continues to redefine their songwriting boundaries and unique place in the metal soundscape.” We get Janelle and Daniel to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Daniel: I think one will get the sense that these songs are telling a story but the album is just several pieces of the puzzle. If you read the backstories on our website at The Stage of Dreams.com and come to The Duality Conflict Rock Opera Show then it will all come together.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Janelle: I was a child of the 80’s and I remember my dad always had the radio on. Back then rock and heavy metal ruled the airwaves and I remember just loving it! Watching all of the glam / heavy metal videos on MTV also made a big impression on me wanting to be a musician. I loved their look and style, but more importantly their sound! What a great era.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Janelle: It was the age of arena rock! The most memorable ones that immediately grabbed my attention were Judas Priest and Heart. Yes, I know it’s a strange combo! However, Priest has this unique sound that just drives you into a heavy metal frenzy and Heart-being fronted by 2 women was just so enchanting and magical to me at a young age. I taught myself how to sing using these two bands as a platform and went from there! Also I want to throw in seeing Operation:Mindcrime Live when it came out on VHS, just amazing!!!

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Janelle: There are too many amazing artists to list!

Daniel: I would call in Adrian Smith and say lets write a modern day “Stanger In A Strange Land.”

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Janelle: I love exploring new places and traveling, especially abandoned places. I also love being active outdoors, working with plants, spending time with my animals and working on art.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Janelle: I would describe The Stage Of Dreams as being a darkly dramatic and theatrical heavy metal band. Our songs paint a visual mindscape for the listener and along the way you can piece together the fragments that make up the entire story. As far as comparison, I haven’t heard a cringe worthy one personally myself!

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Daniel: Some of the guys have been lifelong friends. Jimmy, Shaun, and Dion are the hanger outers, though we all manage to go to a lot of the same concerts like Maiden and Priest.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Janelle: Recently (as in last week), I went to see Steelheart for the first time. Miljenko Matijevic came right out into the audience while singing “Angel Eyes” and stood right next to me. He was known for hitting some impressive high notes in the day with a catalog of great songs. and yes I sang along as loud as I could LOL! Ive been able to see so many people in concert and each time I am so grateful to be able to bear witness to them doing what they love to do under one roof. It’s always cool too, when you get to brush shoulders with them, whether at a meet and greet or in passing somewhere.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Janelle: The best part of being a musician is having the ability to perform your art for people who are there to listen to it and support you. To be able to get whatever message you’d like to deliver into the ethers (with a killer guitar solo accompanying it)! My dream job, well, I’d love to be able to make a living singing and performing full time, go on a big worldwide tour and create more music!

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Janelle: Overall, I’d say the majority of interviews have had some really good thought provoking questions (such as this one!). However, one question I can never answer is who my favorite band or artist is, or who has influenced me. I have many artists who have influenced me, some more than others. I am a lover of music in general and have several favorites and the list never stops growing!

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Janelle: I wouldn’t be honest if I said that I didn’t have regrets or wouldn’t want to go back and change certain things that happened in my life! However, I see those things as lessons we have to go through in order to learn and hopefully evolve. One of my mantras I try very hard to remind myself of daily is “don’t look back, but keep moving forward”. It will drive you absolutely mad thinking of the “what ifs” and “where would I be now” scenarios. It can actually hinder any progress that you may be able to make moving forward in life and even take away some of your precious time while focusing on such things. It’s a difficult thing to accept and work through, as time does not pause or rewind for anyone or anything, it keeps on rolling. Yesterday’s story has already been written. Today’s story is currently being written, and tomorrow’s story has yet to be written. Goal is to try and make it a good one.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Janelle: I have difficulty answering these questions to be honest, lol! I have too many albums that have impacted me and that I consider masterpieces. One of the first albums I heard on vinyl was The Darkside of the Moon. I mean, wow. Listening to that album in the dark with a pair of headphones on will take you on an otherworldly journey! My first introduction to heavy metal was Master of Puppets at my older cousins house when I was about 10 years old. Those are precious moments in time that shaped so much of who I have become. Music is amazing in the sense of what it does to you! I was hooked and from there I became obsessed with heavy metal, death metal and black metal. Just ate it up, whatever I could get my hands on! Back then we used to scour record stores or rely on each other for trading music, which wasnt as accessible as it is today! My first death metal album was Morbid Angel’s Covenant and black metal was Emperor In the Nightside Eclipse. And then there is October Rust by Type O Negative that ruled my whole world as a 16 year old. But those are just a few of MANY that have meant alot to me!! (Again, I could write a super long answer to this question and I think I’ve already started doing that…)

THE STAGE OF DREAMS LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

Category: Interviews