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INTERVIEW: Marissa Dattoli of Crystalyne

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Crystalyne are a pop-punk band from Toronto, Ontario. Since I last spoke with vocalist Marissa Dattoli, the four-piece have gone on to accomplish a lot, including a Japanese tour, an opening slot at Family Channel’s Big Ticket Summer and a successful run of their breakout single ”Punks Don’t Dance”. With plans to record new music in the new year, the band are hoping to top 2014, and I was recently able to catch up with Marissa to discuss it all.

It’s been a while since we’ve properly spoken! How have you been?
We’ve been great! 2014 has been a crazy [and] exciting year for us.

“Punks Don’t Dance” has received a lot of attention this year, with plays on Family Channel and the radio, and over 167,000 views on YouTube. Did you ever anticipate it being this popular?
Honestly, no, haha. I mean, we were really excited about the song when we heard it all tracked and produced, but at the same time, we were hesitant as to what people would think about it. The Navigate EP was a little edgier that The Remedy EP, [and] we were afraid as to how our friends and fans would receive the new songs and sound - “Punks Don’t Dance” in particular, since it was the poppiest. But everything went over really well! We are blessed to have the most supportive people in our lives [who] let us be us, especially our fans.

Speaking of Family Channel, you played their Big Ticket Summer show this past August. How did it go?
The show was INCREDIBLE! It was a dream come true to play at the Molson Amphitheatre, and we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better reception. The crowd had so much energy and we even got to do a meet and greet after our set. We met so many amazing families and the show was a great way for us to celebrate the success of The Remedy.

You also toured Japan this year. How was your first time touring abroad?
That tour was amazing. It was first time meeting the people who work for our Japanese label, Kick Rock Invasion, in person and we were so happy we got to spend that time with them. They are honestly some of the sweetest, most hardworking people we’ve had the pleasure of dealing with and we miss them everyday.

As for the shows, we were blown away by the fact that people knew who we were and actually came out to watch us play. Some people brought us gifts and handwritten notes, which was so humbling. We can’t wait to go back.

You recently released the music video for “6 In The Morning”. How was the shoot and, more importantly, did Scott [Blake, drums] enjoy eating all that melted cheese?
The shoot was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work, haha. We shot overnight, meaning our day started at 6pm and went until 6am (literally) for two nights in a row. We were sleep deprived and a little cranky, but it was so worth it. The second day of shooting was the most fun because we had a bunch of friends and fans come out to be a part of the video.

As for Scotty eating that melted cheese, I can’t say he enjoyed it, but it sure did make for a great shot for the video, haha.

The band are currently in the midst of the Punks Don’t Dance Tour II. How have the shows been so far?
The shows have been great! The drives haven’t been too snowy either, which is fantastic, haha. It’s awesome that we have the opportunity to play this winter before we really buckle down and start working on some new material.

You’ll be heading into the studio early next year. Do you have any ideas about what you want the music to sound like?
I think for these new songs we’re going to stick to our usual method of writing how we feel. We don’t like to put ourselves in a box or restrict ourselves to a certain genre or style. I think people can definitely expect to see more musical growth from us though!

You can definitely say that 2014 was Crystalyne’s biggest year to date. Do you think you’re able to choose a highlight from the year?
Thank you! Honestly, no, haha. We experienced so many amazing things; it’s impossible to pick one thing over another. 2014 was definitely a year to remember for all of us. We feel so unbelievably blessed.

Is there anything you’d like the band to accomplish in 2015?
World domination, of course.

You started up a YouTube channel earlier this year. How’s it going?
I did! It’s been going well. Over the past few years, I’ve really gotten into makeup and fashion and figured it would be fun to branch out and share my love of that stuff with the people of the internet. It’s not a full-time channel because we’ve been so busy with touring and writing lately, but I really enjoy filming those types of videos in my spare time.

Final question: who in the band would survive a zombie apocalypse and why?
Obviously, I’m going to say myself because I’ve been training for a few years now – and, by training, I mean reading The Walking Dead graphic novels, playing The Last of Us and watching numerous zombie thrillers, haha. I’ve picked up a few survival tips along the way. ;)

You can find Crystalyne’s music on iTunes, and make sure to stay tuned to the band’s Facebook for updates regarding the new year!

By Clare Fitzgerald
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