No Niche Rock (by Joellen Cabot)

"No Niche Rock" is a term/name we created in an effort to describe our music.  We believe that an artist/band should not be limited to writing and performing just one specific sub-category of music.  Tempting Zen is a "Rock" band.  Rock music is at the root of everything we write.  However, within that vain, there are many different flavors and feelings that we wish to convey to our listeners through our songs.  Whether the writing mood is Latin, Country, Blues, Fusion, Pop, we believe an artist/band should simply "write what they feel".

Recently there have been numerous articles circulating around the web, in various music blogs, suggesting that  that in order to grow a fanbase and be a successful artist, one must concentrate their writing efforts and musical performances to fit into one specific area of a genre, for example, "Goth-Rock" or "Acid Punk" or "Math Rock", (well, you get the picture).  The reasoning behind this is that if you appeal to a certain demographic and specific sub-genre, you will create a niche, or fall into one that has already been created, and from there, your listeners will always know "who you are and what you are selling".  It's really just niche marketing.  On its face, it sounds like it should work, and to some extent it does, until every song an artists catalogue starts to sound alike or stale, and their fans lose interest.  Maybe it's old school, but some of the greatest Rock bands in history, i.e. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Who, Eagles (and the list goes on) certainly did not write in an uber-specific sub category of Rock and they did not cater to only one demographic of people.  An artist or band should be recognized by their unique "sound" not some streamlined sub-category of a genre that they may be coached to fit into.   If  you do fall into a sub-genre, great, as long as it happens naturally and isn't contrived, and doesn't limit your creativity.

So, to summarize, our philosophy is to let creativity reign, write what you feel and let the chips fall where they may.  If you are a Rock band, play Rock music and don't be afraid to experiment.  Have fun and be creative with whatever style of music you write!  Keep it interesting.  Hence, we coin the term No Niche Rock.

Talk to ya soon.