We recently had the chance to sit down and talk with Jayden of Linga Longa's resident wedding band, Soundwaves. We chatted with him about the band, its members and their music.
Firstly, how about you introduce us to your band mates.
OK, straight up is Megan. Megan is our lead vocals and our manager/leader and it fair to say that she is the glue that holds us all together. In addition to her duties with Sound Waves, she is also mum to a gorgeous little two year old girl, as well as undertaking studies in early childhood teaching.
Matt is our bass man. He and his wife are boarding house parents while raising their 5 year old girl and have one on the way. Matt considers Linga Longa to be his second home.
Scott is Matts older brother and Soundwave's lead guitarist. He is an ER nurse and a father to three young boys. He likes anything that goes fast.
Nick is Megan’s younger brother and keeps a steady rhythm on the drums.
Luke is our newest member; no relation but family at heart! He is our keyboard player, frontman and emcee. Luke’s greatest inspiration is Freddie Mercury.
And finally, there is me. I am the second or rhythm guitarist. I also happen to be married to Megan and proud dad to our daughter. During the day I am a fitter machinist, with a keen interest in studying sales and business.
Personally, I love being in he band, because I love seeing everyone happy and together, and performing is our way of making their day extra special.
How did the band come together?
We are really a family band who have been playing as musicians for many years.
A family that plays together stays together!
How long has the band been together?
We’ve been around as a professional group in this capacity for 3 year, but we have been playing together for a lot longer. It feels like most of our lives.
Are there any bands or musicians who particularly influence you?
We have quite a diverse repertoire which is tailored more towards wedding favourites. As a band we have quite different music tastes. So separately we have different people that inspire us, but collectively we play music that clients want for weddings.
How would you describe your sound?
This depends on what we playing. We aim to be lively and energetic, but as we play for weddings, the sound we play is geared to the wedding industry and the customer requests.
Biggest piece of advice for couples music wise?
Please think about seating arrangements and place the older generation away from the speakers.
Have a good think about the type of vibe you want because nothing kills a reception faster than no-one dancing.
Make sure the MC and the wedding couple have a matching running sheet, as it is a dogs breakfast with interruptions from both sides having different ideas and time frames.
While we, as a band, pride ourselves on filling the customers expectations, we have seen examples such as at one wedding these issues came to light with the MC not following the designated running sheet, interrupting songs and being unprofessional. Things do not flow and you want a wedding to flow seamlessly.
Why do you like playing for weddings?
Weddings are a celebration of love and the excitement of a future of hope.
In our opinion, live music brings life into your event. We're not just a phone plugged in to the speakers - we are right there with you, celebrating in the best way that we know how - with beautiful music! We interact with the music we make and you and your guests can see, hear and feel how we add our heart and soul into the music we are creating. Live music definitely creates the ultimate atmosphere.
What is a song that is guaranteed to get people up on the dance floor?
People do love Come on Eileen and another is Sweet Caroline.
Any great anecdotes from the weddings you’ve played?
One of the first weddings we played as a band, the couple had requested we play Eagle Rock, which was a special song to them. Little did we know, Eagle Rock was called Eagle Drop because of the tradition of dropping your pants for the duration of the song. It came as a complete shock to us.
What does the future look like for sound waves?
We hope to just keep doing what we’re doing and to keep enjoying it.
What are some of the ways you give amazing customer service to your client?
We tailor our song-sets to music the customers want, which makes your wedding a personal experience.
Where can people go to find Soundwaves?
Please have a look at @soundwaves_bandau and feel free to contact us so we can help make your day the best day that it can be.